AustinSurreal Holiday Events!!!!

Hey y'all, if you are in town this week, and I hope you are, please come out to both of these events. They'll be so fun I swear!

The Friendly Christmas is gonna be like walking in a winter wonderland with beer and tacos and fixins and chicks and dudes and such. And the Cure for Your Holiday Hangover is gonna be like, you're chance to see the two livest up and coming musicians in the state, head to head, and back to back, and like, you could meet my mom if you want cuz she'll be there REAL TALK. Yeah so look, come down to both of these events. Email me at austinsurreal@gmail.com to RSVP and I'll put you on my list which will get you priority tacos on the 21st and possibly a chance to shake Bavu Blakes hand on the 27th (after the performance, yeah).

Anyway, I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AT SOME POINT OVER THESE HOLIDAZE!

PEACE
matt





And I don't know if you have downloaded all my Christmas mixes, but just in case you haven't here's the links:

Mellow Out It's Christmas

Ladies of Christmas

Christmas Without Borders

And I'ma make you scroll down and find Christmas: Smoked Out. Tracklists are available somewhere on this site as well. Go have a look around...

My Dude OG Bootleg may be the most important person on the Austin Rap SceneAnd he made the new Gerald G Video!!!!

In fact I might make him a King of Austin T-Shirt and High 5 him when he refuses to wear it. Cuz he ain't trippin'. But check it out man, my dude won a Billboard Photography Award from a flick he took of David Banner at SXSW! But seriously he is out there covering the Austin scene like no one else I know. Put him on the guest list and give him a photo pass, dudes.

Click photo to see it full size...





From the OG...

Hey everyone,

I'm pleased to announce that I was recently named one of the winners of the 2008 Billboard Magazine and PDN (Photo District News) Summer Music Moment - Ultimate Music Photography Contest. The judges selected the David Banner photo featured above as one of the winning image selected out of over 2,000 submissions.

The captured moment took place at the 2008 SXSW Music Festival in Austin and is currently featured in the December issue of PDN magazine and will also be in a gallery on the Billboard and PDN sites later this month.

Being named one of the Billboard and PDN photo contest winners is a blessing. My team and I work very hard for all of the content we produce, so having our work showcased and recognized is something I am grateful for.

Thanks for reading.

- OG | OGPhotographer.com

And here's the directorial debut from the most humble dude on the Austin scene for real. OG is a true prince....

And Gerald G rules!!!



And for more footage of Gerald G, Crew 54 and more at The Ice Cube show CLICK THIS LINK HERE!!!!

GUEST BLOGGEUR: Bavu Blakes!What's Wrong With The Scene Part 2

Welcome to the second episode of "What's Wrong With the Scene?!" In our first installment, we introduced you to Every Town, USA. In Every Town, at least 1,000 people aspire to make it big in the hip hop game as rappers, promoters, dj's and such. We established that the most important component of a local support base is the casual music fan, who simply comes out and spends money to have a good time around some music – no more, no less and definitely no deeper. If your product or service connects with these fans, they could support you for the life of your career!


I propose that in Every Town, a casual fan is typically content with enjoying occasional road shows by major touring acts and doesn't have much time to take the local scene seriously. So at a big Bun B and David Banner concert, the cat who's been hanging on the local scene several days a week asks himself, "where'd all these people come from?" Those thousands of strangers are the casual fans, who may try out their local scene at least once to see if it's something he/she can dig on a regular basis. And then what happens?

All Scene, Nothing to See

Allow me to cut to the white meat and summarize it for you: the casual fan usually has a terrible time at the local spots. I'm not saying local fans or promoters – or anyone in particular – run the casual fans off. I'm saying that almost EVERYTHING that happens can ruin the casual music fan's experience at the local spot. They'd probably have more fun at a dance club or regular bar than at a local showcase, concert or event. But why?

