Austin360 blogs > Almost Urban > Archives > 2007 > March
March 2007
Weekend picks artist profile: The Projeckt
This week, I’m forgoing the regular weekend picks format to offer a special weekend picks artist profile on The Projeckt. The Projeckt performs Friday night at 11:30 p.m. at Latitude 30. It’s a free show, and cheap drinks have been promised. For more weekend picks, skip ahead.
The Projeckt
In the month of March, one of the more interesting discs to cross my desk had nothing to do with the SXSW Music Festival. “Strictly Confidential” by the Projeckt is a tightly produced collection of hook-heavy hip-hop cuts, a handful of club bangers, anchored by conscious joints tackling everything from God and poverty to (gasp!) homophobia. The group’s lineup is as intriguing as the music itself, a black dude, a Latino dude and a white female. And yes, all three come correct.
The Projeckt came about when local producer 3rdegree approached MC 20/20 (aka Ike from the group Mike and Ike) about collaborating on album that would include said female, Baltimore-based artist Infinity. Infinity is a bundle of contradictions. Raised by hippie parents in one of America’s grittiest urban centers, she’s still fairly new to the game, but was making a splash on the open mic scene in her hometown. In person, she seems almost shy, but on the mic she’s solid heart. 20/20 liked her sound and entered into a collaboration that also included Austin-based MC Israel (aka Rival) and DJ Diamond Tip. For a year, the group talked on the phone and passed tracks back and forth over the Internet, developing material and honing a sound. During that period Infinity traveled to Austin twice to record. The group’s name naturally emerged through the process. Separated by a couple thousand miles and a time zone they weren’t a live performing group, instead a work in process, a project.
When I caught up with the group at a live taping of the local music show “The Infynit Hour” at Austin’s Public Access TV studios, the sense of accomplishment after 12 months of hard work was palpable. “I like this album because it has something for everybody,” said Infinity, “It has tracks that are underground feeling, it has tracks that are commercial feeling, it has tracks that really have a message behind them. I like that fact that we’ve brought everything together.”
Like Mike and Ike’s eponymous debut which was also produced by 3rdegree, this joint has a throwback sound. The rappers all share common influences, Nas, Mos Def, Common. “Not old school, but like ‘95, the Golden Era,” Israel clarified.
“Exactly,” Infinity chimed in, “That’s the time when we were coming up, around the age when we started getting into hip-hop.”
It’s no surprise that all three rappers cite intelligent lyricists as influences. The album covers a lot of ground thematically, and has a heavy emphasis on wordplay. But it still manages to bump. The first single, “How We Live” is a radio-ready banger with an irresistible Latin beat pulled from an old N.Y.C. salsa bootleg of Infinity’s. At a moment when Reggaeton is burning up the hip-hop charts and Spanish-language radio is king of the Austin market it’s a solid choice, commercially speaking.
“There’s a huge Latin audience, of course especially in the South, Texas, all the border states. We thought it would be good to capture that. And the beat was hot,” said 20/20 (himself a Latino).
“I think up to that point we had nothing but serious subject matter we wanted to do something a little more upbeat.” Israel added.
The group realized they needed to balance the weighty material both to reflect their own personalities, which are far from solemn, and also to make the album more accessible. “Nowadays people have to be more fake to appeal to a commercial market,” Israel explained, “Back in the day if you were good, people accepted you because of your technique. Now the balancing act is being true to yourself and still reaching people in that form.”
But really, commercial appeal was a secondary consideration in this project. “Our goal for this album was to go back to the basics,” 20/20 explained. “Let’s make the lyrics undeniable as far as the lyricism goes, and let’s make the beats undeniable as far as how they bang, what type of versatile emotions they invoke. After that, we just tried to be real with ourselves and write what we felt.”
The end result is one of the stronger works I’ve heard in a minute, a solid album that goes hard all the way through. But now comes the tough part, finding the money to keep the project going. The group would like to tour, to continue to perform live, but they have a geography issue that won’t be easily overcome. Infinity, a single mother, hedged when asked about the possibility of relocating to Austin. The baby’s father is in Baltimore. For right now the group plans to put the album out and shop it, locally and through the Internet, and hope for the best.
The album release party for The Projeckt is Friday at Latitude 30. The Projeckt will perform at 11:30 p.m. and other artists on the bill include local hip-hop acts Global, Crew 54 and more. It’s a free show, and cheap drinks have been promised. “We really are about our music, so we’re going out of our way to make sure that people have a good time because we’re only going to have a couple times at least in the next month or two to display ourselves to the people,” 20/20 concluded. ‘Nuff said.
