Talib Kweli: 21 June 2011 – Brooklyn

For the inaugural summer evening in the park New York’s City Parks Foundation hosted Talib Kweli in Red Hook. Backed by a three-piece band as well as DJ — enabling emersions into any genre desirable, Kweli boasted — the set featured Gutter Rainbows heavily, while also indulging in some Beatles (“Eleanor Rigby”) and a Gil Scott-Heron tribute (“The Bottle”). Though the latter lacked the original’s nimble bass, it showed off the keyboardist well on Fender Rhodes. A brief Black Star montage followed and Brooklyn shout outs were constant. (He proudly reminded us, “I was born here, raised here, and I live here.”) The exceptionally diverse crowd was spread out equally between relaxed picnickers and hand waving devotees. All joined in on the chorus of “Get By,” which Kweli closed with.