First, the performances tend to lack quality. You can't even blame that on hip hop, but I'm saying... If a performing act doesn't even consider what a casual fan would want to experience, that act is bound to suck. It's customary to include or leave the lead vocals on the backing tracks used for a show CD. Psh. You typically hear acts perform their whole four-minute songs. Boring. And even the big national shows might include way too many local acts who all give you the same low-quality experience. This makes the casual fan think, "enough of this crap, bring out the professional artist I came to see".

Too often I see local rappers who obviously think the most important part of performing is appearance, or swag, or anything but the quality of the musical experience. Let's be honest: when people know and/or like your song, you can get away with anything. Unfortunately for independent artists like me, this is usually not the case! So until you have a hit – and hopefully even after that – it goes back to quality.

Secondly, there are hardly any casual fans at most local spots. They say a crowd draws a crowd. But two, 20 or even 100 rappers with their friends and lovers is not necessarily a good crowd. They rotate – 10 or 20 at a time – to the stage to perform all night, and basically ignore each other's sets. Since everyone has an agenda, hardly anyone in the "crowd" acts like anything is wrong, or out of the ordinary. This can give a casual fan the impression that the standard is just low in this town, which turns them off – usually for good.

Third and finally, these local spots tend to be way too masculine. Most women aren't fanatical about hip hop; they just want to dance and hang out with their girlfriends. So is your local spot fun, or just a community center vibe? After all, there's a reason women don't hang out at the local gym or basketball court.

So there you have it, three reasons the casual fan ends up saying, "Oh well, this city's scene sucks." They'll just go out when they go back to their hometown. Or they'll go out to a local event when they visit what they consider to be a better hip-hop city. Usually it's a big city like Houston, but they can run into the same problems there, too. Don't forget we're talking about what's wrong in Every Town, USA.

Just to be clear, this is not an indictment against local showcases in general. Where I live, there's a regular spot called "The 512" which showcases at least half a dozen local acts at each event. Their shows are always packed with people who are getting what they came for. That's what really matters. In the words of Matt Sonzala, "this is IMPORTANT!"

Meanwhile, most of the time, your local scene has some serious problems. So what situations and scenarios lead to these problems, nearly guaranteeing a low-quality experience in your city?

We'll cover that in the next installment of What's Wrong With the Scene?!

Back to the lab,
Mr. Bavu Blakes
www.08isSoGreat.com

Email your comments, questions, feedback, criticism, etc., to Mr.Blakes@gmail.com with "What's Wrong With the Scene?!" in the subject line.

Calling All Activists for MLK Civil Rights Weekend in San Antonio

Got this from my friends at the ACLU here in Austin. I figured I'd better post this up before y'all think a parade with some rappers in it in Houston is such a big deal. This is a March, and will be the biggest in the nation, and it's in San Antonio and I bet no rappers show up whatsoever (and yes rappers, this is a challenge. Think about MLK for real.)

You can get a gang of information by clicking this link.

But I mean, check it out... It's real and it's right down the road.

Partnering with Neighborhoods First Alliance and San Antonio Independent School District, the San Antonio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union will hold is FIRST annual “Know Why You Are Marching Civil Rights and Film Series Organizers Summit” (http://aclutx.org/projects/knowwhyyourem.php) in San Antonio, Texas on January 17-19, 2009.

Texas activists will get the chance to discuss, explore, think, and imagine ways to continue protecting civil rights in their own communities. During the summit, organizers from around Texas will hear from some of San Antonio’s most prominent advocates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Marcel_Salas) about how to apply the civil rights lessons of yesterday to today.

The summit will include guest speaker Al Bronstein (http://aclutx.org/projects/knowwhyyourempg.php?pid=117), lawyer to one of the most important civil rights leaders of all time, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Also, we will be showing nominated best documentary by Sundance Films Trouble the Water (http://www.troublethewaterfilm.com/) a film about real people’s hardships before and after Hurricane Katrina. Additionally, all participants will be given the opportunity to attend the wreath laying ceremony at Martin Luther King statue as well as march in the largest MLK march in the NATION!

Also this...

Organizers' Summit in San Antonio, TX.

January 17 and 18
See the full schedule.

