Austin360 blogs > Almost Urban > Archives > 2007 > May
May 2007
Weekend picks: ‘The Speaker CD Release’ with Zeale 32 and more
Deborah is getting hitched. (I know, crazy, right?) Somewhere along the line your girl managed to land the hottest bachelor in Austin—- the handsome, intelligent, dashing Terrence Quentin Stith (aka DJ Aquaman Chill aka Professah Funkensteen). So I’m off for a week as I transition into my new life as Mrs. Chill-Funkensteen, but fear not! I’ve left this week’s Weekend Picks in the hands of Team 360 events maestro Brandon (aka B-rocks) Cobb, and I have no doubt he’ll have plenty of great suggestions for funky ways to get your groove on over the Memorial Day weekend. I’ll be back in the mix late next week.
After a slow weekend for the urban music scene last week, hip-hop in Austin returns with a vengance.Tonight at the Flamingo Cantina local rapper the Speaker drops his new CD ‘You Are No Star.’ His myspace page features the track ‘Not Allowed’ which is fairly straight ahead hip-hop with a lyrical style that reveals a bit of Atmosphere’s influence. The incomparable Zeale 32 also takes the stage tonight along with local emcees Crew 54, JMPrint and Brokebread. Although this is the Speaker’s CD release party, look for Zeale 32 to steal the show. Doors open at 8:30p.m.
The biggest hip-hop event in the ATX this weekend takes place on Sunday, strangely enough, as producer/record executive/rapper El P takes the stage at Emo’s. He has produced some definitive albums for Aesop Rock and Cannibal Ox as well as guest produced tracks for a virtual Who’s Who of progressive hip-hop artists including Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Atmosphere. Tonight, however, El P is behind the mic in support of his latest release, ‘I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead.’ The Mighty Quin and Hangar 18 open the show, which starts at 10 p.m.
Also worth checking out:
Friday: The Parish Hot Tub Party with Boombox. Sure, you’ve seen them a million times at the Lucky Lounge on a Tuesday night, but have you ever seen them playing to a hot tub full of bikini-clad beauties? I thought not. The bar is offering happy hour prices from 9 p.m to 10 p.m. and ladies get in free until midnight. DJ Rapid Ric opens the show.
Saturday: Maxi Priest at Flamingo Cantina. If you’re like me, there’s a soft spot in your heart for the “quiet storm” jams of the late eighties. I still crank up “Close To You” whenever this one comes on the radio. After this song scored Priest a Billboard No. 1 in 1988, he faded into relative obscurity, quietly releasing albums and playing festivals and small clubs. Doors open at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday: Sinai Fyah at Ruta Maya. This group comprised of members of the Stingers and Collect All Five plays some of the funkiest roots reggae and dub in Austin. Catch them tonight with Subrosa Union and Digital Chani at Ruta Maya starting at 9 p.m.
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Weekend picks: Cali Agents, hard clubbin’ and more
It’s kind of a strange weekend in Austin, what with graduations and all, and the clubs seem a little light on urban entertainment. If you’re heading downtown on Saturday night keep in mind that the huge Road to Austin show at Auditorium Shores, which is expected to draw 20,000 people gets out at 10:30 p.m. Downtown will likely be a mess. It’s fortunate then, that the most exciting hip-hop show I’ve seen this weekend is actually on Sunday night when Cali Agents hit the stage at Flamingo Cantina.
Cali Agents are the tag team Planet Asia and Rasco. They’ve been steadily building underground buzz ever since their debut joint “How the West Was Won” was named one of the top indie releases of 2000 by the Source magazine. Holding down the opening spot are two of my favorite Austin rappers the rugged raw D.O.S., and the lyrically versatile Uncle Suel who’s been known to drop a verse or two in French on occasion. For this show D.O.S. and Suel are backed by master instrumentalist (and Almost Urban longtime compadre) D-Madness. Also on the bill are BrokeBread, Mirage and Young Nick. Advance tickets are available for $8 at Waterloo Records.
Also worth checking
Friday: DJ Tats and DJ Hannibal Beretta at the Whisky Bar. Treacherous Tats the self-proclaimed “Samurai Cowboy” holds down the front room of the Whisky Bar while DJ Hannibal Beretta drops the best in dancehall and hip-hop in the back.
