Rob Sonic and Aesop Rock brought the 'Bestiary' Tour to the Hawthorne—click to see a whole gallery of photos by Christina BargelMany times when rappers take the stage, they are mean mugging with a tinge of violence. Which can be fun. However, Aesop Rock comes out with a big smile on his face, and based on the way he and Rob Sonic jive back and forth, you know they're having a blast.
This fun nature rings true throughout their new album, Bestiary (stream the entire record at the end of this article), released last November. And at the Hawthorne Theatre on January 21, the audience seemed to know the new material, rapping along to the callbacks in "Kiln" and throwing their hands up during "Whales" (watch the video below).
Hail Mary Mallon, with DJ Abilities on the ones and twos, did not disappoint Aesop Rock fans as the trio played many tracks off of Aesop's solo albums, such as the hits "None Shall Pass" and "Daylight" (listen below).
Aesop Rock was one of the first rappers to use vintage video game tones in his beats, and it's great to see that this playful nature translates to his live show. And when you add in Aesop’s unique vocal cadence and Rob Sonic's strong stage presence, the audience has just as much fun as they do.
Besides, it’s hard to not have fun when the performers onstage are rapping about spaceship weed.
