Minneapolis Hip Hop five piece The Blend took to the stage on Friday night to support the release of their debut album, Losing the Game. I was in attendance, though several opening bands of varying quality had me taking frequent breaks to visit other West Bank bars. When it was finally The Blend’s turn to play, the first man to climb to the stage was a bassist in a Metallica jersey, leading me to question if I was in the correct place (for me, usually Metallica shirts are a pretty good indicator that I took a wrong turn somewhere). But no, this was the right band. So, I settled in and prepared for the hip hop equivalent of “Enter Sandman.”

Luckily though, this was not to be. While The Blend features some diverse musical backgrounds converging (Metal, Jazz, Rap) the result is much better than many of the others whom have tried for a similar meld (Limp Bizkit, N.E.R.D., etc.). Where other rap-rock acts seem to borrow the worst parts of each genre, The Blend marries intelligent, lyrical poetry with a backing band that are actually good at playing their instruments. Instead of worrying about posing and showmanship, each member of the group appeared to be concentrating deeply on his part (this isn’t to say they didn’t rock out a bit now and again though).

While the band is certainly vivacious on the bass, guitar and saxophone, they don’t overwhelm frontman Toussaint Morrison’s flow. Morrison’s rhymes are as clean cut as his shaven head, whether he is singing (“Control”), screaming (“South Dakota Cure”) or straight out rapping (“All Things Considered”). The young MC bounced around the stage with obvious enthusiasm, burning through all of the tracks off of Losing with little or no downtime. Often framing him on either side were his bassist and lead guitar, laying down thick jazzy licks reminiscent of Heiruspec’s backing band, Big Trouble.

The standout track from the set was “All Things Considered,” with its funky bassline, saxophone hooks, and subject matter that lay just outside the Triple Rock’s doors. The song’s hip hop vibe was a definite plus for me, moreso than the band’s more rock-oriented songs. This is only a matter of personal taste though, and I am sure that any Metalheads in the audience leaned a different way. This is the beauty of the band though: its musical diversity is bound to attract fans with equally diverse tastes. More than any other band right now I am curious what kind of local following The Blend develops. I for one certainly plan on seeing them again.

(MySpace)