In it’s seventh year of showcasing some of the best hip-hop from Portland to Eugene, SummerJam 2010 gave the WOW Hall in the heart of Eugene, Oregon a full menu with flavors from Northwest’s old and new schools of rap. With premiere acts the likes of Cool Nutz, Endr Won, Maniac Lok, Mackdub and Todd G as well as rising local talent such as Absoloot, J Will, Drops, Philosophy and J Philly, to name a few. Willy Mays aka Mackdub, has been pushing Oregon’s hip-hop scene for over 20 years and has been working with local rappers to elevate the Northwest.

Caught the last song of the night for Drama, the sound live was laid back. There must have been a lot of performers that had places to go because many of their backups were wearing various backpacks – “Hey dude, thanks for having me in the show but I gotta jet.” I got away with one of Drama’s CDs and there is a characteristically low key vibe with just enough flavor to keep things interesting. DJ Shimmy and Crisis hit the ground running, introducing the first Hispanic flavor of the night, spicing his rhymes hot like habanera with some rapid fire cholo-chops. Crisis began to awaken the crowd, getting the people moving but also drawing out one tactless detractor eager only to hear his favorite rapper which didn’t happen to be the act at hand.

Arriving with a posse both on the stage and in the crowd, Absoloot animated the stage with enthusiasm and a smooth delivery of some heavily street influenced lyrics. Sporting the signature “Got Guap”, Absoloot spins a tale of the darker side of life in Eugene. If the depictions of E-town life presented by Absoloot and other artists are correct, party-goers in Eugene might be henceforth be warned – B.Y.O.B.B (Bring Your Own Body Bag) as the local atmosphere in the Southern Willamette Valley is pretty heavy through their street tinted glasses. Keno’s sound progressed with heft as his performance warmed through the set. SummerJam was happily broadcast as an international gathering of local talent, the African native now rapping as Young If (pronounced eef) mixed in some multicultural elements but otherwise fit into the backdrop of American hip-hop quite snuggly.

While there was diversity in sound from the artists who performed prior to the arrival of Philosophy, it seems the college graduate was unique in his attempts to elevate the room by delivering something other than the sex-money-drugs formula so often repeated in much of mainstream music. Philosophy was also the first to bring his own accompaniment and appeared to have produced the beats for many of his own tracks. Through innovation, showmanship and energy Philosophy got a majority of the crowd moving, shouting along with his Northwest inspired lyrics while bodies were bouncing up and down. The chorus line for Kent B’s homage to the ladies in the crowd, “You Don’t Know How You Make Me Feel” was perhaps the most sing-along-friendly hook of the night. Drops and the Green State crew had a fluid blend of styles with Mackdub and proud uncle Dustin Fuller contributing on several tracks.

Eugene’s reformed and born again pimp Todd G brought some old school flavor with his Gorilla Gospel. Fresh on local soil after having recently returned from touring Europe with the premiere of Northwest hip-hop, Todd G has built his own celebrity with features in publications like The Source and Vibe, you can dig more into his personal story of streets-to-redemption at www.toddgministries.com. Todd G shared the stage with a cameo from Rated X who flawlessly delivered the only freestyle rhyme of the night. Rapper J Philly and Sasquatch have joined forces to create the hip-hop super group The Cavedwellers, and the crowd was responsive to their unique take on old school spits. In addition to his role as the organizer and MC of SummerJam 2010, Mackdub kept the party rolling by inciting the crowd with a few raps of his own. J Will was constant in his role of CEO of beats for the night and stepped from behind the turntables to kill the crowd by raising his own mic.

Northwest A-List Rap Celbrity Cool Nutz took the stage like a pro with Maniac Lok and DJ Fatboy tearing things up. For whatever reason, either Eugenian hip-hop heads are all on 11:30PM curfew or just don’t have a lot of respect for those who are really pushing the Oregon scene at the highest levels, but the crowd thinned out during one of the best performances of the night. Just in case the reader is unaware, Cool Nutz aka Terrance Scott, helms The Northwest Radio Breakout Show, Oregon Hip-Hop Festival and founded Jus Family Records with business partner Bosco Kante. Cool Nutz and the crew will be returning to E-Town on October 3, 2010 at the McDonald Theatre when Tech N9ne comes to town. Taking center stage in his hometown, Eugene’s own internationally known son of swag, Endr Won torched the stage with blends from his earlier and admittedly darker themes as well as the lighter, while still not cuddly, side of his more recent music. Endr Won was all pro even amidst the flippancy of Eugene’s too good for what’s good magically evaporating crowd.

