To Be Heard celebrates their inception with Carrboro, Raleigh launch parties

To Be Heard is a new booking agency helmed by local
musicians Justin Ellis & Mark Connor

This weekend some of the most exciting acts in the North Carolina music scene will be coming together for two stellar bills split between The Cave in Carrboro and Slims in Raleigh, all to celebrate the kick-off of the brand new, musician-run booking agency To Be Heard. To Be Heard is helmed by Mark Connor (Owner of The Cave, member of SOON AD, Grohg, The Tomahawks) and Justin Ellis (member of Happy Abandon, Clockwork Kids, The Color Exchange) and the agency provides a unique perk that many other agencies are unable to boast, the owners are actually regularly touring musicians.

Night One will take place on 3/17 at The Cave and will feature Body Games, Davidians, Al Riggs & The Big Sad, Majestic Vistas, and Ravary. Night Two will take place at Slims and will feature Naked Gods, Wild Fur, S.E. Ward, Peter Vance (of Happy Abandon) and Fluorescence. Each show is $5 in advance, $7 day of.

These two shows serve as a means of highlighting the already robust roster that To Be Heard has gathered, ranging from shoegaze to punk to electronica to folk, the agency is already representing far reaches of the North Carolina scene. "The big thing with the roster for To Be Heard is that we wanted to feature bands that we think deserve to be heard on a larger scale," Ellis states, and they've wasted no time in working to get the word out on these stellar acts. Connor and Ellis have already begun booking nationwide dates for SE Ward, Happy Abandon, Wild Fur and Naked Naps while also helping to spearhead the Fluorescence album release show in Chapel Hill on 4/14.

As touring musicians, Ellis and Connor provide a unique perspective to the ever-changing realm of booking. With Connor serving as owner of the Cave and talent buyer at Slim's and both members having amassed a vast list of contacts throughout the country, the two not only understand what shows are worth pursuing but also how to maneuver through the negotiation process that may escape many musicians that just want to focus on their craft. Taking on 18 artists that range from the internationally acclaimed The Veldt to swiftly rising local standouts like Zack Mexico, Naked Naps and Body Games, To Be Heard has set some lofty goals for themselves to manage a roster brimming with such talent. But as Ellis puts it, it's always easier to handle these things when you've got a true dedication to the craft.

"At the end of the day, Mark and I actually enjoy doing this," Ellis states. "Booking a tour is like a puzzle that takes months to complete, and you get many setbacks on occasion, but when it's all done and announced - it feels great." Be on the lookout for a string of April shows in the Triangle from local favorites Naked Gods and head over to To Be Heard's website to get a full list of their roster and upcoming shows. You can also purchase tickets to The Cave and Slims in advance below:
The Cave
Slims

Show Preview: The “Bow Down” Tour feat. Denzel Curry & Deniro Farrar

Denzel Curry & Deniro Farrar

Many people may say hip-hop is dead, and that is true if you have been listening to anything on the radio. There's no depth in pop-rap, it's just a bunch of kids that want to drink Cristal or hang with Jay-Z. Who doesn't want to do that? However, there are many up-and-coming rappers that have been making a name for themselves with meaningful lyrics over some fire beats. Two rappers that have been essential in the resurrection of the rap-game are Denzel Curry and Deniro Farrar.

My first experience with Charlotte-local Deniro Farrar was at Kennedy Theatre at Hopscotch this year. His set was right before Lunice, so the atmosphere was already quite 'turnt'. We were warmed up with one of tonight's openers, Body Games, who had a special guest, join them on their visualizer, Jonah Hill. Another of tonight's openers, Well$, joined Body Games on stage for one song as well, something I'm sure we'll see some of tonight. The only set I was not excited about though was Deniro Farrar, however, my assumptions were shattered when he hit the stage. Although the crowd wasn't enormous, it felt like the room was packed wall to wall as he threw down several bangers. Deniro has also collaborated with several well-known producers including Ryan Hemsworth and Flosstradamus. He's released 5 studio albums over the course of the past four years, and even released an EP earlier this year, Rebirth. If you have been sleeping on Deniro, you need to wake up and check him out!

The other rapper on the 'Bow Down' Tour is Denzel Curry. The 19-year-old Floridian released his debut album, Nostalgic 64, over a year ago. He got his start by posting his first mixtape on SpaceGhostPurrp's Facebook page, and since then, his fanbase has grown exponentially. He collaborated with Deniro for the first time this year with their track "Bow Down". Soon after they announced the 'Bow Down' Tour which is making a stop at the Cat's Cradle Backroom tonight. The two rappers have a stacked opening line-up with several local acts including, JK The Reaper, Duru Tha King, Well$, Body Games [cancelled], and Big Whiskey.

