"The Beat" Video Blog with Mic Quin

Episode 4 of "The Beat" in video blog form. We talk with our good pal Mic Quin as he plugs away at his projects and collaborations. Big up to Jose for providing the dope Jaguar for the shoot. We shot this out in Chinatown to give it that extra-grimy feel. Oh, Fa Sho'.

Read more!

Final thoughts - Monterey Music Summit

In the wake of the indefinite postponement of The Monterey Music Summit, I got to say I'm pretty bummed — but more so embarrassed.

Sure, the county supes approved use of the Laguna Seca venue, however begrudgingly. But they did some back door stuff to make it harder for event organizers to go on.
With the billing of the event as a carbon-neutral, eco-friendly endeavor, free water and public transportation, even a visit from Buddhist monks, the county supes and Sheriff's office still thought it necessary to charge extra for security, to the tune of $30,000-plus.

Do Buddhist monks serve as a potential risk to public safety?

Of course, there was the presence of that one tall, lean, black rapper named Snoop Dogg. While it's hard to ignore any potential spark for gang violence in the wake of a double homicide in Salinas over the weekend, the way the Sheriff's department handled the situation was profiling at the least, blatant racism at the worst.

Snoop and his entourage were expected to endure a search by Sheriff's deputies, the only band required to do so on the bill. Out of 70 bands and artists, Snoop's crew was expected to be cool with this one "request."

Who does that? I mean, seriously, how are you going to allow a show to go on only if one black guy and his friends/managers/roadies are ordered to be held under a microscope?

The county supes allowed it, demanded it, essentially, to ensure piece of mind. Really, they were just making it more difficult for promoters to put on the show.

Which is sad and frustrating and, again, embarrassing. I'm embarrassed that elected officials in my region went along with this. Didn't someone tap one of these guys/girls on the shoulder and whisper in their ear "hey, this could be viewed as a bit racist, you know."

I'm venting, but seriously, we have just exposed ourselves as small-town, non-sophisticates who are unable to have a good time without proper authorities standing watch under lock and key.

This is the message our elected officials have chosen to send to the youth: don't trust anyone unless you can pat them down first. Then, make sure you milk them for all they have.

It will be a while before all of this gets settled down and we can look forward to name pop music acts coming through for large venue shows. This is an embarrassment to anyone in the county who has bought or downloaded a CD in the last five years.

The crusties got their wish. I hope they feel safer now that the threat has been averted. Meanwhile, gangs continue to run the streets of Salinas. Too bad we can't charge them an extra $30k to stay away.

Read more!

Karma Loop TV interview w/Yak Ballz

The good folks at KarmaLoop.com were nice enough to share this interview with Yak Ballz of The Weathermen (indy supergroup consisting of El-P, Aesop Rock, Cage, Breeze Brewin, RJD2, ya momma). Shout out to Chelsea at Karma Loop for providing the embed code.

On a side note, Weathermen member Camu Tao passed away over the weekend. Condolences to the family and friends of the talented, underrated Columbus, Ohio MC. Bless the dead, who started off with the group MHz (Camu Tao, RJD2 and Copywrite).

Read more!

Listen To My Voice! with Keak Da Sneak

Keak Da Sneak is the voice of The Bay, a gravel-toned, jagged-edged, smoked-too-many- Newports-growing-up- in-Oaktown growl that cuts through the track like a diamond slicing a pane glass window.
Since his debut with the late '90s Oakland group 3XCrazy, Keak has maintained a strong foothold in the Bay Area rap scene. Like Busta Rhymes stepping away from Leaders of the New School, Keak left the group to pursue solo success, using his distinct voice and ultra-smooth persona to carve his lyrical niche.
After years of grinding on the underground circuit and stellar features on other artists songs, Keak broke through in 2004 with the regional sensation “Super Hyphy.” The song, a sexy, catchy, side show carinval-ride jingle, was ubiquitous on Bay Area radio stations, and catapulted Keak to solo stardom. He followed that up with a high-profile appearance on E-40's jam “Tell Me When To Go,” a regional anthem that garnered national attention.
While Keak was riding high on his public profile, his contract ties with various independent labels prevented him from capitalizing on his success. More than two years after the “Tell Me When To Go” jump-off, Keak is just now releasing a solo album.
“Deified” is a collaboration-heavy, full-length album that finds Keak in his lane, mixing gritty street rhymes with party jams over fierce beats. Of course, there's always that voice, which is a force of its own on record and over the phone.
Keak talked to “The Beat” about his new album and representing the Bay Area on a national level. “Deified” drops June 10.

