Showing posts with label concert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label concert. Show all posts

Eli Porter in the building! No, seriously...

For Frank151, I covered the documentary screening of Eli Porter at Apache Cafe. It was only the first half, but it was a good first half, as we got the whole dissection of the YouTube video where Eli Porter diiid it. Here's an excerpt of my coverage:
Yes, there was the comedy factor with appearances from Andy Milonakis and drunken Chamblee High classmates of Eli, but it also included constructive analysis from journalists Dallas Penn and Jay Smooth on nearly every aspect of what happened in that video. The film dissected everything that was going on in the Twilight Zone-looking YouTube video - from the powerful Eli punchline "I did it," to the odd stuff going on in the back (the heart that pops up around Eli after his turn, Marv-O's adventurous hands, Envy's possibly pre-written battle raps, and much more) - the audience sat in awe as they found out the details of the video.

Jeffrey Butzer Talks Toy Piano Album and Show at Drunken Unicorn

While developing a relationship with many Atlanta musicians through Examiner and AOL, I receive tons of emails with the city's best hidden gems. Jeffrey Bützer is a multi-instrumentalist notorious for blessing my inbox and leaving behind pieces reflective of Atlanta's greatest current musicianship.
Under many band names - West End Hotel, Midwives, The Compartmentalizationalists, and The Bicycle Eaters - Bützer is one man of many genres and a wide variety of compositions in his holster. His last release with Claire Lodge called Past Wanstead Flats exemplified his ability to make life - however long the album may seem - aurally feel like a movie (click the title to see the story I wrote about it for AOL to see what I mean). Bützer is showing no signs of slowing down, with a few more releases coming soon this year. Although cinema is his major influence, he is so much more than a guy who can make a mean film score. I spoke with him about his new solo release, an untitled box set with compositions from a toy piano unofficially called "the Toy Pop Box," and just a general idea of what's been up with the composer.

Instead of asking this question generically, I’ll give it a little twist. What words best describe your sound?

For the bulk of my music I would say, minimal, French, cinematic, I hope.

I would like to talk about this album you are working on, the toy piano project.

I actually have three things coming out back to back to back. In short, the first is a soundtrack I made last year. It will be a three-inch CD through Lona Records. Then a seven-inch is coming with my full band The Bicycle Eaters, and then the Toy Pop album will be part of a boxed set, both via AcidsoXX Records.

So how is the toy piano project going to sound? How is this gonna be different from the last album you did w/ Claire?

I play guitar with Claire, accordion piano and things with bicycle eaters, but the Toy Pop Box is closer to my solo albums. It is a mini album, so I'm going for a more minimal sound. 

Do you play toy piano, and how long have you played it?

I bought my first toy piano in 2003. I wanted a lighter sound on my first record to double some accordion and organ lines. I had heard mostly Rob Burger, of Tin Hat Trio, play them.

What other elements of your musicianship are in your album?

This mini album is for a toy boxed set. So it is mostly toy piano, toy accordion and other toy instruments. But there is some piano, guitar and other things. Unlike my recent recordings, I am playing everything on this album.

When is this album coming out?

I'm not sure about the release date. AcidsoXX is waiting on some artists to finish their albums.

What do you plan on doing next as far as making music is concerned?

I am doing a live score to Buster Keaton's film The Balloonatic at the Drunken Unicorn on May 28. The score has bits and pieces from the album - it's sort of a collage score. I also just finished a seven inch with The Bicycle Eaters, and myself and Claire Lodge have a new set of songs we are recording with The Compartmentalizationalists.

Video: Abby Gogo Rocks Out at Star Bar

For Examiner, I caught some sweet, colorful footage while covering the SXSW Send-Off Party for Back Pockets, Reptars and the video performers Abby Gogo.

Abby Gogo, in one word, is versatile. They flip their garage rock sound in just about any way possible - from the slow, noisy kind to the fun and fast kind. They have punk tendencies and lyricism, but they successfully complement it with an experimental and quite sluggish music.

In this video, the band performs "Louder Than Dreams," a sick single off their self-titled album. The song shows off how versatile these cats are, with riffs that go against their typical repertoire and with lyrics that can amp up the coolest person (even though you can barely hear them in the video, thanks to the bad sound). Overall, Abby Gogo is a fun band to listen to and see perform.

