 |
| Mel D. Cole/Villageslum.com |
| Talib Kweli and Res are Idle Warship. |
Idle Warship | SoundClash
2720 Cherokee
February 15, 2012
Since setting up shop in the burgeoning Cherokee Street Art District in 2009, 2720 has made a name for itself in the national club scene as one of the top venues for street-inspired dance music. Last night's performance with Talib Kweli in Idle Warship was one of the venue's biggest names to date. Both 2720 and the audience grappled with a talented vocalist, quasi-celebrity status, and a band with an identity crisis.
Showcasing some of the brightest talent in St. Louis' hip-hop DJ community, SoundClash kicked off the evening. Known as the street-inspired sound collage project of DJ Needles, 18andCounting (Stan Chisholm) and frequent collaborator Black Spade, SoundClash blended a feverish live mix of hyper-dub, hip-hop, neo-soul, and electro bounce. A hometown hero, DJ Needles remains the undisputed mix master of St. Louis, not just for his technical skills but also for his tastefully rich song selection. Immediately locked in, he and Chisholm weaved in between a number of downbeat tracks, stacking the likes of Debarge's "I Like It" next to remixes of Tyler The Creator's "Yonkers," M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes," and Run DMC's "My Adidas." SoundClash's organic mishmash can stylistically turn on a dime, taking soulful instrumentals into Childish Gambino, SBTRKT, and even local top dog Rockwell Knuckles. But the majority of the crowd sadly seemed to pass them off as "just another group of DJs." It was unfortunate to see such disrespect.
More >>