Mos Def took the stage looking like a New Orleanean shaman.

He kept gesturing beyond the crowd to the Columbia River, saying, "The dream is real! Look around you!"

My favorite moment: Mos Def rapping over a personal favorite beat by Oxnard, CA artist called Oh No (find it on an album called "Dr. No's Oxperiment"). It's got a strong '60s/'70s Turkish psych-rock guitar line running the whole way through...I want to say the original is by an artist called Selda. Not sure. But I remember when heard the beat about two years ago, I went straight to the music store and bought the album it was sampled from. Pretty sure Selda is the correct name. I just bought a greatest hits album. I don't know a lot about Turkish/Anatolian psych-rock. Wish I knew more,

Anyhow, I'm one of those long-time Mos Def fans that loves his singing voice, but wishes he'd rap a little more. And there he was, killing one of my favorite beats, rapping like he meant it. Felt great.