OBK CHANNEL

Category: Features

  • Q&A: St. Lucia excited for his Florida return

    South African born musician Jean-Philip Grobler, who goes by St. Lucia is set to perform at the first ever Coastline Festival presented by Live Nation.

    Only Black Kid Channel editor caught up with St. Lucia to discuss his newest album “When the night,” touring with Two Doors Cinema Club and performing at outdoor festivals.

    OBK: How and where did the name St. Lucia come about?

    St. Lucia: One day, out of frustration, I took a map of South Africa and a pen,closed my eyes, put the pen down on the map a few times, and the fifth try was St. Lucia. In that moment, everything made sense to me about the project.

    The South African St. Lucia, similar to the Caribbean St. Lucia, is a sub-tropical coastal area, and I used to vacation there as a child. The fact that the music I was developing has this hazy, nostalgic, melancholy feeling to it, and most of my memories of St. Lucia were the same made everything fall into place for me.

    OBK: You grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, and then moved around to Liverpool and Brooklyn. How has your times in different parts of the world influenced your music?

    SL: I think that being fortunate to not only visit but to actually live in all of these different places has afforded me a fairly unique perspective on the world of music, and to not beholden to one scene or style.

    All of the places I’ve lived have contributed amazing things to the world of music, but I noticed that often people who were a part of those scenes, or who had only ever experienced that one scene had a fairly narrow view of what music could or should be. Sometimes that approach turns out really well, but I’ve always been attracted to broader musical horizons.

    OBK: What type of reception have you been hearing on of your newest album “When the Night?”

    SL: From what I’ve read the reception has been good, but I try not to put too much credence into what other people think about my work. That being said, I’m fully aware that without other people liking my music I wouldn’t really be able to make it, so, of course I’m happy that people are enjoying what I’m doing and that I’m able to continue doing what I do.

    One of the things that keeps coming up is that people seem to think that the album seems to get better with each listen. I’m glad that it has that effect because my favorite albums are ones that grow and reveal themselves over time, as well as being satisfying on the first listen.

    OBK: Is there anything on “When the Night?” that you wish you could go back and change, and how will you incorporate that into your next project?

    SL: The fact that the album was made over such a long period of time means that there are inherently things that I would have done differently if I’d recorded all the songs at the same time.

    That’s not for better or worse, it’s just that my tastes have shifted slightly and my knowledge of certain instruments has grown over that time period. I do think that the songs being recorded over such a long time serves the album because it gives it a broader sonic palette.

    OBK: Your touring with Two Doors Cinema Club, how has that been? Any stops you remember most?

    SL: It’s been great! These kinds of tours are always whirlwinds for us because we have such long distances to drive each day, and so we can’t stay up or out too late each night. It’s kind of like getting a little sampler of each city that you’re in, but to me that’s better than not seeing the cities at all.

    I think that one of my favorite parts of the tour was driving from Calgary to Vancouver through the Canadian Rockies. Probably the most dramatically beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen on tour.

    OBK: Have you ever toured in Florida, and what do you expect coming in?

    SL: We played in Miami and Orlando on our tour with Ellie Goulding, and both stops were a lot of fun. I always love getting to the South because of the weather and how good it smells. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to go to the beach as well.

    OBK: Which do you prefer, indoor shows or outdoor festivals?

    SL: Both types of venues can be great. However, there is something to be said for an outdoor stage in front of a sea of people in the perfect weather as the night is rolling in.

    By OBK STAFF

  • 3OH!3 needs your energy (interview)

    As the “Journeys Noise Tour” looks to get over the halfway mark, electronic-rock duo 3OH!3 makes their way to Orlando.

    3OH!3 is made up of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte — natives of Boulder, Colo. — the band is named after the city’s 303 area code.

    Best known for their 2008 single “Don’t Trust Me,” which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group’s commercial success has garnered them song placements on “The Real World: Cancun” and the opportunity to write an anthem for MLB’s Colorado Rockies.

    “In the end of it we are not trying to ride the trend wave; we are just trying to write music we like, that has a lot of energy,” said Foreman in a recent interview with the Voice.

    “Hopefully it’s a good song at the end of the day and you can listen to it five- years from now and not just be like ‘oh that’s just some dubstep song’ but instead be like ‘oh that’s a 3OH!3.’”

