CMJ Madness: Lane's report
The CMJ coverage is still trickling in — man that was a rough week — so watch this space for reports from the weekend.
Special correspondent Lane Johnson weighs in on his Wednesday and Thursday night (complete with his photos).
I showed just in time for the Cool Kids, and they were just that. If there's an "80's rap for dummies" book out there, no doubt this Chicago duo has studied it — and if there's not, they should write it, even if they are, like, 12.
And if the Cool Kids put on an eponymous show, so did — unfortunately — follow up act and fellow Fool's Gold label mate, Kid Sister. There's no better analogy than the little sister who goes through an older siblings stuff, smearing on hot pink lipstick here, putting a fuchsia leg warmer on there and not exactly sure how to tie up that top. That's how it sounded to me at least — a series of under-enunciated and too-quick rhymes over too-techno club beats. But she WAS fast — I mean the bvpm (that's body
vibrations per minute) of Kid Sister are in the thousands.
And A-Trak? Just killed it — totally restored my faith in dj's. That is
until I heard he's dating Kid Sister...
More of Lane's photos here.
His Thursday night report after the jump ...
"Okay, pay attention; senses, do your job." Those were my thoughts Thurs night just about 10pm at the Blender Theater — not because Norwegian dance rockers Datarock were due up shortly and I wanted to take dutiful notes for this here blog entry. No, rather, those were my thoughts because Simon Neil, lead vocalist and guitarist for Scottish thrashers (with some sunny pop moments), had just sent a microphone flying over our heads from 10 ft away, okay 15 ft. Regardless, he had a second one in hand and it might as well have been a brick for all I was concerned. But, after all, it wasn't I who had (or so it seemed Neil thought) screwed up the sound and cut the band off early — and Neil's aim was true. I and my friends were spared — and we hope the Blender soundman is recovering nicely at hospital... Actually, I don't think anyone got hurt. But it was still pretty punk rock. Kind of. Okay, it wasn't that dramatic, but a security guard did totally run back stage to, you know, take care of it.
And then Datarock performed. And they were fun. More photos here.
But THEN — hours later and farther south at the Bank (or now I guess it's called Club Element), KRS-One held court and passed the mic around and among a who's who of old school hip hop. Grandmaster CAZ, Freddie Foxxx and Masta Killah were just of few the many onstage — and a late appearance from DJ Premiere, who needed only to stand there, so enlivened the place, it seemed the freestyles would never stop. They eventually did, but not before KRS-One toured through his twenty-year catalog and kept the small crowd (maybe 40?) entertained as power came and went, basses blew and every other manner of technical snafu snafued. It's absolute testimony to KRS-One's lyrical prowess, that losing power to the turntables is a bonus for the crowd who gets to listen to KRS-One freestyle "Acapulco." The show also didn't stop until two white dudes from Alaska separately surprised the open mic. Turns out they first heard about CMJ 3 days ago and immediately flew down with their Arctic Flow label mates. And then there were rapping next to KRS-One. I know they're stoked. I was.
Lane Johnson, www.amNY.com
