Reel Big Fish came out in full ska-glory. Rocking their hipster gear and party-starting mentality, the band got right into it, starting an hour and a half set that would make about seven hundred Colgate students extremely amped. Whether it was the fun music, enthusiastic performance or the sheer drunkenness of the Saturday night Colgate crowd, nobody seemed to notice the continuous downpour that lasted throughout the set. Hundreds left the show satisfied and thoroughly drenched, to go to the official after-party over at DU. A long day of tailgating (The Raiders moved to 4-0) and quality music provided the atmosphere for an excellent Saturday for all here in Hamilton, NY.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Concert Review- Reel Big Fish
The majority of students missed the epic opener of Earthman Embassy on the big theta chi stage. Led by the vocal stylings of Mr. Ben Taylor, those present in the crowd were wooed by his British accent and nasty guitar skills. Will Plaehn supplied the beats on drums, keeping the crowd dancing and captivated throughout the set. George Zeitler provided some magic on the keys, while Jeremy Padow grooved on the base. The boys certainly utilized the big-stage set-up, playing a few covers and a few originals. The most notable cover was an Outkast cover of Hey Ya, putting a large smile on the faces of many students..
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
THE OLD SCHOOL MEETS THE NEW SCHOOL
Simply amazing. Legendary Motown artist, Smokey Robinson, showing everyone how it's done.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Concert Announcement- Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish will be performing an evening concert in the Theta Chi backyard on Saturday September 26th...
The Colgate-based rock band Earthman Embassy will be starting the show at 8PM, followed by ska-rock band Reel Big Fish. The concert is free for all students, but a $5 donation is requested to support local food pantries.
The last time Reel Big Fish was here, they killed it on Colgate University's Whitnall Field for Spring Party Weekend 2004.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Must see beatbox, no frills
Not just another lame beat-boxing video. Just made with voice and a computer mic. Check it out.
Dirt Nasty at Colgate!
It has been announced that Dirt Nasty, the known associate of Mickey Avalon and Andre Legacy, will be performing at Colgate University on Friday night October 9th.
The show will be from Midnight to 2AM and will be in downtown Hamilton, at the infamous Palace Theatre.
The miraculous approval of this show by the administration baffles the minds of many music fans on campus. Our hats go off to the class councils who managed to pull this off. His raw and questionable lyrics often refer to hard drugs, sex and alcohol, making this perhaps the most low-brow, sensational concert to ever take place at Colgate University.
The rapper known as Dirty Nasty will undoubtedly satisfy the party-crazed Colgate student body and show us all a genuine, good-old night of debauchery.
Check out the video of his hit single 1980. Parental Supervision is advised.
Monday, September 14, 2009
REVIEW: Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
*** (out of 5)
I don't run New York no more / I run the map.
This is how the story goes for just about every mainstream MC: burst onto the scene with a phenomenal debut, go pop, lose your street cred, and eventually lose your record contract. The first phase of Sean Carter's career was just that. Reasonable Doubt was released in 1996 to limited commercial success but glowing praise, immediately drawing comparisons to Nas's Illmatic and firmly establishing Jay as a contender for New York's hip-hop throne, which had been vacated following Biggie's passing. Over the next several years, subsequent albums such as In My Lifetime and The Life and Times of S. Carter turned Jay-Z into a superstar. Featuring production from the likes of Puff Daddy and the Neptunes, these albums had a much more polished pop sound that created some of the decade's biggest hits ("Big Pimpin," et al). For hip-hop heads, however, this music was a far cry from the Jay-Z they had adored earlier on. At the turn of the millenium, Jay-Z had risen to the top of the rap game, but left many wondering if true hip-hop still had any place left in his mind.
Headed towards has-been status? Not at all. In 2001 (9/11 to be exact), Jay-Z pulled off a first in popular hip-hop history -- he went back to his roots. The result -- after just two days of writing and two weeks of recording -- was The Blueprint, an absolute masterpiece of an album that, true to its title, helped set the standard for modern hip-hop. Boasting hard-hitting social commentary, and a unique soul-meets-gangster production style thanks largely in part to a relatively unknown beatmaker named Kanye West*, the album catapulted Jay-Z into rap's stratosphere, and he has not relinquished his status since.
Now of course, in the world of hip-hop there have been superior MC's, both in terms of lyricism and commercial appeal. What The Blueprint did was establish Jay-Z as hip-hop's greatest crossover, one who has mastered the delicate balance between the streets and the clubs, and who as a result has continued to prosper as others have only temporarily triumphed.
This position has had its ups and downs, no question about it. From a pure celebrity standpoint, Jay-Z is a global icon. He sells out soccer stadiums in Europe, tours Africa as a UN ambassador, and meets Bill Gates for lunch. Really, the only people left to do battle with are Mick Jagger and Bono. Artistically, however, Jay is at a point where he can say whatever he wants and remain atop the charts regardless. This has led to a decidedly mixed repertoire post-Blueprint, ranging from The Black Album (classic) to Kingdom Come ($5 bin at WalMart), with the overstuffed Blueprint 2 and cool-but-slow American Gangster lying somewhere in between.