Read more!

The Beat Video Blog w/ Sleyv

Episode 3 of “The Beat” in video form. Shout out to Will, Alicia, Rerun and the gang at 40831 Clothing in Salinas for allowing us to shoot there.

Read more!

Interview with Slug of Atmosphere (Pt. II)

Part two of the Slug interview.

Read more!

Interview with Slug of Atmosphere (Pt. I)

I've been riding pretty hard for Atmosphere of late, but they're definitely one of my favorites. The new album is dope. Cop that.

This is courtesy of the good people at KarmaLoop.com. Big up to Chelsea, who was nice enough to hand this over. First in a two-parter, so expect the second installment sometime tommorrow.

Read more!

"Listen To My Voice" with Darren "El Gallo" Carter

For being a red-head white guy from Fresno, Darren Carter throws down a mean grito.

That would be a long, screeching, spirited celebratory yell made famous by Mexican mariachis. Carter's grito is an homage to his upbringing in the barrios of Fresno, where the red-head comic earned the nickname "El Gallo" or "The Rooster.

"I've been practicing. I love it," he said before unleashing a loud, screeching Mexican grito, a traditional celebratory yell. He punctuates it with an authentic "Ahua!"

Carter will perform Friday at the Fox Theater in Salinas. Show starts at 8 p.m.

El Gallo talked to "The Beat" about his upcoming show. Read the full story in the Sunday Leisure section, or just listen to my voice below.

Read more!

"The Beat" Video Blog with Delirio

Episode 2 of "The Beat" video blog features Salinas/Las Vegas band Delirio.

Formed at Alisal High School during the late '90s, band members Edgar Escobedo, Albert Lopez, Marco Lopez and Juan Diego Lopez have mixed synthy new wave with riff-heavy Rock En Espanol. The quartet, all raised in East Salinas, released their debut album "Auto Destruccion" in 2007, a four-year process that found the band consistently re-tooling their sound and set while producing the record on their own.

Props to Anthony Lane and the Fox Theater Salinas for allowing us to shoot at The Fox Theater. Check out more of the band at MySpace.com/delirioband.

Read more!

Listen To My Voice! with Savage Sun

This one is a bit delayed, but a (long) goodie. I interviewed Christopher Schamber, aka Savage Sun, a few weeks back. The story ran in the print edition of “The Beat,” but I somehow managed to miss this in the blog. It's here now as part of “LTMV!”

Savage Sun is a CSUMB grad, social worker and MC now living in The Lou (St. Louis for the 'hood-impaired). His debut album, "The Art of Being Alive” is a live wire mix of esoteric lyricism and mood music inspired by the seasons. Sun is in the lineage of poets/MC's who use their music to inspire and vent.

Read more!