SummerJam 2010 was a fun and full bodied blend of some of the best old and new school Northwest hip-hop available. Mackdub and the WOW Hall were enthusiastic hosts and our introduction to the venue left us hungry for more. Keep tabs here at hurdcore.com as we follow up with artists from SummerJam and prepare for more live performances here in the Willamette Valley.

Interviews with the best of local artists and national acts, hurdcore.com is – “fans supporting local music.” Posts interviews every Sunday with local artists from hip-hop to metal as well as additional content throughout the week. Covering local bands, concerts and venues from Seattle to Portland, Medford to Spokane, Eugene to Idaho and as well as the Midwest and California. Hurdcore.com supports local music ranging from hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, indie and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook. To request album reviews, band bios, content management, interviews or to discuss advertising opportunities email us – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12

Part of what we hope to accomplish at hurdcore.com is to inspire fans and bands to connect and participate rather than just observe the world around them. If you have a favorite band, now is your time to shine and get them a spot on the Vans Warped Tour by voting for them to play in the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands. You can vote as many times as you one but only once a day. Take a few seconds, gather your brosephs and lets get some local bands to the top of the heap!

The Top 100 vote getting bands for each venue will be eligible to win a slot to play live on the Vans Warped Tour. All 100 bands for each venue will be reviewed by a panel of industry professionals comprised of our partners, Vans Warped Tour Organizers, and Ernie Ball Inc. Four bands will be chosen to perform live on the Ernie Ball Stage for each date of the 2010 Vans Warped Tour.

Check out the hurdcore.com Battle of The Bands Page – HERE

VENUE: Battle of the Bands – St. Louis, Missouri
July 5, 2010 @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

When Bears Attack (Screamo – IL)

VENUE: Battle of the Bands – George, Washington
August 14, 2010 @ Gorge Ampitheater

We Move Mountains (Screamo – WA)

VENUE: Battle of the Bands – Hillsboro, Oregon
August 15, 2010 @ The Washington County Fairgrounds

Roseway (Hardcore – Portland)

Tallboy (Hardcore/Metal – Medford)

Elenora (Screamo – Roseburg)

Swinglow (Metal – WA)

Fallstar (Screamo – Portland)

Something About Airplanes (Pop – Portland)

Aleen (Rock – Portland)

allshewrote
(Screamo – Portland)

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

In an iTunes era, where we consumers pick and choose our playlists from a virtual buffet of musical offerings, a day full of local metal ought to inspire even the most casual of fans to sample a exhibition of live local music. Savage Fest was not only a stage featuring a perpetual onslaught of metal, hardcore, progressive, melodic and a whole host of other -core local artists, The Camas Courthouse served as a theater showcasing the finest of Washington and Oregon skull melting rock. As hurdcore.com continues to team with local artists, agents and venues to promote what is happening in your neck of the enchanted musical forest, we hope to inspire an army of fans who don’t just observe but who participate in the best of what music has to offer. We are fans supporting local music and it was our great pleasure to get our metal on with the bands who performed Saturday, April 24th, 2010 for Savage Fest at The Camas Courthouse (hopefully the first of many).

Local acoustic favorites Jack Devore and Andy Hokanson (drummer for If All Else Fails) opened Savage Fest with back-to-back intimate sets. Both utilized the emotional tone of the acoustic with great skill and each had a commanding presence of their voices, Jack the quieter of the two would hit higher notes in stride without straining whereas Andy’s sound had a distinct pop-edge. Mourning For Memories was first up to bring out the brutal, operating with a youth and energy that make it clear that these dudes are developing a chemistry in their sound that won’t soon be forgotten. Mourning for Memories brought with them a significant segment of the local crowd and introduced the savage throngs to what will heretofore be distinguished as hello-kitty-core (note pic). On a day full of metal, scheduled for nearly 10 hours of back to back riffs, shreds and breakdowns, the diversity of what blossoms under the “metal” umbrella was already a feature note. Transitioning from thrash to popcore with Portland based Chin Up Rocky, mixing elements of pop, screamo, punk and what many are calling post-hardcore. Chin Up Rocky carries a positive if not happy tone that still has enough bite to induce you to get low.

