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Category: Music

  • Darius Rucker brings rock-star vibe to his country show (review)

    ORLANDO — Every family has that one oddball uncle. The one no one truly understands because his current ventures come off as weird if you compare them to things of his background.

    You know, the one who only comes around every so often, however when does he is always bearing gifts. The uncle that all the younger cousins wished was their permanent babysitter because he allows them to underage drink, as long as they don’t tell mom. The one who has people hating him for the same exact reasons everyone else loves him.

    Former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker was that uncle to Orlando, when he brought his “True Believers Tour” to the CFE Arena on Thursday.

    During his one-hour and 45 minutes set, Mr. Rucker’s setlist featured some country, some covers where he crossover genres, and a ton of Hootie magic.

    Mr. Rucker opened up his set with “Radio” and “Heartbreak Road,” two songs from his certified Gold album which he is currently out touring. With the vibe many of the songs created, he left many wondering: If Hootie & the Blowfish were to come out in the recent years, would they be able to find a home in the mainstream country music scene and climb the charts; as many of Mr. Rucker’s songs as a sol-artist contained ballads that wouldn’t have sounded weird if the rock group was to play them in the 90’. In fact, he introduced the Hootie and the Blowfish song “Let Her Cry” as “the first country song I ever wrote.”

    Mr. Rucker was very casual and all about his business, dressed in blue jeans, a Nike ball cap and matching black shirt and vest. He was not one to talk much while onstage, however when he did it would always get a great response from the crowd. He showed support to UCF multiple times. At one point during the show, he displayed the school’s logo across his giant video screens, behind his massive amount of stage lights.

    Aside from singer’s Corey Smith 30-minute opening set, and the Eli Young Band’s hour-long set, which contained all three of their smash hits “Even If It Breaks My Heart,” “Crazy Girl,” and “Drunk Last Night,” both acts would join Mr. Rucker on stage to perform Hank Williams, Jr.’s “Family Tradition.”

    Mr. Rucker would his set with “Wagon Wheel,” a hit of his which has garnered him great success on the charts and at music award shows.

    While Darius Rucker will always be known for his contributions to Hootie and the Blowfish, spending more than 25-years with the group, he has gone on to make a solo career for himself.

  • Kendrick Lamar performs at UCF’s annual “420 Concert Series”

    Kendrick Lamar stated to CFE Arena that he would be back, when he performed at the venue last year, and Sunday night he lived up to his promise. After taking a break in 2013, UCF brought back their annual “420 Concert Series,” with Mr. Lamar. He was supported by a vast of supporting acts, with the most recognizable act being his Top Dawg Entertainment label mate Jay Rock.

    Mr. Lamar stayed true to his “Control” verse — where he stated that “I ain’t rockin’ no more designer sh*t” —  as he hit the stage sporting a white tee, blue jeans, Detroit Tigers fitted, and a pair of white, blue and gold Nikes (possibly Lebron 9’s). He does not have many show dates on his schedule, so it’s uncertain what Mr. Lamar has been up. Based off of his scruffy look, possibly (hopefully) working on a new album. The Compton, Calif. rapper performed songs dating back to his first project “O.verly D.edicated,” up to singles past his “good kid, m.A.A.d city.”

    Aside from his short set, Mr. Jay Rock would join Mr. Lamar on stage during his performance to play their song “Money Trees” together. During his solo set, he performed his 2011 hit “Hood Gone Love It,’ as well as his verse from Ab-Soul’s “Black Lil Bastard.”

    Orlando-based rapper Caskey also made a brief visit to the stage. While he did not perform, he and his DJ Slim did manage to take over the microphone and hype up the crowd prior to TDE taking the stage.

  • Tech N9ne brings ‘Independent Grind Tour’ to Plaza Live (review)

    A rapper that spits rapid-fast aggressive lyrics, paints his face, draws a hardcore cult fanbase, and is named after a semi-automatic handgun, just doesn’t sound like the guy you want to walk up to and attempt to start a conversation with.

    Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne brought his “Independent Grind Tour” to Orlando Thursday night, performing at the Plaza Live — his first time ever at the venue.

