30 years ago today (4/4/92),The Beastie Boys played the Palladium in L.A. for the Act Up LA/Magic Johnson Aids Benefit and marked the first played instruments at a concert with AD Rock on guitar, MCA on bass and Mike D on drums. The trio who played instruments in their early days, but never in a fully-realized show, proved worthy of getting down with the strings and pads. With the release of Check Your Head, the Beasties ended up showing off their instrumental skills with a series of jazzy funk instrumental songs that would blossom even more on 1994’s Ill Communication. Later in 1996, The In Sound from Way Out! would be released, showcasing the band’s instrumental prowess in compilation form. Check out clips of the Beasties throwing down rhymes iva MTV News, yet the instrumental clips are still waiting to be dug out…