Friday: DJ Hella Yella’s birthday party at Spiro’s. I’ve expressed my leeriness about Spiro’s (which is under the same management as local “gentleman’s” establishment Joy) before, but it is graduation weekend and I know a lot of you are going to be partying hard. This nightlife multiplex stays open late and offers several stages and dancefloors to stumble around on. Plus, it’s an 18-and-up club so you can bring little cousin Tiffany to point and laugh while you act the fool. Note to the ladies: for Hella Yella’s birthday bash there’s an open bar in the V.I.P. if you work your hustle right you might be able to drink for free.
Saturday: DJ Mel at the Beauty Bar on Saturday. Sure it’s not the infamous Swoll party with the bootilicious flier graphic, but Mel invariably keeps the dance floor hot.
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Amy Winehouse takes Jay-Z, Pharoah Monche to ‘Rehab’
The blogs are all abuzz this morning with a new remix of Amy Winehouse’s anti-sobriety anthem “Rehab” featuring Pharoah Monche and Jay-Z. Download links available here, here, and here.
(photo by Brian K. Diggs)
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Armpit-sniffing Kelis is not compelling television
It’s no secret over here at Camp 360 that your girl is a little jealous of The M.O. with his fantastic ‘Bachelor’ blog and 360 editor Gary Dinges for the endless opportunities for snarky commentary provided by Idol Chatter. Consequently, I’ve been trolling for a reality TV show of my own to cover. (Where’s “The White Rapper Show” when I need it?) My hopes were sparked when I stumbled across a trailer for MTV’s upcoming Nas and Kelis show. That is, until I watched it. The spot features the hip-hop power couple chilling on the tour bus before a show, and the highlight is the lady sniffing her man’s armpit and the ensuing discussion of how it smells. Uh, yeah. I might have to pass on this one.
I always suspected that Nas and Kelis might actually like each other too much to be worthwhile entertainment. Now if only Jay and Bey would do a reality show. I’d love to get the inside dirt on how ol’ girl reacted to being outranked by Jay’s alleged sideline squeeze Rihanna on the Maxim “Hot 100” list.
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Weekend Picks: Intergalactic funk, gritty blues and reggae grooves
Friday: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at Stubb’s. The man and his mothership need no introduction. Through his long and storied career, the wildly theatrical “Prime Minister of Funk” has produced a multitude of ubiquitous singles including “Up For The Down Stroke,” “Give Up The Funk” and the insanely funky “Flashlight” which provided the soundtrack for my favorite Bernie Mac episode. Along the way, Clinton has influenced countless musicians, and changed the intergalactic musical soundscape forever. $25
Friday: Gary Clark, Jr. at the Continental Club. This young lion on the rise is widely regarded as one of the greater up-and-coming talents in our city. He sings the blues with the weathered soul and grit of a man twice his age. He also branches into reggae, can drop a mean r’n’r lick when called upon and is rumored to be involved in secret collaborations with some of the city’s finest hip-hop talents. $10
Saturday:: Barsana Dham Mela. If elephant rides, tasty Indian cuisine and eclectic international shopping sound like fun, head out south of town to the beautiful grounds of Barsana Dham, Austin’s first Hindu temple. $5 per car.
Saturday: Shantytown Underground at Flamingo Cantina. Reggae all-stars from Austin and Houston descend upon Flamingo Cantina Saturday night for a skankin’ night of irie vibes. Winston will be cooking up Jamaican grub in the back and the fantastically flamboyant DJ Manny holds down the scene between sets. $5-$7
Sunday: Second Sunday Sock Hop at the Longbranch Inn. Put on your dancing shoes and scoot over to the Longbranch for this booty-movin’ extravaganza. A wide range of vintage musical faves will be on the decks and baby powder will be on the floor for those special dance moves. Free.
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House of Blues Dallas opens with Cannabinoids
The Dallas hip-hop/soul fusion scene has been on slow burn for a hot minute now, and I suspect it’s about to blow. If you happen to be heading north out of town this afternoon consider swinging by the grand opening party for the House of Blues in Dallas featuring Ms. Erykah Badu. The concert starts at 7 p.m.
If the $65-$75 ticket price is too steep, skip the main event and show up for the $10 afterparty, which will feature Ms. Badu presenting her latest project, the Cannabinoids. With a lineup of Dallas hip-hop all-stars eleven deep, the group’s ideological concept “was akin to the studies done on cannabinoid receptors, which identified specific proteins present in the brain that are responsible for the euphoric effects of cannabis.” You can read more about it here.
