Concert Preview: Kunta’s Groove Sessions tour at the Civic

Earlier this month, L.A. rapper Kendrick Lamar announced a special, “intimate” concert series dubbed “Kunta’s Groove Sessions.” Originally booked as “8 cities. 8 nights. 8 intimate shows,” Lamar’s tour recently expanded to add a handful of additional shows, including one right here at the Civic Theatre next Wednesday.

Kendrick followed up his 2012, wildly successful debut album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, with one of this year’s most ambitious projects, To Pimp A Butterfly. This, in a year that has seen a massive wave of West Coast hip-hop, including the return of Dr. Dre with Compton and more recently The Game with The Documentary 2 (both of which notably feature Kendrick). TPAB strays away from the pop/trap production heard on a variety of his contemporaries (flip on 93.3 FM for reference), in favor of a fusion of jazz, funk, and traditional West Coast production, creating a unique and cohesive feel to the album. This style of production and composition lends itself effortlessly to live performance, as was seen on the final episode of The Colbert Report, where Lamar performed a one-off song, “Untitled,” that featured album contributors Thundercat, Bilal, Anna Wise, and Terrace Martin.

This kind of intimate tour, backed by live band The Wesley Theory, will be a change for the performer who previously has performed at BUKU as well as Essence Fest in front of much larger crowds. But the “Kunta Groove Sessions” Tour should provide fans a more personal and up-close feeling that one rarely sees from an artist of this magnitude.

TDE labelmate Jay Rock opens. Jay Rock also recently released his own album, 90059.

Wednesday, 10/28/2015. Doors at 8 p.m./Show at 9 p.m.

Advance tickets go on sale Friday starting at $50, while VIP ranges $150-$350.