I’d be lying if I said I remembered everything that happened last night. It’s nearly 7PM and I’m still feeling all of those vodka Redbulls trying to make a comeback. The sunlight of the day kept me like a prisoner in my apartment and I would consider my cat’s meowing a loud noise at this point. All that being said, last night was a great show to start my year off with and I wouldn’t trade this hangover for anything.
Nazeem & Spencer Joles opened up the show with their funky brand of rap featuring a live trumpet and saxophone. The live instrumentation is something that I find to be rare in the rap/ hip-hop scene and something that will definitely have me remembering these guys. I will say that the two live instruments along with the two vocalists and DJ became a bit muddy at times but, even when the music seemed muddy, you could still hear the uniqueness of the group. Nazeem had an attitude and sound like Dem Atlas that meshed beautifully with Spencer Joles’ smooth voice that could be compared to Grieves. The two voices, looks, and attitudes put together with the backing instruments and DJ created a great opening act for the night.
Next up was Air Credits, an act that I was excited to see. Air Credits is the collaborative group of The Hood Internet and ShowYouSuck and they are definitely a force to be reckoned with. With an intense light show and a Kanye-esque frontman, these guys stopped the crowd dead in their tracks and demanded attention that they proved they more than deserved. They captivated the ever-growing audience throughout their set and did so with power and a in-your-face feeling. Even though my friends and were standing towards the back of the large venue, we felt the power that was radiating off the stage as if we were standing right in the front row.
Hailing from Wisconsin, WebsterX was the next act to take the stage. Something about WebsterX, aka Sam Ahmed just screamed “real”. Everything about him seemed real and genuine. The amount of passion that was coming off of the stage from WebsterX matched the power that Air Credits had brought to the show. Unfortunately, the one too many drinks that I had consumed earlier in the evening were catching up to me and my attention span seemed to be suffering but that all changed the second WebsterX brought Siren onto the stage.
The second Siren joined WebsterX for his song Doomsday I fell in love. My friends instantly started tugging on the sleeve of my coat and telling me that I absolutely had to write about this and I definitely agreed, the only issue is, I don’t quite know what to say about Siren. Her voice was the type to give you goosebumps and more. The way she just stood there and sang made it seem effortless. Her presence on stage matched that of WebsterX in the way that you could feel the passion and conviction behind her. As great as WebsterX was, I have to say that Siren was the show stopper of his set, hell, she stopped the whole damn show and I crave seeing her live and getting those goosebumps again.
Even with all of the amazing acts that performed last night, it was Sims who brought the night to a close and brought a truly great show to the table. Watching him perform in celebration of the release of his newest album More Than Ever reminded my why I think the hip-hop/rap scene in the Twin Cities is one of the best in the country and why I have a Doomtree tattoo on my arm.
Sims has power. He has passion. He has absolutely everything you could ask for. From the first second I heard his music I knew that he was going to be a staple in my life’s playlist. Even though last night was a record release show for his newest release, he played through some of his older songs including some of my favorites. Even though he brought local favorite P.O.S onto the stage for a song, all eyes were still on Sims and he proved that he is definitely a standout act in the much hyped local rap/ hip-hop scene.
I wish I had more to say about Sims’ set but, like so many other great sets, I just don’t have words to match the feeling I got as I danced around like an idiot with good friends by my side and a giant smile on my face.
Last night was one of those nights where I stood there and just took it all in with a giant, cheesy smile on my face. It was one of those nights where I realized that, yeah, this is where I’m supposed to be and this is what I’m supposed to be doing.
Line Up:
Venue: First Avenue
Sausage Fest Meter- 7 out of 10
Average Age of the Crowd- 28
Crowd Surfers- 0
Stage Divers-0
Broken Bones- 0
Fights-0
Drunkards Taken Out By Security- 0
Celebrity Sightings- None
Overall Score-9 out of 10
Show on Deck- Reel Big Fish/ Anti-Flag
January 10, 2017 at 12:14 am
It is great that you Listen to a Variety of Music Genres. and can Praise the Qualities of their Individual Sounds .It would be Good to see More Photos of the Performers.a picture tells a 1000 words and a Good Picture says more than Words will. But Good on you for Supporting the Local Music Scene.
January 10, 2017 at 12:22 am
Hey Graham, I definitely appreciate the feedback! I actually also work for Twincitiesmedia.net where we have really great photographers! Feel free to follow my reviews on there for more pictures! And thank you for such kind words!