Also worth checking:
Friday: Ter’ell Shahid at Lambert’s. Veteran Austin crooner drops suppertime soul.
Friday: Jashan - An Indian Carnival at the University of Texas. Explore Indian culture with food, games, hookah smoking, free henna tattoos and more. 6:30 p.m., Free.
Saturday: Swoll with DJ Mel and Flosstradamus at the Beauty Bar. Mel’s uber-popular booty-centric Swoll series continues at the Beauty Bar, this time with guest DJ Flosstradamus from Toronto joining him on the wheels. Show up early, as the club normally hits capacity before midnight. $3
Saturday: Table Manners Crew at Plush. If you can’t get into the Beauty Bar, head down the street to Plush, where TMC DJs will happily take care of your booty-shaking needs. $3.
Saturday: Austin’s City-Wide Under 21 Poetry Slam. Cats from Public Offenders, one of the most promising new hip-hop groups to emerge on the Austin scene in the last couple years cut their teeth at the Under 21 Poetry Slam. Peep tomorrow’s MCs today. 5 p.m., $5.
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Lonelygirl15, Public Access TV and the YouTube revolution
I was so swept up by the SXSW Music Festival this year that I haven’t really taken time to reflect my perennial favorite part of the annual industry beatdown, the Interactive fest. Yes, I’m a die-hard music lover, but at heart, I’m a Web girl. I love the way the Internet has created an open forum for personal expression that gets easier to use with each year. I built own career by blogging and doing independent Web work until, eventually, I fanagled my way into a paid position.
The most fascinating panel I attended this year, was a discussion with the producers of the YouTube hit series Lonelygirl15. Lonelygirl15 is a made-for-Web serial drama, styled as the video journal of high school girl with oddball restrictive parents who are involved in a shadowy religious organization. Lonelygirl15 started as an experiment in narrative and form, with the show’s producers initially positing the lead character Bree as an actual video blogger. When suspicions in the blogosphere about Bree’s authenticity began to impact the daily lives of the actors and producers, they revealed the series’ fictional nature. And with the accompanying interest spawned by a flurry of press reports, the show’s popularity surged. Now it’s essentially a Web soap opera with a rabid fan base. Lonelygirl’s YouTube profile has over 90,000 subscribers and close to 10 million channel views. The primary screenwriter for the series is currently working on his first feature film and yes, there’s a Lonelygirl movie in the works.
Take home lesson: The Web is the ubiquitous back door for everything.
Which brings me to Public Access TV in Austin. I was down at Austin’s PACT studio last night for a taping of the local music show “The Infynit Hour,” which airs on Tuesdays from 10 to 11 p.m. on Cable channel 10. With all the spoof-worthy imagery that any discussion of Public Access TV conjures, Austin PACT’s facilities are actually pretty nice. “The Infynit Hour” is taped using 3 cameras in a spacious studio setting. Performing artists who appear on “The Infynit Hour” can get DVD copies of their performances which can later be YouTubed and spread across the net.
Beyond that, PACT Austin offers a very reasonably priced TV producer training program. For less than $200, you can learn everything from how to operate a camera to how to edit your work in Final Cut Pro. Not just for conspiracy theorists, it’s actually a great resource for musicians, artists and garden variety soapbox philosophers with a desire to learn how to broadcast. And perhaps, to join the YouTube revolution.
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Urban Music Fest ‘07, I’m so there
Halfway through SXSW I found myself sprawled across my bed trying to muster the enthusiasm to mingle with a bunch of hipper-than-thou industry types at a festival day party. I turned on the radio for motivation and KAZI was dropping an Urban Music Fest preview set. The smoky wisdom of Angie Stone faded into the cerebral love poetry of Dwele chased by the neck-lock funk of the O’Jays topped off with a little classic “Candy” from Cameo.
Last year, I thought the Urban Music Festival was a cool concept, a music event geared toward the brown side of the city during Texas Relays Weekend, one of the largest annual African American social events in Texas. And it was fun, a beautiful day, a good vibe and a spine-tingling set from Chaka Khan.
This year, I’m amped about the music.
The classic funk scheduled for Saturday should be a lot of fun, but the neo-soul on Friday is what’s really got me jazzed. First off, headliner Angie Stone is an undersung goddess. I’ve loved the woman since she dropped her 1999 release “Black Diamond,” which is quite possibly the best break-up album ever. It kicks off with the triumphant “No More Rain” then leads the listener through a cathartic meditation that covers denial, rage and heartache before emerging again with hope. Two words: Soul Queen. Then there’s Dwele, whose jazzy variations on neo-soul are sublime. I caught him a couple years back opening for Slum Village. I had no idea who he was at the beginning of the night, but ended the evening a fan. Finally, Rapid Ric’s Whut It Dew Family (who smoked their SXSW set!) have been added to the Friday lineup. I’m so there.