    “We like this place, so don’t do anything stupid. We’re trying to come back here next year,” said the show’s hype man to the crowd, before exhibiting his utterly disgust for another Orlando venue which Mr. Tech N9ne has performed at in the past.

    In attempt to get a feel for his audience, Mr. Tech N9ne disguised himself under a red Jabbawockeez mask and wandered throughout the Plaza venue; grabbing a few drinks at the bar and even catching the entire set for opening act Psych Ward Druggies.

    By the time it was his turn to take the stage, Mr. Tech N9ne had did a complete outfit change. Dressed head-to-toe in a black mechanic outfit with white face paint, the independent rapper out of Kansas City Mo. displayed his showmanship in his 90-minute set.

    Tech N9ne performs at the "Independent Grind Tour" at the Plaza Live in Orlando, Fla. on April 17, 2014. (Ty Wright / Valencia Voice)

    Quite interesting, fan were more into actually experiencing the moment  instead of recording it on their smartphone. For most of the show — despite when Mr. Tech N9ne encouraged female audience members to climb on top someone shoulders and display their breast — if one was to look out into the audience all they would see is “strange” people with their face painted, dancing, raging and moshing, not being distracted by technology and the outside world.

    Mr. Tech N9ne was accompanied by Strange Music labelmate Krizz Kaliko, dressed in similar attire minus the face paint. The two put on what appeared to be a choreographed hip-hop show; non-stop motion, timely stage exits and arrivals between songs, and synchronized dancing.

    While his pop locking skills; Motown like moves; and machine gun type flowing were entertaining, he was at his strongest during his more intimate sessions of the set. He let the crowd in on his sensitive side as he introduced popular single “Fragile,” which features Kendrick Lamar, ¡MAYDAY! & Kendall Morgan. While none of the artist were their to assist in the performance, Mr. Kaliko would help provide backing vocals — much like he did the entire night.

    Freddie Gibbs opens for Tech N9ne at the "Independent Grind Tour" at the Plaza Live in Orlando, Fla. on April 17, 2014. (Ty Wright / Valencia Voice)

    Rapper Freddie Gibbs, out of Gary, Ind., acted as the main opening act and had no problem demonstrating to everyone why he is called Gangsta Gibbs. Throughout his set, he would get everyone of the audience to scream “f*** the police” every chance he got. Mr. Gibbs took a more simplistic approach, gaining the attention of the crowd with less attention to the production aspect, but more on his bars and Acapella flows.

    Jarren Benton opens for Tech N9ne at the "Independent Grind Tour" at the Plaza Live in Orlando, Fla. on April 17, 2014. (Ty Wright / Valencia Voice)

    Funk Volume’s Jarren Benton also served as a support act for the “Independent Grind Tour.” He was backed by “the worst DJ ever,” who kept his identity hidden behind a full-face mask; and a crazy-haired drummer. He wasted no time on the turn up, quickly heading to the guard rails to get close and personal with the crowd. Mr. Benton is a very charismatic artist. He commands the stage, while giving fans the opportunity to perform on a big stage, even if it’s only as his hype man.

  • Can Outkast get past first reunion show, or should we expect the same effort at Big Guava? (editorial)

    Andre 3000 and Big Boi spent a decade apart from performing together on stage, until this past weekend when the duo reunited to headline the first night of Coachella 2014 (April 11). Whether or not they liked the performance, the audience members at Coachella got to be a part of history, being among the first group of people to watch Atlanta duo Outkast reunite on stage together live, as the rest of us watched the Youtube feed through our computer screen.

    Outkast has built their fanbase through big-hit catchy top 40 tunes like “Hey Ya!” and “Ms. Jackson,” but has also garnered fans due to their knack to be unique, creating a transcending sound that Southern hip hop was not accustom to; and during their summer run of shows, they are going to have to find a way to please both crowds in the same set.

    After their first attempt, I have mixed feeling on whether or not they will be able to do.