Atlanta's lucky to have such a diverse local music scene! Well, at least I'm glad to witness all of it.

Oh, and check me out on YouTube because I always try to upload music videos!

Thomas Pridgen's The Memorials shake things up at Five Spot Friday

This story was originally for Examiner, but the site is down (at least, every time I get on it), so I wanna share this story with you guys about Thomas Pridgen's new band The Memorials. I will have the entire interview (along with a few special others) up very soon, the schedule has been hella tight, but I digress...


When it comes The Memorials' Thomas Pridgen, whom some may remember from Grammy Award-winning group The Mars Volta, his new band has just one request when they perform at the Five Spot tonight. Don't tell them they sounded like Fishbone.

In their debut tour, The Memorials are bringing their highly rocking talents to Little Five Points after what seemed like a tough battle to kick off in the first place. In fact, they have been doing things in an indie/grassroots type of way when it comes to getting funding for their tour. "We're all doing this by ourselves, no one is really helping us out money-wise," drummer Thomas Pridgen says. According to their Kickstarter website, The Memorials have raked in a little over $1400 and are taking things one month at a time. "It's just crazy to see the hustle," he adds.

All that aside, fans are sure to get a quality from this band as they transcend from the studio to the stage. One thing for sure is that stage presence is not a problem. "I think people are freaking out on the energy on stage," Thomas Pridgen says. "Especially with people of color. They look at us strangely thinking we're gonna do one thing, but by the second song they're bobbing their heads, and then by the third song they're like 'fuck, I know this song.' And they love it."

Another surprise about The Memorials is their vintage twists as what Pridgen considers "a rare Black rock group." At one point, listeners of their new album, named after their band, will hear something strikingly similar to nu-metal. At another point throughout the album, listeners will get a few tracks that tap into Thomas Pridgen's breakthrough progressive rock sound. There is even a tinge of funk added to a few tracks, so this band has the predictability of Atlanta's snow patrol. Even Pridgen gets lost in identifying The Memorials' sound. "I'll be sitting behind the drums, and I have a crazy catalog of music in my head, and I can't figure out what we sound like," he says.

One thing's for sure, the trio aims to do their kind of music - no gimmicks, no targeted audience, and definitely no spandex. "I'm from the Bay, and we don't wear spandex," Pridgen says. "We don't need to put on no ridiculous costume or sing a certain way because white people listen to rock, we just need to play. We're a progressive rock band, so no matter what color we are all we have to do is play our ass off."

When doors open at 8 p.m., prepare to be blown away by the opening acts Just Like Vinyl (featuring Thomas Erak formerly of The Fall of Troy) and Bodega Roja. Cover will be $10.

The Drunken Unicorn Chronicles: OK, Not Really (Video)

The reason why there was no post last week is that I was waiting on getting some photos and video from a show I attended this past weekend in Atlanta. After being invited to an Attention System concert when I covered them for AOL City's Best, I decided since I was doing nothing else (but watching the slickest box set of the universe, The Wire) I should take my behind to the Drunken Unicorn.

With the walls full of band stickers and other illustrations eluding to music and fantasy figures (i.e. unicorns and robots... If they count anymore), this music venue instantly reminded me of The Union back at OU in Athens. Even the sound system's booth was identical to my favorite bar on Union Street! But back to the music...

I'll just get to the point. Attention System was everything I imagined them to be live, and then some! They had a light show, lasers, fog, and all kinds of bells and whistles associated with a rock concert, even though the size of The Drunken Unicorn is a quarter of the size of a typical arena. Their music was on point, and if my battery hadn't died, I would have video footage, so just go by this visualization: you're playing laser tag during the early 00s at a small nightclub during Armageddon while a band that looks nearly 40 performs like they're 20. If that sounds like fun, you would enjoy this show.

Although I do not have video of Attention System, I do have video footage from their opener Siberia My Sweet. This band had the most distinctive, untouched, and non-faux sound I have heard coming out of the A. Siberia My Sweet is a combination of new wave, electronic, emo-darkened, acoustic indie rock, and whatever else they could create on a keyboard. These women (and the drummer guy) had everything going well for them, except enough time. The video I have is actually the weakest part of their set, although the song is great!