Early registration ends January 1 and space is limited, so register now!
Reserve your tickets now

Calling All Civil Rights Activists

In the summer of 1963, the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. led tens of thousands on a historic march on the nation's capitol. We ask you and your fellow Texans to join us in San Antonio next month as we honor King's memory, his message of equality and why he marched.

The ACLU of Texas and the Neighborhoods First Alliance invite you to join us at the inaugural Organizers' Summit to be held in conjunction with the Know Why You Are Marching Civil Rights and Film Series in San Antonio during MLK Day weekend, January 17 and 18.

King's legacy is unquestioned. But keeping his message alive requires work, and next month's events in San Antonio gives all of us the opportunity to remind ourselves why we march, and to take that message home with us.

Events will start at noon on Saturday, January 17 with presentations by students from San Antonio's MLK Academy, Al Bronstein (attorney for King) and the Sons of Thunder Gospel Group. On Sunday, January 18 there will be a special screening of the Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary "Trouble the Water," which tells the tale of a husband and wife trapped in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina's flood waters.

Other events include:

* Breakfast with Tommy Calvert Jr., a community organizer and member of Neighborhoods First Alliance, and Mario Salas, community organizer and former San Antonio City Council member

* Regional organizers' meeting

* Interfaith celebration and wreath-laying

The summit concludes Monday and attendees are encouraged to participate in what has become the largest MLK Day march in the country, with attendance often topping 100,000.

Early registration ends January 1 and space is limited, so register now!

In liberty,
ACLU of Texas

The ACLU of Texas is proud to be the eighth largest ACLU affiliate in the United States, with more than 14,000 card-carrying members across our state. Sustained by a dedicated board of directors, a small staff and dozens of dedicated volunteers, the ACLU of Texas and its predecessor, the Texas Civil Liberties Union, have been at the forefront of the struggle for civil rights in Texas since 1938. Help us continue to defend the Bill of Rights - become a member of the ACLU today!

Texas Tech Radio KTXT in Lubbock Shut Down???

I know a lot of y'all probably don't keep Lubbock on your brains too much, but I'm from a small town and I know exactly how much college radio means to the community. Corporate radio kills us mentally, destroys humanity, hurts people in so many ways by making them dumber than they already are. College radio is the only real outlet, locally, for a lot of cities. So it saddens me to see this happen.

Anyway here's the info my man Dan sent me....



KTXT-FM Execs respond to broadcast changes, consider station’s future

Texas Tech University’s Student Media department terminated all functions of KTXT-FM, the university’s non-commercial, student-run radio station. The student executive staff received no prior warning, nor was any attempt made to discuss rationale or potential alternatives. Station Manager Blake Porter learned of the decision fifteen minutes before the station went off the air.

KTXT's shutdown was noticed almost immediately. At 35,000 watts, KTXT is one of the most powerful college broadcasters in the country.

Citing “several changes” to the department, Student Media staff ceased broadcasts and Internet streaming, relinquishing control of the station’s FCC license to Texas Tech’s other station, KOHM-FM. Operating with a public radio format at 89.1 MHz, KOHM is a non-commercial, educational station, but not student-run or operated. The few student interns and volunteers working at the station simply do not compare to KTXT’s staff and volunteers of nearly 100, nor was it designed to provide a similar level of student control.

Student Media shut KTXT down December 10, the last day of class, leaving many staffers to believe the timing was designed to minimize an organized response. Another student voice, The Daily Toreador newspaper, stopped publication for the semester break and was thus unable to inform the college and public of the decision.

Explanations cited in the press release stress overwhelming operational costs and a shifting media landscape offering fewer employment opportunities in radio broadcasting.
However, no warnings of economic doom were shared with KTXT employees, and previous requests to conduct pledge drives or fundraisers were denied.

Furthermore, KTXT provided students with foundational experience in interviewing, public speaking, event planning and marketing. Such timeless skills prepare graduates for numerous media opportunities, new and old, and many station alumni now working in various facets of the media cite their time at KTXT as indispensable.