    3OH!3 released their fourth studio album “Omens” this year under Atlantic Records imprint Photo Finish Records.

    The “Journeys Noise Tour” is the first opportunity the duo has had to tour the album.

    “We play a handful of songs off the album and people know the words so that’s always a good test,” he says.

    “I think for us it’s all about the energy of the show and having a good time. I think that happens when we perform stuff all the new album as well as the old.

    The duo is at the half way mark of the tour and not looking to slow down. They makes their way to House of Blues on Thursday, Nov. 7 and can not wait to perform in Orlando.

    “We’re just kind of got over the half way mark, and still feeling good. We’re having a good time but we’re just excited to get back down to Florida.”

    30h!3 will be supported by some of their favorite bands; The Summer Set, Wallpaper and New Beat Fund.

    “The worst thing about a band that you like is that they suck live. These bands are all incredible performs; so if you haven’t heard any songs from these guys, when you come to the show you are going to be wanting more,” he added noting 30H!3 personally selected the groups to tour with them.

    All acts have recently collaborated on a track entitled “Turn the Night On.”

    “It’s something about our fans that are great. They are always the fans that show up and check out all the other bands,” said Foreman who saw Wallpaper perform at Warped Tour and got stopped and his track because they put on that good of a show.

    Tickets are still available for $27 via Live Nation and the House of Blues Box Office.

    3OH!3 will be posting updates throughout the tour on their Facebook and Twitter social media sites.

    By OBK

  • Steve Aoki: Electronic dance musician helps drive culture with hip hop sounds (interview)

    Steve Aoki makes his way to Orlando on Oct. 20 alongside Waka Flocka Flame and Dim Mak family. (Photographer: Dave Shore)

    Grammy-nominated musician and record producer, songwriter, and founder of Dim Mak Records — his father should be proud that his hard work genes wore off on his son. The work ethic of a wild animal, it’s no wonder Steve Aoki is one of the most requested artist in the music industry.

    No newbie to the music scene, the 35-year old entrepreneur founded Dim Mak in 1996. Since its creation, Dim Mak has evolved from a little-known hardcore band out of southern California to a movement looking to push the boundaries of music, through records, apparel and non stop touring.

    While Aoki has claimed a plethora of  fans over the years, acting as one of the front-runners helping push the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) world, his list of haters has also increased. Recently a satirical web publication deemed him as a “fake DJ” just looking to shake up the culture, going as far as quoting him on things he never said.

    “I thought it was funny, because they actually quoted me saying shit I never said,” said Aoki in an exclusive phone interview with the Valencia Voice. “It was so absurd that I was laughing until people actually believed it.

    “That’s when I was like: ‘You know what, the last thing I want to do is confuse my fans, because at the end of the day I am where I am because of  my fans. It’s because of them I’m doing what I’m doing.’ If they didn’t give a fuck about my music or never came out to my shows, I guess I would have decided a long time ago it’s time to move on.”

    Coming off what he credits as the biggest year of his career — Aoki put the “Tour Forever” mantra to full force performing in more than 350 stops on the Deadmeat Tour, released an album, and was nominated for a Grammy — he looks to only make this year better.

    While he has no plans to release his second studio album, “Neon Future,” until the spring of 2014, he does plan to continue putting out music and continue touring.

    It may be safe to say that Aoki does not stop working and may in fact be a vampire. Instead of taking the potential few days he had off from shows to rest following his performance at electronic music festival TomorrowWorld, he spent them on late night studio sessions leading all the way up to night before his “Aiokofy Tour” started.

    “I’m really proud of what my work ethic has grown to be. I got a good discipline that I learned from my father, who trained me like a fucking animal.”

    While many artist have trouble making and putting out music on the go, Aoki has managed to fit it in his tour schedule.

    “At the end of the day it’s all about discipline, because you have the time as long as you make use of it and manage it properly.”

    For a long period of time, Aoki could not produce records while he was on the road. Throughout the years he has evolved and credits a good part of that success to his peers. Rapper Kendrick Lamar being one in specific.

    “Kendrick’s work ethic really inspired me. His bus was a studio, so whenever I went there to jam out he was working hard. Dude has the best work ethic I’ve seen in a while from an artist.”

