Feb 1st 08 Show Review
February 15, 2008
For those that weren't at the show Friday, February 1st, at the Triple Rock, you better get off your ass next time and come out. Here's a brief summation of what you missed...
The line-up was comprised of both relative newbies and time-tested local talent, all of them part of (or associated with) Fill in the Breaks, one of the Twin Cities' freshest local labels.
The night began with Enemy Entropist, comprised of MCs Cadaver and Optix, and DJ Asei MT. These guys are rising stars in the local scene, and with catchy lyrics and driving beats, they are sure to shine brightly on Minneapolis (and MinneRAPolis) in the near future.
Jordan Miché was an unexpected assault on the senses, particularly after talking to him before the performance and judging him as a friendly and somewhat quiet guy. All of that melted like wax once he hit the stage, quietness replaced by pit-bullesque freestyles, friendliness replaced with the ice-cold demeanor of a scarred and hardened rapper. He performed with the MC-producer David Mars, whose energy on stage posed a unique contrast to Jordan's style while complimenting it just the same. Together, they are Prom King Stigmata -- definitely catch one of their shows if you get the chance.
This show marked the second date of a tour with Ecid and Miché, one that will take them from Nebraska to California, Colorado to Missouri, and most places in between before they return to home base. Big-ups to the people in those cities who make it out to the show, it's sure to be sick.
Rhymesayers' veteran rapper Eyedea was in the house to do a song with Sector 7-G from their new album, Scrap Metal. The album pits rapper Impulse and DJ Pseudonym up against Ecid's style-defining beats in a raw, aggressive battle royale that defies classification.
Kristoff Krane (of Abzorbr and Face Candy) played some of his solo repertoire. It's always interesting to see this guy play without the Abzorbr band, as many of his songs are performed to the accompaniment of loops he creates on stage using a combination of percussion instruments and vocals. Definitely not something you see at every hip-hop show, yet something you'll find yourself wanting to see again.
The most exciting part of the night -- ironically, since it was the last portion of the night and the crowd had begun to wane -- was when Ecid, Impulse, Kristoff Krane, and Capaciti (collectively known as Saturday Morning Soundtrack) shared the stage. The first few songs exemplified the synergy between these artists, the passion they have for their own and each other's music, and the raw energy that comes from recognizing the vibe of a group mentality. From there out, they dropped their own freestyles, feeding off each other's innovations with a grinning fervor that lasted right up until the last beat dropped.
All the artists were pumped. The energy, the collective, and the assortment of musical textures and styles made it a whirlwind of sound and consciousness. If nothing else, Fill in the Breaks further established themselves as a serious force in the Twin Cities underground, and one that is going to get a lot of recognition in the near future.