First up, props to the 99 Neighbors team for keeping it moving. They’re fresh off another sold out show last weekend, this time at St. Lawrence. On the way, they shot a quick video featuring Sam. tearing through some light work:
Their next big gig is coming on Halloween - they’ll be taking over Metronome along with Loupo and Chyse for The Graveyard Smash on October 31st.
There’s a lot of gigs between now and the 31st, though. For starters, Maine/LA “art rap” loyalist Milo will be at ArtsRiot tonight, along with his longtime co-conspirator, producer Kenny Segal. 8:30 pm show. $15. ALL AGES.
ArtsRiot is doing back-to-back rap shows, too: the very next night (Thursday the 4th) they’ll be welcoming Chicago rapper/singer/multi-instrumentalist Nnamdi Ogbonnaya. His music is funky, catchy and deliciously weird. To sweeten the deal, HANKNATIVE of 99 Neighbors will be opening. 8:30 pm show. $10. ALL AGES.
Closer to downtown, there’s a bumping show at Sidebar that same Thursday night. DIGGS is a new band, and a damn promising new band, at that. They do big funk-rap numbers with horns, and they will be rocking with Mister Burns and The Hounds, his latest live band lineup. 10 pm show. $3. 21+.
Friday night at Club Metronome, there’s going to be a dope beats convention going down. The lineup is packed: Loupo and David Chief will be putting in work alongside JFear, Ron Stoppable and the one-man army SVPPLY. 10 pm show. FREE. 21+.
Finally, don’t forget: Atmosphere is coming to Higher Ground on October 9th. They’re legends for a reason — it’s one of the most polished live shows in hip hop. 8 pm show. $29 adv / $32 door. ALL AGES.
FRESH TRACKS
We’ve had some new names show in the past month - first up, producer THEN WHAt, who also raps as Selfish Presley, has been on a tear lately, dropping new singles and fresh beats. Check out “Don’t Speak,” a lush instrumental cut…
Another new artist from Southern VT has, in classic Randy Orton style, come outta nowhere with a fully developed sound. Humble Among is definitely some left field material, but it’s damn interesting work. His Silly Human EP is a clearly stated manifesto that speaks for itself.
Last up is 802 super-producer Es-K, who has quietly added yet another weapon to his arsenal: he’s playing his own basslines now. Check out his latest showcase, “This Is It / Hall and Oats",” a Dilla-inspired jazz meditation.