    Aoki and Kendrick spent three weeks together touring different colleges across the U.S., where he was able to soak up some of those influences. During this time, Aoki got to experience some of the best moments of his career, as he witnessed two different cultures and communities come together for one event to create a positive vibe and have the time of their life.

    Rather than just letting those memories fade away at the conclusion of that tour, Aoki began searching for another hip-hop artist that could help provide that natural organic bridge and supply that same spark if not greater on the “Aokify America Tour.”

    After doing some research and thinking of artist he already was a fan of, he turned to Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame.

    “The thing about this tour is, I want to make it the most live tour possible. When I was looking at other artist, I checked out his YouTube videos and dude is fucking nuts,” says Aoki.

    “The guy is not just an incredible rapper, with a great catalog of songs and an amazing following, he is also a great performer on stage. He’s always interacting with the audience and jumping around; and some what reminds me of myself to be honest. When I see him going crazy, I’m like ‘that’s the guy I want to be touring with.’”

    A good fit in deed. Aside from touring together, Waka will also be one of the many featured artist on “Neon Future.” Others artist expected make guest appearances on the album are Machine Gun Kelly, Mac Miller, Linkin Park, and Will.i.am.

    As of now Kendrick and Aoki have not had the time to hook up for a studio session but don’t rule out a potential song from two, as they have collaborated on some ideas.

    “We definitely talked about it and hopefully there could be a time that happens in the future. You never know.”

    While Kendrick is not set appear on “Neon Future,” other California rapper Snoop Dogg does bless the album with both singing and rapping verses.

    “One of the best parts of working with him on a track is that you get to hear both Snoop Dogg and Snoop Lion in one song. You get to hear him rapping and you get to hear him singing, and it’s a very rare occurrence.”

    Aoki makes his way to Central Florida beginning Saturday Oct. 19, where he will play the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The following day he will take the Firestone Live stage in Orlando.

    “Florida is one of the best places in America for dance music. It’s like a hotbed for the type of music I do, so take that back it’s one of the best places in the world.

    “America is bubbling with energy and enthusiasm and growth, and interest of what we’re doing with the music. Florida is prime real estate for EDM.

    By OBK

  • CFE Arena came out for fun, period (review)

    CFE Arena came out for fun, period (review)

    ORLANDO — Most nights aren’t usually this bright. Most nights aren’t usually this loud. Most nights aren’t usually this interesting. Most nights usually don’t involve Fun..

    A name that certainly fits the trio; Nate Ruess – vocals, Jack Antonoff – guitar, and Andrew Dost – multi-instrumentalist, are everything but boring and proved that Thursday night, during their electrifying 90-minute set at the CFE Arena.

    On the tail end of their headlining “Most Night Summer Tour”, Fun. showed no hint of fatigue that would give any viewer the impression that they have been touring since early January of last year, following the release of their album.

    From the little boy watching the show sitting on his father’s neck — to the college kids pre gaming before they go downtown — to the nice older couple who could not stop dancing in their seats, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

    ”You wanna be louder than Boca Raton, don’t you?,” screamed frontman Ruess as he waved the microphone stand high in the air. Up for the challenge, the nearly sold-out venue conquered Ruess challenge, leaving him wondering “Boca Raton who”.

    Fun.’s pop meets Grease meets rock blend – provides the perfect night for sing-alongs – making it nearly impossible not to be loud. Whether you were right in front of the stage or high up in the stands — the performance involved everyone — involving a cannon full of paper confetti, which rained over the entire stage floor.

    While Ruess controls most of the vocal duties, bandmates Antonoff and Dost make sure their work and contribution to the band is not overlooked — in an attempt to “raise the dead” Antonoff showed off his shredding skills as he lead the crowd in “Rock and Roll” getting everyone to scream “Hey”.

    A performance for the big stage — besides an overhead projector which displayed the band playing live behind the colorful light show — Fun. focused on winning the crowd over with their performance skills and not special effects, as members of the audience danced with complete strangers to popular song “We Are Young” — nodding their heads from side-to-side in unison during songs “Carry On” and “Baralights”, which Ruess dedicated to the crowd.

    From their set opening of a cabaret version of “Some Nights” decked out in matching tuxedos, all the way to their final song Fun. kept their promise of making Thursday night, the best weekday ever. Following their performance — I almost can’t stand how awesome these guys are.

