On an overcast Wednesday night, April 15, thousands gathered at the nTelos Pavilion to take in the laid back, California grooves of Snoop Dogg. His set list, an artfully put together collection, encompassed his whole career. From harder classics like “Gin and Juice” on his first major album Doggystyle to his more lighthearted work with Katy Perry on “California Gurls,” Snoop did not disappoint. Photos and text by Charles Blaydes Photography
With every test beam of light that rayed down on the crowd, and blip of sound for sound check, the crowd’s energy was mounting. Everyone screamed and put their hands in the air when the huge LED screen on stage faded in with a cartoonish picture of Snoop in the middle surrounded by Rastafarian green, yellow, and red.
During an opening set by DJ Nasty, (Thomas Dean), who spun some late ’90s and early 2000’s hip-hop and rap, the crowd grew a bit antsy as they waited for Snoop, packing in and trying to get as close to the stage as possible, booing at one of Nasty’s selections. Once Nasty finished up, it was only a matter of minutes before Snoop came on.
Snoop didn’t wait to pull out all the stops. The third song in was his classic “The Next Episode,” which, like many of his songs that night, unfortunately cut to the first couple of verses and choruses, and then remixed into either a cover or a newer song.
Snoop loves marijuana. As one of the biggest celebrity advocates for its legalization, he does not conceal his herb-centric lifestyle. In an interview in 2012, Snoop (then his Reggae, Rasta-inspired persona Snoop Lion) said he smokes around 81 blunts a day. Let’s just say some members of the crowd had mutual interests, and the clouds in the sky were not the only ones at the Pavilion.
Without a doubt, Snoop was clearly top “dogg” of the night.
Be sure to check out Snoop collaborator Wiz Khalifa at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion on July 16.
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