Lil' Wayne puts on larger-than-life show at Dodge Arena

I’m at the Dodge Arena, waiting for the show to start. My cell phone rings.

It’s a friend from college and he wants to talk about fantasy football, but he can’t because the house music is too loud.

“Where are you?” he asks.

“I’m covering a Lil’ Wayne concert,” I shout back.

“Why would Lil’ Wayne go to the Valley?” he demands to know, puzzled that an international superstar at the top of the music industry would visit South Texas.

Why? Probably because more than 6,000 screaming fans were waiting to see him. And he wanted to put on a high-energy spectacle, complete with a powerhouse live band and a backup female vocalist for a few of the songs.

Lil’ Wayne played for about an hour and a half Thursday at Dodge Arena, playing hits that included “A Milli,” “Mr. Carter,” and “Lollipop.” There’s a perception that hip hop as a genre doesn’t translate well to live shows. That’s not the case with Wayne. Instead of the standard show – featuring a rapper, hype man, and DJ — Wayne brought the band and a collection of guests. He did things his way, and it’s the same way he has gained such a massive following.

Think back three or four years ago, when artists still made a fair amount of money selling records. In those days, Wayne was busy making about a billion mix tapes and distributing them for free. Why would he do such a thing?

Possibly because he envisioned this day — where he would stand on stages at places like the Dodge Arena. He would slap hands with people in the front row as thousands chanted “Weezy, Weezy, Weezy.”

He gave away that music to build a fan base, and in the process he honed his skills. Today he has become arguably the cleverest rapper of all time. His word play and lazy New Orleans-bred drawl have set him apart from the masses.

He probably also made that free music because he loves what he does. That much was evident in his performance. He smiled his wide, toothy grin pretty much non stop throughout the show. It looked like he couldn’t help himself.

He seemed especially pleased when he delved into rock, a genre Wayne often tinkers with. Even though he had the excellent band behind him, Wayne played electric guitar himself for a couple songs, including a cover of Aerosmith and Run D.M.C.’s “Walk This Way.”

The crowd erupted when he slung the axe over his shoulder. Wayne’s guitar skills are debatable. He looked like a kid at a high school talent show concentrating intensely on every note. But that wasn’t the point. Weezy was having a blast up there and doing whatever he felt like. The feeling carried over to the audience.

People stood on chairs, waved their arms and cheered every time he looked their way. A superstar with the world watching him had come to South Texas, and he loved every second of it. They couldn’t help but thank him.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

• Lil’ Wayne played on a stage set up in the center of the arena. This is awesome for two reasons. First of all, it gives everyone a really good view. Second of all, it lets him walk in through the crowd, like a prize fighter heading to the ring for a big fight.
• Remember Rebirth? Wayne’s rock album that was supposed to come out this month? Pushed back again. Amazon, however, accidentally shipped 500 copies of it. Wayne played “Prom Queen,” the disc’s first single, and “On Fire” from the new album. It’s supposed to come out in February now.
• Lil’ Wayne doesn’t seem to have a fake persona. Every word he said was believable, partially because it was a little too weird not to be. He stopped the show early on to tell people that he believed in God, which got a thunderous response. Then he stopped it again mid-way through because it was too hot. He sprinted off stage for about three minutes before coming back wearing shorts instead of jeans.

Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment for Festiva. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.