    Canadian twin-sister duo Tegan and Sara opened the show, and performed for just under an hour. The duo let it be known early, that no matter how poorly the crowd would respond to them they were going to rock out and have a good time since it was their birthday. The crowd caught on to their 80’s pop music early and seemed interested in everything they had to say — even when they stopped singing and told stories including their run in with a monkey backstage.

    Photos from the night

    By OBK

  • John Witherspoon to play Orlando Improv this weekend (review)

    Courtesy of John Witherspoon

    If laughter is universal than the cosmos were one on Friday night. Watching John Witherspoon’s stand-up was the closest I’ve ever come to a religious experience — a packed room, the lights dim, and teeth shining everywhere.

    Witherspoon is funny — not just “Friday” funny — not just “The Boondocks” funny, John Witherspoon is funny on his own.

    It’s a hard thing to be funny on your own; to stand on a stage and not only expect the audience to laugh, but command that the audience laugh.

    Witherspoon has a developed act — the astute observer will see no seams within the comedy force that is within him.

    He releases his material into the audience like a well oiled machine – never pausing for too long or getting tongue tied and forgetting what to say.

    It’s beautiful, when he laughs, it’s the laugh of a man who knows he has you exactly where he needs you.

    I’ll be the first to admit I went into the Orlando Improv with preconceived notions.

    Interestingly, Witherspoon knows who you think he is and what you’ve come to see, so he begins his show by delivering just that.

    There’s nothing more perfect than hearing “Bang, Bang, Bang!” in person.  All these years, that character we’ve grown to love, on screens both big and small, was just Witherspoon being himself.

    It should not be legal for a man to be this funny. At a certain point, laughter can become deadly — just imagine – a laughter so hard breathing is next to impossible, however it’s all that you can do so you attempt to wind it down and hope not to explode.

    That is the sort of talent that should be illegal and Witherspoon possesses it in spades.

    A comic’s comic to the fullest. There were points when one would look around and see other professional comics doubled over in laughter — their faces so red you’d think blood vessels were bursting in mass.

    Contrary to popular belief, this is a normal occurrence when dealing with true comic genius. Comedy may be truth in its purest form; able to both arm and disarm at the same time. Generally, people laugh at the same things because, at the end of the day, the human experience is shared by all of us. Friday night in that room, dozens of people became one.

    For a moment, we all became John Witherspoon.

    John Witherspoon will be performing live at the Orlando Improv this entire weekend. You can catch him live on Saturday, Aug. 7th at 7:30 PM and 10:15 p.m. and then again on Sunday, Aug. 8th at 7:30 PM.

    Tickets are $22 and seats are on a first come first serve basis. All guest must be 21 or older

    By OBK Staff

  • Concert Review: Icona Pop stops at House of Blues alongside girl-friends

    LAKE BUENA VISTA — You may not be able to put faces to the names Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo just yet, but with their recent success – attaining double platinum status for single “I Love It,” while having song placements on video games and television shows, there’s no way you can go anywhere without hearing or seeing something connected to the Swedish DJ duo, Icona Pop.

    After a year of performing on different festival sets throughout the world, the group have finally netted their well-deserved, first-ever headlining tour in America.

    Electronic dance music (EDM), hip-hop and rock are just a few of the genres you can hear at the festival-like, all girl “Iconic Tour,” presented by TIGI Bed Head, which made stops in Florida this past weekend.

    A mixed crowd of guys sporting the “Macklemore haircut,” hardcore rave fans, and toddlers whose bedtime is generally around the time the show started, filled the House of Blues Orlando Friday night, to see the “Iconic Tour” featuring Icona Pop and friends.

    Sultry redhead – Hjelt took the stage sporting a black and white, Judy Jetson-based, Spice Girl-influenced one piece costume, with the Icona Pop DJ Booth behind her resembling the Star Trek Auxiliary Control Center and her best friend, Jawo, on the other side.

    It’s great to see how far the duo has come in such little time — rewind to December of last year, when Icona Pop made their Orlando debut opening for “The Lonely Hearts Club Tour” where they had to cram all of their laptops and mixers onto a foldout table, limiting their movement- having to wrap the microphone cord up and swing the remainder of it over the table if they wanted to move from one side to the stage to the other.

