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ON THE COVER | NEWS & VIEWS | THE TOWN DANDY January 24, 2008
Andre Nickatina live at the Mateel Andre Nickatina Andre Nickatina, formerly known as Dre Dog, graced SoHum with his presence this past Friday, Jan. 18. That’s right, the Bay Area rap artist, along with a slew of other hyphy rap acts, played to a sold-out crowd at the Mateel as part of the Urban Legends Tour. (BTW hyphy, originally short for hyperactive, can be used as a genre name or as an adjective meaning cool or whatever.) A little background is in order here. Nickatina is the “Ayo for Yayo” bro. (“Yayo” being cocaine, in case you’re out of the loop.) I suspected the Mateel might just be packed full of cokeheads, smoking heady nugs of Humboldt weed. I think I was right. At least, I know I was right about the weed part. The all-ages show had a whole lot of opening acts, including the Mendo Green Team, Something Terrible, Equipto, Smoov-E and some unnamed guy who got kicked off stage after attempting two songs. Another act, whose name I did not catch, had a brief two-song performance. I counted eight people on stage (not including the DJ and other techy people hanging out): three rappers, one female vocalist, one videographer and three dudes just dancing around. It was a seriously large crew. Something Terrible also had quite the large crew too, but they all seemed to be rapping so it didn’t seem so absurd. I knew of Something Terrible from a few years back when a buddy of mine showed me the Treal TV documentary. The rappers in Something Terrible, particularly one called Sauce Alito, were all over the movie, which was made by the legendary rap artist Mac Dre. Mac Dre is like the hyphy equivalent of Tupac — a pioneer of the movement who, like Pac, was murdered. The artists performing at the Mateel made many, many shout-outs to Mac Dre this past Friday. He is their hero. Equipto and Smoov-E showed impressive skills. Both men were funny and proficient performers. Smoov-E made the night for me. A group of women made their way on stage and were freekin’ each other like crazy. When Smoov-E saw what was going on, he yelled “Get your stankin’ ass off my stage!” The ladies got bent and the crowd loved it. Best part of the show. The Pisces himself, Nickatina, made it onto the stage eventually. For some reason he seemed quiet and awkward when he stepped out in front of the crowd. With no greetings, he launched into his first rap. He played a solid set with some classics, including my all-time Nicky fave Killa Whale, and some shit off his new album. Nicky shared a blunt with the crowd — gotta love that. He also invited Equipto up to freestyle. That was badass. And, I learned, Humboldt is apparently part of the Bay Area. Well, I felt like I was in the Bay with the multitude of artists that performed and all the fashionable hoodies kids were sporting. Quite a show for just $25. — Emily Hobelmann
Lost: Season Three It’s winter. Hibernating is perfectly natural, and for those who need justification for such activities as lying on the couch, allow me to encourage TV on DVD. No commercials, pause option and if you pick something like the Lost series, be ready for hours of uninterrupted top-notch entertainment with acres of tropical forest, corporate experiments, hallucinations, mango eating and boar hunting. For starters. For the uninitiated, Lost is about a group of people who survive Oceanic Flight 815, a passenger plane that left from Australia only to malfunction midair, split in half and fall on an island off the radar somewhere in the South Pacific, leaving the passengers, well, lost. And no, it’s not a dramatic version of Gilligan’s Island. The fast pace of Lost can at times seem like an episode of 24 with less clothing and more rain, and the suspense will keep you running back to the DVD rental store or to the nearest DVD provider. An episode typically focuses on one person. A pre-crash story is blended with what he or she is up to on the island. The scenes are delicately crafted and told completely out of time, so the feeling of being lost is reinforced on multiple levels. The characters the writers focus on are likeable, even if most have questionable ethics. As the series has developed over time we’ve learned that the reasons behind certain life choices are always more complex than meets the eye. The transformation of so-called heroes like Jack, the only doctor (seemingly), drives the narrative, provoking deeper queries about his motivations. Secrets held by each survivor ultimately contribute to early deaths and thicken the plot as we learn that all the characters are mysteriously connected. These angles are thrown out in bits and pieces, usually at a moment when you think you have an idea about what is really happening only to realize you don’t really know. That’s what keeps me watching. It seems unusual for a network series, but interestingly enough Lost is full of literary