Performance Footage from A3C



Well, after spending all night editing these videos (and these aren't even all of them), not to mention all day looking for my cord, here are all of the performances I caught on my camera from A3C. I made it a playlist on my YouTube channel so I can save some space on this page.

Featured on this playlist include Jean Grae, Camp Lo, Thee Tom Hardy, and many more!
After seeing this group go postal on stage, I got a chance to chat with the Grand Prize Winners From Last Year. In this audio, we talk about their sound (and Astro Pop), why they dismantle stages, hair pieces, tours and their plan to be Winners - again.

A3C Grand Prize Winners From Last Year Impromptu Interview

Now I'm off to enjoy this hiphop and journalism panel, watch some performances, and hope the breaking tournament will start soon (because it was supposed to start 3 hours ago!)

BAD NEWS!!! Erick Sermon will NOT be performing tonight. My heart is BROKEN!!!!!!

Live Blogging from A3C Hiphop Festival - Day 3

When I heard Jasmine Solano say "this year's A3C Fest is dope because it's under one roof... It's like a hiphop super mall," she was so right!

Last night, A3C was packed full of leaders of the new school, along with some legendary DJs and underground kings and queens. Today isn't much different, just add Rhymefest, Nappy Roots, Killer Mike, Erick Sermon and Camp Lo! There's also so so much more, but you'll see as the day unfolds.

Below is a video clip of STS's performance when he did his version of Gucci Mane's "Lemonade," which is to me the dopest remake of a track.




More to come today, tonight, and in my wrap-up tomorrow!

A Rant on Lauryn Hill

This rant is brought to you by Fusetv and the video I posted on Tumblr. One of my favorite music journalist Toure got to sit down with Lauryn Hill, talking about her absence and her return to the industry.


And the rant begins...


I look up to this woman for reasons other than her music - it's because she is the perfect example of a strong, Black woman, and she showed that in her absence. When Questlove said in My Mic Sounds Nice that her 10-year absence is the movements tsunami, and Russell Simmons started a statement with "the tragedy of Lauryn Hill began when...", I was heated because that was just so stingy for them to say that (which also goes without saying that hiphop is indeed a stingy culture), and no one really cared to say what she did was probably the best thing for hiphop. Think about it - she blew the hell up! Fast! And we all know what happens to artists who are instantly enveloped in the spotlight (i.e. Kanye West, Destiny's Child/Beyonce, etc), they turn into pop and can no longer find themselves or their true sound. Better stated - their sound is dictated by the dollar. I personally was glad that she left because (this is me being honest) she felt uncomfortable with the music she was putting out, and didn't want to do it, so she left. Good for her.


Whether or not her craft touched you in a way that made you upset she left, don't forget she's a human being too and has needs that will go before your needs because she's that amazing (POW!). Why is she amazing? Because she started a whole other movement just by being herself, and didn't even know it (because she was definitely the anchor and pioneer for the neo-soul movement).


Also, and I will NEVER consider this a crutch or really want to validate this as a reason, but she's a woman/mother. She got knocked up so she had to take care of them. Why on earth should the world ridicule her for that? Why should hiphop, of all maternally-oriented cultures, ridicule her for that?


I care about the person first, then the artist, then their music (in that order), just as everyone else should. And the fact that she has evolved and is doing HER OWN THING makes me even more proud of her. I hope her next album will represent her, I no longer care if it "sounds good"!


If I went to Rock The Bells (which I didn't have to because half of the footage is uploaded on everyone's site who did attend the concerts), I would have applauded Lauryn for her additions and changes to her famous hits. Now, although it is a tour that is designed to be reminiscent of hiphop's past, one can't just discount an artist for putting their own spin on their music to better express themselves on stage. So what she put a higher tempo on her songs off Miseducation? She was experimenting, that shouldn't put her on everyone's shit list!


