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M.C. Hammer on stage in Niagara Falls.
M.C. Hammer on stage in Niagara Falls.

STOP! Hammer time! 'M.C. Hammer's House Party' review, pics

by jmaloni
Mon, Aug 19th 2019 01:50 pm

MC Hammer brings ‘House Party’ to Niagara Falls

By Joshua Maloni

Managing Editor

Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino christened its new outdoor staging area Friday night, when M.C. Hammer brought his “House Party” to the Falls. support came from Tone-Loc, Kid n’ Play, Sisqo and Sir Mix-a-Lot.

To the surprise of this reporter, Hammer hadn’t offered a large-scale tour since 1991 – at the height of his “U Can’t Touch This”/“2 Legit 2 Quit” popularity. Fans definitely missed him, as evident by the reaction he received from the few thousand on hand outside Seneca Niagara. Hammer was met with loud cheers, sing-alongs and a steady stream of cell phone photos.

A baffled Sir Mix-a-Lot told the audience he was shocked to watch Hammer rehearse. He said “Batman” hadn’t lost a step – and that was true. At 57, the former Stanley Kirk Burrell sounds – and dances – like he did at 28, when he released the Grammy Award-winning “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em.”

Hammer performed with a large group of dancers – including, at times, his two sons and a nephew. As he cycled through hit songs, Hammer was shakin’ like a quake. Funks got devoured by his dose of Oaktown power.

The setlist included “Have You Seen Her,” “Pray” and “Turn This Mutha Out,” as well as his two signature songs, plus a prolonged visit into the crowd.

“M.C. Hammer’s House Party” included efficient 30-minute slots for each of opening acts, and such pop-culture gems as “Funky Cold Medina,” “Wild Thing,” “Thong Song” and “Baby Got Back.”

Before the concert and in between sets, videos for just about every R&B hit from the 1990s and early 2000s were on display on a large screen. This revved up concertgoers, who were dancing all night. Some were even sent on stage to accompany Tone-Loc, Sir Mix-a-Lot and Hammer on certain singles.

Though there’s been no shortage of unique summer 2019 concerts in Western New York – everything from The Who to New Kids on the Block to “Weird Al” Yankovic to Iron Maiden – this one was uniquely nostalgic and really quite fun. In fact, Seneca Gaming Corp. volunteers donned T-shirts claiming it was the “Ultimate Concert Weekend.”

Following the “House Party,” county music megastar Tim McGraw was the headliner Saturday night in the Cataract City, furthering justifying the swag.

PHOTOS

Tone-Loc

Kid n’ Play

Sisqo

Sir Mix-a-Lot

M.C. Hammer

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