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(Photo via BrooklynVegan)

Last night, I saw a Doctor moshing to “Sabotage.”

Well, not exactly moshing, but the crowd at the Music Has Power Benefit at Terminal 5 was definitely a mixed one. The event was organized by Moby to raise money for The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, and the Beastie Boys made the coolest donation of all; You know, themselves. A general admission ticket set you back $75, so the crowd on the main floor was comprised entirely of die-hard Beastie Boys fans, catching the band at one of their most intimate performances in a long time (I was lucky enough to be invited by a friend with family working at the Institute).

The night started out with a DJ set by D-Nice, who Moby announced accepted the invite to play the show at midnight the night before, canceling his previous engagement. Nice scratched everything from “We Built This City” to “C.R.E.A.M.” in his near 45 minute set. Moby gave a lengthy speech about the event and the Music Has Power program, and then performed ”I Can See Clearly Now” on guitar with one of the institute’s patients on vocals (gee, what an ass, huh?). A half hour after announcing that the Beastie Boys “would be out in 10 minutes,” Mix Master Mike took the stage, started spinning, and introduced the band. Mike D, MCA, and Adrock stormed through almost 2 hours of music, jumping between their new instrumental material, 2 minute punk songs, and hip hop classics.

Despite some technical difficulties (and more than one instance of Mike D forgetting lyrics and calling a “do-over”), the show was one of the most solid sets I’ve seen a band perform. The size of the venue and hard to snag tickets contributed to the weeding out of anyone who didn’t know every single word to every single song; and the band took full advantage, pointing the mic to the crowd every time the ‘beat-dropped.’ Speaking of, between the lines “Beastie Boys known to let the beat” and “mmm drop” on “Intergalactic,” there was about a 5 minute pause, which included Mike D bringing up a fan’s drawing of him naked a la Michael Angelo’s “Creation of Adam.”

Included in the set were The Mix Up’s “B For My Name,” “14th Street Break,” and “Off The Grid.” Bongos and all, the band pulls off these instrumental tracks flawlessly (even with MCA’s oddly unenthused stage presence). The clouds of ‘cigarette’ smoke rose to the top of the venue as the vibe of the show transformed completely.

For the ‘3 MC’s and one DJ’ portions of the show, Mix Master Mike changed up the beats incessantly on tracks like To The 5 Boroughs’ “Ch-Check it Out” and Hello Nasty’s “Body Movin’,” sampling 50 Cent’s “Get That Money,” among many others. There was also some Paul’s Boutique (including a mumbled story about a “Paul’s Boutique” that a fan found on a road trip) and tons of Ill Communication, including (of course) the big closer, “Sabotoge,” which made Terminal 5′s head explode.

The circle pit in the front of the crowd was perfectly formed before Mike D even came in on the drums. Adrock’s shout-back from the bridge erupted the venue as the bright lights flashed on and the band crashed in to the final riffs of the song. It may be one of the coolest concert moments I’ve ever seen (from my VIP table upstairs – which does not mean I am cool or rich. It means my friend’s mother is). I have seen this song live before, but never with a view as good as this. I’m so glad I brought a camera with me! That was sarcasm…and some bitterness.