performance Preparation #10 : Absolute Zero September 10th
–
September 10, 2015
Blog 10
Here is the next installment of my daily blog, leading up the ILoveMakonnen show on the 17th. Look at the previous installments before you start reading this one.
Its show day and I woke up waay too early. I was waking up at 6 AM every day in Miami. The adjustment of trying to not wake up hours before I can do any work is taking some time.
As it turns out yesterday we had massive miscommunication. We scheduled a practice time, for the pre-show practice that Network was not going to be available for(personal reasons). I was Network‘s ride so I had to stay with him. By his estimation (time),he would finish what he needed to do by 4:50 PM . We would be able to practice for an hour, before sound check at 6:30 PM. In a cruel twist of fate, we weren’t able to make it out of the house until right before sound check.
As someone who has done sound, at shows. I never ever, ever, and I mean ever, miss a sound check. So we were just going to have to hope that everyone did enough practice as individuals that it works out. I made it to sound check first with Network and his girlfriend. Double G, Dexter, and Suchaloser arrived right after that.
Let me tell you, in the fall when they have the budget right. FSU gives you the red carpet treatment at these performances. First off you get paid in advance. Second, you get a backroom, a merchandise stand, a fridge full of soda, water, and energy drinks. Third you get hand towels(yes, hand towels the mark of greatness at any place), and you get to order food. Broken, is the only way to describe that setup.I tried not to eat too much before the show I had a big lunch and I knew that I would have to move a lot for my set.
Obey City (Cake’s DJ) and Cakes were running late to the show so we took this opportunity to do an extended sound check and rehearsal. So it turns out that we made a mistake at Outlaw‘s yesterday and forgot to take care of one of the most critical instrumentals “Things I Control“(Absolute Zero channel). So we had to do a DJ hotfix(a hotfix implies that the change may have been made quickly and outside normal development and testing processes) that requires a bit off precision to do well during the show, but this is the reason you have a DJ to begin with. You need someone to make split second alterations to the tracks live, I have faith in my DJ.
I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t meet Cakes before the show. Perhaps even more perturbing was the fact that I found out right after sound check that Fleetwood the founding member of DME. Who is the central component to most of the songs we are working on for the Makonnen show. He won’t be able to make it to Tallahassee before the show day. This means we will miss out on the opportunity to practice together as a group. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Fleetwood is working on the same day as show day until 3 PM. This means he will miss sound check and more than likely get to the show literally right before we go on.
This is obviously less than ideal but I’m just had to put it out of my head for the show. I can worry about that after we get this show right. After sound check we linked up with Crimson(check his song by clicking) of Cap 6 and Blak Iron(current president of C.Y.P.H.E.R. Hip-Hop Club and dope lyricist). We all went upstairs to the upper deck of the venue and got free drinks (for performers of coarse). We had our toast and just chilled until showtime.
OK, showtime arrived and We all hopped on stage and delivered easily the best performance we ever delivered. Cakes arrived early in the set and he seemed like he was feeling it. I got the crowd involved with my performance(images and videos hope to get them but that will days after show). We got the crowd to dance, it was so there. Me and my hype partner in crime got live on the stage. I hit a Bboy set of two Network ripped it and Suchaloser swagged out on all his verses.
We got off the stage feeling triumphant. We got the hole crowd involved, engaged and excited. I think we made Obey City‘s job easier(the act that followed us). I think his set was super quality.
Obey City is a DJ, but unfortunately do to contract miscommunications , he didn’t have his CDJs. For all you non DJing folk out there that have no idea what I’m talking about, he didn’t have his fundamental DJ equipment. The thing is, its often said among the hardcore in the DJ community that the equipment you use is secondary. A real DJ can rock any set up, and rock he did. No CDJ, no controller and no problem because he rocked it with just a Macbook(Yes, a Macbook). You could tell dude was nice on the 1’s and 2’s even with out them being there. You can’t fake quality.
Next up was Cakes who I will say delivered a pretty live set. Pretty much what you would expect from watching any of his videos. A lot of voguing and a lot of grinding. He got the crowd dancing more than I did. Which put me a little to shame, and he also will occasionally switch up the vibe on some lyricist shit.
After the show I chilled out with Cakes in the back room and we exchanged some words on his career. He also told me his opinions on how to manage a music career. The main piece of advice that he gave me was figure out if your marketing to commercial radio or to the festival scene because they are two different markets(Rj says similar things to that all the time, entertainment is still a business I guess).
Overall, it was a dope day, I got to perform and meet a MC I respect. I hung out with some groupies, felt the scene. I definitely have to get to this level, its some work but I think I have the guys around me on the front end and back en to do it. We in there.
This is Absolute Zero Defender of the Universe
Read More…