All I can say is wow. With a single move, Ms. Badu has astonishingly out-weeded the stoniest of stoner bands in Austin which is no small feat. I’m very interested to see how this one pans out. Notable Cannabinoids include Picnic Time from PPT, killer Dallas MC Head Krack, and Skin from Hydroponic Sound System.
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GZA The Genius free show at the Parish
Gotta love these free Scion shows. De La Soul was off the chain, and now they’ve got GZA from the Wu on May 31 at the Parish. R.S.V.P. here.
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K’naan with the Marleys: A young lion on the rise
Understand this — the Marleys are not ordinary human beings like you and me. Born into a lineage revered in many parts of the globe as a form of divine royalty, brothers Stephen and Damian brought a sense of ceremony to their sold-out Antone’s performance. And it began well before they even hit the stage, bringing with them, as always, a rasta cat to wave the Jamaican Ethiopian flag continuously throughout their performance.
The Marleys represent.
They carry with them their father Bob’s mission as a transcontinental cultural ambassador, framing the struggles of the Third World in the language of common humanity to bring a “One Love” consciousness to the West. 
On Thursday the voice of that struggle was most clearly articulated by the “young lion from Africa” whom the Marleys hand-picked to open the show: the Somali-Canadian rapper K’naan. With a slight figure, an affable smile and a humble demeanor, the 28-year-old musician played with a minimal backing ensemble anchored by African drums. But with his presence, his charisma and his clear sense of purpose, he had the audience fully engaged within minutes of taking the stage.
The message he carried was both of brutality and hope. Blending the pulse of the drum with East Coast hip-hop bravado on the track “Hardcore,” he painted a bleak scene from his childhood full of machine-gun-toting children, corrupt politicians and African-style gangland rule. When he brought it to a cadence with the stinger — “If I rhymed about home and got descriptive/ I’d make Fifty Cent look like Limp Bizkit” —many in the house screamed along. But the most powerful moments of the performance came when the earnest performer actively enlisted the help of the audience. Breaking it down a capella, he taught the willing crowd the chorus “When I get older/ I will be stronger/ they’ll call me freedom/ just like a waving flag,” then unwound a harrowing tale of childhood horrors and a journey to America fraught with struggle and pain. Each time the chorus repeated, the audience’s voice grew stronger alongside K’naan’s, reinforcing an overwhelming sense of triumph that actually moved me to tears.
The tone for the show was set and the intensity only increased as the Marleys hit the stage. Stephen, supporting his new album, “Mind Control,” was billed as the show’s headliner, but he actually ended up opening for his brother Damian, aka Jr. Gong, the larger superstar of the family. Stephen looks and sounds eerily like his father, and half of his set comprised new-school renditions of Bob Marley standards. Nobody seemed to mind at all, but it was when Jr. Gong burst onto the stage with a raucous version of “All Night” that the entire house went crazy. With a hard-driving dancehall-oriented edge, Damian, the youngest male Marley child, is the one who puts a ferocious new spin on the family sound, and the crowd at Antone’s couldn’t get enough of him. From the contemplative anti-cocaine joint “Pimper’s Paradise” to an explosive version of the 2005 hit “Welcome To Jamrock,” Jr. Gong put it down hard, and at the end of the show the crowd screamed ceaselessly for a full five minutes until assured of an encore (which ended up lasting for a good 15 minutes).
This show was ultra-super-sold out, with countless music lovers scouring the street outside Antone’s for available tickets before the show. It was also easily one of the top five shows I’ve ever seen in my life. Hopefully next time, the promoters will have the good sense to book a larger venue. I left the venue feeling both musically and spiritually revitalized. And man, it felt good.
Weekend Picks: King of Scratch, Humpty Hump, Lucha Libre and more
Wow, Austin, this is a pretty fantastic weekend for exploring true school hip-hop and Mexican culture. I already mentioned the B-Boy City competition and documentary in this blog yesterday. Both are definitely events worth checking. There also are a mess of Cinco de Mayo celebrations going on all weekend long, including Univision’s free extravaganza at the Expo Center on Sunday that will feature music, food, cars and Lucha Libre! In addition, there’s a DJ competition at Emo’s, a Digital Underground show at Vicci and a video shoot at Plush.
