There are about 465 words I’ll use to describe the energy at the Kooley High CD Release party this past Saturday night at The Pour House. Not only did Lazurus, Actual Proof, King Mez, and Kooley High deliver, they all captured the crowd’s attention throughout the entire show. Each set was quick, to the point and fun – something I often miss at an indie rock show.
I arrived at The Pour House around ten to find a healthy throng of people smoking their last cigarettes before the show started. King Mez was standing outside and hyped up the show by telling us how pumped he was for it tonight. Just seeing his energy got me excited to see what would happen inside. Lazurus took to the stage right on time. This guy is a super hyped-up MC that had me laughing and throwing my hands back and forth with the crowd. He started his set with some a cappella rhymes and then brought out the beats for about thirty minutes. He wrapped up his set with a gift for the fans– T-shirts and albums. Luckily, I managed to snag an album.
Actual Proof set up shop next. These two young guys from Raleigh’s own Enloe High School killed it on stage. Not only did they look fresh, but they sounded smart, fast, and just plain good.
In between sets I had to fight my way back to the bar to refill my drink. That’s a good thing when it comes to local music shows. All kinds of people were coming together for this show and everyone was pushing for a place near the stage.
I made my way up to the second story to capture the energy of King Mez. The picture below captures the best point of the night in my opinion. Everyone watched as the rapper performed solo. I loved his introductions to his producers and shout outs to his friends. His personality shone through his entire set.
Lastly, Kooley High performed against the festive decor surrounding the stage. Female emcee Rhapsody put the Christmas lights to shame in her performance with fellow group members Charlie Smarts and Tab One. The group was celebrating the release of their new album “Kooley High Presents… David Thompson” which is available digitally here. Kooley High has a lot to celebrate, including the success of their show. They got at least one new fan who walked away from the venue still humming their beats in my head.