Metal Leaves Studio

The Hills are alive with the sound of [I Am Still] Music.  Lil Wayne's caravan landed in town with an army of 35+ tour busses, big rigs, & Range Rovers.  

It included a great cast of characters including Rick Ross- who once held the keys to the cell, Lil Wayne- who could have used that key to blow out of Rikers, and Nicki Minaj- who most likely provided some thought-provoking fodder to Tha Carter while locked in solitary.

Cinderella's glass slipper was absent from the Palace stairs, but the stiletto/sneaker combo, not seen on the scene since '04 made a comeback. Spiked heels teetered like those cups they sling at the Sno-Cone Stand, complementing the more than peek-a-boo lace body stockings and sequin prom attire that came through the swinging glass doors.

One fan sported sparkly fur boots, strung up like a scared shitzu, while another wore jeans laced up her thighs like en pointe ribbons. Can-Can dancers were in the building- straight outtta the Moulin Rouge.

Enter the Nicki Minaj lookalikes- with their bangs & their BANGHS! peeking out of the tightest lycra seen this side of Michigan Avenue.  Wigs reminiscent of cotton candy made an appearance on more than one Sparrow.

And you can skip the strip club- Lil Wayne brought the sexcapades with him.  The set itself wasn't a new concept, but it was still brilliant. Off-the-air TV static appeared,  slinky silhouettes, pin-up style, began filling the cell blocks- followed by the outline of  instruments.  

Then the #1 stunna himself- Lil Wayne- 'fell' from the sky and came up thru the floor. He blasted other rappers to the outer limits of the cosmos through his lyrical rampage. The delivery was succinct, and the crowd knew each syllable as if they had written it themselves.

Fireworks exploded, but they were unnecessary- Wayne himself detonated like a Class A firework display. Lil Wayne's stage presence was powerful.  He sucked energy from the crowd like vampires suck blood, then flipped it three ways, back into the audience. 

The Black Eyed Peas will perform tonite in Dallas- at the Super Bowl half-time show.  Their performances are packed with energy- a perfect complement for a raucous sporting event such as this. They have come a long way from their shows in quaint dive bars, with an audience of twelve- to their high-gloss stadium productions with millions of fans in attendance. 
An aside: I hung out with some of the Steelers in Pittsburgh so I hope Pittsburgh prevails.  If they win I'm going to send for a Primanti Sandwich... Yeah!!!

*Addendum:* will.i.am rigged the mikes in order to 'highlite' his performance [wink, wink] & condolences to the Steelers on their loss... no Primanti Brothers sandwich for me. [tear]

Happy 70th Birthday, Neil!

Kanye West is set to drop his next studio album this summer. His latest project, a collaboration with Jay-Z, the aptly named 'Watch the Throne,' will be released in March.  

Hold onto your hats, fasten your seatbelt, and be on the look-out for a '77 Dodge ambulance;  The Defibulators are rolling into Pontiac  tonight.  The much lauded Brooklyn-based band will be performing their auditory destruction live! at The Crofoot.

The Defibulators are one the most energetic, raucous bands you will see this side of the Mason-Dixon!  They will shake the dust off any joint they step into, whether it be the Brooklyn Country Cookout at SXSW or during their recent European tour  at various pubs, clubs, and prisons.

They came up as a bunch of boisterous musicians in Brooklyn, emerging out of the New York roots scene- mixing bluegrass, country, rockabilly, honky-tonk, and punk. They have been compared to watching 'Hee-Haw on mescaline,'  [this is not your mother's Mickey Gilley!]  The Defibulators rev it up hardcore, with both their instruments and their stage-presence. So put on your dancing shoes, high-tail it to Pontiac, and witness their debauchery for yourself.

All the tortured souls of Detroit showed up to witness the King of Darkness, Tech N9ne, perform during the final leg of his Strange Days 2010 tour. The spiked-out, fishnet clique were hardcore and true. They showed up early and waited patiently in line.

The seriously rough-looking, but exceedingly polite crowd stepped into the inferno on Fort. Speaking of Dante's Inferno, looking closely you could catch a glimpse of the Devil himself, King Gordy, wearing his ever-present trademark 'horns' hairstyle. Caught between the dark shadows of fog and the crimson curtains, Gordy later stepped into the fire and showed up on stage as he performed with special guest Bizarre. They performed for a minute then stepped aside to make room for the Strange Music artists.

Opening acts from the Strange Music label included Brotha Lynch Hung, Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Big Scoob, Prozak, Cognito, and Oushaboo. This was one of the most supportive Detroit crowds witnessed in years; the packed to capacity crowd energetically sang every word to all the label's performers. The only downfall was that by the time the supporting acts had exited stage right,  the unfortunate soul whose skeleton make-up would make any grave dancer jealous, had melted and slid down his face before Tech could make his Grand Entrance.

Tech N9ne stepped onstage, hitting the crowd with a barrage of heavy artillery- his words. Sinister and shocking lyrics paired with the skillful delivery that Tech is known for caused his fans to go insane. His lyrical execution is precise. He brought with him his symphony of violence, punctuated by vivid story-lines.  
  
Effortlessly filling the void of hardcore rap that cannot be satiated by the mainstream music that crams the airwaves, Tech N9ne still reps the Midwest hard. The Kansas City native keeps it real. The authenticity of his music and performance is unrivaled by most of today's artists. Tech N9ne is a charismatic performer;  with intriguing contradictions surfacing throughout his show. The live show parallels the intensity of his studio albums, with added energy.

The Detroit show at Blondie's, due to unforeseen circumstances, became the final stop of this tour. Catch Tech N9ne in Europe for the next segment of his tour or check out impending North American tour dates as Tech makes the rounds again this fall. Tech N9ne's latest album, The Gates Mixed Plate, drops on July 27, 2010.