G-Funk pioneer Warren G stopped in my neck of the woods on his G-Files Tour. Before taking the stage I spoke to Warren and found him to be just as cool and laid back as the rhymes that he writes.
In a sea of girls, gambling, booze, and ummmm smoke Warren stayed isolated from the chaos. He sat alone in his dressing room eating a salad and a Chicago style hot dog before he invited me to sit down for a chat.
I asked Warren G how he managed to stay healthy when on the road. "I haven't had a lot of sleep," said Warren. "I'm tired when I get off the stage and it's hard to eat like you want to when you're steadily on the move."
Warren told me about his plan to venture into Hollywood with an upcoming reality show, "I shot a pilot called the Warren G Files," said Warren. "It's nice, it's just showing people how my lifestyle is--being a father, an artist, and a business man."
Scoring films is also in Warren's future as he plans to attend spring classes at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. "I gotta go to school to learn certain things in order to get the certificate and get further in what I'm trying to do."
Warren took the stage and immediately hit fans with selections from his debut album Regulate...G Funk Era. This DJ, and Do You See blared through The Metro's speakers as Warren G calmly paced across the stage.
1999's hit I Want It All was up next before Warren performed his verse from the 213 hit So Fly. After touching on songs from his various solo albums the musical highlight of the night occurred.
Warren paid tribute to his friend and 213 band mate Nate Dogg who is recovering from two strokes. Nate is often forgotten in music discussions but Warren G's tribute reminded everyone of how rich Nate's contributions are. Warren led the crowd in a sing-a-long of various Nate Dogg assisted songs. Xxplosive, Trick Please, The Next Episode, 21 Questions, and Ain't No Fun were just a few of the songs highlighted in the tribute to Nate.
The show was closed with the most popular song featuring Nate Dogg, Regulate. Fifteen years after its release Regulate is still a crowd favorite.
Warren G gave a very good performance that was mostly nostalgia. Only two songs from his latest release The G-Files were performed during his set, choosing to stick with the oldies but goodies.
The personal highlight of the night for me was talking to Warren the man, not the musician. I asked Warren what it was like to be on the road without his family, "It's hard, because you run across so many beautiful women," Warren joked. "It's mind over matter. Look at this whole thing like its a job and you can't play on the job."
"First thing I'm gonna do when I get home is hug my wife and my kids, and kiss 'em, kiss 'em, kiss 'em."
Warren G's latest album The G-Files is in stores now.
Catch Warren G on tour:
Nov. 16 - Council Bluffs, IA - Whiskey Road House
Nov. 18 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
Nov. 19 - Ft. Collins, CO - Aggie Theatre
Nov. 20 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up
Nov. 22 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's
Nov. 23 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
Nov. 24 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
Warning! This video contains adult language:
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