Urban Music Festival tickets are on sale now. It’s $60 for a two-day pass, $30 for Friday and $40 for Saturday. Children 12 and younger are free with an accompanying adult, and there will be a special children’s area at the fest. There will be no 2-day passes available at the gate and in theory, single-day ticket prices will go up $5. Last year, ticket prices actually dropped on the day of the show, but the lineup wasn’t as strong and the event was in its infancy. For more details check out urbanmusicfest.com.
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Weekend picks: Shake your stuff and honor the legends
Like much of Austin, I’ve spent the better part of this week in serious SXSW recharge mode. (So much so, that like a fool, I missed the Clipse at Emo’s on Wednesday. What?!) But as the city slowly shifts back into our standard groove, a spattering of solid weekend entertainment options worth cruising have appeared on the Almost Urban radar. First and foremost is the Waxploitation DJs tribute to The Godfather of Soul on Friday night at the Mohawk. These cats have been putting it down hard for lovers of dusty forgotten funk and soul for nearly a decade now. Waxploitation “happenings” tend to be a sweaty mess, comprising a wide variety of Austinites with a common affinity for the irresistible urge to shake something, anything, oh, heck, all of it. No doubt, it’s going to be a serious soul shakedown on James Brown night. Tipping a hat to the elders, storied pianist Obatallah presides over the event as master of ceremonies while DJs Greg Most, Dr. Rhythm, Little Danny and Brett Koshkin work the tables. Party starts at 9:30 p.m. and the cover is only $3 for grown folks and $5 for minors.
Also worth checking:
Friday: Blaze at the Elephant Room. In the days following SXSW, I’ve found myself a deep lover of all things Dirty South, feeling a little crunked out, and yearning for a low-key way to sneak back out on the scene. This fusion ensemble, led by acclaimed drummer Brannen Temple, meshes complex jazz composition and hip-hop groove in a vibrant sonic tapestry. In addition, the Elephant Room, with its dim lighting, fancy Belgian beers and tableside seating is the epitome of classy, understated cool. But show up early if you want to sit down. Blaze shows tend to fill up and it’s usually standing room only after 11 p.m. (Cover unspecified, generally around $6)
Saturday: Little Richard at 40 Acres Fest at UT. After paying tribute to the Godfather of Soul on Friday, why not drop in on a living legend, flamboyant rock pioneer Little Richard. This Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer has been dropping hits since 1955, and is still going strong. 40 Acres Fest is a free event with performances on two stages scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Little Richard is scheduled to take the main stage at 6 p.m. Check the event Web site for rain information.
Saturday: Cali Zack, Jonny Danger, Crew 54 and more at Flamingo. Rapper Jonny Danger has recently relocated to Dallas, but he’s still throwing monthly showcases at Flamingo. Danger himself takes the stage at 12:10 a.m., but if you head out, be sure to show up before 11 p.m. to catch Crew 54. I’ve been checking on these Killeen cats for a minute. I like their sounds. I’ve never caught them live myself, but I heard through the grapevine that they killed it in their opening slot for Slick Rick a couple months back, so there’s a good chance you might spot me at this one. (Cover unspecified)
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Blowing out SXSW 2007 with the Jazz Mafia
12:03 a.m. One of my favorite parts of SXSW is the influx of international musicians into the city. I had planned to try to catch the Somali-Canadian rap-rocker K’naan, but he canceled earlier this week. Since I’m feeling a little Crunked out, I decide to change gears entirely and I head down to the Elephant Room to catch Japanese jazz genius Hiromi, but when I arrive at the door it turns out she canceled, too.
On the Congress Avenue side of downtown with no better plan I head down to the Giant Step records unofficial showcase at the Firehouse. On the last night of SXSW downtown Austin seems like a street carnival. On the steps of The Driskill a washtub band is entertaining passerbys.
12:25 a.m. It’s a capacity crowd at the Firehouse, but the line moves fast. On the inside Chicken George is at the helm dropping hip-hop, soul and hard funk. DJ J Boogie from the Bay takes the stage and the sound morphs into something a little more electronic for a minute. He starts mixing in old school hip-hop and afrobeat, it’s a good vibe. Then the Jazz Mafia horns from San Francisco step in and the whole scene blows up with a crazy boogaloo block party feel. This is definitely the spot to close out my Almost Urban SXSW 2007 adventure.