Friday: King Of Scratch Competition at Emo’s. Produced in conjunction with Romeo Navarro’s B-Boy City, Austin’s Superstar DJs are taking hip-hop back to it’s elemental form with a knock-down, drag-out turntable battle. Sixteen DJs will compete, with one taking home a $1,000 cash prize and the title “King of Scratch.” Most of the competitors are from Texas, with a handful flying in from out of state. Representing Austin are DJs Tats, NickNack and Graham. Manila Ice from San Antonio will also be in the house. $12 cover.
Friday: Digital Underground at Vicci. Yes, the idea of an old school hip-hop show at Vicci is strange. Very strange. But if you load the club’s http://www.myspace.com/vicciaustin myspace page, you’ll be treated to a flash animation of DU’s Shock G in various fake nose pictures while the “Humpty Hump” plays in the background, so it’s definitely going down. I’m a little disappointed that Lady Bug Mecca from Digable Planets (who played DU’s Houston show on Thursday) didn’t come along to Austin, but then again, tickets to this show are only $5, so I shouldn’t complain. $5 general, $10 VIP, email tickets@vicciaustin.com to reserve tickets.
Saturday: Grupo Fantasma, Vallejo at Antone’s. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the Purple One’s favorite border-town party boys, Grupo Fantasma. Latin rockers Vallejo open. Show up ready to dance. $15-$20
Saturday: Poise Video shoot at Plush. Up-and-coming ATX MC Poise is shooting a video for his new single “Heavyweight Champion” at Plush. He invites b-boys, b-girls and all other hip-hop heads to join the party. Video shoot is from 11 p.m. to midnight. Later in the evening The Table Manners Crew is joined by DJ NickNack for a night of scratch-tastic funkiness. Free before 11 p.m.
Sunday: Univision Cinco de Mayo Festival at Travis County Expo Center. All of the Cinco de Mayo events going on this weekend boast authentic Mexican food and music, but only Univision radio’s festival promises a car show and Mexican wrestling. It’s also family friendly and free.
Sunday: “Inside the Circle” film screening and B-Boy City competition finals. The film screens at 2:30 p.m. at the Alamo Drafthouse downtown. Tickets are $7. B-Boy City competition finals start at 5 p.m. at Paradox and tickets are $15. More on these events here.
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‘Inside The Circle’ at B-Boy City
B-Boy City is infinitely compelling for the same reason “American Idol” is the biggest entertainment juggernaut in America. It’s about young people who work hard, dig deep and step onto the stage (or into the circle as the case may be) and leave their hearts on the floor. But while the Fox talent competition presents a safe display of clean-scrubbed singers warbling through overplayed radio hits, B-Boy City presents the opposite — scruffy, sweaty, dangerous freestyle. It’s raw, it’s tough, and yes, sometimes people get hurt.
Since 1998, veteran break-dancer Romeo Navarro has been producing B-Boy City twice a year in Austin. It’s an outlet for young dancers, who spend all year training both as crews and individuals, to put their skills to the test. The first time I went to the B-Boy City competition finals it literally blew my mind. I wasn’t at all prepared for the level of intensity, both physical and emotional. From the pure athleticism displayed in the circle to the dance battles that sometimes seem treacherously close to erupting into brawls, there’s no doubt these kids give their all.
Now, what began as a local grass-roots movement dedicated to keeping a crucial element of hip-hop alive is getting shine on the big screen thanks to a new documentary by Marcy Garriott called “Inside The Circle.” Garriott filmed for four and a half years covering multiple B-Boy City competitions and following two rival break-dancers as they transformed from “at-risk” 17-year-old youths into young adults. Set against a pulsing soundtrack composed by local musician Adrian Quesada, “Inside The Circle” exhilaratingly captures the heat of the battles at B-Boy City. It also provides a moving testament to the power of hip-hop as a cultural movement. In an e-mail conversation jotted out between flights to the East Coast to promote the movie, Marcy and I talked about the film. I was also able to get a few comments from b-boy Omar Davila, one of the film’s principal subjects.
Almost Urban: Was your experience with B-Boy City your first encounter with hip-hop as a true cultural movement?
Marcy Garriott: I was aware of hip-hop as a cultural movement through the media, but it was the first time I had experienced it directly. B-boys and b-girls feel a strong and direct link to hip-hop’s origins and ideals, to its original joy and defiance. And they very much feel that they live the hip-hop culture, that through their actions they express and evolve the culture. A breaking event like B-Boy City takes this expression to a high level of intensity — it is reunion, competition, artistic performance and community all rolled into one.