    “On this song, I’m going to sing this together with you guys,” Hjelt said in her thick swedish accent before getting into “Girlfriend”, showing off her vocal strength as the crowd recited the lyrics in perfect cadence. Whether it was Aino – playing the electric guitar, or Hjelt- singing, neither member just sat around and watched sharing the spotlight evenly as they rotated back and forth between their midis and laptop setup.

    The energy was off the Richter scale from the moment the ladies shot on their black helmets and performed “Manners”, completely from behind their DJ booth, to their final song – performing summer hit single “I Love It” – in the middle of the stage with brews in hand as the ladies provided the perfect pre-game event for anyone who was going out afterwards to further enjoy their night.

    While the crowd could not recite the groups newer material off their upcoming album, This Is, as well as they could with some of the duo’s older and more popular songs, it did not stop them from enjoying the concert during songs “All Night” and “Light Me Up” as they danced and kept their hands waved high in the air during the entire performance.

    Between their singing, dancing and electrifying light show, Icona Pop managed to transition their studio sound into a live set. The duo is truly talented and appeared to be enjoying themselves the entire night which transitioned well into the crowd, hosting the prettiest party I have ever been to.

    Both supporting acts were very multifaceted and set the tone early. Los Angeles-based rapper Sirah opened the show singing a mix of pop and EDM jingles, which some of her newer fans know her for, but also managed to fit in some of her earlier hard in your face rap records, showing love to her underground hip hop past. Don’t let her petite size fool you, the wild-hair MC has a very strong presence demanding you tune into what she is saying.

    K.Flay took the stage next and was just as fun. Between the head bashing, fast rapping, and live beat making – K.Flay’s set was all over the place yet she managed to keep the crowd engaged the entire time. From the time she hit the stage, sporting her black jeans, black leather jacket, and black sleeveless “Black Skinhead” t-shirt- it was evident that female producer/rapper had no mindset of winning a fashion contest instead was just there to rock out. While K.Flay proved she could cross over into multiple genres, it would have been nice to see her focus on one specific style giving fans who may not be that familiar with her music the opportunity to get a general feel.

    Whoever said girls can rock out as hard as the guys must have never seen these ladies. All the ladies are fun, talented and exciting- bringing different elements in their set to combine for one great night. The “Iconic Tour” is hardly underway and I would suggest everyone to go check it out, as it is an event that the whole family could enjoy.

    T.Y. Moment of the Night

    It’s good to see supporting artist support – adding onto the bill and not just acting as a slot filler until the headlining act is ready. Sirah and K.Flay we’re dope on and off the stage interacting with fans concluding their set. Instead of listening from the back of the stage, both artist and their crew went into the crowd and watched as fans alongside of their supporters. K.Flay got so turnt up from Icona Pop’s performance that she decided to partake in the crowd surf.

    Photos from the Iconic Tour

    By OBK

  • Concert Review: The Maine and Friends, Tuesday, July 16 at The Beacham

    In support of their latest album “Forever Halloween”, rock band The Maine made their way to Orlando for the “8123 Tour”; alongside fellow rock band bands and good friends A Rocket to the Moon, Brighten, and This Century.

    It was a busy day for the rock group out of Tempe Ariz., who recently left their major label deal to work independently under management company 81 Twenty Three — hosting a free acoustic performance earlier in the day at Park Ave CD’s where they did a meet-and-greet before they had to attend their first interview on the day. (Be on the lookout for our interview with the group coming soon.)

    With only a few dates left in the North America segment of the tour — it’ s like God knew how sad the band was joked lead singer John O’Callaghan — noting the rain was symbolic that god felt the same way as the band. This storm did not stop fans from showing up early as the line to The Beacham was wrapped around the corner an hour before the venue doors opened.

    Although this was the first time the band has played at The Beacham, they were no strangers to the cold building catching a RX Bandit show the night before.

    Decked out in a white “I Met God, She’s Black” tanktop, front-man O’Callaghan took the dark stage unannounced; alongside best friends Jared Monaco and Kennedy Brock – guitarists, Pat Kirch – drummer and Garrett Nickelsen – bassist with the band’s signature “M” illuminated in the backdrop behind them. Wasting no time getting into newer material the band opened up with the cheerful upbeat pop-rock single “Love and Drugs ” which brought a plethora of energy to the crowd.

