Dirty Doomsday

Playing host to yet another bad ass Austin based event, Come and Take It Live   (https://www.facebook.com/comeandtakeitlive/) continues to make their mark on the Austin music scene at the place to see and be seen.

Located on Riverside Dr in South Austin, just mere blocks from the hustle of the down town music scene sits this landmark of a venue.

As you pull up, the giant neon lit sign begs you not to know where you're at! Depending on the event, the parking can go from "Bad ass spot." to "Holy Fucking shit...get an Uber!" Outside is a very nice little seating area for smoking, conversation, and some good eats from the food trailer there. As you walk in the door you are greeted by a very nice divider that displays some of Texas' awesome history and an awesome piece staring you in the face. To your left, the club opens up to a large U shaped bar and the stage farther back against the far wall. There are 3 different areas to view shows; from down in front on the floor, a second level by the merch and sound booth, and then a loft - VIP area with its own bar.

This particular night Come and Take It was hosting an event a few months in the making and what seemed like what the rap/hip hop community seemed to be needing - Some validation.

George Vondoom vs Smackola

The artist thirsting for the title vs the lifetime acheivement

The rapper building brand and fan base vs The Brand not a band with fans that defy boundaries

I can make this very short, but probably won't. What I can say is this should simply be left up to those lucky people in attendance.

It was two completely different shows. There was no battle. The style of Vondoom and the style of Smackola are simply on two different planes. I will not go into the genre stylings between the two. I will just go to the performance.

Vondoom (https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeVondoom1/) had a performance, artistic piece of his show set. The long intro with the mysterious figure and his dog. The epic entrance from Vondoom and into his set he went. The whole set, overall, was more of an artistic expression. Either you got it, or you didn't. But what he did do was keep the eyes turned towards him as he plowed though each of his songs in his 45 minute set. He was like a man possessed.

Smackola (https://www.facebook.com/SmackolaDWZ/) came out on stage, checked himself in the mirror and then just threw down. He was the man called out. He was the champ. He didn't have to prove himself, he simply had to to entertain. He did. This was not an artistic set. It was the "I'm gonna come out and do my damn thing!" He did. But remember this is a different style, beat and tempo. It can't be compared. Just can't.

Depending on your expectation and your personal preference and taste  one would suit you better than the other.



Yeah Smack is the lifer and has built a brand from his band. The fans have a name, his music has the heart and soul of that old school rap, with the new world edge.



But Vondoom, 20 years in the game persistance, polishing of the craft, and some kid is gonna by knocking on your door.

I will qoute both of these damn fine artists and performers...nah..I'm gonna steal the remark.

If this was a Rap battle

The City of Austin Texas, the fans of hip hop, and all those in attendance were the winners.




Laters

Smash this

So I received a message there was going to be a CD release party at Elysium. What the fuck, I must attend. Not really knowing or caring who was on the bill, I had to go and give my respect to Austin music.

Elysium (http://www.elysiumonline.net/) is located on Red River between 7th and 8th St in the downtown entertainment district of Austin, Tx. Painted all black on the outside with an outdoor patio/smoking area, the club seems very ominous. As you step into the narrow opening and pass to the right, the club opens up it to a fairly large room. Divided in half with the left half representing the dance floor, DJ booth, and stage and the right half representing the lounge with a large, long bar running against the right wall. The bathrooms are located to the far back right with a pool table. Yes, the bartender has been there for 15 plus years, knows his shit, doesn't take any shit, and is super fucking cool.

For this evening there was a nice gathering of juggalos, as well as other fans of the Austin rap scene. Initially, like on any given night, it started out kind of quiet and the opening act delayed their start by almost 30 minutes. At that point, Pyskodynamix took the stage and kicked the evening off with there style of rap. The 3 guys on stage were in the right frame of mind. Putting on a show with the performance for the early crowd. It didn't take long before Psykodynamix had all of the early risers in front of the stage and enjoying their set.

Next up was Dubb Sicks (https://www.facebook.com/DubbSicksMusic/), and this performance was sick! The man rolled up into the club minutes before the first performance, set up his merch table just in time to take the stage. Dubb Sicks was captivating. This muthafucka took complete control of the crowd. He was drawing everyone in and using the crowd to drop his flow. I was inspired by how bad ass he was and how much fun he had just simply fucking around with the crowd. Off the stage he jumped, into the crowd he crept, soliciting info from one of the females, and back onto the stage for the next song. Fan of rap or not, if it is about the show and the performance Dubb Sicks is the Odessa, Kung-Fu, Lone Ranger champion!

