September 1991, University of Miami, Miami, Fla.
I know, right? It was not the pairing anyone expected to see, and yet one that evenly matches two of my musical loves. If you listened to De La Soul, it’s easy to discern what they would like about The Ocean Blue (a band’s whose roots belie its name).
Having said that, my memory wants to say this was one of those college concerts promoters put together, pairing bands of different genres to capture a wider student audience. De La Soul and The Ocean Blue were touring through 1991 on the merits of their sophomore albums — De La Soul is Dead and Cerulean, respectively — two strong albums which fortified their debut releases. De La’s first album, 3 Feet High and Rising, is not only a masterpiece but one of my top five, so it was curious when the trio sought to explode its past image. Trugoy (yogurt spelled backwards) raps on “Pass the Plugs”:
Tommy Boy wants another “Say No,” huh
Rough and rugged
It’s not a new twist
Been Trugoy since the first get go
Here’s the daisy
Watching it die, see?
I do love “Say No Go,” but I understood. A band inventive enough to sample the Turtles, Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, and on this album Chicago, wants to explore new territory.
The Ocean Blue, on the other hand, worked to continue the groove it started with its self-titled debut. I thought the band was British, it sounded like a dreamy version of what would become Britpop, but the foursome is from Hershey, Pa., about as far from the blue ocean that is mentally allowable.
As for the show, The Ocean Blue won the day. Part of it was the outdoor setting, rap works better in rooms whereas dreamy pop excels with an open sky. I was with a friend (more like an acquaintance since I forget his name), and I recall saying he liked De La’s riffs, but the guys didn’t feel as comfortable, and it was true. Ocean Blue also had songs people knew — “Between Something and Nothing,” “Drifting Falling” — while rap is more of a rapid-fire performance. But there was no better moment than when De La ripped through “Jenifa Taught Me”.
It turns out that night De La was performing at a Miami Beach club sometime after midnight, which I managed to find. This De La, with the crowded room, red velvet walls and tipsy patrons, put the band in its element. They came on late, played late, and were as fast and clever as their albums indicate.
The show stuck with me because it was so different, and because it was a time I saw bands near the start of careers which proved to be influential — De La more so than Ocean Blue. You’re more apt to see this nowadays, but not so much then, and for that it was memorable.
