For those of you that have been lucky enough to see a show at the Varsity Theater here in Minneapolis, you know that the plush coaches, accessible bar, and dark exotic decor offers an ambiance that is unmatched in the twin-cities. The venue is small enough to feel intimate, yet still large enough to bring in reputable acts. With the perfect setting, the question was whether or not the seven piece rock/rap group from Denver could pull off their “first time” in the twin-cities.

The short answer is… they did. It’s no secret that the Twin-Cities scene salivates for emotionally laden alterna-rap, and Minneapolis accepted Flobots with open arms.

MP3: Flobots – Handlebars

Often times hip-hop artists are better heard, and not seen, but there are a handful of rappers / musicians out there that can really bring hip-hop to the stage and pull of a live show. While Flobots have a long way to go before joining the ranks of great live hip-hop acts such as The Roots and Black Eyed Peas (pre-fergie), they certainly don’t belong entangled with the many bland MCs backed by hired studio musicians.

The show began with a rather dramatic entrance as Violinist, Mackenzie Roberts, and MC Brer Rabbit took the stage with a taste of spoken word backed by haunting violin. Each member gradually found his way on stage, like a less epic version of the intro on Talking Head’s “Stop Making Sense” DVD. The Flobots threw a bit of a curveball about three songs in when they busted into a cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in The Name of” as an interlude. While I’m usually a RATM snob, the Flobots certainly took advantage of the Political climate of the twin-cities (with the looming RNC) and the rather recent reunion of the original rap / rock group. Tastefully done, and who can deny how sweet it was to hear Tom Morello’s opening lick be played on a violin.

The energy of the show ran high, and while I question the talent of each MC when stripped down, as a whole the group gels in a way that simply can’t be practiced. Aside from getting a little too politically preachy near the end of the show, the overall experience was good. My only criticism would be to the venue: All ages show + No air-conditioning = Venue feeling like an indoor pool.