The Streets - Metro

For the last time, The Streets' Mike Skinner is not trying to be Eminem. You cannot imagine how utterly grating it is to keep hearing that comparison nearly three years after Skinner's emergence as the break-out garage/2-step artist. It's as if people are just being lazy and assuming that Skinner is simply hip-hop, even though he does merge some elements of that form along with jungle and house music, creating something even more unique. But he's not singing about killing his wife, raping his mother, or even how much the chicks want to get with him like that white-trash buffoon from Detroit is. He's discussing a slacker's existence, one that still manages to be a million times more intelligent than Eminem could ever possibly muster.

With The Streets' debut release, Original Pirate Material, centering around hanging out with his mates, doing what comes naturally to young men (smoking pot, playing video games, chasing girls, and, most importantly, drinking), Skinner found a voice in making the party record for the indie-scenesters.

Now that the follow-up, A Grand Don't Come for Free, has emerged, Skinner has kept a very similar spirit going, yet maturing lyrically. The album, a concept record with a few inconsistencies plot-wise, builds and builds with each listen. Little details come up, enhancing the tale of Skinner's lost thousand pounds and the resulting turmoil with those he thought were his mates and the girl he is in love with.

Live however, the party atmosphere is in full-on mode. This is most evident in the booze dispenser that is attached to the drum riser. Skinner and his back up MC stirred the crowd into a frenzy several times over, with those in front of the stage in particular rapturous delight.

Skinner, dressed in jeans, checkered shirt, gym shoes and baseball cap, b-boyed it up. Bouncing across the stage with wild abandon, waving his arms up and down and side to side (thankfully, without urging the audience to do the same), and wearing the biggest grin on his face. Skinner was ecstatic to be onstage and showing people a good time.

The biggest crowd pleasers were the anthemic Geezers Need Excitement and Fit But You Know It, the latter sending the crowd over the edge of excitement.

Coming back for an encore, Skinner and his crew left those in attendance with the sobering Stay Positive, but not without interspersing a couple of his other songs into the mix of it.

One hour after taking the stage, The Streets were gone and the party was over. But with a group of performers that bring a brandy dispenser onstage with them, you just know that they're party was just getting started that night.

The Streets are either headlining their own shows or performing at festivals in Europe this summer.