In a climate of Independent hip-hop where subject matter is often kept to the flagrant, ostentatious, and vulgar, it is refreshing to have another Seattle spokesman who is using his candid life experiences to make a difference in others lives. Have you heard the groundbreaking song “Otherside“ off of the VS. EP from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis? Download “Otherside”, and if you want give it a listen while you read, please do.
In this song “Otherside,” Macklemore gets in deep about social drug use. Many people do it for fun without considering the long-term effects, or worse, the possible short-term effect—death. Macklemore takes a second person look at someone who didn’t think he had a problem with drugs. His girlfriend ended up finding him dead due to a mistaken overdose. Sobering thoughts followed by the words “We live on the cusp of death thinking that it won’t be us.”
Macklemore sang this song live for the first time at Bumbershoot 2009 in front of thousands of people. As he started the song, he held his head high and announced, “I celebrating one year of sobriety.” Whether the individual members of the audience were winning the same fight, still making the choice if they wanted to fight, or just respectfully looking on, everyone was touched, moved, and inspired. Macklemore might not ever know how many people’s lives, and the lives of their families, he’s effected by having the courage to use his own failures and triumphs as a beacon of hope so that others can do the same.
Ryan Lewis is not to be overlooked as the producer and other half of Macklemore’s most recent project. Ryan Lewis is the visionary when it comes to the music behind Macklemore’s words. Lewis is decisive about what direction they are going to go in, and he creates an immaculate product for Macklemore to rap to. If it weren’t for Lewis’ dedication to perfect production, Macklemore might be just another rapper with a GarageBand demo and an immense amount of potential.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are having an album release party on November 27th, and they are doing it in grand style. They are performing an all ages show, doors at 5:30 pm, and a 21+ show, doors at 10pm. The early show will feature Hella Dope, The Next Door Neighbors, Kung Foo Grip, DJ Sabzi, and will be hosted by Grynch, “the King of Ballard.” The late show will feature The Physics, Symmetry, Xperience, The Next Door Neighbors, DJ Terry Radjaw, and will be hosted by El Mizell, Seattle’s resident S**t talker.
Please enjoy the interview below with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis where they talk about the flavor of their new EP VS., and about the experience they had making it. After you’ve enjoyed that, please enjoy the extra special video of the second half of “Otherside” performed A Cappella, recorded and produced by Ryan Lewis.
Band members
Gatsby aka El Mizell
Bruce Illest aka DjBlesOne of Massive Monkees
This past weekend, They Live headlined the BEARD/OFF, an event at Hell’s Kitchen, and were guests on KEXP’s Audioasis. They are keeping it busy in the 206! Getting a little bit of mixed flavor, SSG grabbed an interview with them at the BEARD/OFF, and some show footage at Hell’s Kitchen.
They Live put on quite a show, but the people in Hell’s Kitchen weren’t quite sure what to do with it. Hell’s Kitchen, a Tacoma venue, has predominantly been a rock venue over the years. Their heyday was circa 2002 – 2006, when local indie-rock was at it’s peak. The word on the street is that this venue is trying to pull itself out of the ashes by bringing some first-class talent through and also by diversifying their shows. This might be a successful venture for Hell’s Kitchen, but based on the dear in the headlights audience response to They Live, Hell’s Kitchen might need to be a little bit more proactive with promotion and general awareness of what type of shows will be held at their venue. It’s a fair assessment to say that few people in attendance knew what they were getting into.
Although the audience at this show was about as lively as fecal matter, They Live put on a fantastic performance. DjBlesOne came at the audience out of nowhere. Having experience in being a B-boy, he put energy, fire, and precision into his stage show. While performing the song “My Weed,” DjBlesOne belted out his lines without sounding like he is yelling, tired, or out of breath. He showed that he is more than a studio artist by bringing a little bit extra to the stage. DjBlesOne is a panther. He’s cool, sleek looking, and you don’t see him coming. Before the audience knew what happened – it was over.
Gatsby brought an equal amount of fire to the stage. This wildcat has soul pumping through his veins. When he hears music, he dances. It’s doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that he is on stage either. “Cogito ergo sum” translates, “I think, therefore I am.” In Gatsby’s case it translates, “I dance, therefore I am.” Although he was quite theatrical, his performance never felt like an act. His natural style was very friendly and relatable. Gatsby’s performance is not limited to his dancing; he is also a powerful emcee.
To make They Live’s act even more unique, they have a B-boy by the name of Chase Eldridge. His contributions were right on point. While performing “Meth Heads,” said B-boy came on stage complete with the agitated nerves, raggedy clothes, and the fingers scratching his neck. Eldridge had a solo performance, and he even made a guest appearance in costume as Death for the final song. Eldridge aka Death, curiously approached DjBlesOne, got into the music, and by the end of the song he was flailing his arms and doing the Charleston; it was hilarious.
They Live put on an interesting, lively, and cleverly entertaining show. If you aren’t on this bandwagon yet, get on it! They Live aren’t going to be accessible for long. Soon people will be bragging about how they were able to see They Live in an intimate setting. If you see that They Live are playing at venue near you, don’t miss it. Until then, please enjoy an interview and some show clips.
Upcoming Shows
Aug 29 2009 8:00P THEY LIVE @ SNEAKER PIMPS SAN FRANCISCO!!! SAN FRANCISCO, California
Sep 10 2009 8:00P CLIPSE x THEY LIVE! x FRESH ESPRESSO x THEE SATISFACTION x GRYNCH x GMK @ SNEAKER PIMPS SEATTLE!!! @ SHOWBOX MARKET SEATTLE, Washington
Sep 16 2009 8:00P D.BLACK CD RELEASE PARTY x THEY LIVE! x DYME DEF x DARRIUS WILLRICH @ THE CROCODILE! SEATTLE, Washington
Sep 19 2009 8:00P THEY LIVE! @ FREMONT OKTOBERFEST SEATTLE, Washington
Sep 25 2009 8:00P THEY LIVE! @ THE CORNER @ THE RENDEZVOUS SEATTLE, Washington
Seattle Show Gal is in hot pursuit of undiscovered talent! How many great bands are out there that are slipping through the cracks? Seattle is saturated with so much music, it would be nearly impossible to sift through it all to find the good stuff. The Seattle Show Gal staff is not so proud to think that we can bring you all of it, but we are actively pursuing all different types of acts to give you a pulse on what is going on--right here in Seattle! (See more in "About")
