the hum / By Bob Doran

No Taboos

DJ Red offers something different at the Pearl Friday: “I’m calling the show DJ Red’s Funky Fresh ’80s Rewind,” he explains. “Here’s the deal: Basically, over the last year or so I’ve had several people ask me to do an ’80s night, but not the typical new wave/pop ’80s — [instead] playing what I call (albeit politically incorrectly) ‘black ’80s.’ So this week, it’s all about those forgotten funk bands like The Gap Band, The Dazz Band, Zapp and Roger, Con Funk Shun, Midnight Star, Kool and the Gang, Lakeside, etc. I will, of course, be peppering the set with liberal doses of ’80s rap classics.”

Think of Red’s thing as a warm-up for the mess of hip hop ahead, starting with “The Classic Rock Tour” Saturday at the Red Fox starring Afro Classic with Scarub of Living Legends and Very from US Pros, plus Def Jux originator Vast Aire from Cannibal Ox, Russian rapper Ivan Ives, Double AB from NYC and locals DWI (Damien, Wong and Ink) with Masta Shredda and Mike D.

Sunday at the Fox it’s Souls of Mischief from the Hieroglyphics crew out of Oakland, with Swollen Members down from BC, plus Big B, The Dirtball, Common Market and Strong Arm Steady.

Then last but far from least comes a Wednesday, Oct. 21, show at Arcata Theatre Lounge featuring “the Wizard of Poetry” — Ghostface Killah fromWu Tang Clan — with young Fresno rapper Fashawn plus Da Movement.

My apologies to anyone who read this column last week and decided to go to AkaBella‘sCD Release Party for their cool new disc, The Beltane Sessions.Due to some confusion on my part, the date was wrong by one week. The show at Redwood Raks with Arcata’s favorite all-woman a cappella band (AkaBella) andGuinea Gbe, Berel Alexander and DJ Knutz is this Saturday, Oct. 17.

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