Filed under: Reviews, Show | Tags: 3OH3!, Chicago, Cobra Starship, Down With Webster, DWW, East Lansing, Electronic Rock, Gabe Saporta, Gym Class Heroes, Hot Mess, I Fight Dragons, Michigan State, Midtown, Snakes On a Plane, Sparty's Spring Party, Too Fast For Love Tour, Travie McCoy, UAB, University Activities Board, Victoria Asher, While The City Sleeps, Whoa Is Me
Yesterday was Michigan State’s Sparty’s Spring Party, an annual concert put on by the University Activities Board (UAB) at the Aud. This year, the board booked seven-man hip hip band Down With Webster and electro hipsters Cobra Starship.
I need to confess that I got to the show about a half hour late, missing out on almost all of Down With Webster’s set. In fact, I spent the rest of the show and part of today trying to figure out who the hell the opener was. If my roommate didn’t work at the venue, I still wouldn’t know. Horrible promotion for the band, good set (what I saw of it). They had an impossible energy, and the crowd DUG IT, big time. If you want to check out one of their tunes, listen to Whoa Is Me.
Next up was Cobra Starship. I had really mixed feelings about their set and their newest album, so I’m going to step through it using pros and cons.
PRO Electro dance beats
CON Lack of creativity/pretty generic tunes
PRO Energy, entertainment and interaction with crowd
CON Endless talking between songs
PRO Integrating MSU chant into techno song
CON Played only one track from first album
PRO Victoria Asher’s vocals
CON Victoria Asher slinking around a 5-foot area like she was bored all night
PRO Everything about vocalist Gabe Saporta
CON Still not Midtown
In the end, tickets were only $9 a pop and it was a good time. Cobra Starship is carrying on their Too Fast For Love tour with 3OH!3, Travie McCoy (frontman of Gym Class Heroes) and I Fight Dragons. I guarantee if you go, you’ll have plenty to dance to.
PS – I Fight Dragons is a Chicago-based band that plays using Nintendo controllers! Support Chicago talent and rage with 90s gaming artists, winwin!
Here’s a low-quality vid I managed to get of Cobra Starship performing Snakes On a Plane. Heads up: at 1:45, they grab some girls from the crowd to rap.
Filed under: Feature, Reviews | Tags: Alternative Rock, Dark Wave Disco, Electronic Rock, Harry James Management, Hip Hop, Kill Hannah, Music, Sanction Language, The Outfitters, Wicker Park
Currently Listening To: Sanction Language – Chicapolis Now
When I attained my publicity internship at Victory Records in early May, the next plan of action was to secure an apartment. My only requisition being that its location be easily accessible to get to work, I hit up the Facebook Marketplace like it was nobody’s business. When I was lucky enough to come across a 2-bedroom sublease from a lovely man named Rahul, I took it with relief.
Little did I know this apartment was located in Wicker Park, a neighborhood known for its music savvy residents.
The first neighbor to welcome me to the neighborhood was a hip-hop producing artist and vocalist from the fourth floor named Ron. A Chicago native, this well put together guy was quick to fill me in on his endeavors and show me around his apartment, which was filled with recording equipment accompanied with a chess set, set to the side for nights he needed to get his thoughts together.
Ron, who goes by the name “Veza” in his group Sanction Language, was kind enough to give me a copy of his latest CD, Chicapolis (Ski-ka-polis) Now. Mind you, I am not usually a huge hip hop fan, however, I do enjoy thoughtfully generated music regardless of genre when approached with it. The album offers vocals, beats and clips I have never heard anything like before, and provides relevant lyrics to those in ‘cago and cities nation wide. To check out Sanction Language, or their producer The Outfitters (which Ron is also very much a part of), visit www.theoutfittersmusic.com.
In passing conversation, Ron had mentioned an alternative band who lived next door to us. In an unrelated passing conversation about a cat with the band’s bassist Greg, I found that he was referring to the 15-year old international alternive band, Kill Hannah. I had never heard their music before, but checked out their single, Kennedy, which was featured on One Tree Hill a few years back. In short, it was great– dancy and catchy. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I suggest you do so.
And if you’re not into hip hop or alternative rock, techno may be your cup-o-tea? If that’s the case, check out Kill Hannah’s bassist’s side project Dark Wave Disco, which include three of Chicago’s most well-known DJs. They can promise no Michael Jackson, no country music and a good time.
In short, living in Wicker Park has proved an entertaining supplement to my 10 to 4 life at Victory Records.