    While Mr. 3000 and Mr. Big Boi has given us great verses during their solo careers, no one cares about those group of songs during this tour run. For all 90 minutes, or how ever long their respected sets will be at each show, we would like to see the both of you onstage together for the entire duration. Most importantly, not behind that giant screen for a good portion of the show.

    Outkast should’ve maybe snuck in some shows before their Coachella appearance; based off of their first set together, you would think the two were still living in the early 2000’s when it comes to touring. Festivals are made up of music lovers of multiple taste gathering to see an array of their favorite artist, unlike a solo concert where the audience is made up of one artist’s fans.

    Outkast needs to realize that majority of the people who are going to be checking out their show have never seen the two of them live as a set, so we are going to be expecting fireworks. A historic group need a historic comeback.

    We understand that the chemistry between the two is a tad bit off, they have not performed together in a good while, so that is not a problem. However, a lack of production is not acceptable. While Mr. Big Boi was able to explain the significance for most of the items — a kitchen table with two chairs, bicycle and polar bear does not just cut it.

    Kanye West is out here moving mountains, and Outkast are barely carrying stones.

    No shade to the group, they just need to dust off that first performance and regroup.

    When the group hits Tampa on Friday, May 2 for the Big Guava Fest, let’s hope they attack the stage with a different game plan, that does not involve as much attitude.

    By OBK

  • T. Mills first headlining show in Orlando

    It did not take T. Mills long to strip down to his white sleeveless hoody, and display his tattoos at his “All I Wanna Do Tour” when it played the Social here on Saturday night. In fact, it only took one song to be exact. His audience — 95 percent populated of females in their early-twenties late-teens — ate up every minute of it.

    While the 24-year-old out of California, born Travis Tatum Mills, has played in the city multiple times in the past, this show was extra special to him. It was his first time headlining a show in Orlando.

    Mr. Mills is a hybrid artist, with his sound switching between and mixing mainly three genres: rap, synthpop, and punk rock. While each song contained a different feel from the one previous, all the lyrics were the same, rude and catchy. During his high energy “Loud,” you could see Mr. Mills appreciation for his fans, as they battled back-and-forth with him through the lyrics.

    The charismatic Warped Tour alumnus was all over the stage with his gold microphone, taking the time to perform songs from his earliest projects; new EP “All I Wanna Do”; and even unreleased content, which is most likely to appear on his debut album with Columbia due sometime this year.

    The Social saw two opening acts prior to getting to the man on the poster, the popular Mod Sun was one. Despite taking the stage assisted by a walking cane, the “Hippy Hop” artist did not let his injured knee slow him down. Mr. Mod Sun amped-up his friends in the audience with stoner tunes and feel good lyrics. Backed by his DJ/ guitarist, who was a non-stop work freight, he ran through some fan favorites like “My Hippy,” “Stoner Girl,” “Free Love” and a new record, which will feature drums from Travis Barker on his new album.

    Mr. Mod Sun is a straight hippy and is “Happy As F*ck” about it. If music was to get boring for the artist, a career as the stoner camp counselor all the guys want to smoke with, and all the girls want to hook up with wouldn’t be far fetched.

    On top of opening the show, California artist Blackbear also took the stage with Mr. Mills to help him close the show. After performing the duo’s collaborated record “Coldest Winter,” one of Mr. Mills “sexy songs” (which contained thrusting and dry humping of the air); he would finish the show with the tour’s titled track, handpicking members of the crowd to join him on stage. After successfully blocking all selfie attempts possible, he would inspire those on stage to live in the moment and not behind their phone, as for the moment they were apart of his band.

    A true highlight of the show.

  • CONCERT REVIEW: G-Eazy treats intimate Plaza Live performance like an arena stage

    It appears as if their is some characteristic in Bay Area rappers that leave men wanting them to have sex with their girlfriends.

    Whether or not G-Eazy followed up with the young man after his show, and took him up on the opportunity to fornicate his girlfriend; when you’re a rising artist these things happen.