All of this leads to last week's release of The Blueprint 3, which, musically, is an accurate portrayal of where Jay-Z is at right now. As mentioned before, this often leads to mixed results, but thankfully, when you have this man on the mic, you're far more likely to be entertained than disappointed. The first half of the album ranks with his best work, with each track guaranteed to fill the airwaves for the next year. He seems truly hungry for the first time since his "retirement" six years ago, as evidenced by his call to arms in "D.O.A. (Death of AutoTune) and the lyrical prowess of opener "What We Talkin' About" ("Grown men want me to sit 'em on my lap / But I don't have a beard and Santa Clause ain't black"). The album's standout has to be the Kanye-produced "Empire State of Mind," an ode to the Big Apple with another one of New York's finest, Miss Alicia Keys, anchoring the chorus. It's amazing that these two have never collaborated together before -- the combination is perfect.
The last bars of "On to the Next One" ("MJ of SummerJam / Obama on the text...) close out what would have been a fantastic seven-track EP...if only the album didn't drop off so steeply during the second half. The three Timbaland tracks are undercooked, with "Off That" the only one that can make heads nod a bit. "A Star Is Born" is meant to be a shout-out to all of the other MC's doing their thing nowadays, but given that Jay spends every song beforehand bashing all of them, in context it makes absolutely no sense. And two more Kanye productions, "Haters" and "Young Forever," should have been left out completely.
So there you have it. The album's first handful of songs is Jay-Z the rock star showcasing why he became one in the first place, and as for the rest...well, to paraphrase the Jigga man himself, "What more can I say?" The Blueprint 3: inconsistent. Jay-Z: still on top.
SPECIAL NOTE: When the official numbers are in tomorrow, The Blueprint 3 will debut at #1 on the Billboard charts, giving Jay-Z his 11th chart-topper. He will then be trailing only the Beatles as the artist with the most #1 albums of all time, and will gain sole possession of the record for a solo act. That's right. As of tomorrow, Jay-Z will have more #1 albums than Elvis. Unbelievable.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Brother Ali brings Minnesota to the Unprepared Gate
Scope's first show of the academic calender featured the minneapolis sensation, Brother Ali. As an MC Brother Ali mixes cutting witticism and clever pun, in a funk-filled delight cooked up by his all-star DJ, BK-One. Ali's appearance on the music scene in hamilton NY, took many of the automatons on this campus off guard. A white guy, who is in fact an albino, why do I want to hear him rap? Well fool, the man could lyrically scalp you and the other main-stream hip-hop, might I say RAP artists you listen to.
The show as a whole was a success. The opening act, the Swagged up Squad, featured their original dance moves and hard hitting beats. An entertainment for all, whether you slide and glide, or not. Following up the swagger, Fourte performed. The quartet featured the hypnotizing beats of G Spence, soulful sounds of Uzi, the Mayer-esque vocal stylings of Colin McLoughlin, and the tight flow of Ty. Although the set was not well lit (literally, no lights) Fourte managed to move the crowd and bring it to full bounce with their smash single, "Hit the Floor."
Brother Ali and DJ BK One, watched the openers from their merchandise table in the back corner of the Hop. Taking the stage, the Cold-gate audience was surprised by Ali's appearance. Many left the show not knowing the knowledge that they were about to miss. Ali's performance was nothing short of perfection. His unique flow and cadence enraptured the die-hard hip-hop heads that crashed the front of the stage. A much anticipated "Forest Whitiker" produced a chorus of outburst in the crowd, and "Take Me Home" was met with dance steps and vigor by the receptive audience. This school has much to learn, about recognizing truth, talent and not letting its cookie-cutter white-bread soul get in the way of developing a new and greater musical consciousness. I thank all the true supporters for making this show a success, and giving a king like Brother Ali the appropriate reception and applause he deserved.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Waving Flag Acoustic
Check Out this Acoustic version of Waving Flag by K'naan
Voted the official song of the 2010 World Cup
The Bad Rabbits Kicked Ass... Again
It was 830 PM on a beautiful, clear evening in Hamilton, NY and the backyard of the Beta Theta Pi house was unrecognizable. What was once grass was now sand, and the large Chiddy Bang Crew flocked to the stage to cheer on their DJ, Xaphoon Jones..
18 year old Xaphoon Jones played some sweet homemade mashups and beats to start the party off right, leading up to another epic opener from the Bad Rabbits. Performing an array of Michael Jackson covers, the Bad Rabbits had a thousand Colgate students jumping and grinding in the crowd for the entire duration of their set.
Unlimited amounts of Coors Light Kegs and a crazy fun party atmosphere made this one of the best Beta Beaches in recent memory. As most people there were indeed hammered, a strong consensus emerged about the awesomeness of the party.
Chiddy Bang followed the Bad Rabbits with an opening solo performance from the dude, Xaphoon Jones. Xaphoon rocked out with a purple hoodless sweatshirt and white addidas, making the show feel more like a DJed NYC club than the backyard of Beta. Xaphoon continued to rock it until the rappers of Chiddy Bang finally started to rap... The young DJs beats never tired, but this hip hop head was truly disappointed by a crunk-wannabe performance from the seven or so rappers in Chiddy Bang.
Everyone enjoyed the show and Chiddy Bang absolutely served the purpose of the evening. Drunk music for drunk people. Xaphoon Jones and the Bad Rabbits seemed to come out on top, rocking Beta Beach 2009.
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