Speaking of her artistry, people who had a problem with her Unplugged sessions need to take a seat! Those numbers, if you heard them correctly, were symbolic of things she was going through. Why belittle her for that? If you were pissed about the misinterpretations of your miseducation, then you would respond in the same way. Unfortunately, the world we live in would react in the same fashion most of you guys did to her. Go us! (I guess)


I hope she releases an album that makes everyone eat their words. Literally. New York Times would eat their paper, people who tweeted hateful things about her would eat their computers or BlackBerrys, and the folks who talked trash about her return will receive the "I told you so" song and dance.


I feel the need to celebrate early, excuse me:




Rant over.

Live Review: Chromeo Sent to Heaven at the Masquerade in ATL

This is a new venture I'm doing on this blog. Whenever I attend a concert or show, I'm gonna blog about it, as I should because I'm awesome! And the fact that I'm still doing this from my phone means I love you guys that darn much!

First time's a charm for Chromeo's first performance in Atlanta. It was also their last stop on their U.S. Business Casual Tour, and it was arguably in front of the most energetic Southerners this group has ever seen.
In front of a sold-out Masquerade, the duo stuck to a fairly traditional style of performing while keeping a highly energetic crowd attentive to their presence. Dave 1 (guitar and lead singer) didn't engage much with the crowd, which wasn't necessary but would've been great. Small talk between songs were "are you guys ok out there?" and "this is our first time here and it's awesome!" It was cute, but a serious problem within their crowd-pleasing repertoire.

The songs selected for this show were a DJ's dream, but that goes for just about their entire collection. A lot of their hour-long performance came from their upcoming album Business Casual (dropping September 14th). They kicked their set of with "Hot Mess," which got the crowd's attention but nothing special. The crowd became engaged when "Bonafide Lovin" followed, and it was smooth, Chromeo-style, sailing from there. The group's performance of these records wasn't straining at all, in fact I felt like I was listening to the records at a party. Moments of some sort of improv were there, but it wasn't used. The guitar mini-sessions in "Bonafide Lovin" could've been the points where Dave 1 could've shown his skills, but he just kept it the same as the song. P-Thugg was more crowd-engaging than his partner, with random pointing towards the audience and singing "ATL" in his talk box. He manned all of his stations for the most part, and he seemed to have the most fun. Well, second-most fun, first goes to the crowd.

This crowd, this diverse crowd, managed to bring the house (also known at that venue as "Heaven") DOWN! I was confused as to whether the bass from the party below us was thumping the floor or if the floor couldn't hold still admist the failed breakdancing attempts and free-flowing drunkards. This goes as little props to Chromeo though; the atmosphere of that place was dance party first, Chromeo concert second. That crowd had the same reaction and spirit when the doors opened! Chromeo was just icing on the cake for folks.

Beyond their scripted and typical crowd-engaging small talk, Chromeo still put on a great show at the Masquerade. There weren't any technical problems that usually arise in that warehouse-turned-club venue (from what I heard), and though the crowd was packed like sardines no one felt too uncomfortable to the point where they'd want to slap somebody. Overall, it was a night of good vibes accompanied by a good, uniterrupted, and often awkward band.
For more upcoming Chromeo concerts, check out their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/chromeo

The New Breed(s): Invincible

She's the kind of femcee that steps far beyond the title. That's how ahead of her time she is!

When I first saw her perform, I thought to myself "this dude is awesome!" because looking at her and listening to her in a small, dim-lit venue, and already drunk, I wasn't prepared to hear a woman (especially a crossed-dressed woman) to spit that hard and that real! That night she not only came with the rhymes, but also a philanthropy. During this performance, she had a backdrop of her docu-music-video "Locusts" playing as she was rhyming with disturbing city images of her hometown Detroit. She has been backed by Talib Kweli, Black Thought, Slum Village, just to name a few hiphop artists that know she can flow. Trust me when I say Invincible is the future of hiphop, HANDS DOWN.

DISCLAIMER: Although I place her in a new breed of femcees, that doesn't mean she (or any other femcee) is limited among or by their gender. Her image and her lifestyle says enough (see picture). She isn't just about empowering the female identity, but about empowering everyone! Invincible comes with rhymes about everyone's struggle, steering away from sexuality and materialism and everything else a woman talks about, in an attempt to blast on the scene tiptoeing with EVERYONE who rhymes right now. Like she said "I'm striving to be one of the best period / Not just one of the best with breasts and a period" (said on "Looongawaited"). She steers away from being limited as a female emcee by spitting something everyone can relate to. Instead of talking about feminism or flaunting her sexuality, she's educating people on international issues in every way an emcee can in addition to her own special methods.

