The Roots: Selflessly Perfect

I just got back from the most awesome -- in the dictionary sense of the word -- concert of my life.

The Roots rocked the house at the Highline Ballroom, and it was mostly thanks to their brilliant selflessness. Some of the premier jazz talent in New York City (read: in the world) took the stage with ?uestlove and Black Thought and set the crowd in motion with its fervent swing.

A few highlights stick out in my mind:

The stage boasted at least 20 different musicians over the course of the show, with maestros switching in at every instrument -- keyboard, keyboard 2, bass, guitar, guitar 2, drums, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and mic. There were frequently at least 10 people on the stage at once.

For the last half of the show, three people (including ?uestlove of course) were simultaneously jamming on the one drum set -- seamlessly.

Finally the show came to a beautiful, perfectly climactic end... and then the keyboardist went into a Michael Jackson song -- the buoyant I Want You Back. Having expected to be done, legendary drummer ?uestlove gave him an exasperated look before diving into the beat with the kind of gusto only a recently deceased immortal can inspire.

Halfway through the instrumental ecstasy, the guitarist realized something was missing and jumped boldly to the mic, bringing the song fully to life.

The song came to its natural close, and the keyboardist stood up for one tantalizing moment -- then hit the cool opening notes of I'll Be There. ?uestlove looked at him in tired wonderment; then sure enough, right on time he came back in. Someone we hadn't seen ran on stage from the back and started singing with authority. On the chorus he turned the show democratic, pointing the mic out to the delirious crowd.

"I'll be there... I'll be there!!!"

"Where there is love, I'll be there..."

Too soon, the song came to its epic, glorious end. ?uestlove played the end like it was really, really the end. And it was.

Except for the insatiably generous energy of the keyboardist. No sooner had the song come to its climactic end than he set off into Rock With You. ?uestlove rolled his eyes in disbelief, waited a few beats and joined in. The house went crazy.