Rhyme Calisthenics @ Shadow Lounge

So I missed MURS in both Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Major scheduling issues. But good news for me since I learned that there would be a nice little hip hop show in Pittsburgh yesterday night. And at the infamous Shadow Lounge, no doubt.

I read about this in the City Paper. The show was billed as The Embedded Music Showcase. I was all geeked to see Loer Velocity, who I've raved about in the past. Others on the bill were Junk Science, Bisc1 and Iller Than Theirs. This was all in conjunction w/Rhyme Calisthenics. Cool, right? And all for the cool price of $7.

Well, seeing a hip hop show must not be meant to be for me. You know the show was scheduled to begin @ 9 p.m. and I had initially decided to be there promptly. Because there were so many folks on the bill, I thought that they would actually start on time. Then I decided against that move and milled around until about 10 p.m. I even called my mom when I arrived @ the venue. Though she sort of discouraged me from attending a hip hop show so late on a weeknight. I think she really wanted to come along ...

At any rate, the show had not started when I arrived. Which was cool because I could check out some reggae music next door. But the show soon got underway and it was nice. Gene Stovall performed first. I like Gene. He sings, beat boxes and rhymes over some beats; sometimes not w/beats. I first got wind of this guy from Paulie Rhyme of Finless Brown - though I think they are under a different name these days and out west too. But Paulie sent me some cds at one time and Stovall's was one of them. Very cool. Stovall's got a rendition of "The Humpty Dance" that is killer.

There was some other guys too: Stretch and Ground Flow. Nice.

So the bad news is that most of the Embedded Music crew got stuck in traffic behind some crazy accident and did not make the event. That would include Loer Velocity. My loss, huh? But Bisc1 and dj Snafu held it down. I was up and outta there @ about midnight. Which is just about my style.

Catch yourself a show hip hoppers and tell me all about it. kfox.

I'm Goin to See MURS! For Real ...

Okay, so it's been a minute since I've been to a hip hop show. No good reason. It used to be that I'd say "I don't have anyone to go with". But I had to get over that. Even if I manage to drag someone out, they may get antsy and want to break out before I'm ready to call it a night. That can create some tension; I'd rather just go it alone and do what I do, right?

So, I'm really and seriously considering checking out MURS in Cleveland in a couple of weeks:

~HIP HOP PERFORMANCE w/MURS~
On Friday, October 24, 2008
@ the Beachland Ballroom
15711 Waterloo Road
Doors open @ 8:30 p.m.; showtime @ 9 p.m.
Tix are $12 ... call 216.241.5555

I mean, it works for my sked, the price is right and it's MURS! Whhhuuuuddd.

I'm also considering checkin out Atmosphere (though not the Clev show; the Pittsburgh show might work better for me). I just love the title of his latest: "When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold". That's positive thinking for yo ass.

I know what you're thinkin ... if I have not been to a show in a bit, then maybe I should take it easy instead of trying to take in two shows in one week - I think the Pittsburgh show is on a Monday, oh and Blueprint is on the bill too, and then the MURS show is on that Friday. Well, don't you worry your lil hip hop head too much because your girl will strike the right balance - I always do.

Stay alert for any post show reviews ... and I hope to check out the VH1 Hip Hop Honors @ some point this wknd - I'm tryin to keep up w/you- hip hoppers, kfox.

Adding insult to injury

So I'm off to Vegas for a couple of days - all work and very little play. Attending and presenting at a conference "Conducting Research for Non-Profit Media" - ooooh, juicy topic, eh? Whatever, point is, I get to get away, talk media and test new technology. Oh, and I plan to see Wayne Brady perform while I'm there. I hear that his "Making %@ It Up" show is hilarious. Though he is no replacement for what I am missing while I am away.

Which brings me to my main point ... what appears to be a cruel joke that is being played on me. The Roots are scheduled to perform at Carnegie Mellon University. I got all geeked only to discover that I would be nearly two thousand miles away when the action arrives in The 'Burgh. Not so great for me. But to add insult to injury, I just learned that my boy, ?uestlove - Roots drummer and dj extraordinarie, is performing a set at a local club - yeah, it's true and I am soo sad about it.

I have not seen The Roots perform Live in, what, almost a year ... ? Sinful. So I've been combin through their other tour dates to see when I can be down, but it's not looking so good. I'm considering the D.C. dates, but I know the tix will be outrageously priced. The next good lookin date is the Festival Pier on June 7. We'll see.

So hip hoppers, if you are down and checkin out my guys, can I live vicariously through you or what?

**NOTE: image borrowed from The Roots blog