    The lively ninety-minute set which contained songs dating back to their major label debut album (Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop) kept the crowd singing the entire performance. While the group performed mostly high energy tunes that allowed the crowd to dance and wave their hands high all night, they found time to slow things down — a solo performance from O’Callaghan and his keyboard of emotional “These Four Words,” provided the song with a more sentimental feeling after hearing it live.

    Although I did not know much of the opening acts, they were not too shabby. Unfortunately it was my first and last time seeing A Rocket to the Moon perform live in Florida as the group will be disbanding. The pop-rock band treated their set as if they were the headliners to a sold-out hometown show, jamming out from start to finish once they fixed their technical errors (which I will discuss later).

    T.Y. Moments of the Night:

    1. During the performance of one of the group’s earlier songs, “Count ‘Em 1,2,3,” O’Callaghan did something truly amazing and left the stage to perform the entire song in the midst of his young female crowd. “Put your f*ckin’ phones in your pockets,” he ordered the crowd, informing them that if they wanted to watch it again they could view it on YouTube later — telling them to enjoy the moment for what it was at the time. (Unfortunately everyone did not listen and two young ladies lost their phones in the rage-fest.)
    2. Following The Maine performance of “Like We Did,” O’Callaghan informed the crowd they could be anything they wanted if they believed before the three supporting acts joined the band on stage and helped the group perform fan favorite “We’ll All Be”, to end the show. As Kirch hammered away on the drums and other artist played their instruments crazily — Nick Santino (A Rocket to the Moon ) and Joel Kantitz (This Century) each sang a verse before everyone gathered to scream “potato” ending the show on a high note

    Nothings Perfect:

    1. I don’t know if the sound guy lost his notes or A Rocket to the Moon did not make the rehearsal — the fact that the crowd had to wait for nearly 30-minutes(not counting the 15-minutes it took for the group to take the stage after the previous act) and watch the group do their mic-check in the middle of the concert. We came to see you perform not tune your instruments — ain’t nobody got time for that.

    Conclusion:

    The Maine have grown up over the years and so have their fans — following the concert it’s worth noting that the band’s following truly appreciate their new sound as they applauded just as loud during newer songs if not louder. The group performance flows based off audience participation as they are aware of what’s happening around them make each show very personal and memorable. From the teens on the stage floor to the parents on the balcony level, it’s safe to safe everyone enjoyed themselves at the “8123 Tour.”

    Photos from the night

  • Mac Miller puts on out of this world performance at Hard Rock Live (review)

    ORLANDO- With age comes years — with years come experience, and with experience comes maturity.

    If you were to ask Mac Miller how is life treating him he would probably respond, “three years ago to now, it’s just not the same,” as the Pittsburgh MC looks to sonically attain equal if not greater commercial success with his newest album Watching Movies with the Sound Off as he did with his debut project, which became the first independently-distributed debut album to top the charts in over a decade and a half.

    Since then Miller has not stopped building his brand; obtaining his own reality show with MTV — Mac Miller and the Most Dope Family, improving his production skills producing records for multiple artist and starting his own record label, REMember Music, named after a friend of his who recently passed away.

    A rap show that contained a lot singing packed the Hard Rock Live Orlando; as a diverse crowd made up of hypebeast, teens, hipsters, and soccer moms came out to do something crazy with Miller and friends last Saturday for the “Space Migration” tour.

    (Photos from the night)

    As the lights dimmed, smoke rose and intergalactic intro music played aloud in the background; all that could be seen in the crowd were cell phone lights as everyone waited for the Most Dope front man to appear.

    “When I say Mac, you say Miller!” chanted his DJ before dropping “Loud” — the hit single off the Macadelic mixtape — as the Pittsburgh MC appeared out of darkness sporting a purple and white bandana to coincide with a crispy white tee and pair of purple jeans as he steam blasted from out of the front of the stage. (In the words of Miller’s good friend Schoolboy Q, it’s safe to say the young artist is “eating” as the 21-year old was decked out in gold from his neck to his wrist.)

