I'm just hopin he shows up to be honest. It's really sketchy looking at his tour calendar that the show tomorrow night is the only one listed for any of these final months of 2016 and there's nothing at all listed as of yet for 2017...

Like, why is he doing a random show in Worcester, Mass? Makes me wonder, but here's to hopin. I got another update just this afternoon from the promotion putting the show on and he's still billed with the headline spot. I remain extremely optomistic.

Lex is there to. That alone should be fresh. Can't wait to cop "Contact". Torn between wearing my RLP shirt or MNE shirt...

That answered my question

Esham's Setlist:

- The Wicketshit Will Never Die

- My Homie Got Shot

- Can't Take it Wit Cha

- Word After Word

-

- Slug From a 45

- One Day

- Boom!

- Woo Woo Woo

- 

- You Betta Ask Somebody

- 

- Charlie Manson

- Wake the Dead

- Trust No One (New Song)

Notice I have three blanks to fill in. One is off venus flytrap and I just gotta match the lyrics to the crazy song titles he used there. The other two I'm still attempting to decipher my notepad scribble. I got progressively more inebriated as the night went on so once I figure out what the hell I wrote down I'll post the remainder.

Note the last song performed was a new track. E has a new album currently in the works (that's all the info I was able to get on that)

In a day or two I'll post a full review on the show as a whole. 

All right ninjas, sorry, but I'm completely coming up empty on these last two tracks from E's set. One, I know I know the song title and lyrics of, but just can't make out what I scribbled down. The other, I only wrote down lyrics I heard him actually rapping as I was unfamiliar with the song. I thought it was to be a new track as his lady holding down the RLP merch booth said Esham would be performing two new tracks off his upcoming album, but I then looked around the crowd and saw multiple people singing along. Maybe it was a track off Dichotomy or and old Natas track that I just forgot about. As @scruffy said, most of the tracks performed were also performed at GOTJ 16 as well. There's some high quality footage on youtube of his whole set from this past summer so maybe I'll watch that again to try to fill in the blanks. Anyway, here's a review:

Got to the Palladium about 8:00PM (doors were at 7:00). I should mention before going inside I smoked my first semi legal joint on the streets of Woosta. I say semi legal because it is not legal to just blaze out in public. Only private use. Also, the law doesn't actually take effect till the 15th off this month. However, and even though I've been openly blazing there for years without issue or any hassle, it was fresh to do so none the less with what I consider to be a very progressive and positive new state law. 

Anyway, my lady and I got there an hr after doors and there was only about 50 heads in the whole place. We grabbed some brews and headed to the merch booths. As soon as I got to the upstairs area where artists were selling their merchandise I spotted Esham just chillin and kickin it with some ninjas. For the time I passed right by him cause I had one main goal... to scoop up Lex's Contact album. The booth with Lex's merch was combined with him and Scum's stuff. Lex had about 5 different t-shirts ($20) and a hoodie for sale ($60 I think). I grabbed Contact and was outta there. (CD's were S10 and they had both Black Season and Mr. Ugly)

Now it was time to shoot the shit with the godfather off the Wicket Shit. I went over to E's booth and he was still talkin to a ninja. I then chatted for a bit with his lovely merchandise lady about the upcoming show and this year's past GOTJ. Esham had the following for sale: Red/Blue RLP shirts along with another shirt ($20), CD's (all signed by E on the spot, $10), a fresh new beanie which is warm as fuck and well made so I grabbed one, $20), some socks (yes socks, $15) and a dope ass RLP jacket like the one E was wearing. (There was no price listed on that) I was kicking myself halfway through the show for not buying one so my lady being as awesome as she is, went back to buy one. Unfortunately that was a bit later and they were all packed up by time she had gotten back to the booth. Oh well. Probably a good thing that we didn't spend the extra $$$.

Sorry, no merch pictures. The booths weren't that overwhelming with stuff as it was a very tiny show so I covered pretty much everything above. @Cat Burgerler mentions in a previous post there were some Venus Flytrap shirts as well that weren't displayed. Dope!

Moving on, Esham gave me the full time of day with pictures, daps, and just bullshitting. We were cracking jokes an what not, talking about this past GOTJ, etc, etc. No VIP fees here! He seemed real happy to just be there and kickin it. I thanked him for his time and he reciprocated right back and then some. Nothin but love!

Now on to show time. I mentioned the dope local band Wayne da Payne before. Check them out as I have a feeling if they continue down this path, we'll see them a future and hopefully larger shows.

I'm going to skip over the next local act and a few other more well knowns as I didn't care for them.  Plus I'm already tired of typing. IDK how the fuck you do these event reviews @miklo-velka let along how @scottied does his Gathering ones.

Slowly getting drunker...

On to Lex... Who absolutely murdered! He played tracks from his two EP's and new LP. Some that I remember were Raw Shit, Ninjas, The Boss Teacher & The Preacher, Army of One, and finished off with Bomb on Em. My only gripe is that he came on before Scum an only had about a 20 min set. Still it was as hype as I've ever seen him. Before his last song he started a "Magic Magic Ninja" chant with the whole crowd getting in to it. Side note, but I met Esham's DJ during Lex's set and didn't even know it until he was up on stage. Real cool dude out of NYC.

Slowly getting drunker...

Skipping over Scum, sorry but he's just not my thing and I was still a little peeved about him going on after Lex. Understandable I guess though and the rest off the crowd was feeling him. That in itself is fresh.

Kinda shitty at this point...

East Side Hoes And Money time! The lights dimmed, the fog machines hit, babies everywhere cried...Esham the Unholy took the stage and does what he does best. Kicks that Wicket Shit flawlessly. I like to consider myself a seasoned ninja, but this was only my second time ever seeing him. It couldn't have been any better. He was very high energy and rapped the vast majority of his verses. Very different going from the second stage at GOTJ to a small venue with about 150-200 people tops. See the tracklist above, which although is still missing two songs, is accurate both in songs and order they were played.

That's my time. The show ended and everyone cleared out. Morgan and I went to the bar next door for some more drinks and much needed late night apps. Well the food wasn't that great so I just substituted more booze (I thought this to be an educated decision at the time). And...  that's the last thing I remember. Woke up at the hotel at 8:00 AM still buzzin with a splitting headache. That's the price you pay! (Note to those concerned; No driving was involved in this night! That's my favorite part about Woosta is that the venue, hotel, and about 3 bars and restaurants are all literally in the same area with about a 3 min walk being the maximum point to point.)

Anyway, we drove back to CT the next morning listening to that Contact about 3 times over. Banger! Catch this show for Lex at least if it comes to your area and pick up Contact with your bitch ass!!!

#isupporttheunderground