    G-Eazy aka Young Gerald, 24, of Oakland Calif., lit up the Plaza Live Theater, Wednesday night, with one of the more extravagant productions the venue has seen in a while. It’s feels as if he thought he was performing on the granddaddy stage of them all. Neon sign spelling out his name hanged high, steps down below, drummer to his left, keyboardist to his right, and lighting trusses helping illuminate the stage — creating an energy the crowd could vibe off of and not leaving him having to depend on their reactions.

    Luckily for him, the crowd’s energy level was either equal to his if not higher throughout the course of the night, so if that was the case he would have still been okay. While the audience could chant the lyrics to songs from his two most popular projects, “The Endless Summer” and “Must Be Nice,” down to a tee, they did not hesitate to show just as much enthusiasm to unreleased songs from his upcoming project “These Things Happen.”

    His set is broken up into three  clear pieces: rage with the fellas, prove my style can flirt with the mainstream sound, and sympathize with the ladies. He showed his more intimate side on popular singles  “Runaround Sue” — sampled from Dion’s 1961 pop song of the same name — and “Kings,” a Jai Paul sample, which first comes off as cover to Drake’s “Dreams Money Can Buy.”

    During his set, G-Eazy took the time to invite his opening acts on stage with him to perform. Rockie Fresh, a Chicago rapper who is signed to Atlantic Records through Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group imprint, rejoined G-Eazy on stage, alongside up-and-coming  Canadian artist Tory Lanez, to perform an exclusive remix of his track “Been On.”

    After hearing the crowd chant for it all night, it was only right G-Eazy closed out the show with an encore performance of “Loaded”; following the black and white “These Things Happen” balloon takeover during “Almost Famous.”

    Based off his demeanor and cool sleek 50’s school boy swag — slicked greaser hairstyle; black leather jacket with hoodie underneath, black jeans and Nikes, hater blocker sunglasses and gold chain — Young Gerald came off all the boyfriend all parents feared their daughter would bring home for Thanksgiving.

    He didn’t get here by mistake; blending different elements from artist he toured with in the past (Lil Wayne, Drake, T.I. and Snoop Dogg, just to name a few), fans get more than just a guy walking back and forth across the stage — they get an experience. He use the lights, production and stage setup to help cultivate each song transitions.

    Thanks to the internet, it’s becoming much less uncommon for a signed artist to be opening for someone doing music independently. G-Eazy is willing to spend whatever it cost to help him succeed and grow as an artist, so who knows for how much longer fans will be able to get an arena style performance in a smaller venue, with a small venue ticket price.

  • Junior Prom: A dance tale of two contrasting instrumentalists (interview)

    Who needs a full band when you can create just as big of a buzz with only two members.

    After already driving more than 6,000 miles cross country to support Panic! at the Disco’s “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! Tour,” Junior Prom is ready for anything that comes their way.

    Based out of Brooklyn, N.Y. — Erik Ratensperger and Mark Solomich met four years ago and clicked right away. After spending time together playing in another band, the two rascals decided to to part ways from the project and begin working on what would become Junior Prom.

    “If you’re going to spend that much time with someone: sleeping, eating and driving together, you become pretty close to someone. We’re like brothers,” said Ratensperger in a recent interview.

    Junior Prom has been together for about two years. Prior to putting out music for anyone else to hear — or playing live shows — the two spent a year writing and preparing so that they could create the sound listeners know them for today.

    With an EP already under their belt, the duo’s self-titled project takes indie-dance and flirts it with pop elements; original enough to create their own lane but catchy enough that it follows the format of a traditional pop song. “Everybody’s enjoying it. Their kind of getting what we want to do,” said Solomich.

    Junior Prom transcends their studio records into a stage show jam-packed with dancing, sweatiness, and letting loose. The duo’s live show bring back the memory of the high school junior prom neither of the two members attended.

    “At the end of the day, we just want people to have a good time and not really worry about how cool they look at the show. We just want people to come out, dance and have a good time,” said Ratensperger.

    Much like any dance party, one must always be prepared for the worst. During Junior Prom’s set in Orlando, the crowd got a to see a different side of the group’s single “Sheila Put the Knife Down.” Following a malfunction with Ratensperger’s foot pedal, Solomich acted quick on his feet and decided to perform an acoustic rendition of the track — which got the “best reaction of the night.”