2:02 a.m. I’m walking back to my truck. The jam session on the steps of the Driskill has grown. As they’re leaving The Firehouse, the Jazz Mafia horns hop in on the washtub band’s set which sets the sound swinging. And I realize this is it, the thing that makes the crowds, the traffic and the generalized nonsense of SXSW worthwhile. For four days during the year our city turns into an interactive music playground, a free for all jam that echoes through every bar, coffeehouse, corner and backyard. And that’s a beautiful thing.
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Goofing out with PPT
9:02 p.m. I’m back down at Vision’s where, it seems, I’ve spent the majority of the fest. The last couple of nights the highlight has been h-town sounds, but tonight it’s DFW in the spotlight. Showcasing acts include two of my favorite unsung Texas hip-hop acts Verbal Seed, and PPT. When we arrive at the spot female emcee Thesis is holding it down. She’s charismatic and funny with bright pink dreds and a big, bold voice. I have to say I’m seriously encouraged by the number of females I’ve spotted rocking the mike at this fest. I particularly appreciate the fact that Thesis is beautiful and sexy but she doesn’t play up the hoochie thing at all. I’ll never hate on a girl who wants to get up on stage and shake her thing but it’s refreshing to see a female do something else.
10.24 p.m.: Man, so much attention has been paid to Houston hip-hop but people are sleeping on DFW! I love PPT. Those cats are soulful, skillful and best of all silly. Imagine what would happen if Cee-Lo Green, Fat Lip from the Pharcyde and Raphael Saadiq spent a night watching Weird Al videos and reruns of “A Different World”, goofing out and singing and you get some sense of the madness that is a PPT show. It’s funky, fresh and possibly, most importantly, hipster friendly in the least pretentious way possible. In the post-Gnarls Barkley era on hip-hop/indie fusion and think PPT has a real shot at something big.
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A ‘Rapper’s Delight’ at the Fort
5:45 p.m. T and I drop by the Fader party to catch Redman’s 6:20 set. The spot is at capacity and we have to wait to get in, but the line goes fast. When we make it inside we briefly consider staking out a spot at the stage front, but the melancholy rock musings of Vietnam drive us to the sidelines. “This is beyond angsty,” T says, shaking his head. “I do like the diversity in here, though,” he adds. It’s true; there’s a broad cross section of SXSW-ers in here, taking advantage of the free Budweiser and Southern Comfort cocktails at the Fader Fort.
7 p.m. Redman finally appears on the stage. The crowd goes nuts. As he finishes his first song, he accepts what looks suspiciously like a funny cigarette from a fan in the front row. “I will take that, thank you,” Red says with a snicker. He’s clearly on a mission to promote his new album, which is (finally) scheduled to drop on March 27. But he mixes up his set with old and new material, including a riff on Doug E. Fresh’s “La-di-da-di.” To close his set out he leads the crowd in a fly rendition of “Rapper’s Delight.” The crowd tries to call for an encore as Red exits after less than 20 minutes, but the stage crew tears down his setup right away.
7:25 p.m. DJs from The Rub pick it up before the party has a chance to slack, kicking off with a slammin’ Chi-town set dropped in tribute to Kid Sister, A-Trak and other Windy City artists in the house. A dance circle forms in front of th DJ booth, and Kid Sister is even convinced to spit a verse or two. Yeah, these Fader folks throw a killer party.
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A rough night … for some
1 a.m.: This is a tough room. Everyone’s here to see UGK and most folks are on a straight up Dirty South vibe. Plus the show’s running late. Conscious hip-hoppers from Oakland, Zion I, get no love for their rapid-fire rasta-tinged flow. At one point one of the emcees tries to lead the audience in a soul clap which results in a group of about six folks holding down the front of the stage right next to me to strike up a chant, “Clap your (expletive) up off the stage so we can hear some UGK.” It’s harsh and completely unfair because the Bay Area rappers are actually putting it down hard. The emcees must be frustrated but they ride it out well, picking out their own fans in the crowd and playing directly to them.
1:30 a.m.: Crime Mob from ATL fares much better, but they’re a much more natural opener for the Underground Kingz. Emcee Princess is a particularly big hit. She knows how to work the ladies and the dudes — and they all love her.
1:57 a.m.: UGK finally storms the stage, Bun B first with Pimp C straggling behind. The Pimp, who only recently got out of lockdown, is not sporting a prison-cut physique but he’s still got the touch. They turn the spot out. It’s a madhouse in here. They’re still the Kingz.