The first and only band of the night to have two members dedicated exclusively to vocals was local hardcore/death metal quintet Edessa, sharing duties with guttural and serpentine screams. Edessa taps into the sound of old school hardcore bands such as Point of Recogniton with a proper mix of current dynamics to have already attracted for themselves a devoted local following. The band that perhaps traveled the farthest, hailing from Maple Valley, Washington also introduced the Savage Fest crowd to an apt use of simple props by backlighting their set with floodlights to create an ambiance that brought the band seemingly in full 3D into the crowd. We Move Mountains turned the mayhem dial up to 11 with a forceful combination of energy, creativity and dark mystery enough to be the backdrop for any number of Burton-esque films, inciting the crowd with cryptic incantations such as, “I’m normal. I’m normal. I swear to God, I’m normal.” While we at hurdcore.com may be slightly prejudice being that We Move Mountains was one of our first interviews (see WMM Interview), an experience with self described “catchy melodic McDonald’s-core” will be enough to get any bi-pedal creature fiending for more of their fierce riffs and spaztastic live performances. Look for more of We Move Mountains as they just wrapped shooting their video for popular song “Dan Nettekoven Snakes the Win” and a full length album to drop later this year.

Portland, Oregon doomsday death metal brought its local rep in Daematta who is in a period of transformation to break from a self-perceived pigeoning in the bland “name-your-core” mix of local artists and into a more distinct blackening of their metal roots. Savage Fest continued to showcase the best of heavy local music introducing the crowd to a band that was so dialed in as a professional act that perhaps the only pieces missing from this Portland thrash/metal band was a tour bus and personal roadies. Almost Is Nothing has the presence of master, gear legitimate enough to make even the casual fan salivate and a sound so shred-tastic that the only question remaining is whether your face or the dueling fret boards will last long enough to complete an entire set of this audio assault. Even the casual fan can see that Almost Is Nothing is on the brink of greatness, those who have the opportunity to witness them live while they remain at this level of public recognition should realize that it won’t be long before rocking with AIN won’t come at such a bargain.

Bring Me Solace is fairly new to launch upon the Portland area melodic/progressive metal scene, yet it doesn’t take long to notice a care to their sound the reaches far beyond a fashionable title. In the span of a 30 minute set, the bassist for Bring Me Solace walked, jogged and ran through every inch of his six-stringed fretboard multiple times, part symphonic Jedi mixed mixed with the shear brutality of Paul Bunyan dropping his behemoth axe through a withering forest. Longview, Washington based Upon Departure is another band that we at hurdcore.com had a previous interaction with, interviewing them in late 2009 as they began working on their latest release (still in the works – see UD Interview). Live, the riffs of Upon Departure oozed with some of the heaviest breakdowns of a day full of metal madness. Firmly grounded in their hardcore/metal roots, the young men of Upon Departure continue to challenged themselves to expand the experimental aspects of their music venture.

With an impressive local following and a willingness to experiment with intriguing harmonic concepts, as Focus On The Skyline continues to hone their craft and perform together they will acquire the synchronicity needed to produce a crisper edge to their sound. And The Sirens Sang appears to be on the fast track with live performance laced with a blue collar creativity that both imprints their set into the recesses of your memory as well as begs the question what they might be able to assemble with a larger budget. The largest band of Savage Fest by numberic standards, rocked double axes with bass, rapid drums, thoroughbred keys and a team approach to vocal responsibilities in addition to the designated throat. And The Sirens Sang literally filled the comfortable stage of The Camas Courthouse while flooding the crowd with an impressively polished sound that brandished a full-time commitment to exploring the potential of Key-core (or as my good friend aptly remarked, “It’s like Anberlin on a massive dose of steroids”). Combining skill, creativity and an unparalleled work ethic with most members holding responsibilities in multiple music related ventures without losing a step in the progression of And The Sirens Sang.

To my own dismay, I awoke the morning of the long awaited Savage Fest with a throbbing headache and bronchitis-esque cough. I held out as long as possible but illness and responsibilities at home lured me away from witnessing the combined brutality of local favorites Aleen, Settle’s Idols and the pit-masters of Portland, Proven. On a day full of metal at its purest, hardcore at the grassroots ever accelerating through the local atmosphere, and yet still “fans” balk at the opportunity to experience the music with abandon. Every major band started somewhere and whether you are a fan of a particular band or genre, the thrill of a live performance is a display of those who have dared to put their dreams in motion. Keep rockin’ local and when I see you next, let’s get moving!