Staff, faculty and loyal listeners immediately responded with calls and letters to school officials and media outlets. A Facebook group to save the 47-year old Tech tradition and Lubbock mainstay is the epicenter of the movement to understand the decision to dissolve KTXT, and more importantly, to fight for a future.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4009560681
“We appreciate the last seven years in Student Media,” said Station Manager Porter, “but we look forward to a continued existence serving the Tech and Lubbock population under new advisory leadership.”

KTXT thanks everyone for the overwhelming support of a radio station that has been a valuable educational tool, an alternative music and information bastion, and a home to so many throughout the years. With the quest now being a search for funding and space, KTXT-FM needs as many voices as possible to demand action to restore this powerful and important tradition.

Media contact: Blake Porter, Station Manager, KTXT-FM, (972) 310-9619

Facebook Group

AP Story

Bun B + Orgone + Psychodrama + Snypaz + Crucial Conflict + MAD SNOW = HOLIDAZE

OMG, I've said it before, and I do tend to say it a lot, I know, Dana from Biz 3 even called me out about it. Said I have a limited vocabulary but I take good photos, but like that's so not true, but yo for real man, IT WENT DOWN!

When I heard that Bun B was going on a lil Midwest run with Orgone backing him again, I immediately hit up Kayak and checked on flights to Chicago. I found a direct round trip on American for $199, bought it and was like, man I am bout to see this dude not only in my favorite situation (Bun B and Orgone is really how it is supposed to be you see), but in one of my favorite settings. The Metro in Chicago. My wife and I lived in Chicago from 1998 - 2001, and I honestly saw some of the greatest shows in my life on that stage. So yeah man, I had to go, and yeah man, it went down.

I got into Chicago late Monday night and ate some food and slept in an attic with a loud heater blowing on my face telling me in it's own special way that I shoulda done gone south, not north in the winter time. I looked outside, it was 7 degrees, no snow and I thought to myself, "Damn if I am gonna be this cold, at least let me see some snow."

Woke up the next morning, nothing.

So anyway, I borrowed a car. Made my rounds around the city. Took meetings, saw my old hood, went to Jazz Record Mart, and well, when it was time to head back, return the car and head out for a nice dinner before the show, THIS HAPPENED!


Yeah man, it went down. I was in the car in this shit. Luckily I'm one of the greatest drivers ever to sit behind a wheel, cuz I'm telling you, it was ugly. The headline of Wednesday's Tribune was NIGHTMARE COMMUTE!


And honestly, if I lived in Chicago, and had to deal with this shit everyday for like what, 9 months, I'd be pissed, but you know, I was in and out in one day, so that was exactly what I wanted to see. What should have been a 20 minute drive, became two hours of fishtailing, sitting, watching utter chaos, cars sliding within 2inches of my doors, etc.

Luckily I know my way around, I was hitting the side streets and plowing through 3 inches of snow like it was nothing.


Just fuckin' killing it. 97.9 FM was playing Classic Rock jams AND it was 2 for Tuesday so I was pumping that Van Halen, that Rush, that ummm Black Sabbath, you know man, it went down. I wasn't even trippin'.

But seriously if I still lived in that city, I would have literally cried for humanity.

So after I got back to the casa, I was thinking to myself "You know if this blizzard cancels the show that would really suck. But then again, if I could just order food with my friends and maybe watch a Blackhawks game and stare out the window a bit, maybe take snow photos in the alley ways of the West Side of the Chi, that wouldn't be so terrible.

But um, no it wasn't canceled and YES IT WENT DOWN!


Orgone is my group. Word to Fanny.


For real, killaz.






DJ Ayres and Freq Nasty were in the huis killin' it. Freq Nasty introduced some Chicago legends of rap, whether he or anyone in the house but me knew it or not.


This is Never from Crucial Conflict and Psyde F/X from Psycho Drama. For those who don't know. It was these dudes who really set off the entire Midwest sound. Psychodrama to me is one of the greatest rap groups of all time. For some reason they never got the props they deserved as just incredible artists, but I am saying man, short of like Run DMC, Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, um, Scarface, Psychodrama were/are the best rappers in the world.