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Sure she’s drunk, but the girl can sing
11:07 p.m.: Amy Winehouse has the crowd at La Zona Rosa eating out of her hands. Unlike most targets of Internet celebrity parasite Perez Hilton, Winehouse is both talented with a big brassy voice that fills the venue and charming in a low-key, self-deprecating, British sort of way. She rocks a massive black beehive that dwarfs her face, and early in her set she apologizes for the glum tone of her first album which was written during a tough breakup, “I’m used to singing these songs every night, but I’m sorry if it’s kind of depressing to you,” she graciously offers.
Later on Winehouse makes a sheepish confession, “I’m drunk, OK?” The crowd doesn’t care. They cheer wildly and sing along with Winehouse on “Rehab” reinforcing her on the hook, “They tried to make me go to rehab I said NO, NO, NO!”
11:40 p.m.: I’d like to check out the Mexican Institute of Sound at The Rio, but the last item on my evening’s agenda is to catch H-town legends UGK at Visions so I stop by the club to scope out the scene. The club is at capacity with a long line of uncredentialed civilians that stretches into the street. I make it in and the crowd is the antithesis of what you see at most SXSW shows, very brown with a only a fraction of the badges you see at most hot shows scattered throughout the spot. Rapid Ric’s Whut It Dew fam kills it. Gerald G really is Mr. 512. And I’m feeling mighty proud to be from the ATX right about now.
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Champagne for my real friends
9:18 p.m.: I drop by the Beauty Bar looking for Doujah Raze but the patio where they are scheduled to play is quiet. In front, CX Kidtronix has pulled a sizable crowd with their blend of rap and thrash. At first I think they’re too hard for me, but then the black cat with the mohawk does a take on the Beasties “Brass Monkey” that’s pretty fly. The ode to equal opportunity lovin’, “Big Girl” is the thing that seals the deal though. These kids are all right. Meanwhile the party on the patio is starting to liven up. I bump into Zeale 32 and he breaks me off a copy of his sxsw sampler.
9:40 p.m.: I’m about to check out to head down to La Zona Rosa for Amy Winehouse’s set when I run into Matt Sonzala. He tells me the next act is a tight female MC from Houston who’s worth sticking around for. Her name is Surreal. Her style is straight gutta, fiery and raw. She has ultra-hot homegirls who jump onstage and shake their booties providing the finest set dressing a girl could ask for. Now that’s friendship!
10:03 p.m.: On my way to La Zona, I run into Adrian Quesada of Grupo Fantasma with his lovely wife, Celeste. He tells me he saw Winehouse last night outside Antone’s trying to get into the capacity-filled Stax showcase. Her people were throwing a fit on her behalf. “She just looks kind of crazy,” Adrian tells me.
10:25 p.m.: The sound tech at La Zona checks the mike using my favorite toast: “Champagne for my real friends. Real pain for my sham friends.” It’s a packed house for Winehouse. A near-capacity crowd.
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The skinny jean invasion in full effect
6:26 p.m.: I show up at “the Fort” to try to catch Amy Winehouse’s set, which is scheduled for 6:25 p.m. I’ve been checking for the soulful Brit ever since I heard her smoky pipes on the killer Ghostface collab “You Know I’m No Good.” It’s a mob scene up in here, but the notorious party girl Winehouse is nowhere to be found. The Norwegian electronic rockers Datarock burst onto the stage. They dance, they pose, they aerobicize. I love their energy (and their matching track suits!), but the whole scene is almost lethally hipsterish. The skinny jean invasion is in full effect, topped off with dark-rimmed oversized glasses. If I were taking advantage of the multiple open bar options I’d probably be completely unfazed, but I have to beat a retreat.
8:20 p.m.: Down at Ninety Proof, I’m cruising the Pop Yo Colla party, an unofficial SXSW hip-hop event, and I bump into Buddy Leroy and Cerebral Vortex. I’m so happy to see these cats back in town. Buddy’s an ATL transplant with a rugged sound that owes a lot to the Dungeon Family’s Dirty South, and Vortex spits with a raw indie intellectualism. The two formed a group called 215 The Freshest Kidz, branded their sound Texas hyphy, witty hip-hop with a skate punk sensibility, and headed out to the Bay Area. Six months later, they’re back with road tales and a new platter called “Phresh to Def.” They sound good and come with a vibe that has a lot of crossover potential. This party, incidentally, is free and requires no credentials.
