Doomtree drawn by “bomb” pizza and delivers concert

Rumors of St. Olaf's "bomb" pizza have reached as far as Minneapolis. A reference slipped into Doomtree's concert set suggested that, apparently, our awesome pizza was what drew one of the most talented rap crews in Minneapolis to St. Olaf. Saturday night, Mike Mictlan, Dessa, Sims and Cecil Otter of Doomtree played the Mane Stage of the Pause and  zoomed through a powerful, explosive set list.

Although MEC usually books concerts at the Pause, KSTO, St. Olaf's college radio station, brought Doomtree to St. Olaf this past weekend. For an often overlooked organization, this concert gave KSTO the opportunity to get into the spotlight again.

The artists of Doomtree mostly performed songs from their "Doomtree" album, as well as some new work, and the unrelenting beat pulsed through the crowd. Fusing hip-hop with a wide number of musical influences, from Latin rhythms to punk edge, Doomtree runs a gamut of disparate styles.

Cecil Otter's "Let Me Tell You" mixes in Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" and blends the sounds of indie rock and choral voices with his rhymes. Spanish guitars churn underneath Mictlan, Sims and Cecil Otter's "Dots and Dashes" and a relatively spare beat underlies Dessa's mournful "Mineshaft."

On stage for about an hour, Doomtree's energy never flagged. Bumping through song after song, the only snags that slowed down their momentum were some non-functional microphones. At one point in the night, only one mic was still working. Fortunately, the sound issues were soon resolved, and unfazed, they picked up just where they left off.

Scratchy guitar tracks mixed under diverse beats, sincere lyrics about personal struggles or political issues, combined with Doomtree's unrelenting energy, made for a great show. The crowd responded by raising their hands up to form Doomtree's symbol, which looks like a butterfly  but actually symbolizes "teeth with wings."
 

Doomtree is a fiercely loyal hip-hop collective: most of the members live together, riffing on and propelling each other's creativity. Although they form a tight posse, each artist is also a solo artist in his or her own right. Their collaborations launch innovative amalgamations of beats, lyrics and personalities, but individually, each member breaks out into a signature style.
 

Dessa croons, quick-fires and speak-sings in English and Spanish. Her smoky voice beckons and insists, aggresses and coos. Actually, I could have used an encore show of just Dessa.

As the only girl among what she referred to as her "boys' choir," she is an enticing performer because she defies what it means to be a typical hip-hop artist. She's a woman in a male-dominated profession, and she carries herself with confidence and swagger. In "Seamstress," she sings, "I kept an angel in a box underneath my bed, little beast had broke her head." Her songs are rough and confrontational, yet at the same time, distinctly feminine.

Although Dessa will always hold a special place in my musical heart, the Doomtree crew as a whole is a force to be reckoned with. Watching them perform, it is obvious how much they support each other's individual styles.

I'll keep my eye out for the members' solo releases and hope that the memory of Pause pizza will draw Doomtree back to St. Olaf again.

giaquinl@stolaf.edu