Sometimes smoking too much weed can be a bad thing. Case in point: Action Bronson (real name Arian Asllani), who took the stage at Toronto's TIME Festival around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night to much fanfare, but left less than an hour later to vaguely appreciative applause.
Of course, such a lackluster performance wasn't all Bronson's fault. Quick set changes and short set times made it nearly impossible for acts to perfect their sound all day. So when Bronson came out of the gates with a high-octane rendition of "Silverado," no one seemed that surprised when it sounded like he was rapping through a tin can. "I can't hear you Toronto," Bronson screamed mid-song. The irony wasn't missed on fans who shouted back that the volume on his mic needed to be turned up.
Listeners longing for Bronson's legendary stage antics were not disappointed: he ate someone's burger in front of the whole audience; sauntered around aimlessly while spitting bars through the crowd; and occasionally got lost while trying to find his way back to the stage. But such dalliances detracted from the performance overall, with Bronson stopping mid-song to chew his food, missing full verses and consistently stopping and restarting songs.
"I'm higher than a motherfucker," he told the crowd on two separate occasions. "I don't even know what's going on." Although being that blazed is evidently part of Bronson's charm, even standout performances of "The Rockers," "Through the Eyes of a G" and "Contemporary Man," as well as the entire set overall, could have benefited from the Queens native being just a bit more sober.
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Of course, such a lackluster performance wasn't all Bronson's fault. Quick set changes and short set times made it nearly impossible for acts to perfect their sound all day. So when Bronson came out of the gates with a high-octane rendition of "Silverado," no one seemed that surprised when it sounded like he was rapping through a tin can. "I can't hear you Toronto," Bronson screamed mid-song. The irony wasn't missed on fans who shouted back that the volume on his mic needed to be turned up.
Listeners longing for Bronson's legendary stage antics were not disappointed: he ate someone's burger in front of the whole audience; sauntered around aimlessly while spitting bars through the crowd; and occasionally got lost while trying to find his way back to the stage. But such dalliances detracted from the performance overall, with Bronson stopping mid-song to chew his food, missing full verses and consistently stopping and restarting songs.
"I'm higher than a motherfucker," he told the crowd on two separate occasions. "I don't even know what's going on." Although being that blazed is evidently part of Bronson's charm, even standout performances of "The Rockers," "Through the Eyes of a G" and "Contemporary Man," as well as the entire set overall, could have benefited from the Queens native being just a bit more sober.
Photo Gallery: FB, g+