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Not getting naked with the Federation
- Photos: Almost Urban SXSW shots
I wasn’t planning on catching any SXSW music today as I was committed to holding down the fort at camp360 all night, but I dropped by the Beauty Bar on my way in to work to say “what’s up” to my girls who were getting their day party drink on, and stumbled across a smokin’ set from the Federation. I’ll admit I don’t always get the whole hyphy thing. Last summer when Pitchfork wrote that the track “Vans” by the Pack “bravely embraces an almost Emersonian aversion to conformity” I laughed and laughed. Yo, it’s a song about sneakers. Regardless, checking the Federation’s live set changed my tune a little. Those cats tore it up, and I was groovin’ along just like everyone else. That is, of course, until they dropped their new joint “Get Naked You Beezy.”
“This is for the ladies,” they snickered. When they flowed into the first chorus the lead cat pointed at me directly and shouted, “Take your clothes off!” He looked serious. It made me a little uncomfortable.
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Almost Urban SXSW night one wrap
1:43 a.m. I’m a little depressed following Kev Brown’s woefully under-attended showcase. Kev was a victim of bad scheduling. Not only was his set bumped forward half an hour causing a lot of his fans to miss his set completely, I think he lost the intellectual urban music smackdown to Saul Williams. At the end of the show I went up to say hi and he gave me a big hug and thanked me for coming up to the front of the stage when he called the ladies up. There were only two of us. Kev’s a talented cat; I hope it works out better for him next time he comes to Austin and I told him as much.
I stopped in Visions one last time on my way out and listening to Devin the Dude hazily crooning about “Mo’ P**” is lifting my spirits. Gotta love the Dude! Night one of SXSW is drawing to a close and I’ve got no complaints.
Deep in the heart of Texas
11:53 p.m. I stop back by Visions on my way to the Kev Brown show at Zero Degrees, and this time I really do find L. Boogie hanging out with Omni, an emcee from L.A.. As Evidence from Dilated Peoples takes the stage, DJ Alchemist mashes “Deep In The Heart Of Texas” into a hip-hop party mix. “Why does everyone feel like they have to do that?” L mutters.
12:23 a.m. Evidence is hot! The crowd goes wild both for his renditions of Dilated tracks and his solo work. “Dilated Peoples is my crew for life. We’re not breaking up, we’re just establishing our solo identities,” Evidence proclaims before launching into new material.
Cape, ceremonial garment, potato, potahto
11:20 p.m. I feel stupid. Cody Chesnutt’s set was quietly beautiful. Part performance-art meditation, part Marvin Gaye-style social outcry. I was standing in the back of the venue when Chesnutt came back to pack up his guitar, so I told him I appreciated his set. “Oh yeah,” I added, “I like your cape”. (You know, because it was gold, and glittery.)
“It’s actually an Ethiopian ceremonial garment,” he replied.
Uh, yeah. I suppose I probably should have been cued by the big gold crosses woven onto the shoulders.
Your girl’s an idiot.
Now where’s the party?
Cody Chesnutt’s wearing a cape, a SXSW adventure continues
7 p.m. I’m whining about the drizzly weather and T’s boy Abraham tells me he hopes it rains again tomorrow. “People come here during ACL and they don’t want to stay because it’s 110 degrees outside, but they come during SXSW and it’s the best time of the year and they all think they want to live here.” He’s not wrong.
9:23 p.m. On my way to see Cody Chesnutt, I stop by the hip-hop showcase at Visions looking for my girl L Boogie. While the cats from Lower Life Form warm up the stage I spot Mattsoreal of Houstonsoreal working the sidelines. I’ve never met the man before, but I read his blog all the time, so I bumrush him to introduce myself and say thanks. He is, after all, the one responsible for curating the hip-hop presence at SXSW.
9:53 p.m. When I arrived at Exodus shortly after 9:30 there was no line and you could buy your way in for $15. Now the club’s filling up. The moral of the story? SXSW kids tend to sleep on urban music, so there’s a good chance you can get into these showcases if you make it to the club early enough.
10:10 p.m. Cody Chesnutt is wearing a cape! Said cape is stitched both with sequins and thick gold braided thread.
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SXSW: Searching for hip-hop day parties on day 1
This is my first year on the street at SXSW. I’ll be out and about today, Friday and Saturday, and I’ll provide a blow-by-blow account of my adventures throughout the Fest.
3:15 p.m. In an attempt to catch some afternoon hip-hop, I drop by the Raw Word day party at the Creekside Lounge to catch Las Krudas, the Cuban female hip-hop trio who have recently taken up residence here in Austin. I’ve heard good things about these chicas and have been looking forward to seeing them perform. Unfortunately, the show was supposed to go down on the club’s expansive patio, but it was short-circuited by the rain. Instead I find myself punking out with the Applicators.
