Rivals of Time Release Party

 

Last night I willed myself to get dressed and head out into the pouring rain and gale force wind. I hopped into my car and made my way south trying my best to not slide off the road into oblivion along the way.  The destination was Canal Room for the release of Rivals of Time clothing. I also wanted to catch Fev and Siya's performances.

I got downtown safely, parked quickly and after more fighting with the wind and rain I made it inside.  I was a little shocked but more so pleasantly surprised to see a packed house. Despite the horrible weather, people came out in numbers to support their friends. A beautiful start indeed.

The show got started quickly and Fev kicked things off with some of his newest material from the mixtape "3:10 to Prop". His sister, vocalist Brook Penning, threw her stamp on the performance as well and they put the venue in the mood to party.

@PrinceFev

@BrookPenning

 

Siya was next to grace the stage and, for the first time ever, she brought a live band with her.  The band was on point and Siya turned the heat up another notch with her performances. Featured artist Lyric provided her silky smooth vocals on "Fade Away" and "Middle Finger" and the crowd's heads nodded in approval.

@Siya_

 

@lyricwright

I had a great time at the show but I didn't get to stay until the end. It's a good thing I left when I did. This morning it took me 2.5 hours to get to work. Had I not had the little sleep I did, it could have been a nightmare trying to stay awake on the road.

For more info on Rivals of Time, visit their website:

http://www.rivalsoftime.com

Gil Scott-Heron - "I'm New Here" Release/Listening Party

 

The Fader, in conjunction with XL Recordings, held an album release/listening party for legendary Harlemite and poet Gil Scott-Heron at the American Folk Art Museum.  I was on the scene taking Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pop Chips and....of course...photos.

I had to park myself near a speaker in order to really take in the music as the gallery space was open to regular visitors as well.  It was tough to hear over the chatter otherwise.  I was thoroughly pleased with what Mr. Scott-Heron has brought to the table.  The music is current and experiments with everything from Dub, strings and acoustic guitar to synthesized rhythm heavy tracks like "Me and the Devil".  Gil is as sharp as ever with words and his heavy vocals translate every trial and tribulation he's seen throughout his years.  

 

  

  

  

 

 

A trip to the Museums theater treated visitors to a 12 minute documentary on Gil's recording process.  The film is narrated by XL Recordings Founder Richard Russell.  This union is a prime example of fate at work as Russell was just a teen when when he first heard Gil Scott-Heron.  He never forgot Gil's influence and when the stars aligned on a meeting, he signed him and personally worked on putting "I'm New Here" together.

Gil will be performing live at the Blue Note on March 2nd and 3rd. He will be performing 2 shows on each day.  Tickets are $20.00 for bar seating and $35.00 for a table.