Some people say going to a hip-hop show is like going to church.
The "Doggfather" of hip-hop came to Albuquerque's Journal Pavilion last Tuesday with a sermon that fell on more than 1,000 hungry ears.
Snoop Dogg got people on their feet, singing along, and he even sang a Tupac Shakur song as a tribute to the deceased rapper.
The headlining bands also brought a lot of fun to the stage. Opening for Snoop Dogg on the Blazed and Confused Tour were Mickey Avalon, Stephen Marley and Slightly Stoopid.
The tour stopped in Albuquerque for its fifth show, and it left the majority of the audience blazed, but not confused - just content listening to good music.
All artists highlighted the theme of the tour by singing songs about smoking and growing marijuana, and they also asked for audience participation - both in singing and smoking.
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Despite the obvious marijuana use, police operated in a relatively hands-off manner. However, at least one man got pulled out of the crowd for smoking, and it's possible other arrests were made.
Ryan Moran, drummer for Slightly Stoopid, said the tour was a dream come true for all the artists participating.
"Having an opportunity to have (Snoop Dogg) available for the whole summer and us looking for someone to tour with just really kind of fell into place at the right time," Moran said. "We were really fortunate when he was like, 'Yeah I want to do this, too' - we were just really excited about it."
Stephen Marley was a huge hit with audience members because he played some of his own songs and others by his father, Bob Marley. Stephen Marley also brought his brother, Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley, on stage, which sent the crowd into a reggae frenzy.
After Marley, Slightly Stoopid took the stage and brought a clever set design with them. They placed a 6-foot tall skull on each side of the stage, and the statues emitted smoke from their eyes and mouths, which made it hard for security guards to spot people smoking in the crowd.
The tour had a multitude of genres to offer, and Slightly Stoopid brought all of them together for their performance, Moran said.
"Its super fun and laid back," he said in an interview before the concert. "Of course Stephen Marley is going to have the reggae thing on lock. And he has a bit of a hip-hop vibe in his music too, as well as Mickey Avalon. We got a couple different styles that are going to be working along the same mentality."
The unified mentality made for a concert that fans of many different genres could enjoy.
Slightly Stoopid first signed with Skunk Records, Inc., in 1995. Skunk Records was created by Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell. Later they created their own label called Stoopid Records. Sublime's influence on the band is easy to hear, but they also have their own sound with an emphasis on punk, ska and reggae.
Moran said the tour's laid back atmosphere is amplified by the way the performers live when they're off the road.
"I'm a junior high and high school substitute teacher, and I also teach surf camps when we're not on the road," he said. "It's a double life thing, the whole Bruce Wayne and Batman thing, but I try not to cross either one. Once in a while I'll have students recognize me, but I try to keep them separated."
Snoop Dogg's performance was fulfilling for all fans because he played songs from his earlier days and some later hits. Everyone was singing along when Snoop started singing "Gin and Juice," and it felt like the whole crowd was singing word for word, soaking up the Snoop.
