Run the Jewels Go Off at Marathon Music Works

Having last caught the dynamic duo of Killer Mike and El-P at Bonnaroo in June, The Spin wondered if we were in for the same, as we put it then, “caustic and fun” energy when we headed to Run the Jewels’ sold-out show Monday night at Marathon Music Works. Would RTJ enter to Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” as they’ve been known to do? Would they drop some bizarre and silly banter? Would they toss any “fuck boys” off the stage? Would they deliver a transfixing set to a packed room full of amped-up superfans?

The answers to those questions, respectively: yes, yes, no and yes. Let’s get into the details.

Around 9 p.m., at the very back of a line that stretched far down the sidewalk in front of Marathon, one of the countless young, white, bearded RTJ fans in attendance turned to The Spin and asked, “You’re that rap artist, right?” Turns out, no, he’d mistaken us for a different young, white, bearded dude by the name of Illuminate who was buzzing up and down the sidewalk passing his music out to a captive audience. Once we’d finally made it through the security-check gauntlet and into MMW, we discovered BOOTS, the last of the night’s three openers (sorry Cuz Lightyear and Fashawn!), kicking off his set. BOOTS is the stage name of Jordan Asher, a young producer and artist who seemingly sprang from nowhere to produce and co-write some of the tracks on Beyoncé’s gargantuan 2013 self-titled record — how could our curiosity not be piqued by a dude who had a hand in the creation of one of the most immense pop records of the 21st century?

Backed by a trio on synths and live drums, Asher delivered partially rapped, mostly sung EDM-leaning hip-hop and R&B songs that were crunchy and thumping and loud. It was hard to make much sense of the booming chaos that clanged around in the room, but between banter about FaceTiming with “lovers” (ew) and loving Nashville, tunes like “Bombs Away” went over pretty well with the crowd.

And that crowd. In addition to the aforementioned beardos — many of whom were wearing Run the Jewels shirts … at the Run the Jewels show — the crowd was composed largely of college kids, stoner types and hip-hop heads, not to mention a pair of dudes carrying rage sticks featuring cutouts of RTJ’s Meow the Jewels alter egos. Just around 10 o’clock, Mike and P burst onto the stage to, yes, “We Are the Champions,” flashing blinders and a DJ at their backs and the smell of weed in the air.

From there it was straight into what our research shows us is a pretty by-the-numbers set list for RTJ, which kicked off with their eponymous tune, followed by “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” and “Blockbuster Night, Part 1” (the latter being The Spin’s favorite track on either of the duo’s full-length albums). El-P referenced he and Mike’s show at Exit/In in 2013, one of their very first as Run the Jewels, and a show that P claimed had a “huge part” in turning the two previously strictly solo rappers into an official group. The two also name-dropped Jack White — who was in the building — praising him for his contributions to Music City. All along the way, Mike and P grinned and threw their arms around one another in an unabashed display of true bromance.

Nearly as impressive as Killer Mike and El-P’s joyous and energetic delivery, though, was the raw enthusiasm they inspired in the crowd. It’s a breed of unbridled, frenzied fandom mostly seen among metalheads — or maybe we’re just saying that because of the pogoing, fist-pumping guy in front of us, whose mullet looked like something out of Heavy Metal Parking Lot. The crowd called back on line after line, throwing Run the Jewels’ patented fist-and-gun gesture in the air during songs like “36-Inch Chain.”

Toward the end of their set, RTJ pulled out “Love Again (Akinyele Back),” a song we’ve always found a touch gross thanks to its aggressively, relentlessly fellatio-themed hook. But as our companion pointed out, the song redeems itself during Gangsta Boo’s verse, wherein the onetime Three 6 Mafia affiliate drops an aggressively, relentlessly cunnilingus-themed hook. And then, before we knew it, the duo wrapped, popped back onstage, and ended with the one-song encore of "Angel Duster" little over an hour after they first took the stage.

As the house lights came up and The Spin shuffled out the door, it dawned on us that, on paper, there wasn't anything particularly special about Run the Jewels' show. There weren't any surprises or guest appearances or pyro. But that's just it: Good songs and charisma are Killer Mike and El-P's pyro, and they went off as loudly and as brightly as any of us would've hoped.