references: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, all the works of Charles Dickens, Carrie by Steven King and Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume are among the titles mentioned, quoted or read by the characters. The special features section of the DVD series offers interviews with the writers where they further explain specific literary influences, one of which is King’s The Stand. Plain and simple there is nothing plain and simple about Lost. It isn’t a show for the impatient. It is surprisingly well crafted in a way that seems fresh for TV and perfect for DVD. Superb cinematography, chilling incidental music by composer Michael Giacchino and deadpan humor kick things up another notch. Those prone to sagas like Star Wars will find Lost a good fit. The show has a huge fan base. Google it and you’ll find a whole herd of nerds dissecting and theorizing what is going to happen in Season Four. The suspense is guaranteed to provoke long conversations with other fans or perhaps just fill you up with a sense of childlike wonder. Is it a modern version of Dante’s Hell? Are they caught in an alternate universe? Or, as one anonymous devoted fan suggests, could there be some reversal of the earth’s magnetic field? Questions left unanswered in Season Three may or may not be answered in Season Four, which begins Jan. 31, on ABC. If you’re new to the show, that’s probably not enough time to get caught up, but you could get to your local video store, get Lost and give it a try. — Kelly Myers
Take a look behind any local music scene and you’ll usually find a handful of dedicated people working hard to keep music alive and accessible. Fortunately for those of us behind the Redwood Curtain, there exist a number of individuals and organizations that selflessly commit themselves to this cause and provide a variety of outlets that allows the Humboldt music scene to remain relevant and strong. Humboldt Free Radio Alliance (HFRA) can certainly be counted among this number, as they have been livening up the airwaves around Arcata and supporting local and national talent by presenting shows at the Alibi, Big Pete’s, the Vista and other local venues since 2001. As you’d expect, these kinds of efforts come at a price, especially when the long arm of the FCC becomes involved. Recently, in an attempt to defray expenses and finance future expansion, the folks at the HFRA solicited tracks from several bands and musicians and put together a benefit compilation entitled Raiding the Airwaves Volume One. If you’ve ever flipped your radio dial to 99.9 FM, then you know that HFRA is not really interested in adhering to commercial radio conventions. Much is the same with Raiding the Airwaves, a collection of 10 fierce rock tracks gathered from up and down the West Coast. And when I say “rock” I mean it in the gritty blue-collar sense of the word. You know: dimly lit bars, cheap beer, T-shirts and ripped blue jeans, amps turned to 11 and the band pummeling full speed ahead. For obvious reasons the disc is heavy (pun intended) with local talent that proves Humboldt can hold its own against acts from other more recognized scenes such as Portland and Seattle. The collection includes previously unreleased jams from Dragged by Horses and Yer Dog and a crushing gem courtesy of local faves The Hitch. San Francisco is well represented by the stoner clutching of Floating Goat’s “Kung Fu Grip,” and Bellingham’s Cicadas are truly impressive with their instrumental brand of frenzied rock fury. From the scathing wit of Bret Bailey’s “Hippie Hatin’ Me” (which I feel is the disc’s crowning moment) to the spastic flurry of San Diego’s The Long and Short of It, every band on this collection captures the kind of ferocity that recalls the energy and attitude heard from bands like The Jesus Lizard, Dwarves, Turbonegro and early Melvins. This is not to suggest that the comp sounds dated, but instead carries on an underground rock tradition that refuses to die or comply with corporate label standards, thus providing a perfect soundtrack for our local renegade broadcasters. HFRA’s hope is that proceeds from this release will help upgrade facilities and introduce new programming, including plans to air alternative news broadcasts. However, as is the case with any unlicensed radio station, the status of Humboldt Free Radio is always in flux. And as was reported in the Journal a few weeks back, the FCC shut them down. Perhaps the presence of the Feds, along with the spirit of supporting free expression and free-form radio, makes this a crucial time to dig up five bucks and lend a helping hand. Raiding the Airwaves Volume One is available at People’s Records, The Works and The Metro. When it’s on, Humboldt Free Radio broadcasts at 99.9 FM Thursdays through Sundays. For details about the broadcast schedule and upcoming shows sponsored by HFRA, visit their MySpace page: “humboldtfreeradiopresents.” — Mike Mannix
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