ON THE BEAT
OFF THE CHARTS Unconventional acts spice up September’s music scene. BY REBECCA ROBINSON
<< Danny Brown w. Action Bronson and Trash Talk// The Blue Moose // Sept. 21 // 9 p.m. // $25 Eccentric Detroit rapper Danny Brown will be returning to Iowa City this month on his 2 High 2 Die tour. It should be an unforgettable show and there’s a pretty good chance that 50 Cent considered signing Brown to his G-Unit record label but could not get past the cut of his jeans.
things will be kind of weird, but in a good way. Brown has been making a name for himself as a talented MC with a quirky sense of humor and a distinct fashion sense. Once, 50 Cent considered signing Brown to his G-Unit record label but could not get past the cut of his jeans. Brown has since been signed to Fools Gold Records and collaborated with the likes of A$AP Rocky, Schoolboy Q and Raekwon, among others. Old, the long anticipated follow up to his critically acclaimed album XXX, is scheduled for release at the end of this month. Opening for Brown will be Action Bronson, an up and coming New York rapper and former gourmet chef who has been known to throw steaks into an audience. Hardcore band Trash Talk will also be returning to Iowa City to kick things off with their high-level spazz-out performance style. Last time they were here the set ended with the singer dangling spider monkey style from the ceiling light fixtures at Gabe’s, so who knows what will happen this time around—be there to find out.
<< Kepi Ghoulie w. Miss Chain and the Broken Heels, Lipstick Homicide, and Hooray// Gabe’s// Sept. 24// 7 p.m. // $5 While punk has evolved into a genre that encompasses diverse and, oftentimes contradictory, styles and ideals, I’ve always been partial toward the bands that fall on the more campy end of the low culture spectrum. If you, too, prefer the kinds of bands that sing songs about monsters and pizza, enjoy the film Rock’n’Roll High School and prefer fun to
self-righteousness, then this is the punk show for you. After playing with the garage pop punk band the Groovie Ghoulies for nearly 20 years, Khepi Ghoulie has been touring as a solo act and recording new music since 2008. His most recent albums include 2011’s I Bleed Rock ‘n’ Roll and Kepi for Kids which features songs with titles like “Dee Dee Taught Me How To Count” and “Spazz Out!” Adding to the fun will be Italy’s Miss Chain and the Broken Heels who will be returning to the U.S. after extensively touring Europe. They will be opening for Kepi Ghoulie and then performing as his backup band. To get a taste of their ‘60s pop influenced punk sound and see some sock puppet weirdness, check out their video for the song “Calcutta.” Lipstick Homicide and Hooray will be opening the show, showcasing Iowa’s fierce pop punk realness. All of the bands playing are prime examples of pop punk done right and at $5, there’s no good reason to miss out on this one.
God Des & She // Iowa Women’s Music Festival at Johnson County Fairgrounds // Sept. 28 During my last winter trip to Austin I was hanging out at a bar with my mom waiting to see New Orleans' Queen of Bounce Big Freedia perform (all of the best stories begin this way). I struck up a conversation with two people who, it turns out, were also mother and daughter. What are the odds? It turns out that one of these friendly strangers was half of hip hop/soul duo God Des & She who will be taking the stage on Sept. 28th at the Iowa Women’s Music Festival Day at the Fairgrounds. While they may be best known for performing at Shane’s bachelor party on the season three finale of The L Word, God Des and She have been cultivating a large following nationally and in Austin’s LGBTQ club scene with their sexy beats and smart rhymes. They are one of the many diverse and talented acts that will be performing at this year’s festival which will mark its 20th anniversary of celebrating women in music and the arts. Rebecca Robinson is a street wise grad student, an unrepentant Texan, an amateur UFO enthusiast and a co-host of the Fuzz Fix on KRUI. For more info you can go to thefuzzfix. com.
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