St. Louis Music Blog

Do you get off on original rockers like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and the Beach Boys? Do you also rock out to Repo Man-style '80s punk like Agnostic Front, the Circle Jerks, and Black Flag?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you will be dragged into the streets and shot if you are not at Off Broadway tonight for The King Khan & BBQ Show.

In the words of the mad Khan himself--as quoted in this week's RFT music feature-- the two-man band is "punk rock meets doo wop," a "crazy spectacle," and a "smorgasbord of ecstasy."

Doesn't that sound delicious?


Show details after the jump...

Jennifer Silverberg

Benjamin Sawyer, DJ Champ, and Tef Poe kick ass and create comics

Age of Illumination, ​the hip-hop-themed comic book project from Tef Poe, DJ Champ, and illustrator Benjamin Sawyer, drops tonight at Star Clipper, with a release party that kicks off at 6 p.m. Stop by, grab a free copy of the book, and meet the artists.

From Flavor Flav's oversize alarm clock to the diamond-encrusted chains of the crunk era, bling has long been a part of hip-hop culture. Comic books, on the other hand, are a relatively new addition, with rap-influenced illustrations from Public Enemy and Madvillain among the only noteworthy examples. Now, thanks to Age of Illumination, an ambitious new project from a trio of St. Louis artists, the two elements will be united with a comic book about a mythical piece of bling. 

Age of Illumination consists of a comic book and a concept album. The creators are local rapper Tef Poe (given name: Kareem Jackson), Nicholas "DJ Champ" Randall and comic-book artist Benjamin Sawyer. The first issue of the comic book, a release party for which will be held at Star Clipper Comics on September 16, is an odd mix of historical fantasy, spiritual mumbo jumbo and glorification of the St. Louis underground hip-hop scene, starring Tef Poe and DJ Champ as the leading men.

Read more about the project by clicking here.

Family Affair's Mr. Rep

            

A big band doing free improvisation is a rare occurrence in St. Louis, so it's worth making note of tonight's gig by the fifteen-member Stone-Zelenka-Ota Free Improv Orchestra at the Way Out Club.

Jay Zelenka, who also runs Freedonia Music, and Dave Stone organized the show to celebrate a visit this week by Takanori Ota, a graduate of Webster University's music program who now lives back in his native Japan.

Tonight at the Fort Gondo gallery on Cherokee Street, two of St. Louis' finest hip-hop artists will debut as artists -- period.

Philanthropy and rock & roll go hand-in-hand tonight during the "Rock Out for MS" show at Fubar (3108 Locust Street). Local acts Soma, the Sudden Passion, Lydia Loveless and Tok will perform, and the show begins at 7 p.m. We reviewed Tok's latest LP Long Tall Cobra Box a few weeks ago and had this to say:

As co-leaders of Tok, brothers Bryan and Matt Basler revel in thick, hazy riffs of stoner rock, which they layer over an articulated but unrepentant rhythm section. Parts of the album sound like a sampler disc of Sub Pop Records' early-'90s roster. Opener "Got No Need" has all the crunch, speed and bravado of Bleach-era Nirvana, while elsewhere the twisted twang ofthe Supersuckers and the super-fuzz of Mudhoney pop up.

Although it's a cold, cold Thursday in early January, there's certainly a ton going on tonight around town. I'll report back from Girl Talk's sold-out Pageant show tomorrow (hopefully it won't involve things like this), and we'll have photos from the Lil Wayne et al show at the Chaifetz Arena on the blog as well. (I expect it'll look something like this.) But there's plenty more to do -- a partial list is below. If we missed something, chime in.

*Yourself and the Air/Commichung (who are returning after a hiatus of sorts)/Corvidae, Bluebird
*Ohtis, The Gramophone
*Nerve Parade, Mangia
*Those Darlins, Off Broadway
*The Bad Plus, Jazz at the Bistro
*Lil Wayne/Keri Hilson/T-Pain/Keyshia Cole/Gym Class Heroes, Chaifetz Arena