Sunday, February 27, 2011

TONIGHT! The AustinSurreal Show Turns 1 Year Old!

Well sort of. I guess we started on Feb. 7, 2010 but tonight is the 52nd show! So that's 52 weeks = 1 year of the AustinSurreal show.


Tune in tonight please cuz I neeeed you. This a big night for me!

CLICK HERE FOR THE HIGH QUALITY STREAM! 11pm - 1am Central Time.

Tell a friend to tell a friend, all over the world. Listen live on the internet or on your Android, Blackberry or iPhone. I have an Android phone and I use the TuneIn app to listen. It's hands down the best app on my phone. Every station in the world that you can imagine is ON THERE!

VIDEO: "We Gon' Make It" - League of Extraordinary G'z

Some of the best in the game right now. Bringing it real. League of Extraordinary G'z. You gone fill dat.

VIDEO: "I Got 'Em" - Pimpin' Pen, Lil J, Sertified, + K-Paul

Off the newly released WAT DAT IZ! Compilation. If you want to know what's going on in ATX right now, peep the video and this page right here.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Sat. Mar. 5th! BUDOS BAND IN ATX!
Mardi Gras Pardi Gras on Red River!

Man, I love the Budos Band. This is really goin' down.



It makes me think of the first time i went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It was like 1991, I definitely wasn't 21 yet, but that was ok cuz it was New Orleans in those days, and most places didn't seem to give a fuck how old you were, at least not around that time of year. In fact I think the drinking age may have even been still 18 or something.

But me and my boy Magnum Mike went out there like 2 weeks before Fat Tuesday and drank like fiends everyday, while staying at Deborah of Devil Dolls Booking fame's big ass house. We were kind of a nuisance. All I really remember is running out of money and driving around to every Chevron we could find and buying each store out of their 40 ozs with my Chevron card, and then forming an improvisational hardcore band called The Magnum 440 Honeybuns, and somehow convincing a promoter named Mary X that WE were the band she needed to replace the Agitators with when they canceled their Fat Tuesday show with L-7. So yeah, we opened for L-7, fucked up out of our minds, wearing Deborahs clothes, drinking int he streets of New Orleans. Those were the daze.

Def gonna try to recapture that at this event. LEMME GET AN OPENING SLOT IF SOMEONE DROPS OUT. I'll make it good.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Wha fuck this boy talm bout?

The video in the post below is the hottest song in Texas at the moment to me, as hath been stated, but this video right here is the livest video in the world right now. Fat Tony - NBOMB U Ain't Fat.



Lol I fill dat.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

I kinda feel like this is the most jammin song in Texas at the moment

What do you think? Lemme know. This shit slaps to me.



Word to that boy Picnic, like a mug.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble Live in Texas
Pics! Videos!

OMG OMG OMG OMG I can't believe I am a week late on this post. This time of year is NOT the time of year where I can really keep up with this blog. We are one month out from SXSW and well, my heads a mess, as usual. But thank the Lord in the high heavens for this event last week, A Time For Healing tour did just what it was supposed to...


These pics are from the Austin Show. And at the end of the post you'll see a video sent to me by The Aspiring ADD (RIP BIG MELLO! My man!) of the Houston show.


Put it this way, no one left these shows without being touched. The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble delivered a musical cleansing in the best way.


People told me they could feel the stress and bad vibes melt right off of their shoulders and fall down to the floor.


I definitely felt it.


I mean, I fill dat.




2 sets, almost an hour each. A strong encore. And Ernest Khabeer Dawkins and Corey Wilkes out in the crowd getting all the people up to dance.


It was like the ultimate musical climax. And most of you missed it. You people really should listen to me better.


Martin was int he house! Seen here chatting with Nikki. Nikki was the first person in the door!


Anyway, peep the videos below. You will see, but maybe not totally feel, how amazing and refreshing and brilliant these shows were. Blew my mind and cleansed my soul. Also destroyed my pockets. But whatever, it was worth it. Next time I do some shit like this, you need to listen to me. Dummies all listening to dumb ass music and shit. Sorry, it had to be said.

Live in Austin


Live in Houston

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Crew54 Reality Show!
My birfday! Pharcyde! MORE!

Man shout out to the dudes who do more for the Central Texas hip-hop scene than anybody else. Y'all really put it down.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Wednesday night AUSTIN! Thursday Night HOUSTON!
ETHNIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE!



Thanks to everyone who has showed love!

Austin Chronicle!


Austin360
!


The Austinist
!

GREG RICKARD ON KAZI! (Click here to download and hear the interview + songs)

Knuckle Rumbler!

Special shout out to Pedro "PG" Moreno of Epistrophy Arts for all the help on all levels.

And to everyone who has helped, let us put up posters, etc, Thank you so much.

It's bout to go down. As evidenced by these videos below.









IT'S REALLY GOIN' DOWN! IT'S FINALLY HERE!