GET DOWNZ TOUR to kick off at The Camas Courthouse (89 C Street, Washougal, WA) June 19, 2010 featuring And The Sirens Sang, We Move Mountains and Upon Departure – Tour runs North and East through Washington and then South from Eugene, Oregon (June 28th – rock with hurdcore.com!)

Check out the bands from Savage Fest:
Jack Devore (Blues, Camas, WA)
Mourning For Memories (Thrash – Washougal, WA)
Chin Up Rocky (Happy Hardcore, Portland)
Edessa (Hardcore – Camas, WA)
We Move Mountains (Metal – Maple Valley, WA)
Daematta (Death Metal, Portland)
Almost Is Nothing (Thrash, Portland)
Bring Me Solace (Progressive, Portland)
Upon Departure (Metal – Longview, WA)
Focus On The Skyline (Post-hardcore, Camas, WA)
And The Sirens Sang (Screamo, OR)
Aleen (Screamo, WA)
Idols (Death Metal, Seattle)
Proven (Metal, Portland)

Hurdcore.com – Midwest discovers River Music Experience’s Redstone Room >> RME Article

Interview with A Hope For Home
> Portland, Oregon based Progressive/Hardcore band recently released their 3rd full length album “Realis” on Facedown Records. >> AHFH Interview

Interview with Ivan de Prume of Metalopolis
> Former drummer of White Zombie now working with Portland, Oregon alternative rock radio 101.1 FM KUFO broadcasting Metalopolis every Saturday night from 10PM to 12AM. >> IDP Interview

Interview with Legionnairre Apparel
> Creative collaboration with Joe Moxely and Mike Hererra (of MxPx and Tumbledown) producing men and women’s clothing out of Medford, Oregon. >> JM Interview

Hurdcore.com – Midwest experiences When Bears Attack (thank you for the shirts!), Renae, Eagle Scout, Kidnap The Sun and Sleeper Wakes Society @ Mixtapes in Moline, Illinois >> Mix Article and Mix Videos

Interview with Will Breitner
> Perhaps the hardest working local music grassroots mogul, spear heading bands And The Sirens Sang and Legion of Lepers, pioneering Siren Studios to help local musicians record and organizing Savage Fest (4/24/10), an all metal festival showcasing some of the best of Washington and Oregon metal. >> WB Interview

Interview with Hopecore.com
Feedback from Jameson Ketchum and Jeremy Seick on their work with online entertainment magazine and online radio, hopecore.com works with some of the finest artists in the Christian/positive music scene. >> HC Interview

See some live videos of Oregon metal (We Move Mountains, Almost Is Nothing, And The Sirens Sang) and hip-hop (Suganuts, Pynt Syze) on our [hurdcore.com] – Northwest Myspace VIDEO PAGE as well as Illinois screamo/hardcore on our YOUTUBE PAGE – this month includes the hilarious “drunk guy” giving rock advice to touring bands as they wait for the show to start at Mixtapes (Moline, Illinois).

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

Mixtapes in Moline, Illinois is making music happen for the Quad Cities. When not hosting bands from Illinois and beyond, Mixtapes boasts a variety of music and arts related business outlets such as an in-house tattoo parlor (Meno’s) and record store. As the bands and fans were waiting for the show to start an unpaid artist consultant (sarcasm) decided to stop by the small crowd in front of Mixtapes to share a few volumes from his wealth of entertainment knowledge. You can see some of the video of that encounter, now infamously dubbed “the drunk guy video”, on our hurdcore.com Midwest youtube page.

Opening a show can require heavy lifting at times, thankfully the lead singer for Nevada based Legions brought his muscles, rocking a pre-governator Arnie pose and setting Mixtapes on fire with their brand of metalcore. Iowa’s Kidnap The Sun introduced the crowd to the wall of death, as their synth pop-core brought dancers and ladies to the center of the room. The members of When Bears Attack knelt together near the drums as the voice of God rang out quoting those ex nihlo words of creation recorded in Genesis chapter 1, “Let there be light!” Aside from their creative blend of synth and hardcore, aptly classed as keycore, these young men accented their non-stop energy with a double strobe lighted gang plank that provided a platform to place them closer to and over the crowd.