The show starts at 8:00 and doors open at 7:00. Tickets are $15 in advance and at the door. Check out the video for Deniro Farrar and Denzel Curry's "Bow Down" below and purchase tickets here:

Hopscotch Music Festival 2014 Itinerary: Day One

Now that Hopscotch week is upon us, the time has come to buckle down and determine exactly where I need to be going to each night. With the first ever Thursday City Plaza show, the evening gets kicked off with two high-energy hip-hop acts that will hopefully provide me with the boost of adrenaline I'll be needing to get to all of the shows I need to see throughout the night. Starting things off with Tune & The Real Law and ending with trap pioneer Lunice gives a pretty good indicator that it'll be a night filled with dance-driven, bass-heavy sets from some impressive locals and nationally renown artists.

Photo courtesy of Toon & The Real Laww

Toon & The Real Laww

at City Plaza @ 7:00 pm

Toon & The Real Laww are one of the area's most underrated live acts and when they kick off the Hopscotch festivities on Thursday they'll surely grasp the attention of quite a few new fans as they open up for the legendary De La Soul. Toon & The Real Laww mix club-ready beats with impressive lyrical acrobatics and crowd-pleasing tracks. By the end of the set the festivalgoers will likely be shouting along in unison as Proffessor Toon and The Real Laww command different halves of the crowd, enlisting them as rhythmic tools for their tracks. Hopefully they'll have their full band set-up, one that blends crunching guitars with breakbeat rhythms and thunderous bass, but if not their two-man set-up with a DJ is still pretty perplexing.

Photo courtesy of De La Soul

De La Soul

at City Plaza @ 8:00 pm

This iconic hip-hop trio is the perfect headliner for the first ever Thursday City Plaza show. The fondest memory I have of the first ever Hopscotch was dancing amidst a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd at Public Enemy as the rain poured down and the music blared on. De La Soul represents an area of early 90s hip-hop that's sonically miles away from Public Enemy, but will likely boast similar vibes. Socially conscious, non-violent lyrics meld together with jazz-inspired rhythms to create a sound that's as dancey and upbeat as it is heady and introspective. It's an excellent way to kick off the first night of Hopscotch, with some no-frills mind-blowing hip-hop.

Photo courtesy of Wild Fur

Wild Fur at Lincoln Theatre @ 8:30 pm

Wild Fur begins shortly after De La Soul, so I'll likely be missing the first 15 minutes or so of Wild Fur, but surely I'll be able to recover. This electronically driven-duo is fleshed out as a four piece band that highlights the songwriting prowesses of Nick Jaeger and Wylie Hunter. While their previous work had leaned on Americana influences with some indie-pop thrown in the mix, Wild Fur is an amorphous musical entity that lies within a genre of its own. It's a darker tinged brand of neo-soul that still feels rustic at heart. I've been able to see their live set-up at Tir Na Nog recently for Local Band Local Beer and it's one you'll definitely want to catch, at least for a few songs.

Sun Club at Lincoln Theatre/Body Games at Kennedy Theatre @ 9:30 pm

Photo Credit: Grant Golden

Ah, the first conflict of the night. As always, I'm usually torn between catching sets from beloved locals and infrequently visiting touring bands. I'll likely start this block off at Lincoln to see Sun Club, a bizarre psych-pop act from Baltimore that feels vaguely reminiscent of early Animal Collective. Sun Club's latest release Dad Claps at the Mom Prom was a captivating album that simply felt constrained by their studio limitations. Not to say that the album isn't impressive, but it's clear that Sun Club thrives off of their live energy, and that makes them a must-see for the evening. I'll likely drag myself away mid-way through the set to head down to Kennedy Theatre to check out what's left of Body Games.

Body Games is one of the locals I've grown most excited about lately. They're blending dream-pop roots with heady electronic beats and entrancing visual projections, making for a truly immersive live experience. Last year they were the highlight of Hopscotch day one solely for their Lion King projection and Michael Jackson cover, so I'd imagine they'll be pulling out the stops for this Kennedy Theatre set as well.

Photo Credit: Grant Golden

Marley Carroll at Kennedy Theatre @ 10:30 pm

Any time I get the chance to see Marley Carroll live I feel obligated to jump on it. This Asheville based producer is one of the most exciting electronic artists I've come across in recent years. Not only does he craft enormous productions filled with tightly backed grooves and etherial melodies, he's also putting on one hell of a performance as he balances between an analog keyboard and turntables. Carroll will keep you entranced with his spacey soundscapes, only to rip you from your daydream with a pounding bass drum and syncopated rhythm. He's got originals like "The Hunter" and "Speed Reader" that'll linger in your head for days, but he's also capable of pulling out devastatingly dancy remixes of folks like Lotus or Polish Ambassador. He's truly earned his moniker of "the producer's producer" or "the DJ's DJ" or whatever the hell you want to call him. I prefer to simply call him fantastic.

Photo courtesy of Deniro Farrar

Deniro Farrar

at Kennedy Theatre @ 11:30 pm

While I'm admittedly not as excited for Deniro Farrar as I am the rest of the acts on the bill for Thursday night, staying around Kennedy just makes sense on a night like this. While I may hop over to Fletcher Opera Hall momentarily to see what's happening with IIII, a massive drum-ensemble taking place at 11:00,  it's only logical to end my 11:30 slot at Kennedy as I'm sure there'll be droves of folks trying to check out Lunice afterwards. Deniro is definitely an act I've been interested in seeing though. This Charlotte based hip-hop artist grinded his way through the Charlotte scene and broke out fairly quickly by signing to Vice/Warner Bros. label back in 2013, earning quite the name for himself in the process. Farrar raps in sharply spat bursts over a wide array of beats ranging from producers like Ryan Hemsworth and Flosstradamus to Blue Sky Black Death and Lunice himself. His beats are always on-point and his flow is unparalleled, a stinging rasp that always feels on the cusp of something larger. He'll be an excellent transition into the evening's main event.