What sets her apart from other female emcees in the hiphop world is her lyricism. She spits nothing superficial, let alone ladylike, yet her content is classy and thoughtful. The origins of Invincible's lyricism is clearly Detroit-bred, but her thought process is so beyond an 8-Mile emcee. She can break down metaphors like you put on socks, it is THAT easy for her. Take "People Not Places" off her album ShapeShifters, she says:

Settlements spreading like cancer and toxic sewage polluted the roads
Now full of checkpoints
I superimpose the truth and it shows
(see full lyrics and explanation here)

On a song that deals with the displacement of the Palestinian people, most people wouldn't expect such lyricism from the average emcee, as they expect a focus on talking about the issues. But Invincible isn't your average emcee; she has the ability to balance a deep rhyme scheme and a crazy flow with intellectual content broken down for everyone.

Her musicianship steps beyond just rhyming; she is also a filmmaker. Actually, she has a docu-music-video for just about every song! She stepped on the scene and caught the eyes of millions when Current TV aired her first docu-music-video "Locusts" on gentrification in Detroit. The amazing thing about it is that she didn't make the video alone, but with a Detroit youth group called L.A.M.P (Live Arts Media Project), where these kids do a yearly project researching current events and making CDs and videos based on their findings. They're basically the 'hood's youth CNN! Aside from her film work with L.A.M.P, she has worked with Beatnick & K-Salaam, and Iqaa the Olivetone. Her most recent docu-music-video "The Revival" looks at three generation of hiphop, in particular women in hiphop. This video, which you see below, takes you on the We-B Girlz European tour featuring Roxanne Shante, Bahamadia, Eternia, Stacy Epps, DJ Shortee, and Invincible. The documentary aspect of it includes Roxanne Shante and Bahamadia trading stories on what it was like at their prime in the music industry and what it is like for up and coming artists Stacy Epps and Eternia (who is responsible for the logo at the top of the first piece in this series) to grace the same stage as two previous generations of hiphop.


Invincible not only carries Detroit, but the world on her shoulders, with her supreme lyrical skills and in-depth ability to educate the masses. When, not if, she blows up, she can be the most dangerous emcee, excuse me femcee, in America because we all know how tough it is to be an educator for the minorities and do it without permission (just being real for a sec). Not only will she murk these emcees, but not murk these emcees in a skirt. She does it in her own style. To BUY her music, because we should support good music, peruse her site for all of her works.

The Gunshy Preview/Sibs Weekend Review (from ACRN.com)

The show already happened, but I thought I would post it on the blog anyway because I wrote it (I know, how cocky?). The Gunshy is an interesting band, which is started by an interesting person named Matt. I won't go into too much detail because it's in the article and I don't want to ruin it. So read below and enjoy!

P.S. Check out my review on the Sibs Weekend Concert at ACRN's Scene and Heard blog!

P.S.S. Remember to check out my blogs and sites on the side(bar).