    Cheaper travel expenses and more legroom inside the white Dodge Caravan are just a few of the things the duo are enjoying on their road trip to stardom. Thanks to Ratensperger’s guitar and Solomich’s drumset, the two garnered a deal with Elektra Records and are putting their vision to work. As they prepare to release their debut full-length album, the band stated: “we will be coming correct with the live tour more. We are trying to put on a party where everyone to enjoy themselves.”

    For those interested in everything new regarding Junior Prom, Solomich states that you should keep an eye for them online as they will be putting out stuff on there. “ I think social media is the key to keeping people intuned with what’s going on with you,” he added.

    By OBK

  • Review: Paul Simon, Sting ‘On Stage Together’ at Amway Center

    Paul Simon and Sting on stage together calls for a few things: A style and genre merge of two musical icons from different decades ; an unusually big-sized backing band displaying an array of random instruments; and the remixing of many classical tunes.

    By appearance, the duo comes off as oddly stepbrothers, however sonically, the two come off as a force (even while causing a minor delay in the show time).

    “Sorry we’re late. I cut myself shaving, and did not want to come out bleeding all over my partner,” said Sting, at Amway Center on Sunday night, before he and Simon begin their two -and-a-half hour set.

    While the union did spend some time together on stage together, two-thirds of the show each artist was on stage alone with their respective bands. As they rotated on and offstage, singing together between mini sets one could see the differences in the two style. Simon and Sting opened the show together with “Brand New Day” and “Boy in the Bubble,” and closed the show with a four-song encore — “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Late in the Evening” and “When Will I Be Loved?.”

    Sting, 62, brings the personality and energy for the two. The tall, slender, balding rockstar setlist contained more of the explosive segments of the night. The singer-songwriter performed singles from the Police: “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” “Message in a Bottle,” and “Driven to Tears.” During the performance of “Roxanne,”

    Sting also paid homage to a few other music icons, including the late-great Johnny Cash, performing single “I Hung My Head,” which he wrote. Sting would go on to tell the crowd about the time he and the Police first came to America during his early 20’s and toured the country in a station wagon. Prior to covering Simon and Garfunkel’s “America,” he stated: “growing up I wanted to be a writer, and Mr. Simon was the template.”

    The production was far from extravagant — no fireworks or stage antics, just a display of good ole fashion. Simon dwelled on this to the fullest, focusing mostly on tracks from his solo career with “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.”

    Simon, 72, ignited the predominantly middle-aged crowd to be very animated, as many of those seated in the front rows remained standing for most of the show (including the older fellow to the left of me, who had to be helped carted out with his wheelchair and oxygen mask.

    The floor security were kept busy the entire night, having to keep people in their seats and out of the aisle taking photos.

    in New York.” On the main floor, ushers were busy keeping people out of the aisles, while alcohol-enforcement personnel in bright-red shirts searched for concertgoers gone wild. Still crazy after all these years.

    While no one can replace Simon’s original partner Art Garfunkel, Sting and Simon showed that no one can have too many friends. Paul Simon and Sting’s “On Stage Together Tour” helps show that rock is the one genre where the older you get the more the people love you, rather or not they state is is only “experiment.”

  • ZZ Ward exhibits range of genres at ‘Last Love Tour’ at The Social (review)

    ZZ Ward exhibits range of genres at ‘Last Love Tour’ at The Social (review)

    By OBK

    ZZ Ward refused to let the DJ from the Beacham over power her sold-out headlining show show at The Social.

    As one of her songs would come to an end, the crowd could faintly hear pop beats banging through the venue walls. “What is that music, is that a club going on next door?,” asked the 27-year old singer out of Roseburg, Ore., born Zsuzsanna Eva Ward, before adding “we can get louder than them, trust me, we are just getting started.”

    By the time the doors opened to The Social, Friday night for Ward’s “Last Love Tour,” there was already a line wrapped around the corner of West Washington Street and Orange Avenue. Just an hour before that, more than 40 fans had already entered for the meet-and-greet, so early on in the night, one could see the making of of a personal show at the intimate venue in progress.

