Cypress Hill Lights Up At Stir Cove!

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Story and Photos: Spencer Fleming

The legacy of the California rap-rockers Cypress Hill rolls on! On a beautiful Sunday evening thousands of alternative and hip-hop fans pulled up to the Stir Cove for one of Omaha's most interesting line-ups this year.

Headlined by the long-time hit makers Cypress Hill, the show also included underground stars The Pharcyde, Atmosphere, and Lupe Fiasco! These are some names I never expected to hear were coming to Omaha so when the lineup was announced I was pretty stoked. I've seen Cypress Hill a handful of times and they're always great. So to have this killer package was just icing on the cake.

I rolled up with my friend Joe DeSanti (The Review Junkie) ready to shoot. I offered to give Joe a ride since he got whooped at a wrestling show the night before. A man of many talents, in addition to photos and write-ups Joe is part of a semi-pro wrestling team where he plays an evil manager! We got our credentials and hit the photo pit ready for the first act, The Pharcyde.

The set started off a little slow with many of the crowd still filing in the doors, but by the end of the set the party vibes were starting to flow. The Pharcyde started in 1991 in Los Angeles and had a string of hits throughout the early 90s. Their short set ended with the smash "Passing Me By" and then "Runnin". All around folks started pulling out their phones to capture the moment. I doubt you'll ever see The Pharcyde in Omaha again, so if you missed it that's a bummer.

Next up was Lupe Fiasco. I was really looking forward to his set. Lupe is like a rapper's rapper. Thoughtful, insightful lyrics with great storytelling. His stage banter was great too. He came out and said "What is up with this crowd? Why is it set up like this? What's this box here? Are these the rich people? Are all the people on the lawn the poor people? What's up to the ghetto out there!" It was pretty awesome. For the next 30 minutes Lupe brought the jams including his hits "Kick, Push", "Superstar", and "The Show Goes On". Another banger set from someone who doesn't play Omaha very often. I'm glad I was able to catch it!

After Lupe was the underground legend Atmosphere. I tell ya I saw a ton of Atmosphere shirts in the crowd. I never got too deep into Atmosphere but I've known about them since 2002. They started in the late 90s and they're still going strong. With over 13 albums and ten EPs their catalog is massive! Atmosphere had the crowd moving with fists in the air. Backed by two DJs Atmosphere kept the party going strong for nearly an hour. By now the sun was starting to set and the air or "atmosphere" you could say, was perfect.

With the sun long gone there was a little chill swirling through Stir Cove. It wouldn't be long until things heated up with the SoCal legends Cypress Hill! Their DJ came out and did a ten minute set mixing up hip hop and rock tracks from Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, and more. Soon the full band stepped forth with blunts in hand. The smoke in the air was crazy, it was inescapable! When I got home I had to put all my clothes in the washer and take a shower. From front to back the crowd was on their feet and vibing to the classic sounds of "Hand On The Pump", "How I Could Just Kill A Man", "Cock The Hammer", and of course "Insane In The Membrane"! Cypress Hill has hits for days and they know how to work the stage. It's always a massive party when the band comes through town. They're one of those bands you just have to see (and smell) live, haha! There's nothing like a Cypress Hill show. If you get the chance to see them you should definitely do it. Just make sure you don't have a job interview or go to church directly after!

A huge thanks to Stir Cove and Cypress Hill management for photo access.