Snoop drives soccer mom's wild on "OLTL"

Assesing Snoop Dogg's performance last week on “One Life to Live” — it was kind of like watching a real-life celebrity make an appearance as an animated characeter on “Scooby-Doo” or “The Simpsons.”
Snoop showed up at a bachelorette party held in a nightclub. He followed up a stripper. He hit the stage and a dozen or so soap opera housewives screamed “Snoop!” like teeny-boppers at a Miley Cyrus show. The stripper looked confused.
He wore a brown leather outfit and shades. My mom's reaction: “He looks like a Pimp!” Which, I guess, is the point — Snoopy the Pimp relied on his faux-mack image to win over the hearts of suburban soccer moms the world over. I wonder how many middle-age moms picked up their kids the next day at school bumping “Sexual Seduction,” the song he performed on the show.
None of this would have caught my attention were it not for the “controversy” surrounding Snoop's appearance at the Monterey Music Summit. Although I was once a devout OLTL folower (long, boring days of summer vacation mixed with my mom's programming the vcr to record her soapies made me a fan by default), there's no reason for me to watch now. Snoop's appearance provided a weird, brief re-entry point.
At the end of his song, Snoop offered a contrite “What It Do, Landview” to the screeching crowd. I wonder how he'll greet the Monterey crowd ("Orale Monterey?"). The soccer mom crowd might eat it up.

Read more!

"The Beat" - Video Blog-cast

Look to the right. See that? In the video viewer. It's "The Beat" logo on a video player. Click on the player and you'll see the premiere episode of the video blog-cast "The Beat."

This is the first in an on-going series I'll be producing. I'll interview artists and do video of shows, have some fun, talk to folks. It'll be a nice way to give readers of the blog a little more insight into the music and entertainment going on on the Central Coast.

This week, we're talking to B.I.G. T.I.M.E. of SicSide Entertainment. His crew is hosting a talent show Wednesday night at The Hippodrome, 321 Alvarado St., Monterey. Showtime is 8:30 p.m.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy "The Beat" video-cast. And if you'd like to participate in an upcoming episode, contact me mcabrera@montereyherald.com.

Read more!

Listen To My Voice! with El Vez

El Vez, The Mexican Elvis, is not your typical Elvis impersonator.

Not a whole lot of Elvis impersonators would reference The Zapatistas in their lyrics, or turn a James Brown anthem into a pro-Chicano crowd pleaser (“I'm Brown and Proud”).

Mixing musical mash-ups with Vegas cheese and Pro-Chicano messages, El Vez is a prolific, profound entertainer who mixes performance art with classic American rock, seamlessly.

His real name is Robert Lopez, and over the phone he's an eloquent, funny, easy-going Chicano who can turn it on with one lip curl. He talked with ‘The Beat’ about his work and his upcoming performance May 8 at the World Theater at CSU-Monterey Bay. For more info, visit www.csumb.edu/worldtheater, or go to www.elvez.net.

**Note: You will have to push pause on the player for the Ben Kenney podcast two entries below to listen to the El Vez interview properly. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Read more!