Were you struck with the extent to which these kids carry the art form with them throughout their walks in daily life?
Marcy: Absolutely — I think this is part of what made b-boying so appealing to me initially as a documentary subject. B-boys don’t dance as a hobby or to perform for others; they live their lives through dance.
How did the rival B-Boys Omar and Josh emerge as the central characters in the film?
Marcy: Romeo, who organizes the B-Boy City events and dedicates himself to helping keep b-boying “alive” in Austin, was a natural initial focal point for the film. I knew that I also wanted to focus on some of the younger b-boys, the ones just coming up. At age 17, Josh and Omar were already extraordinarily dedicated and talented dancers, and they were both facing interesting crossroads, important decisions, in their lives. They had gone from being best friends to joining rival crews, which meant that their stories would also likely stay intertwined in interesting ways.
In this kind of documentary film, you of course don’t know which way the stories will head, or what decisions the subjects will make, so there is a very instinctual process of deciding what to follow. And fortunately for the film, Josh and Omar’s stories unfolded in a fascinating way.
Over the course of the film, we watch your young subjects experience serious growing pains. Was it difficult to remain a passive observer in the face of these trials?
Marcy: As a documentary filmmaker, I do consciously try to stay a “passive observer,” and the major events in the film took their course without any intervention from me. But over the four years of making the film, there were definitely occasions when it felt more appropriate to react as a friend rather than an impartial observer, and I did that. There is a complex relationship between a filmmaker and a subject, and trust is part of that relationship. Without trust, it’s hard to expect someone to open up in a natural way on camera, to express their hopes, to show their vulnerability. And it’s hard to build trust without also genuinely forming some level of friendship.
As you followed the b-boys over a period of four years, how much do you think the presence of the camera affected them?
Marcy: The primary impact that I observed was related to the interviews. Since I shoot interviews by myself, without a crew, they tended to be like long personal conversations. And I think that having an outside person to talk to about some of the tough issues they were going through gave them a chance to be a little more reflective or self-aware than they might otherwise have been.
Omar Davila: I think the film had a huge impact on helping me grow into the person that I am today. There were a lot of personal issues I was facing through out the entire time the documentary was being filmed. It was really interesting to be able to go back and watch interviews or other situations caught on tape, call it a wake-up call for certain situations and decisions. All in all, I think it worked out in a positive manner and helped me out a lot.
You really manage to capture the heat of the battles. What was it like trying to film in the midst of the intensity?
Marcy: It’s crazy, because shooting a 10-hour event nonstop takes a lot of stamina — you’re concentrating on getting everything technically right, and you’re also feeling the intensity of what’s going on in the circle — the anger, the conflicts, the excitement, the humor, the joy. So you end up feeling exhausted by the time everything winds down at 3 or 4 a.m., but then you’re thinking, “Wow, if I’m exhausted just standing here, how can the b-boys still be going so strong when they’ve been dancing all night?”
When Omar travels overseas and is exposed to international b-boy culture it seems to change him almost immediately. Can you share your observations as well as your own response to the international b-boy scene?
Marcy: Omar and I were on different flights, but I was there to see and film his international debut in Rotterdam. I think it gave him an enormous sense of confidence to do so well under such pressure, and I think it gave him a stronger sense of where his talent could lead him. The IBE event is a great way to first experience b-boying outside of the U.S., because the battles take place in a real “circle.” The crews are on the floor, surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd, as opposed to on a stage as with so many other European events. There are no judges for the battles; the outcome is left to each participant and each audience member to decide for themselves. The astounding energy of the audience feeds the energy of the crews and vice versa — it was exhilarating.
Omar: Ever since I fell in love with the dance and found out that you could travel doing it, it was my dream. I remember being young and telling my mother that I wish I could travel the world someday. My first trip to Europe was like a reality check; I saw it as my one opportunity to prove myself. My one-way ticket, and it was in my hands to do what I could with it. So when the opportunity came around for the first time, I took that ticket and ran with it without looking back. The rest was history!
How has working on this film affected your overall perception of hip-hop, both mainstream and underground in American youth culture?
Marcy: Working on the film hasn’t changed my perceptions of mainstream hip-hop, but it opened up a whole new world for me in terms of the underground scene. B-boying, a major form of underground hip-hop, is very pure in a way, strongly linked to the original ideals of hip-hop, and free of commercial pressures. As Romeo likes to say, “b-boys hold the document.” Being out of the media glare has allowed b-boys to evolve their art form in astounding ways, without having to meet expectations of outsiders.