On deck next was SHSM (https://www.facebook.com/shsm2/). They rolled up to the mics with their brand of hatchet music. With that Juggalo love, it was pretty easy to enjoy this duo. I can say this as I go way back to some of the origins of what a juggalo is. SHSM handled the theme and style like champions. It was a fun set and they were super intense. For the show bill with the other bands, there was not a better band to have in this spot.

I never, expected, swear I didn't see him on this list, and was stunned when he took the stage. Austin Hip Icon Smackola (http://dirtywormz.net/) took control of the crowd, took control of our minds and proceeded to raise us up. Smackola was fresh on the stage with material from his new album "The Thomas Brookz Project" and handled the crowd and his performance like the lifetime showman he is.  Although I can't swear there were many in the house in tune with his level of rhymes and story telling, he still elevated us to the top of the Glass Sky. You can't leave a Smackola performance without questioning the world, the media, and your beliefs. It is beyond entertainment, it is deprogramming with heavy beat and rhymes to match!

Ahhhh and then SSB - Super Smash Bros 512 (https://www.facebook.com/supersmashbros512/) commanded the stage. This was their show and they came out with every intention and the mad skills to show us why they owned the night.  I had the opportunity to catch SSB WAYYY back in the beginning, several years ago. This was not that band. This was years of experience, confidence, and hustling their trade and craft. This was a tight performance that flowed. They worked off each other like a well oiled machine. It was flawless and at the same time loose and fluid. The album "More Stories To Tell" (https://play.google.com/store/music/album/SSB_More_Stories_to_Tell?id=Biw37762kzjrpqxhqfwl7v54sai&hl=en) is out and available for purchase. Find Aray and Hack on the web, but don't just pick up a copy of their new disc ... check these two men out at a show, listen to the underground, and don't be surprised when Austin, Texas produces the next big thing in Rap and it is out own SSB!

The full photo album is located here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1411083015609884.1073741835.239625756088955&type=1&l=d8bce89e57











































Laters

 and how do you end your party....

To the Wormhead in you

This is more than another post, this is a heads up. If you are in a band and you are trying to move to the next level, you will want to follow me on this.

I did a blog post about The Dirty Wormz at Spinners Live a while back. I believe it was actually for Smackola of The Dirty Wormz supporting a new song and the newly produced video starring Boxing champ Roy Jones Jr. (http://livemusicinaustin.blogspot.com/2014/03/spin-this.html).

This post isn't about becoming a fan of The Dirty Wormz (although you should) it is about Smackola of The Dirty Wormz approaches, believes in, and sells The Dirty Wormz brand (http://dirtywormz.net/).

First about the performance. Spinners Live (https://www.facebook.com/spinners.live.73) is located on the Southbound side of IH 35 as you are entering the Austin City Limits from the north. Unassuming and located in a little micro strip mall, if you don't GPS it and don't look, you will miss it. The venue contains two sides, the sports bar & grill, and the live side - for parties and live shows. The live side is pretty much a long rectangle. The bar is immediately on your left when you walk in and runs a third of the way down the wall. There is a stage immediately to your right when you walk in door that takes up the majority of the short end of the rectangle. As you look all the way down the venue, it is pretty much open with a mix of tables, chairs, and sofas spread out and along the walls. The bathrooms are located all the way to the back.


This night onstage brought 2 openers and the headliner, George Vondoom and Nubia Emmon. With Special guest, DJ Versus keep the crowd entertained, The Dirty Wormz know how to do it.

DJ Versus (https://www.facebook.com/djversus512) had the lights going, the video projection, and of course, the music. Once the house music switched off and went to DJ Versus, you could tell the vibe changed in Spinners Live. From everyone standing around kind of ho hum, to everyone now moving...we had waited long enough. It seemed like DJ Versus was doing the video music, as the projections looked to be the artists videos. Spinning a wide variety of tracks from old school rap to brand new cuts, everyone was getting ready. I thoroughly enjoyed the mixing and fill that DJ Versus provided. However I did have one gripe. It was also echoed by the bartender that I was hanging out with...why all the PG versions of the songs. The show was 21 and up, but it appeared the tracks were either edited or radio versions. It wasn't bad at all, it was just very weird not to hear Jay Z tell us he had 99 problems but a       ain't one. I will assume there was a reason. Otherwise i have always said, play to the crowd, play for the crowd.

