Cypress Hill at the House of Blues in Chicago, IL

Cypress Hill bring a West Coast vibe to the Windy City as they make a stop at the city’s House of Blues.

Three-time Grammy Award nominees, Cypress Hill brought their West Coast High Tour to Chicago, allowing fans of all ages to reminisce. It’s been 30 years since the Californian hip-hoppers first formed, and they proved once again that they’ll still got what it takes. Despite the young age of a large portion of the crowd in attendance, everyone was more than familiar with their material, both old and new. In days gone by, you wouldn’t expect a show with a line up such as this to wrap by 9.30pm, but it did mean that all fans were able to come out to celebrate them still riding high after all of these years. 

Former Beastie Boy Mix Master Mike took to the decks to kick the set off with some old school tunes, spun only the way he can. With the audience bouncing along and suitably warmed up, the excitement clearly building, as they await the rest of the crew to take to the stage. As Mike asks the audience, “Are you ready for Cypress Hill?” the screams from the crowd fill the Music Hall.

Eric “Bobo” Correa is the first to take to the stage, not easily seen behind his drums through the haze of the lights and smoke, but he certainly made his presence known. B-Real joins him on stage with the opening lyrics of “Band of Gypsies” with Sen-Dog completing the line-up shortly afterward.

Within moments of them all taking to the stage, and the beat ringing out, you were transported back to the nineties. Their latest album, Elephants On Acid, was released back in September 2018 (their first in eight years), and while they did include a number of songs from it, you can’t produce music for 30 years and not embrace the nostalgia. Needless to say, it was their mega-hit “Insane in the Membrane” which garnered the biggest response from the Chicago audience, although there wasn’t a dip in energy or enthusiasm throughout the set. “How I Could Just Kill a Man” and “I Ain’t Goin Out Like That” were also two stands out of the float down memory lane. 

The hip hop masters had the crowd in the palm of their hands all night. The moment B-Real told everyone to jump, they obliged, making the entire floor bounce up and down. 

If you want to enjoy some old school hip hop which has clearly stood the test of time, there are still dates left on this tour. It was an energetic and fun show, enjoyed by both young and old. These guys are legends in their field, something that is definitely worth the price of admission.