On Snoop Dogg: Fighting Gang Violence with Intolerence Won't Work

Monterey County Board of Supervisors and the crusty residents of this here county are really showing their general disconnect with youth culture in regards to Snoop Dogg's performance at the Monterey Music Summit.
In today's paper, The Herald reported that summit promoter Joe Fletcher was told that the supes could keep the event from taking place “if Snoop was on the bill.” Among their concerns was the spat of gang violence currently plauging nearby Salinas and the sometimes violent messages sent in Snoop's lyrics.
So their counter to gang violence is veiled cultural intolerance? That's the vibe I'm catching from this.
First off, as in any debate involving defense of rap music, I gotta be straight up and say some of Snoop's lyrics are inescusable. This is the guy who penned “Bitches Ain't Shit” and “A Nigga Wit A Gun.” We're not talking Bob Dylan here.
At the same time, Snoop has matured as an artist and performer. He's re-invented himself as this sort of West Coast ghetto good will ambassador, accentuating some of the more positive aspects of 'hood and hip-hop culture.
He was a coach for his son's pee-wee football team; he's got his own E! Network reality series depicting his life as a father, husband and family man. He's set to appear on the soap opera “All My Children.”
He's become a hood-icon from the D-Boys to the Desparate Housewives.
Critics, of course, will point to his violent past as an excuse to hate on his seeming calmer present. He was acquitted of murder charges in 1996. He was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon, a folding metal baton he claimed was a movie prop, at a Los Angeles Airport in 2004. Recently, he was held but later released after his entourage was involved in a scuffle with security at a London airport.
Snoop's persona as a certified gangsta (he's claimed Long Beach Crip membership since his early days) is what carries over into his mainstream reputation. That gives the crusties plenty of ammo to work with.
But believe it or not, Snoop's gangsta persona is not even considered real anymore within the United States Ghetto network. Not to say he's soft of lost his touch, but cholos and thug world over know that Snoop is a character as harmless as the cartoon beagle that provided his namesake.
When you mention Snoop Dogg to your local vato loco, he might smile and nod his head in appreciation, rattle off a song or two that he likes.
No one is going to say that Snoop's music will incite violence. Period.
It's kind of like being afraid of the Rolling Stones in the aftermath of Altemont. Are you going to be worried that a Hell's Angel biker will shank you if you go to a Stones concert?
More seriously, it's a problem that county officials think they know what's right for residents when it comes to entertainment options. For years, the people in this county have complained about the lack of entertainment options, pop music in particular, available to them.
Now, when we have a superstar of Snoop's caliber helping make the area a potential hot bed for pop music acts, we're saying no way? It's too dangerous?
What really scares me is that while county supes and Peninsula residents who cite Salinas's gang problem as a reason to cance the show. Are they worried that it will cause more violence in Salinas, or are they worried that the violence in Salinas will somehow migrate to Laguna Seca? Are they worried Salinas gangsters will show up en masse to ruin it for everyone? What gives?
And since the Monterey Sheriff's Office has become involved, are they worried they won't be able to handle Salinas residents showing up? Shouldn't the Sheriff's Office be prepared and trained well enough for an event like this? No one cries fould when 200,000 people bombard the county during Rodeo and Grand Prix week. All of a sudden Snoop is showing up and the Sheriff's office isn't prepared to handle it's own residents?
No matter what the outcome, the powers that be are really showing their inability to gauge the response of youth popular culture. Snoop's appearance should be a wake-up call that local leader's fears are not in tune with the reality of its residents.
If they're worried that Snoop's appearance will fuel gang violence, what does that say about their ability to solve the gang problem by itself?

Read more!

Listen To My Voice! with Ben Kenney of Incubus

Ben Kenney is the bassist for uber-cool SoCal rock band Incubus, and was formerly the guitarist for my all-time favorite band, The Roots. He's performing Saturday night at The Black Box Cabaret, along with Dirty Heads and The Silent Movie. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., show starts at 9 p.m.
Kenney talked about his music, including his latest album, “Comfort and Distance,” as well as sharing some points on his time with the Roots and Incubus. He's a pretty cool cat and it was nice of him to talk to me while trying to eat lunch on the side of the road from heaven knows where. Check out the show Saturday if you can.

Read more!

“Paint It Gold” Season Finale!

So Atmosphere's new album is out. They've been promoting it with a web series that is pretty funny and long. Here's the final ep. Cop that disc, which is in stores today (I, unfortunately have to wait until payday to get it, but that's how it goes).

Read more!

Cali Nation Live at Doc's

My boys Cali Nation doing “Salinas” live at Doc Rickett's Lab. Big up to Andy and the crew. Check out Myspace.com/calination for more video from the show.
Video courtesy of The Red Monkey.

Read more!

An Earth Day Rap

A simple rap poem for Earth Day, which is Tuesday. Enjoy.

With so much drama in the world today/
It seems we all need to celebrate earth day/
I know it sounds corny in so many ways/
But have you taken time to hug Mother Earth today?