    Many artist change clothing during their sets, Miller took it to another level switched stage designs. For the first half of the show, he was was backed by hype man — Tree Jay and DJ-DJ Clockwork, providing a party type atmosphere performing fast raps songs dating all the way back to his “K.I.D.S” mixtape as he energetically moved from one side of the empty stage to the other.

    Half way though his act Miller seemed to calm his performance down as he sipped from a cup of Jameson, performing in front of candles, a star spangled banner and a trippy light show which created a psychedelic vibe as he and band — The Internet made songs like “Objects in the Mirror” and “REMember” sound more sentimental than they already were.

    T.Y.’s Moments of the Night

    1. Chance the Rapper a.k.a. Mr. Acid Rap is a fan favorite however a photographers worst nightmare; the young charismatic artist does not stand still. Chance has the stage presence of an artist who has been in the game for over a decade; blending rock band stage tactics into hip-hop performance is truly something worth viewing. In his 30-minute set, Chance performed songs from both his projects “Acid Rap” and “10 Days Off” keeping the crowd engaged throughout the entire performance proving he is one of hip-hop’s finest “Juke” dancers. Although he is new to the music scene, there were a good amount of Chance followers in the crowd reciting his music.
    2. Miller showed off his musical skills in true Woodstock fashion. At one point during the show he took his guitar and began playing it behind his head alongside the band. However he did not stop there, following the play of a sample “How Does it Feel” by D’angelo on the keyboard; he broke into an acoustic performance of “Youforia.”

    Nothing’s Perfect

    1. Missed first two opening acts due to Universal Orlando security at City Walk which sucked because I was really interested in seeing Vince Staples perform. After a 10 minute delay the front gate eventually got in contact with dispatch who relayed the same message I gave to the rent-a-cops when I first got there.
    2. The Internet’s individual performance was bland. Syd the Kyd is a great singer however I don’t think she knows that. At times it was hard to hear her as if she was not singing in the microphone. Would have been great to see her test her vocal range more or the band experiment with some new sounds during their own set and not when they were just backing Miller.

    Conclusion

    Very compelling show. Whether “hip-hop heads” like it or not the genre is moving in a new direction. Fans are looking for artist who can take what they are doing in the studio and transition it over to the stage. Miller and friends truly provided an out of the world experience anyone could enjoy.

    By OBK

  • Reggae act lights up The Social (review)

    Reggae act lights up The Social (review)

    If you were to ask the average person what is reggae music their response will probably have to deal with 1-of-2 things, the island of Jamaica and the ratafirian movement thanks to the late great Bob Marley.

    While both those answers are great indicators of the genres origin and history, reggae music has evolved and every artist no longer walks around with the “typical” reggae look. With that being said, if you were to walk past The Social on Tuesday and quickly glimpse the poster for the “Light it up” tour you would have never guessed that two white guys were hosting the biggest reggae party of the year inside.

    Decked out in his native colors, the Bermudian reggae star, Collie Buddz, packed a passionate Orlando crowd, with the help of friends Cris Cab and New Kingston.

    Photos from the night

    I’ve witnessed many concerts at the venue before so I knew if I wanted a good view of the stage I would have to get there early. The rude bwoy performed some of his older tracks which made me a fan of him in the first place such as “What a feeling” and “Come around”; however he still managed to bring us up to date performing new single “Payback a b**ch” off his upcoming album set to release sometime this year.

    Buddz, who has a background in audio engineering, proved he was a real deal performer and not a studio-made artist. Backed by an awesome crowd who knew the lyrics to every song, if Buddz was stop singing at any point it would have been easy for him to pick right back up as the crowd did not miss a beat.

    A great aspect of Buddz performance is that although he is the star he likes to share the spotlight; whether its with his backup singer and live band (who have undeniable chemistry) or an audience member (which I will discuss in my “T.Y. moments of the night).

    New Kingston is a group consisting of three brothers from Brooklyn, NY who fuses reggae with r&b and hip-hop giving them this awesome crossover feel. This was my first time ever hearing of the band and I was impressed for the most part during their opening act and their backing of Buddz.

    The group makes it hard for fans to determine who is the frontman as they all share the vocal duties while providing something unique through their instruments; Stephen Suckarie- Guitar, Tahir Panton- Keys, and Courtney Panton on drums who is a straight up beast with the sticks. It’s not hard to see where their talent comes from as their father proved he was no scrub on the bongos and bass guitar.