And of course Crucial Conflict were incredible as well.




They came out just for one quick song, Psyde's new single "Do the Anything." It's a song in response to all the new dance songs coming out. And it's a celebration of freedom. And it's a statement that needs to be stated.

Anyway, I left the CD on my desk at work, but I think I'ma rip it at 320 and up it cuz you DJ's need to play this right after "Stanky Leg" and just before "Tear the Fuckin' Club Up."


Newsense was in the house somewhere as well, but she escaped my lens somehow, which sucks cuz she is one of the rawest as well. The female voice in Psychodrama.


This here is Lil Chilla of Da Snypaz. Remember when people used to argue about who created the Midwest sound? Well, um, it was pretty much The Snypaz. But um, Chilla, XYZ PDQ.








I mean dudes, I'm talking about rap legends here. Genuine rap legends. I don't know how much that means to you, but seeing these dudes on stage for even one song, means so much to me.

Even if I may have left there a little concerned about Chilla and Never's well being. STILL THEY RULE!

But then the Underground King hit the stage, and it was then that I knew who brought that motherfucking blizzard. The coldest dude in the rap game.


Dudes, Bun B with Orgone is the way to go. I'm thinking 6 week tour of the US, 4 weeks in Europe, 4 weeks in Asia, 2 weeks in the South Pacific, 4 weeks in Africa, yeah man, this show needs to hit every city on the planet. PLEASE!


I mean, it could like, save the world, I'm serious, it's like that.




Lupe Fiasco came out to do "Swang On Em" and hearing that with the band - that song is just MADE to be PLAYED - man, it's just like magic (extra points if you get that reference, comment below so I know you know something about rap music.)








Can't fuck widdit.


So yeah man, I'm serious, that was quite a show.

Here's some of my folks, then I gotta go to work, then I gotta go hear Elena sing "Jingle Bells" at her school.


Truck and Pyramid




DJ Ayres, Willy Joy and DJ Hugs


Bun B, Psyde and Lupe Fiasco (You probably don't understand the great import of this photo. but call me I'll explain. Passionately. Like, not gaily, but passionately. This is real rap music people.)


Chilla, Lupe and Never


PUT YOUR MOTHERFUCKIN' C'S UP!


Dana and Kathryn from Biz 3 taking a break from publicizing and just chillin' with your boy.


Da Wreck of Triple Darkness and Ang 13 ALSO LEGENDS OF RAP!


And here, this man is beyond legend. Kahil El Zabar and Never seen here.

But look man, seeing Kahil El Zabar Tuesday night was such a great feeling. His history is so deep. One of the originals in the AACM, he's a jazz legend, a master musician, percussionist that words cannot describe, but more importantly he's like a saint to me. The dude is like, one of my main inspirations in this music game. For real. He brings people together and mentors everyone he comes in contact with, including me.

When we met in Chicago in 1999, maybe 2000, we instantly hit it off. Kahil was doing these underground jazz shows at a space he was living in over an Auto Shop just west of downtown. I'm telling you, I helped with these events, doing street promo and whatever I could to help make it happen, and because of that I got to sit in intimate rooms watching people like Pharoah Sanders, Amiri Baraka, Harrison Bankhead, Billy Bang, um, Ernest Dawkins, um, man, seriously, the entire Chicago real, genuine, classic, legendary jazz community share their sounds in like, the illest combinations.

The time I spent hanging with that dude changed my life for real, and I was wondering to myself as I laid in bed that night, why the hell I haven't stayed in better contact with him.

Seriously, I'ma bring him to Austin in 2009, for real. Dude's so real it's just surreal. One of THOSE type of dudes. Means a lot to me and was so glad to see him. Dude made the trek through the blizzard to go to a rap show to see me. My Lord.

