the dotmatrix project

For the twelfth dotmatrix show, we happily welcomed Mr. Rozzi to the DMP stage.

Photograph by Kevin Belton

Blackbeard the Voyager, a truly hip poet, has been throwing it down for NC Hip Hop for a hot minute.  He’s got a presence and a style that’s difficult to duplicate.  His performance is always full of energy and always something special.

Photograph by Kevin Belton

For his DMP performance, Mr. Rozzi brought along an entourage.  They weren’t just there to pump up the crowd.  One person or another shared the stage with Rozzi for at least half of his set.

Photography by Kevin Belton

Vanessa Ferguson belted out background vocals before and after taking center stage to treat the audience to an a capella interlude.

Photo by Ioannis Batsios

Jeremy Johnson also offered up backing vocals as well as belting out one of his R&B jams during the set.

I know what you’re wondering.  With all these performers, who was the DJ for this whole  affair?  We had none other than L in Japanese holding it down all night long.

Photo by Ioannis Batsios

You like Hip Hop, right?  Well then, in the words of Jeremy Johnson, “Get the album.  Get the album.  Get the album!”  To pick up – or rather download – the album, you can check out Amiestreet and Last.fm.  For the newbies, here’s our promo entrance page to sign up for an account with Amiestreet and receive free money to support our local artists.

ALBUM CREDITS
Recording Engineers: Don Ravon, Dan Bayer
Mixing Engineers: Don Ravon
Cover Design: Sean Coon
Cover Photograph: Kevin Belton

This past Saturday I made the trek out to Durham to catch The Future Kings of Nowhere perform at the Duke Coffeehouse.

It was the third time I’ve experienced FKoN, though the three-piece formation (guitar, trumpet and drums) was new and a very different sound from the full six piece set I caught at the Cradle over the summer and the solo act we put on in July.

Different, but just as overwhelmingly sincere and full of energy.

Off their upcoming album: My Turn

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I walk around with my head in the clouds like I’m happy
It’s hard for me to believe that we’ve broken up
I spent forever tryin’ to get you to love me
And now that you’ve left me I figure that that’s close enough

When people ask how I’m doing
I do a little dance around the house
With my eyes closed and my arms out
I spent so long being nice, quiet and polite
And now you’re gone
And it’s my turn to be loud

Sacrifice is a word that I’ve gotten used to
In my life without ever once thinking it’s wrong
I got by on the crumbs that you dropped when you were through
But I’m done with your crumbs
From now on I get what I want

When people ask how I’m doing
I do a little dance around the house
With my eyes closed and my arms out
I spent so long being nice, quiet and polite
And now you’re gone
And it’s my turn to be loud

It does not make me happy
To see you so unhappy
With how everything worked out
But I feel so much better
I float through stormy weather
I float just like a feather
From a bird who has flown and is not coming back again

I hope that you can find happiness somewhere without me
I hope there’s someone to help you work your issues out
I hope that someday you write some more mean songs about me
We’ll trade heartache for heartache like back when we were going out

When people ask me how I’m doing
I do a little dance around the house
With my eyes closed and my arms out
I spent so long being nice, quiet and polite
And now you’re gone
And it’s my turn
Now you’re gone
And it’s my turn
Now you’re gone
And it’s my turn to be loud

This is what happens when artists get psyched about an upcoming show.

Awesome!

Please feel free to post around town.

Poster design by Suzanne Stafford of Come Hell or High Water.

Photo by Carolyn de Berry

Elizabeth Lemon, one of DMP’s photography leads and curator of tomorrow night’s photo exhibit opening at The Green Bean, was featured in an interview by Matty Sheets over at Monkeywhale.

Congrats, Elizabeth.

Sin Tax rocked the Burro like it was 1979.

Check out more of Doug’s work at his site.

Decoration Ghost. Haunting, even.

For more of Doug Klesch’s work, check out his site.

Watch this documentary to its conclusion, and I guarantee your perspective on creativity, sharing and freedom will have shifted in ways that you might never have imagined otherwise.

Art is just the beginning of the struggle.

Hat tip to Atiba Berkley of Higher Underground Productions.

Yes, Sin Tax has legs, people.

And some talented fingers.

See more of Kevin’s work at his flickr spot.

I made it out to Cat’s Cradle last weekend to catch some HNMTF and by pure happenstance I ran into the CD release party for this very cool Triangle-based compilation project, Hear Here. When I say ran into, they were handing out free CD’s at the door.

Their words describing the project:

Hear Here is a North Carolina music compilation featuring brand new songs from 18 bands from Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.?The project ties together the always growing, and very diverse local music scene. The proceeds of Hear Here are going to the Visual Art Exchange, the oldest private non-profit visual arts organization in Raleigh.

Check out the lineup:

Americans in France
The Beast
Birds of Avalon
Blount Harvey
Colossus
Hammer No More the Fingers
Inflowential
The Kingsbury Manx
Kooley High
Lonnie Walker
The Love Language
Motor Skills
The Never
The Old Ceremony
The Rosebuds
Static Minds
Sunfold

And a little video action to go with it:

We’ve been talking about doing a DMP compilation album for a while now. I’m thinking it’s about time we find some sponsors.