George Vondoom (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010396653591) was the first act up. The two guys rolled right into their set with a very interesting intro. It was attention getting for sure. The crowd looked like they were into his set and there definitely appeared to be more than a few fans in the house. If I have to criticize, I have to. With the crowd enjoying the set, it seemed off by just a little. Nothing that I saw anyone around me getting pissy about. It was a fast set and there was no bullshitting around on this.

I know there is a talent in writing and performing the music, but when you are singing, rapping, or playing over your own track, even with a live mic...it seems like a let down to me. The unfortunate truth is I know the huge amount of work it takes to put on a live production, with that, I give George Vondoom huge props.

Nubia Emmon  (http://www.nubiaemmon.com/) was the slam dunk moment of the night. I knew something was up when when local super producer Ter'rell Shahid (https://www.facebook.com/terell.shahid) was in the house with his beautiful wife. Nubia Emmon was a stunner with her voice and to the edge of the stage performance for the crowd. Although she sang to tracks, she definitely did it live. There was nothing to hide here. It was all voice. The crowd new it and felt it. The stunned silence the crowd stood there in was only broken by there swaying back and forth. It was a mesmerizing performance.













When I saw Ter'rell after this performance. I exclaimed with eyes wide open and jaw gaping "You knew about her?" With no words, Ter'rell simply nodded his head yes and smiled a very big smile. Son of a bitch, what a smoking hot find in Nubia Emmon. Go see her preform and wrap your head around this woman doing it with a live band...and there are only a select few players that could back this girl well!

The Dirty Wormz (http://dirtywormz.net/). What can I say about this band that I haven't said before...probably alot. So let me make this quick. On the rare occasion, The Dirty Wormz are to appear with a full band...it is a MUST SEE production! Like several other bands here in Austin, this group is balls out, 'Top of the Food Chain' (https://youtu.be/bbAg_-ELjsQ). Sorry for the corny ass reference, but if you haven't seen them live, you don't know and you don't get it. So you need to get it!

This performance was with the core members, Smackola, DJ Crash, and Mr. Swift. The lights, the performance, and the music. Here is where I start preaching to anyone and everyone reading this that is in a band trying to make a name for themselves. This shit was rehearsed, rehearsed, and then rehearsed again. This was not a rehash of every performance they have done for 20+ years. It was a new mix, a new set list, and just new. Take note, listen, and learn.

Here is the summary of what I mentioned in the intro. I will be doing an interview with Smackola very soon. This will be an Epic interview and will be released in several parts. The discussion will range from the state of the Austin music scene today, where we see it going, what you the fans and the players can do. We will also discuss brand and image. THIS, my friends, is what can make you. Local, national, world wide! Listen to the worm and learn.











We will start promoting this video very soon. Watch for it. Until then












Laters

Whew!

2014 wrap up. I thought it was a quiet and slow year for Live Music In Austin, which looks to be slowly expanding to be Live Music In Texas....YAY!!! But I started to

review and here is what I found...

I saw 80 bands in total. 70 of them I have never seen before. The other 10 are bands that I will always make a point to go see and support here in Austin.

I wrote 42 blog posts. 33 of them were performance review based. The rest were multi part reviews, an album review, and a video post. Doesn't sound like much until you realize that is a show I am going to every 1.5 weeks!

Of all of my trekking around, 13 new venues were explored and talked about. Just a guitar string more than 1 per month.

So the best I can do (without getting crazy with hash tags and photos) is just a few photos from '14. In no particular order or reason, randomness. I will see you in 2015!

Laters

Save for the wicked

First time to see a live music performance at Elysium (http://www.elysiumonline.net/) on Red River. Unassuming outside with a cool little fenced off area out front to host the smokers and a haven away from the crowd and sound inside. Inside the front entrance it opens into a large room with the bar dead in front of you, dance floor with DJ booth and stage immediately to your left. Plenty of lounge seating scattered all around. They even have a couple of pool tables in a far off back corner.

