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It's not everyday that larger-than-life celebrities come to Humboldt County, but on October 25, legendary rapper Snoop Dogg will perform in Eureka. The show is presented in part by People Productions in an exclusive Humboldt appearance made by one of the most successful music artists of our time.
"People out there love Snoop Dogg. I spread love wherever I go, not just in big cities," said Snoop Dogg in a phone interview when asked why he's coming to Humboldt. "It's part of life."
Tickets went on sale online Oct. 1 at midnight for $75 each. About 50 tickets were sold within the first hour.
Snoop Dogg is a West Coast rapper most famous for his epic first album "Doggystyle" which was produced by Dr. Dre and released in 1993. During his 15- year career were first-degree murder charges, a TV show called "Doggy Fizzle Televizzle," and an announcement on MTV that he is quitting weed forever only to start smoking again later.
In 2006, Snoop released his eighth solo album "The Blue Carpet Treatment," which was his biggest hit record since "Doggystyle" and debuted at no. five on the Billboard Music Charts.
Snoop said he would play both old and new music at the show.
"Some Snoop fans have been with me since '93, some just started listening in '07," Snoop Dogg said. "I'm playing something for all the people." He named rap artists Kurupt, Rage, Nate Dogg, and Warren G as possible performers.
Carol Bruno of People Productions said the company is excited to have Snoop performing in Humboldt. One of the company's recent goals has become to put on more hip-hop shows in the area, she said.
When she found out that fellow Reggae Rising coordinator David Moss was best friends with Snoop Dogg's production manager, she knew they at least had to try and get him to perform locally.
"All we had to do was call him a couple times, and he agreed to come," she said in a phone interview last Tuesday. "It's fortuitous for all of us that we get to see Snoop in our hometown and not have to travel to a different city."
The morning of Oct. 1, tickets went on sale at music outlets, including The Works, a locally owned music store in Eureka and Arcata. When The Works opened, at 10:00 a.m., there was a large crowd of Snoop fans on the sidewalk outside the Eureka store, said employee Chris Hancock. In 13 minutes, The Works sold 150 tickets to a continuous flow of customers.
"It's important to know if people want to see Snoop they need to buy their tickets in advance because we will sell out," Bruno said.
Hancock said that although some fans commented on the high cost of tickets, they still bought them.
"People are saying that they can't believe how much it costs and then slapping enough down on the counter for six tickets," he said, adding he hadn't bought a ticket yet, but was considering it. "It's rare something this big comes up."
Andy Grossman, of Eureka, bought his ticket online last Monday when sales opened at midnight. Grossman said he has been a fan since "the beginning."
"I've been listening to Snoop since '92 when I heard him on 'The Chronic'," Grossman said. One year prior to his solo debut, Snoop appeared on multiple tracks on Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic,' which is considered to be one of the most influential albums of the 1990's and ranked #137 on Rolling Stone magazine's '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' list in 2003.
Humboldt State Music Professor Dan Aldag said in an email that the success of Snoop as an artist was heavily dependent on his ability to "capture the popular image of time and place, particularly SoCal in the early '90's." He compared 'Doggystyle' to some of the Beach Boys early hits representing Southern California in the early 1960's.
DJ Itchy Fingaz, who will be performing at the after party at the Indigo Night Club in Eureka, said he became a Snoop fan in the early 1990's when he "heard his freestyle stuff before 'The Chronic' and Doggystyle." He names 'Doggy Dogg World' as one of his "all time favorite" Snoop tracks.
"His most popular tracks are classic and timeless," he said. "In clubs and bars any one of his tracks light up the whole place, especially 3 or 4 tracks off of 'Doggystyle'...other music from that era doesn't but Snoop's still does."
Arcata resident Chris Hall is a fan, but he is not going to the show.
"At the $75 they're charging," Hall said, "I don't think I'm going to be able to afford it."
Popular local hip-hop group Potluck is one of the opening bands. Local ticket venues include The Works, People's Records in Eureka and Arcata, Redway Liquors, Wild Horse Records in Garberville, and peopleproductions.net.
Hall said he thought it was obvious why Snoop was making a trip out to Humboldt County at this time of year for only one show. "If anyone doesn't know why Snoop's coming to Humboldt County," he said, "they're blinder than a bat."
Meghannraye Sutton can be reached at mms75@humboldt.edu
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