Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)
The influential trio brought their Blowout Comb 30th anniversary tour to Calgary’s Palace Theatre on October 25, celebrating an album that has only grown in stature since its release in 1994. Backed by a five-piece band, Digable Planets revisited the record’s jazz-infused funk grooves, giving the music room to breathe.
Toronto, and London-based artist, Mauvey, opened the night as part of three dates on the tour, returning to Calgary after his last visit for Sled Island Music Festival. He spoke about how much he loves performing in Calgary, and his music carries that same sense of connection with the audience. His blend of alternative pop, hip-hop and R&B brought a different sound to the bill, with a focus on emotion and storytelling. As a huge fan, (“Denzel” is my favourite track) his set was a welcome start to a night that was all about artists connecting with their audience through music.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Mauvey
For fans, this was more than a trip back to the ’90s. There’s something special about hearing an album you’ve spent years returning to, celebrated live! Blowout Comb is more than a great hip-hop record; it’s the kind of album that reveals something new with every listen. Its brilliance lies in how it blends jazz samples and a laid-back delivery into a sound that feels unmistakably Digable Planets.
Part of what makes Blowout Comb so enduring is that it never sounds like a record chasing a trend. Its politics are woven into the music rather than added as an afterthought, and its focus on culture, community and self determination gives it more to say than simple nostalgia can capture. For a group best known to casual listeners for “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat),” the album tells a much bigger story.
Released a year after their breakthrough debut, Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space), Blowout Comb took the group in a deeper, more uncompromising direction. That shift contributed to tensions with their label, and Digable Planets split in 1995. The members eventually reunited for live performances, but their recorded catalogue remained small: two studio albums that continue to define their legacy. Having the group bring Blowout Comb back to the stage was a chance to reconnect with the music and remember why it still matters three decades later.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Digable Planets
The live band made the difference. Guitar, bass, keyboards, drums and horns gave the music a fuller sound than a typical rap set built around prerecorded tracks. The iconic sax solo that opened the show and flowed into “Black Ego” was the moment I knew this was going to be an unforgettable night. The arrangements left room for instrumental breaks and improvisation, creating a natural back-and-forth between the MCs and the musicians. The tracks stayed true to the original recordings while taking on a life of their own onstage. This show will truly stay with me as one of the best of 2026.
Part of what makes Digable Planets so distinctive is how each member brings something different to the group. Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler’s laid-back delivery, Craig “Doodlebug” Irving’s rhythmic flow and Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira’s unmistakable voice each have their own character, but they never feel out of place alongside one another. Instead, they blend together in a way that makes the group’s sound instantly recognizable. No one has to overpower the others; their voices move in and out of the grooves, complementing the live instrumentation and giving each track its own feel. It’s that chemistry that makes Digable Planets sound like Digable Planets, and why their music is so hard to mistake for anyone else’s.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Digable Planets
The hits are only part of the story.
“Dog It” and “Black Ego” are just two examples of what makes Blowout Comb worth revisiting. The anniversary tour makes a strong case for looking beyond the group's best known tracks. Deeper cuts such as “The Art of Easing” and “9th Wonder (Blackitolism)” show a group willing to take its sound somewhere less predictable. The grooves still work, but the ideas behind them matter just as much.
That's the real strength of Digable Planets. They make music that feels relaxed without being lightweight, political without sounding like a lecture, and musically complex without losing its sense of fun. For Calgary, the Blowout Comb anniversary was an opportunity to spend time with an album that deserved more attention than it received on its original release. Whether listeners came for the familiar sounds or the deeper cuts, the music was a reminder that hip-hop's history isn't just about chart positions or commercial success. Digable Planets helped push the genre toward a more open, jazz-informed sound in the early ’90s. Thirty years later, that sound still has room to move.
And yes, they're still cool like dat.
