by Richie Adomako and Marjana Jaidi
At Sullivan Hall, Break Science scored early points when they started their set with dubstep; Rusko’s remix of “Pro Nails” (Kid Sister) was an early highlight. Over the course of an hour, duo showcased their wide breadth of both musical styles and talent. Adam Deitch’s sharp drumming was complimented by Borahm Lee, who played the keyboard and dropped samples from his laptop. They played all styles of music, with influences from hip-hop, rock, jazz, latin, and even Indian music. Popular songs included MGMT’s “Electric Feel” and Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”. Towards the end of the set, Deitch busted out some funky beats, playing over Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise” before transitioning into latin and jazz. Many bands relegate the drummer to the back of the stage, so it was refreshing to see an act where the drummer is the main focus.
From there, we headed to B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill for the Grandmaster Roc Raida Tribute. We weren’t sure what to expect – live performances? DJ sets? Scratch legends the X-Ecutioners/X-Men, Beat Junkies, and DJ Craze were all on the bill, along with electro staples Z-Trip and A-Trak (who, at the age of 15, was the youngest person to ever win the DMC World Championship).
Three pairs of turntables lined the stage, where the DJs took turns recreating one of Roc Raida’s original turntable routines. Despite the sad occasion that brought everyone together, there was so much love in the room, both from the audience and from the performers, who were clearly having a blast on stage. Host Kinetic NRG put things aptly when he equated the event to a high school reunion, and admitted he was “a little star struck”. It was a rare and momentous occasion to witness those scratch legends together on stage and such a fitting way to pay tribute to the late Grandmaster.
Meanwhile at Rebel, we arrived just in time for the enjoyably conventional sounds of Tina Brown and the peculiar, Pimp Ninja. Hunter Valentine followed with some punk attitude on the stage. These girls know how to rock out. With the voice of Kiyomi McCloskey taking charge, she showed a presence with her belching screams, stopping occasionally for words and taking the audience along for the ride. The Fire and Reason took the stage with a solid performance and later unveiled their new single, perfect boy – which was met with good reception. Among some of their known tracks, the group included some Portuguese renditions in the mix.
Click here for photos by Kenroy George and Oliver Correa