On this fine Friday night in East Moline, Mixtapes boasted a remarkable blend of alternative -cores spawned from the hardcore family tree, with Eagle Scout taking indie to the max and inciting a stream of sing-a-longs. Perhaps a new vogue in stage theatrics is in the making as the drummer from Renae took to spitting on the bass player. Upon inquiry this was a recent ploy from the band that is taken in stride between the two who have no animosity towards each other, yet at one point the expectorate was so loaded that the bass player was encumbered by a loogie dangling from his playing hand. “This is our time. This is the end,” came the synth infused screamo/thrash opening incantation from locals Sleeper Awake Society. “Montana is basically Canada,” came the words of wisdom from bassist for Midnight Drive who started his night with a tattoo showcasing his home state across his upper chest.

Mixtapes has a good thing going with their ties in the Moline community and their several tiered approach to crafting a viable concert destination with record sales, music merch, live music venue and Meno’s Ink. The venue provides a close knit music experience and a regular diet of the Midwest’s finest local artists. Get your tats while you get personal with the bands, just be sure to arrive early because you never know who you may meet while you wait!

Mixtape’s Concert Venue and Record Store
including Meno’s Ink and Tattoo Parlor:
832 15th Avenue, East Moline, Illinois.

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

If you never roll the dice, never risk something, then you’ll never reap the reward of having first learned and second expanded your opportunities to grow. Oregon’s First – The Everything Show set out with an ambitious goal to host a night that would offer “something for everyone.” Without catering to any specific crowd or scene, The Everything Show’s promoter Danny Morgan, Jr. (aka Suganuts), assembled a diverse blend of Oregon’s finest local talent for a night of musical variety. There was no doubt that most of the bands that came understood the vision for bringing such an ecclectic group together and responded themselves by giving 110% in their performances. Meeting several of these unique artists, who came from all over Oregon and were in various stages of their evolution as performers, it was inspiring to discuss the common pursuit of chasing their dreams through the expression afforded via their music.

Being the first act, has a certain dichotomy, where an artist bears the honor and burden of opening a show to set the tone for the night. While Pynt Syze brings a unique touch and high energy, between technical difficulties and a youth crowd confined to the distant balcony the response wasn’t up to par with what the young performer might have hoped for. KTR has a great sound with a meld of classic and modern rock, their compositions seamlessly rotate to brandish the talent of each musician. The play between percussion, acoustic and electric guitars provides KTR with a full bodied sound and the dual vocals gives a smooth dynamic that keeps things interesting in the melodies. If you don’t like ska, be careful stating such around Eugene’s Wetsock as their drummer dangerously resembles karate’s most notorious iconoclast, Chuck Norris. Wetsock brought high energy from the start that didn’t let up for a moment, with a spectacular blend of ska, punk, surf, reggae and swing. Treu aka Tha Hustla is the consummate professional, knowing that if the crowd isn’t warm sometimes you have to manually ignite them. Diversity was definitely on display when you consider that by this point in the show we’ve gone from 14 year old hip-hop local prodigy, classic rock, ska/punk and gangster style hip-hop.

Greenlander has a polished sound and look but don’t let the ties fool you, these gentlemen are ready to get down, with heavy riffs, pace changes and a crisp rock tone. October Rising has carved a local presence with their acoustic indie rock which elegantly plays with instrumental and vocal harmonies. Where time constraints and technical difficulties had prevented Will Woodruff from firing up his microphone for a full scale comedic assault, when intermission made an opening for The People’s Comedian to deliver, the crowd responded. Cracking jokes about his troubles with women and the societal disparities in perceptions of men driving mini-vans. Will is very personable, his comedy and beat-boxing skills played well with an Albany crowd. It’s wild to observe that the band that traveled the farthest, whom has the most momentum going for them currently and perhaps has played on the biggest stages of any of the acts, also delivered the deepest onslaught of musical mayhem for the night. It’s clear why Medford’s hardest working hardcore band, Tallboy, has been able to make such waves, as these young men put on a clinic of passion and professionalism, going all out as well as ALL over the place. DJ Unofficial was totally into the night, spinning and working with artists to add spice to a show that always brought something new.

