FMF Photos & Review: Yea Big & Kid Static, Rob Dz, El Guante

On the second evening of the Forward Music Fest, after checking out the A Catapult Western gig at the Momo, I trekked around the capitol square to the Frequency for the hip-hop showcase. I was glad that the organizers had decided to include a hip-hop show in the midst of an otherwise rock-heavy festival, but knew that it would be a tough sell for most folks. Indeed, the crowd was smaller than the other shows I'd been to--which was a shame, because all three acts that I caught put on amazing, high-energy sets. Perhaps next time it would work better to mix the hip-hop groups in with the other acts, instead of loading them all into one venue and one night? Who knows. But let's get to the pictures!

Yea Big & Kid Static hail from Chicago, and despite that smaller turn-out I was talking about, put on one hell of a show. They brought creative electro-beat production and skilled, often hilarious vocal work, combined it with sweat-inducing stage moves (even a little choreography), and won over more than a few converts. For sheer silliness, the stand out was definitely "Eat Yo Sandwich" - a song retelling the tale of a gig they played with a bunch of heavy metal bands in the middle of nowhere Michigan.

Madison's own Rob Dz was next, and he performed a short but sweet set of R&B influenced hip-hop with infectious enthusiasm and a big smile.

Following him, former Madisonian and current Minnesotan El Guante took the state accompanied by collaborator See More Perspective. They threw down polished but hard-hitting rhymes and beats (including some fine beatboxing by See More), playing off of each other and the audience with ease. I can't recommend checking out one of their shows enough, really.

For the full set of photos, click here.