Does Aesop Rock rock?

I wouldn't know. He was supposed to do a three song set after his in-store signing at Upper Playground but after over an hour of waiting, no set in sight, and constant hounding on behalf of sales agents I ended up giving up on him performing
I guess they arranged it that way on purpose. Typical set up is performance first, signing after. Most people are only coming for the performance, and all that want autographs can wait the undetermined time it takes for them to get through the line
But how it played out in this instance was signing first-three song set "after" at the clothing store (not typical fare for musician or book signings). Well-the signing began at 3pm and just kept going. Signings take a long time-especially when small groups of people continue to keep coming to get their items signed-continuing to drift in for over an hour after start time. It was uncomfortable because the store didn't and wasn't going to enforce any cut off either. And semi-uncomfortable for those who actually got things signed (unlike me) as it took maybe 7 seconds for their item to get signed. And then they just had to wait. And no one could leave because there was no idea given for a set start time. It was like being held captive-one couldn't leave because there was zero time frame.
So with no estimated end time and no cut off people were forced to stick around and shop or pseudo shop, or just hover
Looking at a cool shirt with the screen printed faces of comedians-all present, past and present in terms of popularity including Steve Martin and Dave Chappelle. Checking the size of the shirts (which were listed on an entirely different part of the shirt than the price tag), one heavily tattooed sales agent interjected "All our shirts are twenty two dollars". Pretty odd first point of communication. I wanted to make either a skirt or a dress from it, much like I did with a XXL shirt I got from the Roskilde festival and one I picked up at Mary's Club ala Ana Matronic. Later, still waiting and lingering between the store floor and their in house gallery and trying to determine when they'd actually be rocking the mics as the line for signatures had since dissipated sales agent came up once again-there were tens and tens (god I love that) of people in the store and I was clearly not there to shop-looking in the direction of the signing table with my camera in hand, completely detached from the sales floor
Trivia I picked up in my wait as the signing continued:
Aesop Rock's sister lives in Portland and he has spent plenty of previous time here as well.
Very ill conceived set up for the signing seemingly set up like that for the sole benefit of the store-forcing people to shop by forcing people to wait out the signing

Can't Stop Won't Stop? Well, I guess that would still hold true. . . since it never started

Pitchfork: Aesop Rock Writes "Children's" Book

Comments

[matthias]

actually aesop rock did perform at this signing. he did the 2 songs off 'the next best thing' 7"/book collab with jeremy fish. it was at the opening of the upper playground store in portland. you can even watch the vids on youtube. he killed it.

-t.c.