Concert Review: The Roots | Talib Kweli | Nai Palm Sidney Myer Music Bowl 1/1/25

The weather was utterly brilliant for this visit to Melbourne to witness Hip Hop legends, The Roots and their support act Talib Kweli! The sun was out but not too hot and we walked the 700 metres down to the famous Sidney Myer Music Bowl. After a short wait, gates opened and we raced to the top of the hill to ensure the best views in the designated lawn area. If you have never been to the Bowl before as I had not, you are in for a visual treat. The area is designed to allow lawn seating, then further down the field is the actual seated part then the stage. It looks glorious and I most certainly would return to this venue. Food stands were readily accessible and facilities were really clean.

However the Sidney Myer Music Bowl can also pose a challenge and at roughly 7 PM the show diverted from the prerecorded hip hop to local performer Nai Palm who took the stage for a 30 minute set. I have not heard her solo stuff but I have enjoyed her work in Hiatus Koyote, but tonight sadly the sound gods were not in her favour, especially for punters on the hill due to the limited audio. I think this let down Nai Palm and most certainly hurt the performance for the rest of the night.

Once her set was done the hill filled up even more and whilst the Bowl is designed for graduated viewing, the instant a punter stands up, it is all over. One of my favourite rappers ever Talib Kweli took the stage next who brought an energy and presence to the stage and I was overjoyed to hear him perform Definition from his time with Blackstar with the most great Mos Def. I kept waiting for Mos to come on out but was grateful to hear the big man rock out on his end. Heads bobbed and all was good in the world. The rest of the set was a series of hits.

Finally the time had come for most people to see The Roots. And they did not disappoint coming out strong with hit after hit. By this time the Bowl was full with just cause. Most people would have gone to see The Roots as they would have seen them as the house band on Jimmy Fallon but they have been around a LOT longer than that and with cofounder Tariq Black Thought Trotter being present along with Questlove from back in the day, the show popped off like cork bottles on the first day of the year. Here is the part to remember if you were not lucky enough to be there; The Roots are a full blown band. 10 people worked that stage like a hive mind, performing their way through a delicious fusion of Jazz, Hip Hop, Soul, Funk and Rock. Effortlessly. You might have even noticed some Led Zep thrown into the works.

I was there for the hip hop and it did not disappoint. Eventually good things came to an end and the night finished up with this amazing group leaving the stage after having fed us all with the amazing sonics they have developed for almost as long as I have been a fan of hip hop. For those who got to see them clearly I am more than a little jealous but overall grateful for the opportunity to be in the same space as these pioneers.

This is a beautiful venue and one I’ll happily return to. PLEASE put screens in for those who are not up front. That’s my only real takeaway for you; the Bowl is a real hit and miss for those on the lawns. I would happily go back there to see shows but if I was a member of the public I would not go on the lawn again unless it was something like MSO performing where you can sit back and just appreciate it. Anything with too much energy totally eradicates the purpose of the Bowl itself.