With the end of winter quarter looming and the leftover snow shoved to the side of the road, people are beginning to leave the holes they have been hiding in all winter. For those looking for an excuse to venture into the warming temperatures, the Underground, Ohio State’s student radio, has a timely solution by welcoming “The Live Band, Dead Poet Tour” to the campus area.
“The Live Band, Dead Poet Tour” features four acts with styles ranging from hip-hop to jazz. Headlining the show will be Sage Francis, an indie-rap artist from Rhode Island.
Francis has been gaining notoriety across the country continually pushing himself to prove his skill and ability as an independent, white rapper. His lyrics reveal his deep personal reflections, as well as his feelings on the different attitudes maintained by people in modern society.
“Sage Francis is evidently one of those pioneering rap artists who continues to blur that line between personal and private without ever cheapening the delicate truths at the core of what he’s expressing,” said Sumo Kaplunk, a reviewer for UK Hip-Hop, after an interview with Francis.
Francis attracts the attention of everyone in the room by rapping with drive and conviction. He addresses a number of issues in his songs ranging from his thought of the Sept. 11 attacks to his family. In his song “Makeshift Patriot”, Francis voices his disgust with the American people becoming so “blindly patriotic” after the Sept. 11 tragedy. In “Inherited Scars”, Francis writes about his personal relationship with his sister, but he claims it is much more than that.
“I wrote ‘Inherited Scars’ in a way that allows people to identify with it by applying their own personal experience to the subject matter,” Francis said.
Francis has earned a couple of prestigious freestyle battle championships including Scribble Jam, and a few poetry slam titles. His spoken word performances have been featured on ESPN and ABC X-Games commercials. He books all of his shows independently, and bootlegs his own CD-R’s and cassettes.
By the time Francis gets on stage the crowd will have had plenty of time to get fired up. Opening for Francis are three acts: Gruvis Malt, Trailer Park Ninjas and Phalanx.
Gruvis Malt is an innovative, independent band from Rhode Island which takes “fusion” to another level. The sextet takes the sounds of hip-hop, jazz, funk, metal and Latin that they like to call “futurock” and blends them into a sound that remains label-less. The band blends ambient lyrics with a collage of sound inspired by life itself.
“We play because we love music and its effects on this species. We are influenced by everything we’ve ever heard or seen,” said Gavin Busath, keyboardist for Gruvis Malt.
Opening along with Gruvis Malt are Columbus-based bands, Trailer Park Ninjas and Phalanx. The Trailer Park Ninjas are a four-man rap group who have been increasing in popularity in the Columbus area.
Both bands should be able to represent Columbus with true style and charisma by taking on the intimidating and important responsibility of getting the crowd fired up and setting the mood.
The show begins at 8 p.m. tonight at Little Brother’s. Tickets are $10 at the door and the show is limited to those 18 and older with a valid ID.