How did you decide on Adrian Quesada as the soundtrack composer, and how was it working with him?
Marcy: Adrian is brilliant, and I was incredibly lucky to have him on board the project. He is a co-founder of Grupo Fantasma, and many people know him through that music. He also founded Brownout, an instrumental Latin funk band “committed to keeping the spirit of ’70s Afro-Latin-funk music alive.” B-boys still like to dance to the funk breaks of the ’70s, and Brownout is always hugely popular when they play live at b-boy events. Adrian is a prolific and eclectic composer, and seemed a natural fit for the project. He came on board very early in the editing process, which is unusual compared to the many films that turn to a composer near the end of editing. I knew that the flow between the music and the editing needed to be two-way — that each needed to drive the other rather than just force-fitting the music on top at the end. And so Adrian would compose, and I would edit, and we would share our results back and forth, each influencing the other, the process taking over a year. Bavu Blakes supplied the film’s rap songs, Hydroponic Sound System of Dallas contributed a few extraordinary songs, and DJ Baby G added some flavor here and there. The soundtrack also incorporates a few b-boying classics, songs that DJs play at almost every event, worldwide. The music is integral to the film, beginning to end.
Event information: B-Boy City 14 takes place from May 3-6, 2007.
May 3: “B-Boy City History” photo exhibit opens at Gallery Lombardi
May 4: “Scratch King” DJ competition at Emo’s ($12 at the door)
May 5: Registration qualifiers, battle preliminaries, vendors, artist trade show at the SkatePark of Austin from 2 p.m. to midnight (cover unspecified)
May 6: “Inside The Circle” screens at the Alamo Downtown at 2:30 p.m. ($7) and B-Boy City Competition Finals at Paradox from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. ($15 at the door)
(All photos courtesy of insidethecircle.com)
Concert preview: the Marleys and K’naan (with free MP3)
Thursday night, Stephen and Damian Marley, sons of reggae legend Bob Marley, take the stage at Antone’s. Stephen, who’s spent a good portion of his career behind the board, helming production for both of Damian’s Grammy Award winning albums, headlines the show in support of his debut solo album “Mind Control.” Damian, who electrified a daytime crowd at ACL Fest last year, will warm up the set for his brother.
But don’t show up late to this one. Opening the show for the Marleys is 28-year-old Toronto-based Somali rapper K’naan. K’naan landed in North America as a refugee from war-torn Mogadishu when he was 13. After a year of rejected visa requests, his family miraculously made it out of the country on the last flight before the U.S. Embassy closed down. K’naan lived in New York City before his family settled in Toronto, and he was immediately drawn to hip-hop. He studied the words of Nas, Rakim and Gangstarr, teaching himself both the English language and hip-hop culture. He saw how hip-hop gave voice to the American ghetto, and adopted the same ideas into his own music about his homeland. When he was granted the opportunity to perform at the UN’s 50th anniversary in 1999, he criticized the organization for poor handling of the Mogadishu conflict, sparking the attention of Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour, who later put the young rapper on wax.
These days, K’naan has fallen into the true hip-hop revolutionary camp, recording with M1 from Dead Prez and touring with the Marleys. In his music, his reedy, oddly Eminem-esque voice comes across earnest and conversational even as he unwinds tales of brutality. While mainstream American hip-hop has descended into an era of stunna shades and platinum grills and booty club joints, it seems international artists are picking up the political torch. Much of K’naan’s music deals with Somalia, racism and a sincere struggle for social justice. Undeniably, real hip-hop.
To get a feel for K’naan’s live show you can download this free MP3, a live recording of the song “Strugglin’,” from the artist’s promotional site.
The Marleys and K’naan perform Thursday, May 3 at Antone’s. Doors at 8 p.m., and K’naan opens the show at 9 p.m. The show is sold out, so if you don’t have a ticket, start your hustle now.
Urban Music Festival rescheduled for June 23
As you might remember, day 2 of this year’s Urban Music Festival was shut down during the freakish April ice storm of Texas Relays Weekend.
The artist lineup has not been announced yet, but the makeup date has been set for June 23, 2006, and the festival will return to Auditorium Shores in downtown Austin. All previously purchased tickets and wristbands will be honored for this show. For more information visit urbanmusicfest.com.
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