 Slug |
 Blueprint |
Story and photos Karen Bondowski
Atmosphere and friends found a temporary refuge for it's vivid style of indie rap at The Pabst Theatre last week. With explosive, lurid and poetic lyrics Slug and company gave us a healthy dose of what the urban genre is made of. Every gritty beat married to every salty lyric.
While friends and workers were getting the stage ready for Atmosphere, Slug (Sean Daley) was seen lending a hand. As fans noticed the star playing stagehand they went wild.He smiled and shortly thereafter charged into "God Loves Ugly" which suddenly caused single fingers to be pointed upward throughout the venue. The slow beat oozed with a dirty back alley charm as Slug busted out the rhymes. Ant, the beatmaster and foundation of the group, creates masterful soundscapes of piano and guitar while Slug raises the roof with his powerful and brassy delivery. "Smart Went Crazy (The Beauty Pill)" off of Atmosphere's latest release You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having was fluid and tireless while "Pour Me Another (Another Poor Me)" was well received by fans.
The highlight of the evening was a bristling rendition of "Modern Man's Hustle." The doped up delivery and speed beats of Ant had the whole theater waving their arms to Slug's brawny voice inflections. "Trying to Find a Balance" took some twists and turns as the vocals were traded onstage like punches at a heavyweight prizefight. "Woman With the Tattooed Hands" was another favorite. The roaring approval of the crowd was all the validation Slug and company needed. The beats slowed a bit for the shortened version of "Always Coming Back Home to You" while Slug still feverishly waved his arms and hands into classic stop-motion ghetto poses.
"Shrapnel" could be a different song live, rather then on CD as Slug and his band turned this around to a reggae style mix with a hardcore and almost operatic flair. Slug urged everyone to come closer to the stage and put their hands in the air and sing along with him, "unless you're too cool, then stay in the back," he yelled. Rhymesayers, Minneapolis based label run by Slug, has just celebrated their 10 year anniversary. This was also the day that their new CD was released. Good spirits were flying high as the goodwill bled into tonight's performance as well. Slug has always been known for mixing his set up with old and new songs. He brings an urgent drive to his live sets. Atmosphere will surely be heard loudly in the hip hop world once they rise from their indie roots and find a home among some of their more successful counterparts.
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Atmosphere
Blueprint
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Ant
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