 "Photo: Daniel Hernandez-Luna")
 "Photo: Daniel Hernandez-Luna")
The stage was set. Music could be heard around City Plaza, a preview of the show to come.
The crowd whooped and hollered, welcoming Mystic Roots back to the city where it got its start.
A diverse crowd of fans, students and families alike gathered for the free show spread over two blocks in downtown Chico’s City Plaza Friday evening.
Mystic Roots is known for its blending of genres such as hip-hop, reggae and ska. Many of the songs contain explicit lyrics but the band kept it clean for the families in the audience.
Mystic Roots also had a 21 and up show at 10 p.m. at LaSalles, where it played music from its upcoming album, “Cali-Hi,” set for release Dec. 1.
Not wanting to forget its loyal fans, it advertised an unedited, all-ages show for Saturday at Craig Hall. Singer Coot Wyman invited all present to attend but cautioned against bringing children.
Many Chico residents are long-time fans of the band.
“I first heard them at a party a week before school started in 2006,” said Butte College student Jeff Johnson swaying to the band’s free-form improvisational style.
“They’ve gotten a lot cleaner,” he said, adding that the lyrics and freestyle are what draw Johnson and many others to the band.
As they got to the middle of their set, a large crowd danced in front of the stage with balloons and beach balls bouncing around above their heads. While most of the crowd danced slowly to the beat, others jumped wildly, flailing their arms and sometimes colliding into others, all clearly enjoying themselves.
The show carried on as Wyman jumped off the stage and wandered through the dancers while still singing.
“I think they’re awesome,” said Chico local Lisa Smith, who first heard them at another event similar to this one and was a fan from the start.
Toward the end of the show, Wyman began beat boxing as the crowd cheered him on before shutting down. Having a little fun, the lead guitarist Zion Thompson assured the audience that Wyman was merely suffering a robotic malfunction. After giving Wyman a drink, he mimed cranking him back up and the show continued.
When Wyman was done, Thompson challenged him to a battle: Wyman’s beat box against the band’s drummer Alec Wheatley. Wheatley won the challenge, but Wyman was good competition.
To close the show, Mystic Roots played one last song with opener Katherine Ramirez, leaving the crowd humming and singing as they dispersed.
Ashlee Goncalves-Hilinski can be reached at
Ashlee.noel@yahoo.com
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