Rapping All the While Under the Name ‘Watsky’, George Self- Released the Barely-Heard Jazz-Hip Hop Record Invisible Inc
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K k ROCKTOBER 2018 K g VOL. 30 #9 H WOWHALL.ORGk BEATLES VS STONES FEATURING: ABBEY ROAD AND SATISFACTION - THE INTERNATIONAL ROLLING STONES SHOW On Thursday, October 25, the try’s top Beatles tribute bands. nationally touring show recently great, scoring an array of hits that on stage and modeled them,” that Community Center for the With brilliant musicianship and concluded a three-month residency changed musical history, but only according to Chris LeGrand, who Performing Arts proudly welcomes authentic costumes and gear, at the Harrah’s Reno showroom one can be the best. The most plays a dead ringer for Mick the ultimate Battle of the Bands: Abbey Road plays beloved songs and a two-month residency at the infamous rivalry in rock and roll Jagger in both swagger and ability. Beatles vs. Stones. spanning the Beatles’ career. They Harrah’s Laughlin showroom. never played out in a public arena “The Stones rocked the stage, The British Invasion brought us go up against the premier Stones For decades, the battle has until now as Beatles vs. Stones – A and worked as hard as the blues- the two most popular rock groups tribute band Satisfaction – The raged: Beatles or Stones? Through Musical Showdown performs at men they modeled their stage of all time, The Beatles and The International Rolling Stones Show, their heyday, fans accused the WOW Hall. show after, generating the smol- Rolling Stones, as well as the live- who offer a faithful rendition of London’s Rolling Stones of steal- While fierce competition fueled dering sexuality that came to be a liest debate in rock history - which the music and style of Mick ing ideas -- even entire albums – the creative output of both bands hallmark of great rock-n-roll band is the greatest? Now the Jagger, Keith Richards and the from their Liverpool counterparts. during the 1960’s, tension between acts. The Beatles? Well, they greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all bad boys of the British Invasion. At the same time, the Beatles the tribute performers is equally were cute! The Stones were the time face off in a showdown of Beatles vs. Stones features alter- secretly envied the Stones’ “bad palpable. original punks, outsiders at hits. nating power sets with the two boy” image and attitude, often “The Beatles cornered the rock best. Beatles took tea with the Taking the side of the Fab Four bands coming together on stage copying their style. market on cute suits and fluffy bloody Queen -- how rock-n-roll is is Abbey Road, one of the coun- for an amazing encore. The Both bands are unmistakably hairdos, but then they stood still CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 k ply heartfelt, George won the Brave New Voices National Poetry INSIDE THIS ISSUE Slam in 2006. Immediately after, George appeared on the final LA LUZ P2 H WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS P3 season of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry while still a col- lege freshman; he subsequently performed at over 150 universi- P4 PANCHO + THE FACTORY ties across the country. FELLOWSHIP OF THE WING P4 H SHLUMP P4 Rapping all the while under the name ‘Watsky’, George self- released the barely-heard jazz-hip hop record Invisible Inc. in SHELLAC WITH BUKE & GASE P5 2007 and the self-titled Watsky in 2010, which peaked at #7 on HOEDOWN SHOWDOWN P6 H THE GARCIA PROJECT P6 the iTunes hip-hop charts. In January 2011 George’s fast rapping went viral and led to two appearances on the Ellen Show, a slot KOCF HALLOWEEN HULLABALOO P6 H EKALI P7 on Last Call with Carson Daly, and an exploding online profile. George has performed at the Just for Laughs festival in SHORELINE MAFIA P7 H JAY ROCK P7 Montreal, the NAACP Image Awards on FOX, three times at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and has been featured in XXL, Billboard Magazine and the New York Times Magazine. Watsky’s social media presence made him one of only 23 artists dubbed by ‘The Next Big Sound’ as a ‘Big Sound of 2011’ along- side Mac Miller, Kreayshawn and Skrillex. H FUTURE ISLANDS P2 TERRY BOZZIO P3 George graduated from Emerson College with a B.A. in “Writing and Acting for the Screen and Stage”. OLIVIA GATWOOD P4 PAID U.S. Postage U.S. Now Watsky returns with his first new single in two years, Permit No. 303 No. Permit GOVINDA & THE MANDALA AFFECT P4 OR 97401 Eugene, “Welcome to the Family”. Nonprofit Organization LDW PERFORMS STOP MAKING SENSE P5 “George Watsky(simply Watsky) is one of the more under- rated rappers and poets in the game,” reports The Musical PEARL BUCK TRIVIA NIGHT P6 WATSKY’S Hype. “’Welcome to the Family’ marks the hip-hop musician’s first brand-new single since his superb 2016 studio album, x P6 THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN POOP Infinity. He doesn’t disappoint… WELCOME RAP “Safe to say, Watsky definitely has inspiration from the back- NEW PROGRAMMING MANAGER P6 On Saturday, November 3, the Community Center for the drop to fuel his creative fire… Watsky never fails to impress, and MOUSTAPHA BANGOURA P6 Performing Arts and University of Oregon Campus Radio 88.1 the same can be said of ‘Welcome to the Family’. What makes TREVOR HALL P7 FM KWVA proudly welcome Watsky’s “Welcome to the Family this such an impressive record is how personal he gets lyrically. Tour” with special guests Feed the Biirds and Chukwudi Hodge. Of course, great production and a solid performance by George “It’s likely that you’ve heard of San Francisco native hip-hop doesn’t hurt either.” artist and poet George Watsky, who is known professionally as Chukwudi Hodge was born in Oakland CA, into the rich Bay Watsky,” notes Lauren Ehehalt in Medium. “It’s possible that Area culture of West African music. After beginning playing even if you haven’t heard his music, you’ve seen him as William djembe at age two he toured with the West African Children’s Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, or the Fourth Doctor from the Dance Theater, and trained with greats such as Mosheh Milon, EXTREMELY popular Epic Rap Battles of History series (and I Riche Faye and Mamady Keita. do mean extremely. At the time that this article is being written While continuing to have a heavy commitment to traditional “Dr. Seuss VS Shakespeare” has close to 90.5 million views).” music, Chukwudi added drumset to his repertoire at age ten. RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Community Center for the Arts Performing 291 West 8th 97401 OR. Eugene, George Watsky is a rapper, writer and performer from San Chukwudi honed his skill through the years, and landed his first Francisco now living in Los Angeles. A versatile lyricist who band membership in 2006 with the GetBack at eighteen. He was switches between silly and serious, technically complex and sim- accepted to the Berklee College of CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 K k The Community Center for the WOW HALL NOTES Performing Arts is located in the Historic Woodmen of the World Hall (W.O.W. Hall), 291 W 8th, Eugene, Or 97401, (541)687-2746, [email protected], wowhall.org, Box office hours Mon-Fri Noon-6:00 PM. Printed monthly by Western Oregon Webpress, Circulation 3,800, General Support made possible by a grant from Lane Arts Council with support from City of Eugene Cultural Services Division, Copyright 2018 All rights reserved Notes Staff: Copy Editor & Advertising Representative - Bob Fennessy, Layout & Design - James Bateman CCPA Staff: Membership Coordinator & Publicist - Bob Fennessy, Programming Manager - Lori Hawley, Stage Manager - Justin Showker, Asst Stage Manager - Ed Kashin, Davis Koier, Robert Chappel, Office Manager - Danette Lamson, Bookkeeper - Melissa Swan, Volunteer Coordinator - Kaleah Bishop, House Manager - Jaley Osuna Concessions Managers - Angela Lees, Kambra Morris-Mitzner, Daniel Noall Custodian - Dave Diercks, Eric Herz, Lighting Director - Cody Owen, Volunteer Staff: Charles Peters, Dan Wathen, Poster Distribution - WOW Hall Poster Crew, CCPA Board of Directors: Chair: Aaron Dietrich, Vice Chair: Henry Weber,, Secretary: Janelle Krinsky, Members: Kathleen Blair, Hannah Finley, Marlene Monette, Abe Neilson-Sword LA LUZ LOSES IT BUT THE SHOW MUST GO ON By Bob Fennessy tions, but it could be true that the You go, girls. On Monday, October 29, the girls will do a little thrift store Shy Boys are the DIY local Community Center for the shopping in Eugene? champions of Kansas City, MO. Performing Arts and U. of O. Then again it could not be, as Comprised of brothers Collin and Campus radio 88.1 FM KWVA Los Angeles has often been Kyle Rausch and best friends proudly welcomes La Luz back to described as a “dream factory” Konnor Ervin, Kyle Little and America along with special guests and they probably have good Ross Brown, Shy Boys are the Shy Boys. thrift stores there, too. The girls heartland’s answer to The Beach When we last saw our heroines actually formed La Luz in Seattle Boys had Alex Chilton been on (May 14 at the WOW Hall), the after being inspired by surf acts guitar. four members of La Luz – singer/ like Link Wray, The Ventures and On August 3, 2018, the Shy guitarist Shana Cleveland, drum- Dick Dale as well as girl groups Boys released their second record, mer Marian Li Pino, keyboardist like The Shirelles. Bell House, on legendary and Alice Sandahl and bassist Lena After releasing an EP globally cherished record label Simon– were touring the USA in titled Damp Face in 2012, La Luz Polyvinyl, bringing both their pro- support of Floating Features, the signed with Hardly Art and file and music to the surface for band’s third studio album.