MUSIC

Lifestyle Summer Fest Encourages Sense of Community in D.C.

July 28, 2016May 28, 2021 Adiya

This past Saturday, DTLR Radio hosted the first Lifestyle Summer Fest at Gateway Pavilion in SE Washington, D.C. The lineup included DMV area veterans such as Backyard Band and newcomers like Dyson Alexander. Atlanta native and 300 Entertainment signee, Dae Dae, also hit the stage.

fullsizerender There was a delay in start time and the heat was on another level (the high was 98 degrees), but the day turned out to be a good one. Going in to the event, I wasn’t really sure what to expect; I was only familiar with about half of the lineup and had never been to the venue. Let me just say that I was pleasantly surprised with the artists, each and every one of them. Everyone had their own flavor which was interesting and refreshing to watch.

Flex Kartel, Dyson Alexander, Girard St. Garvey and Dae Dae gave us high energy rhymes; the Neo Soul, feel good vibes were also there in the form of The Fix, Reesa Renee, and James Poet.

Visto & Pinky Killa Corn of Hippie Life Krew were one of my favorite acts; they were effortlessly cool as their bars flowed over beats reminiscent of Santigold.

“Hood Rock”—a combination of Hip Hop, Soul, Rock, and Funk—is Black Alley‘s coined genre. Their energetic set included original songs and a rework/mash up of Desiigner’s “Panda” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Levitate.”

Back Yard Band and UCB provided the Gogo element, performing newer pieces and nostalgic classics (for my generation at least) like “Sexy Lady.” In addition to the music, there were a few fashion and food vendors from the area.

Overall, the event was a nice concept with a good mixture of artists. Not only was I proud to see the community support local musical talent, but small businesses as well. It reminded me of why I love being from the D.C. Metro area, and served as a piece of encouragement to go harder with this platform; it’s time that more of our talent receive recognition nationwide. Lifestyle Summer Fest was a beautiful and inspiring scene on MLK Avenue.

Check out photos from the festival below:

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BLOG, MUSIC

Janelle Monae & Wondaland Visit The District

August 18, 2015May 3, 2023 Adiya

Eephus (ē-fiss), n. an off-speed pitch with unusually low velocity, intended to catch the hitter off guard.

This past Saturday, the electric First Lady of Wondaland Records, Janelle Monae, and the label’s impressive roster put on a free show at D.C.’s Howard Theatre. The Eephus Tour accompanies the release of the collective’s first EP by the same name. The eight-city tour (D.C. being the third stop) fits its title’s definition for two reasons: The discretion of the location and structure of the performance. Each show is a “secret” and RSVPers are only given 24-hour notice of the time and venue. This definitely caught me off guard, as I had to move things around to be there, but the show itself…it also surprised me, in a pleasant way.

I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting. I had never seen any of the artists perform live but I knew it wouldn’t be a let down. Janelle Monae can really do no wrong and if it just so happened that this were the one time in which she did, Jidenna could probably save the day. When it came to the five other artists, this would be my first introduction to them, and it turned out to be a perfect one. Their passion and energy was so pure…that’s the best way I can describe it. You could just tell that they genuinely loved being on that stage. What made things even better was that nobody served as an opening act to anyone else. Roman Gianarthur would perform, then Janelle, then Deep Cotton. The audience couldn’t predict what was going to come next…the eephus.

When Monae first announced that she was starting her own label, I knew it’d be a place where artists could come and literally be themselves, and there’s a great balance so far. Roman Gianarthur makes feel good music with a heavy soul and funk influence, and reminded me of a young James Brown at certain points. St. Beauty is a female duo, both vocalists, and one on bass (always here for female musicians, shoutout to The Suga Mamas); they have a savory, soothing sound to them. Deep Cotton, the energetic male pair, provided the Rock elements with a touch of Prince-esque vocals.

Jidenna is the emcee of the family. His look, dancing (where he showcased part of his Nigerian background) and signature “snap” in his beats make him the opposite of cookie cutter. He performed his hit “Classic Man,” in addition to some new material. Janelle displayed her vocal ability like I had never really heard before. “Tightrope,” “Electric Lady,” and “Yoga,” were included in her sets; her classic dance moves and velvet cape also made an appearance. A dull moment didn’t exist and everyone got to see each individual artists’ personality, which was nice. The band danced alongside them, was interactive, and have their own individual styles too.

