New York, Jun 9, 2007 – El-P returned to New York City after spending 41 days touring Europe and the USA. To mark the hip-hop maestro's first hometown show since March, Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" played over the PA system before El-P took the stage at Irving Plaza Saturday night. "I've seen all the movie stars," went Joel's lyrics, "In their fancy cars and their limousines," to which an off-stage El-P responded into his microphone, "Fake motherf---ers." Joel's song played until DJ Mr. Dibbs switched up the beat opening track off I'll Sleep When You're Dead, "Tasmanian Pain Coaster," for El-P's entrance.

While he didn’t reprise the orange Camp Delta jumpsuit that he wore at the Bowery Ballroom in March, El-P did make use of fake blood, which covered the profile of his face and also the "nerd" costume: a button-down shirt, hastily knotted necktie, and thick eyeglasses taped at the bridge, much like the Descendents front man Milo. The blood proved to be a precursor to the ritual destruction, à la Office Space, of a printer that El-P carried to stage center, dropped, and stomped to pieces. The Mighty Quin, keyboardist Wilder Schwartz, and bassist Kareem Bunton provided backup printer-stomping.

The crowd welcomed El-P home by sparking up copious amounts of marijuana to which security was either oblivious, ambivalent or both. In spite of the purple haze, stage diving, and pulsating video screens, El-P continued to grip the microphone and mic stand with his eyes closed and passionately belt out his songs – this man was genuinely thrilled to be home performing before a hometown crowd. - Damien Neva