Monday, February 7, 2011

My Jazz Photos
Kahil El Zabar and My Chicago Jazz Memories

(Click Photos to see Full Size)

My wife and I lived in Chicago from Nov. 1st of 1998 - Nov. 1st of 2001, 3 years exactly. Over the turn of the century. While the weather there was definitely a bit much to bear, I'll always appreciate the musical experience I had in that city. I have lived in Houston, New York, Austin, Amsterdam, none of those cities music scenes even compare to what goes on in Chicago. Every genre is dominated by innovators.

Especially the jazz scene. The best players in the world come from, and come to, the Windy City and the output is consistently next level. So I totally jumped in and checked out everything I could while I was there.

I'd go see everybody. The first time I saw Kahil El Zabar play was at the Steppenwolf Theater in January of 1999. He and his Ritual Trio played alongside Archie Shepp and Mark Isham in one of the illest combination's I had ever seen up until that point.


Ritual Trio

Anyway I eventually got a job at the record store Dr. Wax, where they quickly recruited me to help start their website. I went over to the developers loft one night with a handful of CD's, ready to learn how to input all the information and scan the covers for the site, etc. And one of the CD's I brought over was Kahil El Zabar's Ritual Trio with Archie Shepp. My dude was like "Hey this guy lives across the hall from me," and he took me over to meet Kahil El Zabar.


David Murray, Kahil El Zabar and the late Malachi Favors (Rest In Peace)

We hit it off pretty much straight away, and Kahil fairly quickly became a mentor to me for real. He was an open door to one of the most dynamic music scenes I have ever experienced.

Most of the photos here in this post are from his loft he lived in around 2000 - 2001 above a mechanics garage just slightly northwest of downtown. Forgive me for forgetting the street name. He'd throw parties/concerts late in the night, most notably these Chicago Jazz Fest after parties. Featuring everyone. As you can see.


Kahil El Zabar and David Murray, amazing combo.

Anyway I'd help Kahil with the event promo and I'd generally help work the shows. This particular weekend was one of the greatest I could ever imagine. Kahil, Billy Bang, David Murray, Amiri Baraka, Ernest Dawkins, Joseph Bowie... It really went down.




Need to get David Murray here next.






I also got to help with the promo of "A Concert Celebrating the Life and Music of Visionary and Trumpet Virtuoso Lester Bowie." At Hyde Park Church in January of 2000. I'll never forget, it was no more than 5 degrees outside, but Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Isotope 217, Vandermark 5, Roscoe Mitchell Quartet and James Carter & Hamiett Bluiett all came out and played in celebration of the life of one of the truest greats in jazz, who had passed just shortly before.




Kahil El Zabar conducts his Experimental Big Band


Kahil El Zabar Billy Bang






Ernest Dawkins + Fareed Haque








Billy Bang, Amiri Baraka







Anyway I pulled out these photos and started reminiscing about my days in Chicago and figured I'd share them with you. And what better time to share than tonight, just 2 nights before YOU can see Kahil El Zabar and his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble live in Austin. And then the next night in Houston.






See the flyer below and be sure to come out. Wednesday night Feb. 9 in Austin at the ND in Austin, and Thursday morning Feb. 10 at the Historic Eldorado Ballroom in Houston.

I hope to see you there.

HOUSTON! AUSTIN! THIS WEEK!
Ethnic Heritage Ensemble LIVE!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

FLASHBACK! To Sept. 2005
Ballers Eve Replays Classic Show with Rapid Ric DJ Chill
UPDATE W/SHOW STREAM ON DEMAND

MAYNE HOLD UP! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW I'M TALM BOUT BELOW.


I just got this email from the man J-Dirrt from Ballers Eve in East Village Radio! The revolutionary southern rap show that comes live from the Lower East Side of NYC every week! Peep it:

Matt,

Mane I had to holler at ya and let ya know that this Wednesday night 10pm(ET) EVR.Com is airing the now classic episode of Ballers Eve featuring yourself, Rapid Ric & DJ Chill as well as Tamera Palmer...Its from back in september of 2005 when yal were up here for the Screw Tribute....pretty crazy looking back at this, we were all so young! ha ha! We gotta catch up soon mane, been too damn long! Tell the fam I said hello! I hope all is well!

Peace,
-DJ DIRRTY


Sayin' that was a monumental trip. Man, we took ESG, Hawk (Rest in Peace brother), Lil O and Lil Keke up to New York to perform at CMJ. It was one of the greatest moments in my life.


Seriously aside from things like having kids and major family occasions, taking the SUC to NY was one of my defining moments in life, I can't even front. I looked at the HoustonSoReal post from that trip, and started tripping, for real.


DJ Frampster was in the hizzy.


With Lady SOv! And my man Zac!


And my bro bro Seven!




Anyway duders that was quite a fuckin' trip. I have a recording of this show somewhere, but can't find it. I am so stoked to hear it again!

Tune into East Village Radio Wednesday night at 10pm Eastern time and FEEL THE REAL OF HOW IT REALLY WENT DOWN. RIP BIG Hawk and real talk, RIP Kruger, we lost him in September of 2005 as well...

Man.