Anyway, I'll stop gushing, but it meant a lot to me to see him. Like back when I lived in Chicago I think I had a greater sense of inner peace just simply because I was allowed to be immersed in that brilliant music, those incredible vibes. Seeing dudes like Kahil on stage is so much healthier than watching dudes yell about murdering people over pre-recorded CD's. It's just better for your soul. It really is.


And the dude gets respect, that is the truth.


So yeah, legends, on a legendary night. Oh what a job this is.

AustinSurreal y Mas HOLIDAY PARTY!!!!!

OMG IT'S GOIN' DOWN AT THE MOHAWK DECEMBER 21ST!!!!!!!



Come celebrate the holidaze with your Austin friends, just before you head up to Wisconsin or some shit to go freeze in your Grandmother's garage while you sneak cigarettes in between football games and magnanimous meals. (I know how you do).

This party is for YOU AUSTIN! All folks out here, just come out. $3 to get in and you'll have a free um, buffet of sorts with food by myself and Alicia at Conexion Rockera. Happy Hour drink prices all night, some beer will be $1. Some cheap ass drinks. Um, maybe some special holiday drinks.

I'm gonna DJ Christmas music, like you have been DLing on this blog. Richard Henry gonna do his thang, a couple other DJ's gonna do their thangs, lots of surprises, possibly presents, GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS, - BOYS, BOYS, BOYS, this could be your most special holiday night ever, possibly.

Anyway man, yeah it's goin' down.

Another FREE Christmas Mix: SMOKED OUT!

I told y'all it was coming. I got clearance from all the proper authorities and this release is finally hitting the streets. It's not all weed songs, but it's like, songs you might want to jam when you're hitting the Christmas bud, possibly sipping on some nog. I know you feel me.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CHRISTMAS: SMOKED OUT - AN EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY MIX BY MATTSOREAL!

Don't forget Dec. 21st at the Mohawk is the AustinSurreal y Mas Holiday Extravaganza. I'll be all up on them turntables playing this Christmas shit live, possibly smoked out.

Anyway here's the track list:

I'll Be Stoned For Christmas
Wailin' Wailers - Sound The Trumpet
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - The Christmas Song
Tenacious D - A Christmas Without Weed
South Park - Carol of the Bells
Afroman - 12 J's of Christmas
Afroman - Christmas Joint
Simon & Garfunkel - Silent Night/ 7 o'clock News
Esquivel - Blue Christmas
Kermit the Frog - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Helios - Sunes Christmas
Wailin' Wailers - White Christmas
Heptones - Christmas Time Is Here
Roger Laverne & The Microns - Christmas Stocking

And shit man I realized that I never posted the track list for Christmas Without Borders. So here it is:

Ramones - Merry Christmas
Eek-A-Mouse - Christmas A Come
BeeGee's - Thank You For Christmas
Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys - Christmas Time's a Comin'
Pocketknife - Linus & Lucy (Holler Remix)
Eddie Dunsteder - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus + Medley
Calexico - Gift Exchange
The Fall - No Christmas For John Queys
DJ Jon/Dipset/Stevie Wonder - Someday At Christmas Remix
Tommy Scott - Santa Claus Shuffle
Fleshtones - Super Rock Santa
Bud Brothers - Dec. 25th

Yeah man, so lemme know what you think about all this. I hope you are enjoying the holiday sounds.

CHRISTMAS DONE CAME EARLY!What An Event!David Banner, Bun B, Z-Ro, Da COD, Brooks City, DJ Knowledge, Hella Yella, 2 Gunz UP & More!!!!

Word to Rozone (though many of us are wondering just who the hell is Rozone? They pretty much just BURST up on to the scene last night) But man, straight up, word to them. They brought the city not only a great line up of artists, but a quality show with full on production and real, genuine, insane lights. I'm saying man, they upped the bar on boys for real.