I like these girls. They’re feisty, loud and mad sexy. It’s a good look, but punk rock has never been my scene, and in the cramped space of the Creekside, the distortion is a little much for me.
3:40 p.m. I slip across the street to the Beauty Bar where DJ Cat NYC is dropping a hipster-friendly blend of ’80s and house music while a bunch of indie-looking white dudes lounge around in the club’s trademark hairdryer chairs. The crowd is sparse in the actual club, but before I can move along to the livelier party on the back patio, the lovely Donie from Joie De Vie spa offers me a free arm massage.
Never the type to turn down a free rubdown, I happily indulge, and the rich pear-scented lotion is luxurious indeed. Incidentally, this is the first time I’ve engaged in actual beauty-related activity at the Beauty Bar. As soon as I get up from my massage, one of the indie dudes slips into the chair. I wonder if he’ll choose lavender, cucumber honeydew or pear like me for his massage lotion.
4:45 p.m. I exit the scene at the Beauty Bar to continue my search for afternoon hip-hop, I head over to the Fader/Levi’s ‘Fort.’ The ‘Fort’ is an impressive complex. They’ve taken over the American Youthworks space on Fourth Street and turned it into a colorful, graffiti-decked grown-up playground. There’s an Adult Swim video lounge, a blogger room, a huge outdoor stage and an onsite Levi’s shop. Urban and almost-urban industry types of all varieties roamed the halls. The music is still a little more dance club than what I was looking for, but I’ll definitely be back on Friday night for Amy Winehouse’s set and on Saturday when Redman is supposed to rock the spot.
5:15 p.m. Downtown is a mess. I head out on foot to my man’s work to avoid relinquishing the stellar parking space I managed to grab this afternoon. Heading off to grab a bite to eat, then I’ll be back in the mix.
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SXSW 2007: Almost Urban highlights
Sorry I haven’t updated this blog in a hot minute. I’ve had my hands full with SXSW stuff. But in a sincere attempt to make for slacking on my weekend picks for the last couple of weeks, I’m turning in my SXSW music festival highlights and side-party picks. First off, this is the first year I’ve had a badge for the fest. Nevertheless, the show I’m most amped about is still a side party: Scion’s day party with Ghostface Killah and Rakim at Stubb’s. It’s 100 percent free and open to the public; during the day when parking is more than a pipedream and hello, it’s the heart of the Wu with one of the greatest of all time. Rakim’s Emo’s show last fall was one of my 2006 faves, and Joe Gross and I are both sensitive about the Ghostface show we missed at last year’s SXSW Fader party. The doors open at noon on Saturday and there’s an online RSVP form.
Beyond that, I’m not sure how fiercely guarded the Fader’s Fort will be guarded, but it’s definitely worth trying to talk your way in, particularly on Saturday evening when Redman takes the stage. Last year the friendly door folks let me and my man in on Saturday afternoon because it was my birthday, but left local hip-hop blogger Thomas Fawcett of The Corner out cold.
The Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra will be all over Austin this weekend, and I highly recommend trying to catch one of their sets. They’re playing an Austin Daze party at Ruta Maya on Thursday as well as the Industry of Music day party at Fado on Friday and the Brooklyn Vegan party at Habana on Saturday afternoon.
I’m really intrigued by this Todd P cat, and how he’s taken over the Eastside throughout the fest. The late party at East Central Storage on Thursday night with The Pack, Kidz In The Hall and more could be mad cool, and it’s free.
Also, say what you will, Mac users, the Windows Vista party at the Scoot Inn on Thursday with Spank Rock, Kid Sister and more seems pretty hot. In addition, the Puma/Urb party looks nice and you can check the daily lineup and RSVP online.
Everyone’s hype about the Public Enemy and Ozomatli show on Friday night, and Factory People day parties include fancy cocktails and free makeovers, which are always fun. And finally, I’m very pleased to see Buddy Leroy and Cerebral Vortex will be back in town performing as 215 Kidz at the Pop Yo’ Colla party at 90 Proof on Friday night. That’s just an overview — there’s a mess of stuff I’m missing. You can check this list for more than 200 other side parties.
Here are my picks for official SXSW showcases. I did these for the Statesman, and I was required to choose one act for each time slot. Acts that didn’t make this list that I highly recommend checking include Money Waters, Devin the Dude, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Ghandaia, Basswood Lane, Galactic with Lyrics Born and Gift of Gab, Zion I, The Dap Kings and all those Carnival Beats cats.