    Out of all the acts the only one I have previously seen live was Cris Cab. It was pretty cool knowing of his music this time unlike when i watched him open for Rita Ora back in December. For this kid to only be 19-years-old he has a pretty extensive résumé and carries himself very maturely. The young ladies in the front seemed to love him and would make sure he and everyone else knew as they screamed his name all during his set and even once he left the stage.

    T.Y.’s moments of the night

    1. In the middle of performing Buddz stopped his band from playing and pulled what may possibly be his biggest fan alive (later to be known as Luke Stone) out of the crowd for him to perform the last verse of “Blind to you.” If you were not looking you would have thought a big name artist hit the stage the way the crowd was going bananas. The kid was so impressive that even Buddz joked he might have performed it better than he has in the past.
    2. After Buddz left the stage and returned for a encore it was cool seeing everyone apart of the show take the stage one last time performing songs that helped the reggae genre become what it is today. Buddz tested the crowd on their music knowledge; performing older songs from artist Sizzla, Shaggy, Beenie Man, and Chaka Demus & Pliers. Cab even blessed the stage again to help perform “Stir it up” by Marley.

    Nothing’s perfect

    1. Tahir from New Kingston is dope talent however for most the night he gave the impression as if he didn’t want to be there killing the great vibe that was in the air, as well as other things. Word of advice- It’s okay to smile sometime – you’re part of something good so enjoy it.
    2. Lady Alexis, Buddz back up vocalist, can sing (really good) however she is too shy and appears as if she is afraid to make mistakes. When Buddz gave her the main stage I would have loved to hear her sultry vocals instead of a pop rendition. Word of advice – let it out girl – a voice that good does not need to be caged in, if you slip up who cares no one’s perfect.

    Conclusion

    The night was truly special. As I prepare for a busy Summer season full of concerts I think to myself how will any artist top this show marking this one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever attended. Anyone who was not there surely missed out on a treat. Each artist brings a new taste to reggae music, there is a long successful career ahead of them all but what do I know I’m just an avid music fan.

  • SNL great Seth Meyers plays UCF

    Credit: OBK/OBK Staff

    ORLANDO — “Would you guys like to hear some of the jokes my sponsors won’t allow me to say on the ‘Weekend Update’?”

    Saturday Night Live writer Seth Meyers quipped the night away in his raw, uncut, and vulgar standup comedy act on Monday, March 25 at the UCF Arena alongside fellow comedian Colin Jost. 

    The event was hosted by the school’s Campus Activity Board, who got the crowd involved early by having them tweet using the hashtag #SethMeyersUCF to be displayed on the big screen for everyone to see.

    “Seth Meyers was perfect, I cried from laughing so many times,” said Giovanna Angulo, a UCF student in attendance. “It was a once in a lifetime thing plus it was free which I think made it even better.”

    Meyers was in rare form Monday night. As they say, no one was safe as Myers discussed different topics ranging from politics, relationships, celebrities, his personal life and stereotypical “college activities” such sex and alcohol.

    “All they’re going to talk about on Sunday is how funny I am,” joked Meyers as he described his first time meeting President Barack Obama at the White House correspondent dinner, which came ironically one day before the raid of Osama Bin Laden. 

    “He told jokes in his speech, then I told jokes in my speech and he realized the people thought I was funnier,” said Meyers. “So what does he do to one up me and get the attention back on him? He put out a raid, so there it is you can thank me for killing the man no one could find for years.” 

    Not including his final jokes which were too “risqué” for SNL, a feat I did not think was possible, one could tell Meyers took a vast amount of time preparing. He made sure to include jokes that could only work in Orlando while he focused on storytelling versus the setup and punchline scheme.

    The show started nearly on time as Myers introduced Jost, who was off in the bathroom but failed to let anyone know. Jost held his own during his opening set, which was highlighted by his Facebook scheme he previously told on the Jimmy Fallon Show. 

    Listening to Jost you would have thought he graduated college yesterday, as he was very relatable to the crowd at hand, poking fun at things like online dating, sex and boy band One Direction.

    All and all it was a great evening, and who can beat the price of free? I would have even paid if I had to, and that’s saying a lot for someone who grew up watching black comedians.

    By OBK