The Gunshy / February 26, 2010 / The Union
By Star Watson, Staff Writer
February 24, 2010
Photo by: Provided Photo
Many people, especially OU seniors and graduate students, will remember The Gunshy from a couple concerts around town in 2006 and 2007, namely shows with Murder By Death and Oh My God at ACRN’s 2007 Lobsterfest in Baker Theater.
Back then, it was just Matt Arbogast and his guitar. “All that I remember from the last time I played in Athens was that I was on tour with Troubled Hubble, and we were at the Union, and the sound guy said to me, ‘Oh you’re that crazy guy with the acoustic guitar!’”
But after being MIA from the city of Athens for four years, Matt returns tothe Union on Friday with some new additions to the band. Alongside Matt on lead vocals and his guitar, the new members are Jonathon Pool on guitar, Kevin Ware on bass, and CJ Heimberger on drums.
Along with the new members, the band will be bringing a new sound as well. Since 2007, The Gunshy has transformed from the folk sound of their past into something broader.
“In the last few years, we’ve become a loud-type rock band with a lot of dynamics and wordy, story-type songs,” Arbogast said.
Although some people may have seen Arbogast perform with other guitar players, pianists, trombone players and a violinist, none of those musicians were full-time members of the band.
“It’s grown into less of a hodge-podge of people from other bands, and more into a set, established group of people,” he said.
He also speaks about working on his first cooperative effort on an album as The Gunshy, although it has taken them almost four years to get done while touring, as well as taking a personal time-out.
“I kind of needed to chill out a little bit and deal with the rest of life," Arbogast said. "But we’ve been back into the writing process for like six months now."
Aside from recording the album, The Gunshy has not strayed too far from the stage. They tour sporadically in Chicago, where they now call home.
“Touring is a lot less stressful for me with the band now,” Arbogast explained. "There’s less shots that I have to take, less driving I have to do, and I really just love traveling the country with my friends."
After living in the Windy City for six years, Arbogast has seen people in his group come and go, as well as different bands come and go in Chicago’s local music scene.
“Bands get respect when they stick around and play a lot of shows,” Arbogast said. "Since bands are very supportive of one another, although there are a lot of them, you still get to pick and choose who you play with and where you want to play. It’s a great music town and better than any other city I’ve lived in, definitely better than New York and LA."
As for performing in Athens, he hopes to get the crowd from years before that loved his crazy singing. “We’ll bring a lot of sweat and some stupid jokes,” Arbogast joked. "Hopefully we will mostly be entertaining and fun."
Other bands performing with The Gunshy at the Union will include Scuba Dog and The Ghost of Asa Phelps. The doors open at 9 pm and the cover is $3 for everyone 18 and up.

Just Thought I Add More Fun for the Holidays...

See, this is why I love Failblog:


Lesson of the day: If you can't sing, put the mic down - not upside down!

***I Wish I Posted This Yesterday - From ACRN.com***

Uzuhi / November 8, 2009 / The Union
By Star Watson, Staff Writer
November 7, 2009

The Union will be filled with mixed feelings this Sunday when Japanese punk band Uzuhi brings happiness and energy into its performance. Carrying a different style than most punk bands, Uzuhi comes to Ohio for the first time.

Band members Gosha (vocals), Kota (guitar), Tsubasa (keyboard) and Shu (drums) are promoting their second album Ongaku on their U.S. “Will” tour. Uzuhi has been touring since November 5, and its tour will end on November 22. Within their 17-day tour, band members will perform all over the South and East U.S. stopping in 12 states. “We’ve been to Texas and New York, and it’s our first time being in Ohio ever,” said lead singer Gosha.

The band is enthusiastic to play at the Union and in Ohio for the first time, though they only know what they have heard about the state. “We are excited to play in Ohio, and we have no idea what to expect in Ohio. We talked to people in Connecticut about Ohio and they said it was very peaceful,” said Gosha. The band’s sound matches this description of Ohio – but with a little more flare.

“When we first formed we wanted to do hardcore rock,” said Gosha, “but with changes in the group, from the drummer to the bassist, me and the guitarist, Kota, really just inside of all of us decided that we wanted to do our own punk rock."

Although Uzuhi is a punk band, its members shy away from the cry for rebellion and focus more on the liveliness of the subculture in their performance. “We plan to bring energy and happiness to every performance,” said Gosha. “We believe music is supposed to make people smile and be happy, and even though we play punk music we try to open people’s reactions to such hardcore music with our energy and our lyrics."

What makes Uzuhi unique is that the band not only has English in its songs, but its memebrs write their Japanese language into their songs as well. One thing the band agrees on is that music is for anybody to enjoy, no matter his or her nationality. “We believe music has no borders, so we play our music in respects to who we are, like people from other countries and even people here play their music,” said Gosha. “Even though we try to sing our lyrics in English and Japanese, we just keep music, music because there are no borders because it’s for everyone."

Uzuhi has much to offer with their unique style of punk music. They play tonight at the Union with Amish Electric Chair and The Red Army. The doors open at 10 p.m. and the cost is $5.



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Photo credit: Provided Photo

Cell Therapy 020

All these little concerts going on around town tomorrow, a girl doesnt know what to do lol