A fusion of cool jazz with hip hop rhythm streamed out of Webster Hall Saturday night as the celestial Digable Planets and their band Planet Patrol performed.
In a show that lasted a little longer than an hour, the group played most of the songs from their debut album "Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)," including their hit single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," which hit number 15 on the pop charts last spring.
Keeping an audience of over 500 people entertained and often dancing, Digable Planets members Butterfly, Ladybug and Doodlebug seemed to have hit the right notes for even hard core rap lovers.
Their sound, which varied from song to song, had the aura of a New Orleans jazz club at one instrumental point and then had most of the audience jumping up and down and waving their hands in unity during "Pacifics," the hit song from the soundtrack to the film "New York is Red Hot."
Although the group's cool rhythm can take one away from the harshness of everyday life, the Digable Planets' social influence remained in synch with their beat, addressing the issues of abortion and drug use.
The group's insect nicknames are part of their unstated social influence. "Insects stick together and work for mutually beneficial causes," Ann Vieira (Ladybug) stated in a news release. The group uses this metaphor of strength through unity as the vision for progress in the African-American community in the United States.
Although Digable Planets did not come on stage until approximately 10 p.m., the audience was in full effect for Get Set V.O.P. (Voice of the Projects), which opened up the evening with three rap songs.
According to Mariann McKeever '95, their message was "to be proud of whatever you are."
The vitality of the audience grew as the second opener Gumbo, a group in the spirit of Arrested Development, took the stage. With a DJ, three singers and a drummer, audience participation played a large part in their act and made them an exciting band to watch.
All three bands delivered great performances and left the audience so satisfied that many felt they didn't even have the right to ask for an encore. Nevertheless, Digable Planets graced the stage once more, creating a rush for the spaces closest to the stage.