The great thing about a live experience is that even when you aren’t used to a particular style of music, it is hard not to appreciate the work that goes into writing, composing and performing a song live. There is an energy to live performances that doesn’t always translate through recordings, so whether you are seeing your favorite band live or getting to experience something new, the opportunity to see such talented local artists on display is a blessing that shouldn’t be taken for granted. While there weren’t as many people on the dance floor as some would have liked, the crowd was always responsive, interacting with the bands and even cheering heartily throughout their sets. The biggest response of the night came for the shows organizer, seasoned local hip-hop artist Suganuts (aka Danny Morgan Jr.) who demo’d several of the rough cuts for his upcoming album ‘Natural’, which likely will be releasing later this year. Flo closed the night with her beautiful voice and classy R&B sound. On a night which envisioned a little of “something for everyone” the reception was creatively encapsulated by the t-shirt designs from The Sign Express which displayed a crunked out Charlie Brown and turn table spinning Linus. Oregon’s First – The Everything Show perhaps planted a seed, a vision/tone for what can happen when fans, promoters and artists are willing to color outside of the lines.

What more could be said, props to Suganuts for his vision and the amazing local performers who poured themselves out for this one of a kind show. Huge thanks to the sponsors for The Everything Show: Riley’s Bar & Grill is a spacious and beautiful venue with so much potential; KC Productions & Entertainment for stretching and laboring to make everything work; The Sign Express for designing and sponsoring the awesome Everything Show T-shirts; J Photography for getting into the action and capturing so many of the memories; Downtown Tattoo & Piercing for always being good to Albany music; Hightides Pipe & Tobacco for their generous support; Jack & Jill’s Barber Shop for your support and great hair cuts; Go Figure for all you do for Albany women and your willingness to get right into the mix; Nancy of The Entertainer for helping spread the word on all things local; Noah of The Alchemist for sharing your platform and working hard to help local art thrive; Paradox Production for pushing quality local hip-hop; Magnolia Audio & Music; Movies & Magic; Ciddici’s Pizza; AND EVERYONE WHO PASSED OUT FLIERS, TOLD SOMEONE AND CAME TO THE SHOW!

ALL photos for this article courtesy of J Photography – check/book them HERE

For more information, interviews and updates for live local music concert tours. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, alternative, acoustic, power pop, thrash, R&B, soul, reggae, indie, heavy metal, organic, progressive, funk, death metal, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

Hurdcore:Midwest set out this evening to observe a performance by a friend of hurdcore, Quad Cities, Illinois based rock/metal band Eleven Fifty Two. One this night there were two items of distinction the bands performance, which is one of (if not) their first as well as the beautiful and spacious venue in Davenport, Iowa known as The Redstone Room – both a first for hurdcore.

Eleven Fifty Two boast a heavy rock sound with a creative blend of metallic riffs and full bodied melodies. For only their first performance, EFT has a great stage presence as several of the local patrons noted, “Did I get here late, are you sure this is the opening act?!” Eleven Fifty Two is one of those bands who sounds as good in recording as they do live and translates their passion from live performances to their recordings. These are good looking dudes, which always helps when you are a local upstart working the grassroots of the bar circuit. There were several moments in between songs where the band displayed their presence with comical interactions, even when they were still working out the kinks with a few misfires from members of the band starting before the whole was ready.

This four piece hard rock/metal band is poised for regional dominance in the Illinois and Iowa local rock scenes. As described by the band,

Our music is pieced together with hard hitting drums, heavy guitars and a mix of rock and thrashy riffs that’ll get you stomping along.

Keep an eye out as Dustin [Vocals/Guitar], Mike [Guitar/Backing Vocals], Erik [Percussion] and Steve [Bass] continue to develop their live act. Stay up to speed with Eleven Fifty Two by checking in on their MySpace or check out video of the show at Hurdcore on Youtube – 11.50.2.

Unfortunately family duties beckoned from seeing the other acts for, but the venue itself was a highlight for the night and hurdcore looks forward to returning for many shows to come. The River Music Experience got its upstart in June of 2004 as one of seven pieces of the Davenport, Iowa’s River Renaissance supported by state, county and local government ventures as well as private investors, which was passed in 2001.  RME’s approach is multi-faceted exhibiting the heritage of Mississippi River music, with a specific emphasis on the Quad Cities creative history.  River Music Experience has hosted live bands, artists and performers from all genres while expanding their promotion and influence in local music through a variety of educational programming.

Our Mission: The River Music Experience (RME) exists [as a not for profit 501(c)3] to give Quad-City residents and visitors opportunities to experience America’s music, and most especially the music of the Mississippi River, through live music performances and programs which nurture, educate and inspire musicians, and music appreciators.

