Beck Ola
June 22nd, 2003
Greek Theater, Berkeley, CA.
And there I was.
I’d seen Beck three times in the previous few years, but this was an outdoor gig with a chance to que up very close to the stage with the right amount of preparation. My Beck wingman Eric accompanied me and we assumed our slot fairly close to the stage.
The Black Keys came on around 3pm, a bit early, but there was some 7pm curfew in effect. Perhaps because it was a Sunday on a college campus or such? I don’t know, but that was the deal. The Black Keys were not the big deal they are today; no one seemed to know who they were other than they were from Akron and if they were opening for Beck, they must have done something to impress somebody as Beck doesn’t suffer opening bands lightly. They did a more than admirable job.
Beck came on around 4:15 and dove headfirst into his set. At one point a few songs in, he started taking request. Someone called out for ‘Debra’ and he went for it, which was fun.
He also did a cover of Prince’s ‘Erotic City’ which was a surprise as well as Nelly’s ‘Hot In Herre’ which at the time was a current hit on the charts.
When it came time for the encores, Beck returned with the Black Keys in tow and everyone had donned white OSHA jumpsuits. Wacky. But that’s Beck for ya. Here’s a shot from ye old Kodak disposable camera.
Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. – Plato