Wednesday:
8 p.m.: The Soul of John Black, Continental Club
9 p.m.: Public Offenders, Visions (9:45)
10 p.m.: Cody Chesnutt, Exodus
11 p.m.: Kidz In The Hall, Visions
Midnight: DJ Probus, Club One 15
1 a.m.: Kev Brown, Zero Degress (1:15)
Thursday:
8 p.m.: Mike and Ike, Zero Degrees
9 p.m.: Lo-Fi-Fnk, Beauty Bar Patio
10 p.m.: Grand Analog, Copa
11 p.m.: Swishahouse showcase, Spiro’s
Midnight: Amy Winehouse, Eternal
1 a.m.: UGK, 401 Guadalupe (former Fox and Hound)
Friday:
8 p.m.: Public Enemy, Auditorium Shores (7:45)
9 p.m.: Doujah Raze, Beauty Bar Patio
10 p.m.: Abram Wilson, Elephant Room
11 p.m.: Rapid Ric’s Whut It Dew Family featuring Magno, Bavu Blakes, Chalie Boy, Black Mike, Gerald G, Rob Da Ryno, Visions (11:15 p.m.)
Midnight: Instituto Mexicano de Sonido, The Rio
1 a.m.: Kid Sister, Beauty Bar (1:10)
Saturday:
8 p.m.: Dujeous, Club One 15
9 p.m.: Verbal Seed (8:45) and PPT (9:30), Visions
10 p.m.: Ocote Soul Sounds and Adrian Quesada, Emo’s Annex (10:15 p.m.)
11 p.m.: Grupo Fantasma, Emo’s Annex
Midnight: K’NANN, Momo’s (12:45)
1 a.m.: Redman, Cedar Street Courtyard (1:30)
Woodgrain Wednesdays and free Dos Equis
Two great shows to check out tonight. First off, the venerable Mr. Blakes drops his Woodgrain Collection CD (deftly assembled by the Mixtape Mechanic Rapid Ric) at the Parish Room. Intelligent lyricism with a Dirty South soundscape thick with syrupy soul. There’s an open mike session (complete with a live band led by D-Madness) for singers, rappers and poets in the early part of the night and Blakes and crew take over at midnight. If this show goes well, it might turn into to a monthly event, so show up and support! Cover is $4 before 10:30 p.m. and $7 after.
Also, there’s a free Dos Equis party at the Voilant Gallery on Congress Ave tonight. No cover and complimentary Dos Equis all night. Not sure what time the shindig starts but email dosxxrsvp@insiteaustin.com to add yourself to the list.
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SXSW: No Pete, no Diplo, but UGK, Redman and much more
I spent a few hours yesterday updating the list of artists coming to Austin for SXSW. The bad news: Pete Rock and Ra the Rugged Man who were originally scheduled for a Thursday night Spiros showcase are no longer on the bill. Philly-based DJ/producer Diplo is also MIA on the latest schedule. There are, however, still a slew of exciting urban acts crossing through town. Kev Brown, author of the unforgettable track “Albany” that Chicken George and I gushed about on this blog a couple months back will be at Zero Degrees on Wednesday night of the fest. UGK (reunited!) will headline at the Fox and Hound pub on Thursday night. In addition, Mattsoreal has curated showcases featuring pretty much all the Houston heavyweights as well as the hottest talent from DFW including my faves Verbal Seed, PPT and Money Waters. He also helped put together a smokin’ hyphy showcase with The Pack, The Federation and more.
In other exciting urban SXSW news, Redman has been added to the SXSW lineup with a Saturday night headlining set at Cedar Street Courtyard. Opening for Red, incidentally, are tantalizing cryptic “Special guests.”
In terms of side parties, a few great recent additions for the credential deficient include 512hiphop’s Box Fresh at SW which has a $10 cover charge, but it includes free Heineken, and it’s at the Children’s Museum. DJ Revolution of the World Famous Wake-Up Show as well as Austin’s own Table Manners Crew will be dropping grooves to help get your drunken play on, and the flier promises special guests and more. Also, on the free tip, Giant Step records will be holding down the spot at the Firehouse Lounge with DJs NickNack and Nicodemus on Friday night of the fest and Chicken George, J.Boogie and DJ Sun on Saturday. There are a mess of other side parties to peruse on our comprehensive unofficial SXSW list that we’re updating daily.
Notable non-urban acts that have dropped out of this year’s fest include Swedish girl-group Sahara Hotnights, Glascow noise-mongers Mogwai, Memphis Tennesee’s Lucero and The Ark from Sweden.
