Friday, September 20
two hip-hop shows:
egon, madlib and peanut butter wolf @ olde club, wednesday night
blackalicious, dilated peoples, and public enemy @ electric factory, tonight
both were a lot of fun, and had a fair amount of variety. egon span 60s/70s funk rarities (and "funky drummer" on 45); madlib and dj static(?) hip-hop chestnuts and several cuts from things fall apart; pbw everything from blondie to the specials to chic to eric b. & rakim to a japanese version of "i want you back" to "we are siamese" vs. "bonita applebom" and the song that de la samples for "magic number." despite some nifty scratching and juggling especially from static, it was more of a dance party than a concert. too bad it was so dark and dry, and that there weren't even more people (though there were a lot.) and i wish they had been selling records.
i went to the electric factory tonight with ben, kate, and alex flurie. we were early, to buy tickets (i bought four for wilco as well) and vietnamese food, of which i didn't partake. also, bought some alcohol, then ran into some cool freshmen outside the show. a mediocre unannounced act was on as we entered after 9:00, and the show didn't end until four acts later, well after 1:00. thankfully, set change times were short (plus they had a kickass dj spinning in between sets - awesome scratching and great classic tunes, including "potholes in my lawn.") all three of the main acts were very entertaining, and had exceptional crowd rapport but each in quite different ways, as we discussed on the way home. all three were very hyped to be playing philly, and gave numerous shout-outs to the illadelph originators (cash money, schooly d, jazzy jeff, et al.) [can you imagine what it would be like if indie rock shows cultivated the same sense of history as hip-hop shows?]
blackalicious - enunciated, slightly goofy, "q&a," backup singers/greek chorus/letter holders, kindergarten teacher-esque. most insane proficiency: gab's überprecise helium flow.
dilated - traditionalist, party-people, sticker-throwing, tag-team, "i forgot to be your lover"-sampling closer. most insane proficiency: babu's sick sick and righteously legendary turntable prowess.
public enemy - still got it, live band, intense one-phrase choruses ("get it up," "shut 'em down," "son of a bush," and of course "fight the power"), effective political monologues, faulty pacing (the set was incredibly exciting considering its length, but it just sort of fizzled out). sadly, no flava flav (he's stuck in ny for violating traffic license parole). most insane proficiency: fifteen years on, and they seem to have as much impact as ever.
housemartins and klondike home. i'm listening to waiting for the sun now. so many great tunes; this afternoon, the tyranny of distance needed to be played, so it was.
~
weather report. (this thinly-veiled metaphor isn't really at all appropriate, but i think it's funny.) she continues to cloud my thoughts. wednesday breakfast we made four, with nicole and ragu; nicole and i did most of the talking but ok. i read becca's letter outside as she read chem. this morning i went to breakfast again, she wasn't there, and my orange juice was bitter. but she was in mccabe, and we chatted to class (she worked this summer in the same barnes and noble where i bought amnesiac and ali read prodigal summer), i called as we parted ways "we should hang out…" feeling sort of silly for it even as she "yeah." and so we shall.
assuming i get work done. the rest of my odd days (tuesday and thursday are even) are dada and surrealism - decent but not incredible seminar wednesday and nearly 100 pages of Duchamp interview today, plus articles (time in mccabe just flies by, though not as happily as the peopled beach to arepa 3000 or dinner date with smeagol.) I'm writing a response paper this week, on this, so hopefully i can finish off the readings tomorrow, write a chunk of the paper sunday morning, and get listening and practicing done in between. that means no college day in philly. but then i can play later.
oh, and it's well past 3am now (falsification of date/time once again), so my plan requires that i sleep, and not peruse weblogs like this.
if i could
you know i would
just hold your hand
and you'd understand:
i'm the man that loves you
egon, madlib and peanut butter wolf @ olde club, wednesday night
blackalicious, dilated peoples, and public enemy @ electric factory, tonight
both were a lot of fun, and had a fair amount of variety. egon span 60s/70s funk rarities (and "funky drummer" on 45); madlib and dj static(?) hip-hop chestnuts and several cuts from things fall apart; pbw everything from blondie to the specials to chic to eric b. & rakim to a japanese version of "i want you back" to "we are siamese" vs. "bonita applebom" and the song that de la samples for "magic number." despite some nifty scratching and juggling especially from static, it was more of a dance party than a concert. too bad it was so dark and dry, and that there weren't even more people (though there were a lot.) and i wish they had been selling records.
i went to the electric factory tonight with ben, kate, and alex flurie. we were early, to buy tickets (i bought four for wilco as well) and vietnamese food, of which i didn't partake. also, bought some alcohol, then ran into some cool freshmen outside the show. a mediocre unannounced act was on as we entered after 9:00, and the show didn't end until four acts later, well after 1:00. thankfully, set change times were short (plus they had a kickass dj spinning in between sets - awesome scratching and great classic tunes, including "potholes in my lawn.") all three of the main acts were very entertaining, and had exceptional crowd rapport but each in quite different ways, as we discussed on the way home. all three were very hyped to be playing philly, and gave numerous shout-outs to the illadelph originators (cash money, schooly d, jazzy jeff, et al.) [can you imagine what it would be like if indie rock shows cultivated the same sense of history as hip-hop shows?]
blackalicious - enunciated, slightly goofy, "q&a," backup singers/greek chorus/letter holders, kindergarten teacher-esque. most insane proficiency: gab's überprecise helium flow.
dilated - traditionalist, party-people, sticker-throwing, tag-team, "i forgot to be your lover"-sampling closer. most insane proficiency: babu's sick sick and righteously legendary turntable prowess.
public enemy - still got it, live band, intense one-phrase choruses ("get it up," "shut 'em down," "son of a bush," and of course "fight the power"), effective political monologues, faulty pacing (the set was incredibly exciting considering its length, but it just sort of fizzled out). sadly, no flava flav (he's stuck in ny for violating traffic license parole). most insane proficiency: fifteen years on, and they seem to have as much impact as ever.
housemartins and klondike home. i'm listening to waiting for the sun now. so many great tunes; this afternoon, the tyranny of distance needed to be played, so it was.
~
weather report. (this thinly-veiled metaphor isn't really at all appropriate, but i think it's funny.) she continues to cloud my thoughts. wednesday breakfast we made four, with nicole and ragu; nicole and i did most of the talking but ok. i read becca's letter outside as she read chem. this morning i went to breakfast again, she wasn't there, and my orange juice was bitter. but she was in mccabe, and we chatted to class (she worked this summer in the same barnes and noble where i bought amnesiac and ali read prodigal summer), i called as we parted ways "we should hang out…" feeling sort of silly for it even as she "yeah." and so we shall.
assuming i get work done. the rest of my odd days (tuesday and thursday are even) are dada and surrealism - decent but not incredible seminar wednesday and nearly 100 pages of Duchamp interview today, plus articles (time in mccabe just flies by, though not as happily as the peopled beach to arepa 3000 or dinner date with smeagol.) I'm writing a response paper this week, on this, so hopefully i can finish off the readings tomorrow, write a chunk of the paper sunday morning, and get listening and practicing done in between. that means no college day in philly. but then i can play later.
oh, and it's well past 3am now (falsification of date/time once again), so my plan requires that i sleep, and not peruse weblogs like this.
if i could
you know i would
just hold your hand
and you'd understand:
i'm the man that loves you
