Cypress Hill‘s landmark Black Sunday album celebrates its 30th birthday on July 20. Ahead of that anniversary, the group teamed with SPIN and Bose to perform a small show to honor its history at the Bourbon Room in Hollywood.
A little after 10 p.m., B-Real, Sen Dog, DJ Lord, and Eric Bobo took the stage in front of 400 rabid fans for one of the group’s more intimate shows in years. Armed with their mics, and in B-Real’s case, a blunt, the hip-hop legends tore through an hour-long set, performing most of Black Sunday, their second — and best selling — album. Songs from the triple-platinum 1993 behemoth, including “Hits From the Bong,” “When the Shit Goes Down,” “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That,” and “Insane in the Brain” had the crowd bopping up and down (with mobile phones waving from side-to-side), singing, and rapping right along.
In addition to the Black Sunday portion of the show, Cypress Hill sprinkled in hits from across its decades-long catalog. As always, tunes like “Rock Superstar,” 1995’s “Throw Your Set in the Air,” “Tequila Sunrise,” and “Hand on the Pump” packed a heavy punch.
Throughout the night, Cypress Hill marveled at the crowd’s intensity. By the end of the set, the audience broke into a swirling mosh that ended up with arms and bodies flying all over the place — much to the group’s approval. Closing with a spirited version of House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” Cypress Hill gave the crowd exactly what it wanted: a memorable show full of classics.
Ahead of Cypress Hill’s set, the packed room was treated to the sounds of a number of L.A.-based up-and-comers. Radio Ah’lee, Sticky Bizness, Kaexandra, Doll Machine, Peace the Keeper, Body Bagg Jonez all showcased their talents and gave the audience a glimpse of their incredibly bright futures.