In short…The RME is a nonprofit helping build the Quad-City music scene through diverse live music and unique educational programming.

With a total space of over 31,000 square feet, The River Music Experience operates the bottom three floors of a historic five story building in the heart of Davenport, Iowa.  On the second floor is The Redstone Room, which serves as RME’s live music venue and boasts a full calendar of local and national artists from various genres.  Mojo’s serves as the RME’s spacious coffee house and Community Stage, with a collection of books, CDs, music as well as a calendar of local, regional and visiting artists offering live performances and open mic nights several nights a month.  Within the spectrum of RME’s instructional approach is an education based recording studio, The Sound Lab, and other successful programs like Rock Camp USA and partnerships with West Music to provide instrumental music lessons.

The River Music Experience is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees and managed by a professional staff. Contact us at 877-326-1333 or visit them online

River Music Experience
131 West 2nd Street
Davenport, IA 52801-1828
(563) 326-1333
www.rivermusicexperience.org

Arrived early to Riley’s to do a sit down with Kris aka DJ Gravy also of KC Productions & Entertainment and got to discuss what-it-is with John aka Poverty’s Posterboy of Northwest Noise as well. While KC Productions & Entertainment is now a staple most nights at Riley’s, KC and NW Noise have joined forces and are working a format to bring in larger name hip-hop artists from Portland down through the Bay (CA), pair them with known local acts and produce quality hip-hop shows here in Albany, Oregon. Headlining this night’s roster of rap was Cool Nutz, who is perhaps Oregon’s most renowned rapper and now gatekeeper for rising hip-hop acts through The Northwest Breakout Radio Show on KXJR Jammin’ 107.5, airing every Saturday night from 6pm-8pm.

J Lil opened the night making a hilarious comment about rapping like there is only 2 years left (ala predictions aggrandized by feature films such as 2012). Slap Addicts elicited a response from the crowd with a chorus line well executed to a driving beat – “If you feelin’ this **** nod up and down…” Seemed that just about the time the crowd had warmed up, their set was over. It’s interesting to observe the dynamic between performer and audience, to ponder how much of the connection can be scientifically measured, as though there were a formula which could guarantee fan-demonium. It appears that the basic elements are beat (the music), energy (the performance) and lyric (the content), with various intangibles that can either heighten or reduce the potential for success. If it were all scientific, then copy-cats would thrive but three different artists could be given the same beat, lyric and crowd and each solicit varying responses.

Weside, “with no T”, and Ugly Kid gave a good performance with Wes’ classic rap sound. Markus Tha Great White and Yung Royal perhaps gave the performance of the night, coming with all barrels blazing – “I’m no bragger but I got swagger.” Markus and Yung are a dynamic pair to say the least, Royal is button down with slick back hair, Tha Great White has an unrivaled charisma, and together they burn up a stage. Listening to content, an element stands out where an artist can either address himself and what he would do to/with someone else in various wanton acts or while referring to the same subject matter an artist can use his words to invite a crowd to express themselves, to join together in a sort of celebration. As an observation, few crowds will engage an artist who speaks solely of themselves in a particular act unless that artist has reached a certain plateau, whether Yung and Markus have picked up on this factor intentionally or not, they have demonstrated a rare aptitude for inciting dormant crowds to movement.

Flow would have played well for Rx Tha Perscription but an intermission was called from which Rx and his bevvy of rap accomplices recovered well. For residents of the southern end of the Willamette Valley, there could be no more perfect song than “Where We’re From”. Poverty’s Posterboy and Mr. 541 are the masterminds behind this adept melody, yet anyone with an ear can tell these two have talent that could reach far beyond this region. Pov and 541 stepped their game up this night and put on a show to remember. Kenny Mack took the stage solo for a few tracks and then the all out party started with Maniac Lok, DJ Fatboy and Cool Nutz himself taking the stage. Cool is a man of class, he arrived on time with his crew, staying on site for each of the local acts to do their thing, gave props where due but was understandably disenchanted when several of the local artists either left or were no where to be found during his set. Having a live DJ spinning for an artists definitely takes a performance up a notch and Cool and his crew were all class in giving Albany a genuine show. Whether the moment was appreciated by all, this was a blend of the closest thing to Oregon rap royalty in the mix with what those in the 541 know to be some of the finest hip-hop perhaps in the country.

