Sacramento-natives Hippie Sabotage are right in the middle of their first-ever tour, and naturally sold out U Street Music Hall on Monday night.
At one point, it was just like a scene out of your favorite sports movie — where the coach gives the underdog team the pep-talk that helps them dust each other off and go with the big game — everyone was rallying together:
“When people say no to your dreams, what the fuck do you say?”
“We say, Fuck you!”
Opening the night, Kembe X, the 18-year-old from Chicago showcased catchy lyrics paired with lots of crowd engagement — he even rapped a verse in the middle of the crowd. His album, “Talk Back” is coming soon. The title track, which usually puts you in the mood to chill out, was infused with so much energy during the live performance, it was like a brand new mix. Kembe X ended his set by revealing the theme of the tour, “Fuck you, it’s the Future!”, setting off the packed-house repeating after him, “Fuck you, it’s the Future!” “Fuck you, it’s the Future!”
The next opener, Alex Wiley, also hails from Chicago, and has been influencing Hippie Sabotage tracks like “Something to Say.” Wiley sauntered onto the stage, smoking a blunt, which he handed to the crowd — and had the place jumping. He said this was his first tour where everybody knows each other, and it’s a great vibe. He also shared a story about how CNN called him for a comment about Donald Trump, to which he had no comment for then. But last night, he ended the story with a “Fuck Donald Trump” chant, echoed by everyone packed into U Hall.
And of course, Hippie Sabotage, made up of brothers Jeff and Kevin Saurer, was who everyone had been eagerly awaiting. These guys delivered a let your hair down and put your middle finger up kind of a performance.
At one point a fan handed Kevin a beer, which he immediately poured over his long messy curls, shaking the excess on the crowd. He definitely needed to stay hydrated, and watered his hair a few times during the show.
Everyone was reaching out to Kevin as he spent most of the show at the edge of the stage, offering selfies or fist bumps to the outstretched hands, most marked with giant Xs. He spent a lot of time during the performance gladly grabbing cell phones from fans and recorded himself with the clamoring crowd without missing a beat. Maybe it was the long hair and the beard, and so many impassioned fans, but he kind of looked like a contemporary messiah.
The Hippie Sabotage brothers were like prophets for anyone who might have been told their dreams weren’t possible. They described the days where they were scraping by, homeless, and discouraged by those who didn’t believe in them. That didn’t stop them though. After a lot of hard work and endorsements like Ellie Goulding Instagramming their remix for “Stay High” by Swedish singer Tove Lo, they continue to pay forward their perspective on tenacity.
“Now we are here, selling this bitch out. Thank you!”
Promoting other not-so-subtle subtext, Kevin lit a joint that was passed to him from the crowd.
But don’t try finding the tracks they played during the set — most of them are still unreleased.
Jeff and Kevin pointed to waving fans in the crowd, let fans dance on the stage with them, and they even took more photos with fans after their set was wrapped up. So, next time you’re told you can’t accomplish something, let’s remember, just as Hippie Sabotage repeatedly told us: This is Washington, D.C., and our “dreams are not bullshit.”
Photos and blog by Cristina Rayas and Toby Mues
BTW, did anyone see Hippie Sabotage grabbing some Ben’s Chili Bowl after the show?
Celebrate. pic.twitter.com/lyvz8fbQVr
— The Hippies (@HippieSabotage) March 22, 2016