I left Howard Theatre with a greater appreciation for Wondaland…the messages that they give out, their artistry. I admire Janelle Monae, not only for her music, but for the steps she’s taken towards social change and being herself unapologetically. She, along with the rest of Wondaland, are making amazing use of their platform and influence. Two days prior, Wondaland took to the streets of New York City where they organized a protest and press conference addressing police brutality. However, they didn’t leave the topic in NYC or on their timelines. The group ended the night in D.C. by performing “Hell You Talmbout,” a song that Monae said she wants groups to use as they march in protest. She has often used the hashtag #WondalandGoesPlaces when posting about the tour; I’m excited to see where they go and what they do next.

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC

Getting to Know Prinze George

January 15, 2015May 4, 2023 Adiya

Passionate, imaginative, and cool are three words that I’d use to describe Indie band Prinze George. Comprised of Prince George’s and Montgomery County, MD natives Naomi Almquist, Kenny Grimm, and Isabelle De Leon, the group is well on their way to detaching themselves from the term “up-and-coming.” Their airy, feel-good sound landed them a spot in the SXSW Music Festival showcase this summer, of which thousands applied.

The three came together as a unit at the University of Maryland College Park years ago, and the rest was history. After relocating to New York City for a year, Prinze George returned to their roots here in Maryland to pursue their craft. In their own words, they’re “kind of obsessed” with the area. Not only are they proud of their DMV origins, but grateful for what Prince George’s County has given them. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the trio. Check out our conversation below!

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Adiya: What would you say is the genre of music you guys focus on? How would you describe your sound?

Naomi: Indie Pop, Electronic sort of.

Kenny: I think our main goal is to not be [put in a box]. You can tell on our upcoming EP which is coming out March 3rd; we have everywhere from dancy songs, folk songs. We wanna show people that we’re not just Pop. We have a lot of styles and influences from our different backgrounds, so we wanna just keep doing whatever inspires us.

So where do you draw your inspiration from, or who? Who are some of you guys’ favorite artists?

10917149_665054476936337_2539422232925123941_o Naomi: I’m primarily inspired by female acts and female-fronted acts, so like I grew up with people like Lauryn Hill, Joni Mitchell, just a wide variety of female artists from different genres.

Kenny: I grew up listening to a lot of classic Rock and Hip Hop, especially a lot of 90’s Hip Hop. I’m also really inspired by a lot of film and movie scores, so like Hans Zimmer. I try to create a picture or scene of the production…just try and create a mood and a space for somebody to feel that when they listen [to our music].

Isabelle: I grew up listening to all kinds of artists. My Dad was really musical; he introduced us to classic Rock, Jazz, and Fusion. I was a rocker my whole life pretty much. In terms of artists who inspire me, Eisley, they’re more of an underground Indie band. As a drummer, Cindy Blackman…she’s a huge one for me.

It sounds like you guys have three different tastes, which kind of come together and make something great, so that’s cool. I know you said your EP is coming out March 3rd, what’s the title of it?

Naomi: It’s just gonna be self titled, Prinze George, because it’s our first collection of songs. It has four new songs and “Victor” our song that’s already online.

Ok, so let’s talk about SXSW. Prinze George is performing, that’s awesome! I bet you guys are excited. So are you gonna get all your family and friends together and have everyone attend?

Naomi: Probably, as many people as we can but we’ll see.

Kenny: Yeah, we’re definitely tryna roll pretty deep.

Hopefully you guys make a lot of good artist and industry connections there. Do you guys work with any other artists in the DMV area as of now, or do you want to in the future?

Naomi: We’re very open to collaboration. Kenny and I have done a couple collaborations with artists in this area, primarily an artist named MISUN. Also, we have a friend who’s a rapper, Eshovo, and he’s great.

Kenny: We’re gonna put out an album next and he’s gonna be featured on it.

While we await the release of Prinze George’s EP March 3rd, and accompanying performance March 6th at Rock & Roll Hotel DC, listen to their most recent track “Upswing.”

Where you can find them around the web:

prinzegeorge.com

soundcloud.com/prinzegeorge

Instagram: PrinzeGeorgeBand

Twitter: @prinzegeorge