While some of these performers may remain our little secret, if a rap bracket were arranged, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Albany made a run deep into that hypothetical tourney. KC Productions & Entertainment has the sound and lights dialed in there in a space at Riley’s that has potential to be a destination point for something special. As a fan of music, it was good to see local music continuing to put themselves out there to chase their dreams. Props to Cool Nutz and his crew for venturing into this neck of the woods. Kudos to KC and NW Noise, if they keep their momentum and work to build strong relationships with local artists, Albany, Oregon may even become the hot spot many dream it to be.

Keep up with what’s going on at Riley’s by checking in with KC Productions & Entertainment as well as Northwest Noise

Catch Cool Nutz as he hosts The Northwest Breakout Radio Show EVERY Saturday on KXJM Jammin’ 107.5 (Portland, OR) – call and request your favorite local artists!

For more information, interviews and updates for live local music concert tours. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, alternative, acoustic, power pop, thrash, R&B, soul, reggae, indie, heavy metal, organic, progressive, funk, death metal, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships and advertisers – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

As stated before, hurdcore.com is primarily geared towards fans supporting local bands, venues and events with an emphasis towards “all ages” offerings, so our recent foray into the Albany (Oregon) hip-hop community deviates some in the “all ages” aspect but is certainly well rooted in the local details. Just to be clear, our endorsement of local rap artists does come with the disclaimer that Albany’s local hip-hop talent isn’t PG (I know, shocking) in its content, but it cannot be denied as perhaps the local scene with the most traction and deepest support.

I was recently invited to travel with local artist Suganuts (interview link here) to attend a local show at Cantina in Corvallis (Oregon). As usual the show was well attended, and by several claims was by far the best attended live show to date at that venue. Local acts included: Suganuts, Poverty’s Posterboy (interview link here), Mr. 541, Treu, Markus Tha Great White (interview link here), Yung Royal, and so many more. I originally set out to review the show as a whole, but decided that as hip-hop isn’t a scene of origin here at hurdcore.com, I might be a small voice to share an outsiders view to what may be unknown about this brand of local rap.

So, whether you are unfamiliar and/or have passed on the local rap scene it because of pre-conceived notions of what hip-hop is all about there are a few things that stand out to me whenever I am around this group of artists that I think might cast a different light. This is a gathering of individuals who refuse to let their dream die. I don’t mean that to sound as though its a rag-tag bunch of has-beens that don’t know when to quit, but in the much respected sense of people who are punching the clock like the rest of us to take care of their families, bills and life-in-general but people unlike many, who maintain the resolve and discipline to carve out time to pursue their craft. These aren’t people trapped in a dream sequence of what could be, these are artists driven to act upon their passions and willing to put themselves to the fire.

More than a gathering of individual artists, this is a community of artists who have become incredibly tight knit in their support for each other while maintaining a distinction of uniqueness in their presentation of this music genre. Immediately apparent is an underlying respect for each other as artists, which comes with a celebration of individual accomplishments and an eagerness to collaborate on stage as well as in production. Even though they perform together, produce and appear on each others albums, individual artists maintain their uniqueness to such a degree that no act sounds alike. If you venture out to a local show, you will be witness to a community on the rise with a buffet of hip-hop offerings from real people who sing and share in real life.

So, if you’ve ever had a dream and wanted to be a part of a genuine community that creating momentum together, I think you would have a hard time finding that you don’t appreciate these characteristics on display wherever Albany (Oregon) hip-hop is performing. Rap may not be your thing, but perhaps you will think a little differently the next time you notice Albany (Oregon) Hip-Hop being promoted.

For UPCOMING EVENTS most of the artists mentioned in this article have Myspace pages that they update frequently, as a standard, Bogey’s Bar and Grill (Albany, Oregon) hosts Hip-Hop Night every Wednesday usually starting around 10PM.

SIDENOTE: The question that I have been asking both hardcore/rock and rap artists as well as fans, is how would a collaboration show work? I believe we can get local rock bands and hip hop artists together, several have said that they would do it, but where would we host it (primarily thinking it should be an all ages venue) and how best could we promote to generate a turn out? It seems Corvallis has a great diversity of rock offerings and Albany has to be one of the best rap communities that I observed to date, so what do WE say – at hurdcore.com we’d love your input on how to make this happen – YOU can make it happen! Taking suggestions for artists, venues and even a cause that might bring this all together.