Photo courtesy of Lunice

Lunice at Kennedy Theatre @ 12:30 pm

When I first saw the schedule upon release, Thursday night at Kennedy immediately struck me as one of the strongest bills on the entire lineup. It's an excellent mix of some of the most beloved uprising locals with nationally renown artists of a similar style. While Body Games and Marley Carroll lean towards dancy electronic, Farrar and Lunice stray more towards heavy, bass-driven hip-hop stylings that'll rattle your bones and compel you to move in strange ways that your body's never done before. Lunice is best known as one half of the trap gods TNGHT, and while my dreams of seeing that power-duo at Hopscotch are out the door, the only way I could top seeing Lunice in my own town is by seeing HudMo as well. But obviously that won't be happening this weekend, so getting the chance to see this prolific producer in the prime of his career is a chance you'd be foolish to miss. While there's plenty of other incredible acts performing at the same time (Thurston Moore, The War on Drugs, Landlady, Reptar, etc), Lunice is an artist that demands attention. Blazing hi-hats cut through the mix as roaring sub-bass interplays with piercing melodies, creating a bizarre yet cohesive sound that makes you want to throw your hands up and trap-arm until your body collapses onto the floor. Which I'd imagine is likely how I'll end my first night of Hopscotch.

Show Review: Hopscotch Music Festival 2013, Day 1

Kurt Vile & The Violators @ The Lincoln Theater

I say it each year, but I truly don't know how Grayson and Greg will be able to top themselves next year. Although this year's festival was plagued with last minute cancellations of some big named artists, the show still went off without a hitch. Artists like Action Bronson pulling out last minute made for brilliant, once in a lifetime moments like Big Daddy Kane's set at The Lincoln. And while many thought the cancellation of Big Boi could harm this festival, considering he was their marquee act, the addition of A-Trak and Holy Ghost! made Friday night's City Plaza set far more wild than Big Boi ever could have. While the hip-hop icon will certainly tear down the house on Sept. 21 when he plays his rescheduled show, few lineups in Hopscotch history have meshed as well as Friday's events.

So after seeing 35 bands in three days and amassing more hours of live music than sleep, I've slowly begun to take in everything that I checked out over the weekend. From the good to the weird, I can honestly say there weren't really any sets that I couldn't find something to enjoy. For those that frequent festivals like this, that's a true testament to the power of this lineup. When you've got as many bands as Hopscotch does on your lineup there's bound to be a few duds, but if they were around this year I certainly didn't get the chance to see them. As a matter of fact, I stumbled upon more surprisingly fantastic sets than I did disappointing.

Rather than lambast you with a gigantic, novel-esque post that encompasses all of these acts that I've seen throughout the weekend, I've chosen to give day-by-day reviews for all of this year's festivities. So indulge yourself in day one and be on the lookout for the Friday review tomorrow!

Hopscotch Itinerary: Thursday, Sept. 5

This year's festival has a lot to offer for fans of all types of music. While diversity has always been a staple for Hopscotch lineups, this year's installment boasts such an interesting collection of bands that any festival goer could pop into any given venue and find something worth staying for. While this year has also been plagued with cancellations, the festival has done a remarkable job at maintaining high caliber replacements to make for an incredible weekend of music. While my festival schedule is still looking remarkably hectic for Friday night, Thursday will serve as an awesome, generally stress free opening night for the festival.

The day's festivities naturally kick off with day parties, which I'll be hopping back and forth from. Thursday's standout is most definitely the Rock & Roll Pizza Party at Slim's (mostly because you can't go wrong with free pizza, especially from Mellow Mushroom) which will host acts like Naked Gods and Lonnie Walker. But for a good chunk of the afternoon I'll be DJing at Wristband City as a part of WKNC's Remote Broadcasting. However, Thursday's daytime events also include some other awesome artists like The Brand New Life at Art of Cool's party at The Pour House and DiggUp Tapes Kings/Neptunes Party that highlights some of the label's finest artists alongside some of the state's standout acts that don't frequent the Triangle (I'm looking at you Alligator Indian).

But Thursday starts getting awesome quickly, as the night's marathon of a show schedule begins at 8:30 with Body Games at The Pour House. It'd be easy for fans of electronic music to just post-up at The Pour House, because it's filled with astoundingly talented artists all night, but those of us that want a bit more variety out of our Hopscotch experience will resort to venue hopping. Body Games is an incredibly promising new act from Carrboro with Lake Inferior's Dax Beaton behind the wheel. These electro-leaning pop tunes are an excellent way to kick off a night filled with energetic acts like this.