Grieves.

Saturday I got the opportunity to photograph one of my favorite and super underrated MCs, Grieves of Rhymesayers. I became a fan by chance a few years ago. I honestly couldn't tell you how I found him, I just remember seeing the Lightspeed video and I was instantly hooked. The keys on the hook played an upbeat rhythm, yet so low end it was almost somber. I sought out the rest of his catalog and was blown away. The music has a very emotional connect and that's what drew me in so quickly. It feels real. Genuine. The show also featured an old name I had heard before, Grayskul. I wasn't too familiar with their work, but what I had heard over the years I liked a lot. So needless to say I knew I was in for a good time.

This was my first time at Paper Tiger since it's latest renovations from former The White Rabbit. I'll be honest, it lacked the charm, the grit. I watched shows at The White Rabbit for many years since my first one there, (hed) pe, in high school, which was ultimately my first live show (Warped Tour didn't really count). From local to national, the acts and shows there were always good. We had our ArtSlam parties there where I met Jim Mahfood and Dave Crosland, I saw homies perform there, and my last show there was one of the best I've ever witnessed, Antemasque (remember?). The walls are literally whitewashed. There's an orange theme everywhere. There are Po-Moe lights at the bar. And to top it off, the pizzeria is closed. I think I avoided Paper Tiger for so many months because of all this. I can say, however, that the biggest difference that will bring me back is the sound. There's been a great improvement in this area and it is very noticeable. A lot of venues in town have been down-trodden for lack of good sound so it's good to see this place get that part right.

Chris Conde.

In any event, enough about the White Tiger. Err..Paper Rabbit. We're here to discuss and relive Grieves' Out of The Rain Tour. Ironically, there was a bit of rain leading up to the show. The local opener, Chris Conde, was an unfamiliar name for me but has certainly stuck with me since. Armed with a pretty sweet-looking guitar and a band made of members of other local bands, Chris Conde delivered a performance that reminded me of a mix of Sage Francis, that guy from Counting Crows (sha-la-la-la-la-laa-laaa!), and a guitar player whose name eludes me at the moment. Suffice to say, his brand of Folk Rap is something to enjoy by many. Toward the end of the set he dropped the guitar and took to the mic with the prowess of a veteran MC and OWNED that stage. After a short intermission and interaction with some fellow music goers, Grayskul took to the stage with a fierce set. Stringing together songs of passion and emotion and high energy, JFK and Onry picked up where Conde left off and elevated the energy even higher. The two play off each other well even with their stark contrast of stage presence. A live show you want to see, this duo work in tandem seamlessly, working the stage and the crowd equally.

Grayskul.

Grieves came up after Grayskul tore it down with a guitarist and keyboard player. It's always nice to see an MC rock solo, but when you had live instrumentation in the mix, it usually becomes a whole new game. Grieves came out swinging and as his presence grew, so did the crowd. His energy hits and the tracks came to life with the band members. From new tracks I hadn't heard to Lightspeed to Gwenevieve (my favorite), Grieves touched old and new tracks from his growing catalog. Between tracks he would interact with the crowd and remind us all that we are there to have a good time. Bouncing track setups to humorous antics, Grieves' between-songs are just as entertaining as the songs themselves. In live performances, a true musician not only maintains stage presence, but they also involve the crowd and Grieves definitely invited us to participate. Leaving the stage for all of two minutes, the trio came back out for a brief encore and left us all with smiles. Like a true musician should.

Grieves.

Enjoy the shots here and shoutout to Do210 for always having my back since we've linked up. There are a ton more photos on their site including images I shot of Earl Sweatshirt a couple weeks back when the storms hit. Keep posted to that site, we have a lot more coming this year.


Stay Creative,
BLUE731.