I'm not trying to preach or teach a class/
I'm not trying to say that these days are our last/
I'm just trying to say we need to think real fast/
Pretty soon it'll be $20 for a gallon of gas/

Got to school yourself on carbon emissions /
Holes in the ozone and unhealthy conditions/
Energy consumption vs. ecological systems/
Got to save the trees, can't continue to diss 'em/

If you have the means ride a bike to school/
Walk to the store or set up a car pool/
Recycle everything, that would be real cool/
Might save you some money in the long run too

There's things you can do at home on the low/
Plant your own garden, set up a compost/
Buy local produce from the Central Coast/
The Salad Bowl of the world has plenty to host

And if you're clocking dough you can go real big/
Invest in a gas-saving car Hybrid/
Solar panels can help you save some large ends/
Do it for the earth, not because it's a trend

Because we all owe it to the next generation/
Look at all the damage that the kids are facing/
There's only one earth with no replacement/
Help your grandchildren by making a statement

And before I go, One more thing to say/
Don't wait for tomorrow because the time is today/
Please do your part and find a new way/
I know it sounds corny, but everyday is Earth Day

Peace and I'm out.

Read more!

Snoop's Coming to Monterey!

The Dogg is coming to rock the Peninsula, as in Snoop D-O-Double-G.
Headlining the second annual Monterey Music Summit, West Coast rap legend Snoop Dogg will perform Saturday night with returning act Ozomatli, as part of the renewed, revitalized and rearranged pop music festival.
Last year's inaugural event in October brought some 8,000 to 9,000 music fans and more than 30 acts to the two-day event helmed by promoter Joe Fletcher. This year, it's a three-day affair, to be held at Laguna Seca Recreation Area, May 30-June 1. Visit www.montereymusicsummit.com for info.
Three-day passes are $169, with limited one-day passes available the day of each show.
The change in date and venue (the first summit was held at the Monterey Fairgrounds) was made to establish the summit as a late spring event, with the full use of Laguna Seca facilities a part of the draw for out-of-town festival goers.
From camping facilities to bike and hiking trails, Fletcher envisions the three-day festival as a destination event for contemporary pop music lovers.
“We were really excited to launch the first Monterey Music Summit, but we new from the beginning it was going to be a growing process,” said Fletcher. “For the type of event we wanted, we needed camping. And we wanted to move into a time of year that was a little warmer. It left us a little shorter in the time we can promote, but we knew we could establish it in the time of year that was warm.”
The biggest name on the bill so far is Snoop Dogg, the West Coast rap star who has maintained a significant level of popularity more than 15 years after making his debut with legendary rap producer Dr. Dre.
“It's kind of funny to watch his whole career. There are very few people you can point to and say ‘This guy's been at the top of his game for a long time,’ ” said Fletcher.
The decision to bring in Snoop on a bill featuring mostly rock and jam bands wasn't meant to cash in on his marquee value.
“We didn't want to bring a big name just to have hip-hop,” he said. ‘We wanted someone to cross the boundaries that's more than a hit maker.”
While Snoop's image is clearly classified as gangsta, due to his lyrics and numerous run-ins with the law, Fletcher wasn't worried about the problem of drawing a rowdy audience. Fletcher called Snoop “a good friend” and even gave a surprise comparison.
“He's just always a great guy to work with and hysterically funny. He's almost like a Bill Cosby,” said Fletcher. “His career has morphed from street thug to more romantic guy to now his show on the E! Network, where he's this family guy.”
Aside from Snoop Dogg and Ozomatli on Saturday, name for the Friday night lineup are electronic music mavens Sound Tribe Sector 9 and The Crystal Method. Sunday's top acts are rock band Coheed and Cambria. Another name Sunday act is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
New acts for the summit this year include longtime punk/funk outfit Fishbone, California rock band Slightly Stoopid, actress/rocker Juliette Lewis and The Licks, veteran dance music impresario Dieselboy with MC Messinian, pop singer Paula Cole, Melvin Seals and JGB (Jerry Garcia Band) and former Saturday Night Live band leader G.E. Smith's band, Moonalice.
Other new acts include Albino! Heavy Heavy Afro Beat, Shelby Lynn, Raine Maida, Super Drag, Sara Melson, Just Jinjer, and Tea Leaf Green, who were scheduled to appear last year but didn't make the trip.
Returning acts include West Indian Girl, New Monsoon, Hot Buttered Rum and Tea Leaf Green, who were scheduled to appear last year but didn't make the trip.
An appearance by Tibetan Monks, presenting “Mystical Arts of Tibet,” will take place in the new tent stage, along with burlesque with The Filthy Gorgeous Burlesque.
Fletcher said he aimed to bring a variety of acts to the show that would draw a crowd and bring a positive message to the summit.
Like last year's event, this year is billed as carbon neutral. Fletcher and his crew plan on planting trees to offset the carbon emissions caused by the show's energy consumption and transportation.
He is joining with local agencies, from Monterey-Salinas Transit and the Offset Project, to green-minded companies like Pure Water, which will provide free purified water to concert goers.
“We really wanted to make sure we kept the same environmental theme. We're spending a lot of time and energy. . . to really create a festival that's as sustainable as possible,” he said.
With a goal of providing a dynamic lineup of music, keeping things green and propping up the region as a pop-music stop, Fletcher again has high hopes for the summit. At the same time, he's downplaying the need to sell out early on in favor of giving concert goers an enjoyable experience.
“We want people to be able to come, camp, have plenty of elbow room and have as good and comfortable an experience as possible. And we don't need to sell 30,000 tickets to make this work,” he said. “By design, we want this to be a little smaller, a little easier to deal with, and for people to feel like this is their festival.”

