After three opening acts on Tuesday night at Blender Theater — Eldar, a highbrow virtuoso jazz trio featuring a nimble Herbie Hancock-influenced pianist; Blue Scholars, an up-and-coming Seattle-based hip-hop duo with a penchant for sociopolitical rhymes; and a DJ spinning rap classics (BDP, Brand Nubian, Nice & Smooth) — Q-Tip blended the best elements of the introductory acts in a stellar act of hip-hop revivalism. Before he took the stage, people seemed entertained but unmoved. It’s not that Eldar was ill-received, so much, but their speedy tempos and tricky time signatures felt slightly out of place. Blue Scholars’ traditional DJ-vs.-MC format, complete with “When I say ‘Blue,’ you say ‘Scholars’” shouts, seemed uninspired and all too expected (which is disappointing, since MC Geologic is capable of some of the more thoughtful bling-free lyrics in the rap game today). It wasn’t until a DJ began warming up the crowd with old school favorites that fans started to actually move and react to the music.

When Q’s band hit the stage, they hit the ground running. Accompanied by EPMD’s DJ Scratch and a live backing group armed with chemistry and chops worthy of the Roots, infectious enthusiasm radiated from the stage, causing smiles to spread throughout the audience. Knowing full well that most of the onlookers were fans of his previous endeavors — rather than his solo efforts — the Abstract concentrated predominantly on Tribe songs with intermittent blasts of his biggest singles: “Vivrant Thang,” “Higher,” and “Let’s Ride,” Q-Tip worked the crowd with the charisma of a young James Brown, as he sang praises of New York City and bobbed his head passionately alongside a dreadlocked bassist, a jazzy guitarist, and a fun-loving Fender Rhodes player. By incorporating the live element with turntable-based old school beats, this may have been the best concert A Tribe Called Quest never performed. Now, if we can just get Phife Dawg involved…

Top Five Moments:

1. In the final encore, Q-Tip brings out special guest, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Tribe’s longtime DJ, and the two parade around the crowd singing “Award Tour.” “We on award tour with Muhammed my man/Going to each and every place with my mic in hand.”
2. While singing a potentially freestyled song for the ladies, Q-Tip busts into an impromptu rendition of internet sensation Tay Zonday’s “Chocolate Rain,” causing the band to burst out laughing.
3. After giving each member some time to show off with a solo, Q-Tip and the rest of the guys leave DJ Scratch alone on stage. He plays the theme from Superman, while Q-Tip voices some “able to leap tall buildings” praises, and Scratch scratches an intricate turntable solo involving spins, elbow scratches, and tongue scratches — all while removing his top layer to reveal a Superman T-shirt underneath.
4. The crowd explodes and punches the sky rhythmically as Q-Tip does his best Busta Rhymes impression in “Scenario.”
5. Q-Tip stops “Check the Rhime” a quarter of the way through, explaining that he doesn’t feel right singing Phife’s part. He scopes the crowd and picks a random spectator to sing it. Michelle, a girl from the audience, jumps onstage and fights back her nerves before grabbing the microphone and ripping it like a veteran.

Setlist of A Tribe Called Quest songs covered:

• Excursions (The Low End Theory)
• Footprints (People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm)
• Sucka N*gga (Midnight Marauders)
• Can I Kick It? (People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm)
• Find a Way (The Love Movement)
• Bonita Applebum (People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm)
• Electric Relaxation (Midnight Marauders)
• Scenario (Low End Theory)
• Check the Rhime (The Low End Theory)
• Award Tour (Midnight Marauders)