GZA

Photo by John Anderson

GZA

Fans planning to see GZA spit Liquid Swords in its entirety must have left with heads hung low. The Wu-Tang Clan veteran ditched his classic 1995 solo debut for the Wu's "Clan in da Front" halfway through his set, and it nearly saved his show. After a "Liquid Swords" that rode mostly on the crowd's reaction to the Shogun Assassin intro, GZA kicked into auto-drive. Falling out of rhythm and lacking any sort of stage presence, he wandered through "Living in the World Today," "Swordsman," and "4th Chamber" with the charisma of a sleeping monk. Even King Khan, sitting in on guitar for the first half of the show, looked like he had somewhere better to be. Things got rolling after the "W"s went up for "Clan in da Front." A reinvigorated GZA then brought the heat to a thinning crowd through "Triumph," "Reunited," "C.R.E.A.M.," and Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" before closing with Pro Tools standout "Alphabets" and Swords' "Shadowboxin'." The best part may have been his Whole Foods plug as roadies readied the stage for Kid Sister.