The stage hosted the 'Hunger Pains Tour' this particular evening. With a whole list of talent that started about 8 and ran all night. All of the local MC's and rappers mounted the stage one after another early on. Celebrate the Villain, Travis T w/Candace, Nemesis the Lyricist, Syko Sickness, and then Smackola of DWZ. Most of these opening bands were rappers trying to cut their teeth any way they can. Being on the opening bill of this tour is definitely a check mark on the resume of life.

A lot of the lyrical content for each of the groups were about the same. Smokin weed, fuck the police, damn the man...horrorcore. I will tell you what was attention getting out of each of them.

Celebrate the Villain (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Celebrate-The-Villain/147913665250995) are a duo with some smart lyrics. Not necessarily the filth lyrics of new, but intelligent, real, and watch out for the black helicopters. The actual vocal duo was really clean and damn near flawless with the back and forth between them.

Nemesis the Lyricist (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nemesis-the-Lyricist-aka-Grim-Reefer/181781925240856) did his thing on stage. I believe he did a song called addiction or addicted that was pretty righteous.

Travis T w/Candace (https://www.facebook.com/travistyatx) The rhymes and the flow were about the same here BUT from the young lady on stage, it was fuckin bad ass! It was unexpected, catchy, and she was really damn smooth. Worth checking out again in my book.


















SYKO Sickness was the youngest of the guys on stage. Putting down his rhymes with no fear was pretty cool. I would like to see this MC get battle worn, get his head up, and put it out for every one. Do that shit right at the front edge of the stage and call people out in the audience with your rhymes. Can't wait to see him worn, torn, ripped and ready the next time.

Smackola DWZ (https://www.facebook.com/smackola) w/DJ Crash (https://www.facebook.com/djcrash.dirtywormz) finished off the set of local Austin talent with a BANG BANG! Without a doubt, still the pinnacle of Austin Rapcore! The founders and originators. Your favorite rock bands rock band! Even as a solo project this man and this duo is long lasting for a reason. The lyrics, the music, the stage presence and the command of the audience! Every young rapper and MC that was in the house this night should have been standing dead center of the stage and taking notes on everything this man did and does. Don't be an ass or a fool, The DWZ is here in Austin because of a love for the city. The contracts will come and go, but for a pound of flesh, Smackola will not sell his wicked soul!

The awesome part of the 30 minute solo set this evening...the fact that it was about an hour long. When the promoter is smart enough to leave you on stage because you have the crowd going, then damn the man, keep going!

The Hunger Pains Tour officially kicked off with -
G-Mo Skee (https://www.facebook.com/FunkMasterFilth) In what G-Mo Skee terms Filth, G-Mo commands the audience. G-Mo plays to the anger in all of us, you hate the rich, you hate the government and you "hate that f*ckin b*tch ex". Getting the audience to sing along to his chorus lines was not funny or scary, but it sure was damn freaky to see everybody so entranced by his lyricism.

G-Mo Skee even through out the challenge to have some local MC's come on stage to do a cypher. Cool and impressive for him to give up part of his stage time for this. Even better when it just creates who whole other level and element to the performance. Check out the video of the cypher here http://youtu.be/iI4xGVY8zxI



Dirtbag Dan (https://www.facebook.com/DirtbagDan408) came on stage and did his thing. A surprising apparition on the stage. Rolling through his set and keeping the few hardcore fans on the floor entertained . It was as much as a private show could be, for a public touring show, as I have ever seen. Dirtbag Dan was the irreverent Damn the man persona that I expected. Clear, concise, funny, and pissed off all at the same time made for a damn good set.

Kung Fu Vampire (https://www.facebook.com/kungfuvampire) blew my away. Knowing of him from the video with Smackola (Save my Wicked Soul) was my loss. My win is seeing him perform live this evening. I really didn't know what to expect, but the PURE musical part of this was complete badassery! It was a performance piece without the stage theatrics. Damn straight that I have been watching his videos and streaming his music. He made a new fan here in the ATX and I will make damn sure I bring any and all with me the next time Kung Fu Vampire performs here!

Unfortunately for me Wrekonize was not scheduled for my part of the evening as I had to bail. My bad Craig.


Laters