Read more!

Live in Concert: Bret Michaels in Salinas

Drunk guys and girls stumbling all over the place, nearly knocking down large video screens. Shaved-head cholos working as security. Police roaming every square inch yet somehow managing to miss violent altercations.
It all added up to one thing: A rock concert in Oldtown Salinas.
Friday night's Bret Michaels show at the Fox Theater in Salinas was an entertaining event as much for the people watching as for the show itself. Michaels hit the stage around 10 p.m., introduced by "Rock of Love" castmates Heather and Destiney and his bodyguard/main camarade Big John. It was big fun all around.
When Big John announced Michaels to the stage, the opening strains to GNR's "Welcome to the Jungle" blasted through the speakers. Then nothing, as the song played out in its entireity. While it was a head scratcher as to why they played a GNR song to intro as opposed to, say, a Poison song, it proved oddly appropriate, as Michaels played as many cover songs as he did his own material.
Michaels hit the stage with his band rocking "Talk Dirty to Me" and the sparse crowd ate it up. He recieved a hero's welcome as he ripped through his opening number, drawing a thick crowd of older women stationed in the front to fight for his attention and showing their admiration.
That pack of drunken hyenas didn't seem to let anyone else, particularly females, draw too close to Michaels. I saw at least a couple of girls escape from the throbbing pit sweaty and frustrated. It was pretty funny to watch.
Michaels set list included "Sweet HomeAlabama" and "Your Momma Don't Dance," classic rock standards that fit right in with Michaels delightfully tacky steez. I remember him playing at least one song from his solo catalogue, mixed in with Poison ballads "Something To Believe In" and the obligatory "Every Rose Has It's Thorn."
In between songs, Michaels chatted up the crowd, switched guitars a few times, smiled, mooked, and ran through the checklist of a professional rock n roll bad ass. I can't front, for all of his otherworldly looks and hammy showmanship, Michaels is a likeable, seeming approachable cat. A true school beer at the bar good fella.
He closed it out with the encore "Nothing But A Good Time," the ultimate beer-selling anthem. Michaels has re-branded himself for a new generation through the lowest of common denominators, reality television, but he's done it on his terms and you can't but root for the guy. His solo show wasn't the grand spectacle I wanted (I though the Poison show last year at the Sports Complex was a better display of his star talent), but dude can rock the house in a good way.
And if nothing else, it was fun to watch my hometown gente act a damn fool without anyone getting seriously hurt. Thanks for that, Bret.

Read more!