This was not some whirlwind money grab, like it is so many times when these artists come through town. This was an investment in the city mayne, I am serious, you could tell just from watching the show. These dudes are seriously upping the bar on boys. The $37 ticket was way worth it. Next time some MF tries to charge you $35 for a Z-Ro show with one shitty mic and a midget holding a flashlight in the corner of the stage, and thinks they put on an event, show 'em these pictures. And snatch your money back out the fools hands.

lol, lmao, rofl, know'm sayin'?


Anyway, David Banner knows how to get a club crunk. Dude did well over an hour and ran, did back flips, climbed the balcony, walked the ledge of the balcony like a tight rope, jumped OFF the balcony for real, crowd surfed to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for some reason right off the bat, um, dude killed it.


Bun was in fine form as well. After seeing him with Orgone, it's kind of hard to see him go back to a track show. I honestly am to the point of not being able to accept track shows anymore to be real with you, from anyone, but like dude, he once again had that fire on stage and he literally ripped it for an hour. I don't know where that expanded set came from but I appreciated it. He is really upping the ante on boys show wise. Now he needs to get a DJ cuz fuck a track show. But he's still one of the best in this game. But yeah, lets find Orgone some monies and move 'em to Texas (Bun B and Orgone Live at The Metro in Chicago Tuesday, NEXT TUESDAY Dec. 16th. Ya Mo Be Thurr.)


Z-Ro is a God amongst men, especially when he comes to this town. He is wholeheartedly revered, as he should be. He's made som eo fthe best rap records to ever come from the south, and a lot of them. He's the man, he's the boss, but um, he had his vocals on his show CD up extremely loud and they almost drowned out his voice for real. Like, he came out 1 deep so I'll forgive him for ad libs and such, but hearing the entire vocal track behind him just got old and annoying as fuck so I went out to the balcony to kill the pain.

I mean he killed it, people loved him, but I mean, come on man, lose the vocal track, and yes, get a DJ AT LEAST! Seriously, I'm not having these lip synched ass track shows in my life anymore, I'm too old for this shit.


South Austin Representers Da C.O.D. came out and SERIOUSLY KILLED IT! It was the best set I have seen from an Austin group in a long time. That's one thing I always say about austin rappers, they generally have some sort of a show. Most of the rappers here at least try when they get on stage. I talked to Mr. Greezo on Monday night and have to say that I smiled real wide when he told me he had to get off the phone and go to rehearsal. I was like "Oh hell yes, my dudes are actually rehearsing." You know how many rappers NEVER rehearse? Makes me fuckin' sick.


But Da C.O.D. didn't make me sick, they looked like big stars up there. I'm serious, they came out and repped it and wrecked it the way it's supposed to be wrecked and repped. They came out and had different levels of their show, had extreme energy, just fucking killed it non stop for like 20 minutes.
















Killin' it.


AND THEY BROUGHT OUT GARY CLARK JR. ON GUITAR! What a surprise. Hellafied show. You can see Gary Clark Jr. and Bavu Blakes live at Antone's Dec. 27th!


What a fuckin' trip.


DJ Knowledge and Hella Yella held it down the whole night. Will Hustle hosted and kept people crunk. But thing is, there wasn't a lot of time between sets. The show flowed like rain, I mean snow, and I'm serious, it was so refreshing!




KOTG




After the show I got three CD's and an oil change from dude.

JOKES!




There's the man.






Straight killin' it.












I'ma tell you man. If nothing else, Banner has totally made sure that he will NEVER, EVER have to open up for anyone ever again. You wanna go on after Banner? That's your biz.


No amount of rehearsals could get you to this mans level. He's possessed by this music, I am convinced of it.








I mean dude covered every inch of that venue.








And he had a DJ.














I mean he was all over this place, AND JUMPED FROM THE BALCONY!


Dude should teach a class.

Anyway! THEN I drove home at like midnight and it was SNOWING! (O.K. Sleeting maybe, but it was white, it was sort of fluttering down, and there's white stuff on my roof and on my car.


Yeah I mean, I don't know why I was taking photos while driving home in the sleet after an event.




But I did.


For you.


Cuz you wouldn't have believed me if I would have just told you.




It went down. See you next week Chicago!