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Having trouble hearing us outside of Raleigh? We’re sorry. 🙁
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Hopscotch Night Two! Ft. Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals, Beach House, Dai Burger, and Young Thug.
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DJ Iron Mic’s Moogfest Review
Moogfest was already a full week ago, but I feel like I was running around Durham yesterday. As exhausting as it was, part of the fun of Moogfest was the mad dash of finding new and exciting activities. Grown up life prevented me from going to as many panels as I wanted to, but I was pumped to get over to GZA’s talk with Duke’s Dr. Mark Anthony Neal. If you listen to GZA’s music you can tell why he’s nicknamed “The Genius,” but as someone from a similar background, it was refreshing to listen to insights from an an intelligent Black man from the hood who made it in hip hop without being strictly about money, drugs, and guns.
Surprisingly enough for me, I didn’t just want to stay in my hip hop bubble (it’s easy to do as the Hip Hop Music Director), so I checked out some things that I didn’t exactly plan on doing. Having never played a Moog synth, going to the Modular Marketplace and trying out some of the toys, as well as watching how they’re made was extra cool. Afterhours DJ Marcel the Lion and I spent hours in there creating and wishing we had some way to record our work!
Additionally, as somewhat of an outsider to electronic music, I found it fun to see how fans interact with their favorite artists. The Reggae Soundsystem Party at Bull McCabe’s was probably my favorite stop off of my expected path. Mad Professor spun some super dope dub music. The house-style drum patterns, mixed with the good vibes of reggae, brought me back to the Bronx for a couple hours, minus the dancing… Sorry Durham, y’all cant dance to reggae like we do in the BX!
What I found most interesting about all of the new music I tried out was how audiences interact with their favorite artists. Audiences ranged from tame (at Health’s set), to hyped (Grimes and Odesza), to flat our weird (The Orb and DJ Harvey). The weirdest seeming to congregate at The Armory which cranked out DJ after DJ all weekend with a non-stop dance party. But weird is a good thing, especially when artists like The Orb have been mastering it for years, amassing a following of people ranging from younger than me to my mom’s age.
Enjoy the pics of my travels from last weekend!
–DJ Iron Mic
(all pictures taken by Charles Morse for WKNC)
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Moogfest Day Three Photos
All photos by Matt Brown
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Wild Nothing at Kings Review
Wild Nothing, a dream-pop band out of Virginia, played Kings Barcade on Friday, May 13th at 9pm. The group has been releasing consistently great records for the past 6 years with Nocturne, Gemini, and equally great EP’s. Their newest album, Life of Pause, was full of energy and translated extremely well to a live setting. Playing both new tracks and old classics, every song sounded even better and vibrant in King’s intimate setting, The concert blew my expectations out of the water made me an even bigger fan of the group than I already was.
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Moogfest 2016 Coverage
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Mass Appeal SXSW Showcase
Iconic Hip-Hop label, Mass Appeal, held a showcase headlined by Nas on Thursday night at the Austin Music Hall, named after his debut guest feature, Live at the Barbecue. The showcase honored Golden Era Hip-Hop with opening performances by Smif N’ Wessun, Buckshot Shorty, and Freeway; as well as a special dedication to the late rhyme legend Sean Price.
Hype was generated for the event via DJ Khaled, who took to his notorious Snapchat account to let everyone know he was on his way to show some “fan luv” to the festival goers at SXSW. DJ Khaled’s list of famous friends is deeper (and cooler) than Jaden Smith’s raps, so it was a no-brainer that the WTB mastermind would be a ‘major key’to this event.
Khaled did not disappoint. He took the stage in front of an at-capacity audience that lost their minds at his presence. Then the surprises started. One by one, Khaled brought out super stars of the past and present.
First there was Wyclef, who sang his verses for Ready or Not and Fu-gee-la. Then the Texas legend Bun B, who sent the crowd into hysterics with his verses from Big Pimpin and International Player’s Ball. Then 2 Chainz came out to please the crowd.
All of the fanfare was a perfect way to usher in the performance of a legend like Nas, who took to the stage with his mythical hit, New York State of Mind. Nasty kept it classy with the classics, going through Hate Me Now, Made U Look, and the showcase’s namesake, Live at the Barbecue, joined by Large Professor.
This was a Hip-Hop head’s showcase. The most modern rapper on stage was 2 Chainz. But you can’t go wrong with classics no matter the demographic. This kind of sticking-to-the-classics approach is something that Mass Appeal excels at as a company. They stick to what they know, and they know Golden Era Hip-Hop, which made Live at the Barbecue a memorable event for anyone who just loves the culture.
– DJ Iron Mic
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WKNC’s Top Five of 2015!
WKNC’s Top Five of 2015!
1. Sarah Bethe Nelson – Fast Moving Clouds – Burger Records
2. Hop Along – Painted Shut – Saddle Creek
3. Ryley Walker – Primrose Green – Dead Oceans
4. EULA – Wool Sucking – Famous Swords
5. Capeech Cappuccino – Galacticstar Hip Hop – Self-Released
Each of these albums had more than 300 spins over the last 52 weeks at WKNC 88.1 FM.
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Thanks to Live Nation, this week we are giving away 5 pairs of tickets to see Dave Matthews Band at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre! Be the correct caller when the DJ asks for it, and you could win a pair of tickets for the May 22nd show! Tickets are available for purchase from Live Nation here, and we’ll be giving away one pair each day during the week of May 18th – 22nd.