Rio Hondo College Newspaper

El Paisano

Rio Hondo College Newspaper

El Paisano

Rio Hondo College Newspaper

El Paisano

Headliner of the Airline

He’s back! After a very emotional and precarious 9 months since the release of his latest album We Don’t Even Live Here, P.O.S finally made his long awaited West Coast appearance last night at the Airliner in Los Angeles.

Shortly after his last SoCal performance at Paid Dues in April of 2012, lyricist and hip-hop innovator P.O.S fell greatly ill with a formidable kidney dysfunction which required the aid of dialysis as well as the cancellation of the We Don’t Even Live Here tour scheduled later that year.

By 8:30, the line to the airliner consisted of twenty or so people. Being a small venue, space was limited and people took it amongst themselves to arrive before the doors opened at 9:30 for fear of compaction.

When the doors opened, a line of more than 50 eager people wrapped around the block of Broadway awaiting entrance to the event. Being P.O.S first show in SoCal in almost a year, people made it a point to be very punctual.

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A mere $10 admittance fee granted one access to a temperate and tranquil atmosphere within the Airliner. With lights dimmed and $5 dollar draft beers at one’s disposal, this two story venue did a great job in concealing the anticipatory energy that lingered at within every individual awaiting the main event.

The upstairs portion of the venue also possessed a bar, but unlike the downstairs layout, the upstairs area was equipped with a stage, speakers, a DJ and a patio area where water, beer, and mixed drinks were also sold.

At around 10 p.m. the first set of DJ’s began displaying their mixing abilities as well as introducing new beats and projects which they debuted last night.

The DJ’s did a fascinating job in keeping the audience involved, entertained and energetic. By this time, the small room had reached its maximum occupancy and even filled the patio area where the stage could vaguely be seen.

The room was a furnace by the time Rheteric Ramirez hit the stage; even the AC was no match for a crowd of more than sixty jumping, dancing, and slightly intoxicated individuals.

Ramirez’s performance was both energetic and captivating. His set had the crowd dancing and nodding their heads to the rhythm of the beat throughout his entire performance. After Ramirez, another DJ walked up on stage and mixed some beats until it was time for the main and most anticipated event of the night; P.O.S.

Humbly, excited, and smiling, P.O.S was greeted by a sweaty, understanding, and still energetic crowd, even after two hours of nonstop dancing. Being only one person away from being considered front and center, P.O.S’ performance could not have been more visible.

Just like the pace of everyone’s beating hearts that night, P.O.S opened with the first song from his latest album titled Bumper. The song is structured with a consistent pounding base that is prevalent throughout the entire song and is also coupled with a periodic electronic riff that makes the song unique to its compositional kind.

P.O.S’ set was comprised primarily of energetic songs like Drumroll, F*** Your Stuff, Terrorish, Lock-Picks, Knives, Bricks and Bats, Get Down, We Don’t Even Live Here, and All of It.

P.O.S changed the atmosphere of the venue with his closing song titled Purexed. The song possessed a more intimate and sentimental energy with periodic bursts of snare that left the audience screaming and rhyming along with him.

Although a few technical difficulties were experienced, particularly during the song Get Down, when the auxiliary cable was disconnected from the laptop during the song’s climax leaving the crowd with a perplexing silence that was immediately compensated with Alexander’s quick humor, humility and unforgettable character, it was not enough to change the musical and lyrical tempo of the night.

Screams of appreciation and satisfaction vociferated from the crowd at the end of the night as a way to recognize his spectacularly quirky performance and his triumph over the kidney illness which threatened his life.

At 1:30 a.m. the crowd of people made their way down the dim and narrow steps of the Airliner. With ears buzzing, sweat dripping, the looming scent of bacon wrapped hot dogs and a euphoria that was P.O.S., all signs pointed to the end of a great and memorable night.

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