    Chicago-based The O’My’s opened the show with a 45-minute set. (OBK STAFF)
    (Photos from the night)

    Decked in a sheer black blouse with a black bra underneath (revealing enough to display sex appeal, but covered enough to show classiness), blue jeans, black boots and maroon fedora; Ward took the stage full of spunk and energy, backed by a bassist, guitarist, drummer, and black flag with her name on it.

    Ward’s “Last Love Tour” was kicked off with a mashup of Nina Simone’s “Be My Husband“ and original score “OVERdUe,” off of her earlier mixtape (Eleven Roses). Followed up by popular single “Put The Gun Down,” the hour-long set helped indicate that Ward was not an artist to be marginalized into a small box, exhibiting a vast of genres – rock, soul, blues, and hip-hop.

    The set also included a rendition of Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” — which puzzled the elder members of the crowd, and excited those who knew of the origin of the record — accompanied by a harmonica performance.

    However, it was Ward’s original work which she encouraged to “snap ya fingers, and move your shoulders a little bit from the left-to-the-right. Before getting into “Charlie ain’t home,” Ward stated that “this one is for you folks who’s been wanting to move all night but couldn’t.”

    The 18-and-over show brought in a diverse crowd: woman of all ages empowered and dancing; older gentleman too sleepy (intoxicated?) to stand up on their own; and boyfriends who were “dragged out to the show” but ended up having a “better time than imagined.”

    Chicago-based band, The O’My’s, were the first supporting act of the night, and got everyone dancing early. The six-piece group blends rock with soul, creating a Big Band-Motown experience.

    The crowd moved with the band all night, as if they were a set they were very familiar; from their original works, to their final song — a tribute to Screamin Jay Hawkins “I Put a Spell on You.” The 45-minute set brought back a nostalgic feeling of watching my grandmother clean her house on Saturday morning, as me and my brother sat in front of the television watching cartoons and her vinyls played aloud throughout the rooms.

    Grizfolk took the stage after them, performing their last show in the states before heading overseas. The group promoted their latest project, “From the Spark,” which is out now. The band transitioned smoothly from song-to-song, with the most captivating changeover coming their cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Money Trees.” With the lead singer hailing from Pensacola, the crowd had a little more familiarity to their set then the first opening act, as he stated a good part of the audience was made up of close friends and family

    Ward finished the night with a remix of “Blue Eyes Blind.” A song-set that can have you wanting to dance one minute, thanks to the backing band who provided multiple drum and guitar solos throughout the night; but also have you wanting to just sit back and count the stars due to her raw voice and passion. While I knew it would not happen, at times I was hoping two special guest would join Ward on stage for “Criminal” (Freddie Gibbs) and “Cryin’ Wolf” (Kendrick Lamar); and was shocked when The O’My’s didn’t join her for “Lil Darlin.”

    The singer has been to Orlando multiples times in the past year, and after Friday’s show it’s no doubt that Orlando residents can expect her to come back soon; “One, because you guys are awesome; and two, because it’s pretty warm here.”

    Random: Ward is very in tuned to the things happening both on and off the stage. Funny of the night came when Ward joked “it smells fantastic in here,” as the security guard was making his rounds around the venue to find the two kids in the corner smoking marijuana — which he never did.

    Setlist

    Intro / “Be My Husband” (Nina Simone)

    OVERdUe

    Put The Gun Down

    Til The Casket Drops

    Cinnamon Stix

    Got It Bad

    365 Days

    Charlie Ain’t Home

    Lil Darlin

    Hold On, We’re Going Home (Drake)

    Last Love Song

    Everybody Wants To Be Famous

    If I Could Be Her

    Cryin’ Wolf

    Criminal

    Move Like You Stole It

    — — —

    Blue Eyes Blind (remix)

  • Photos: ZZ Ward, The Social Orlando Florida

    Photos: ZZ Ward, The Social Orlando Florida

    By OBK STAFF