I can’t believe I have to find the words to explain what went down Wednesday night at Zanzibar. Incredible, wow, unreal, great, THE FUNK! For real, this was one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long long time. I knew something good was going to go down when people started calling me a week before the event. I hit up my homie Dan to roll out to the event and take photos. Good thing I did because this was an event that shouldn’t have been missed.

Dan and I showed up to Zanzibar, and one of the first people we saw was Dam Funk. No matter how many times I’ve talked to Dam, it still feels surreal to me.  I mean its Dam Funk! A note to all you music lover’s, show up early and you might meet your favorite artists. Anyways, we talked for a while as more folks started coming in. Zanzibar was getting packed pretty fast. Later on Jacqueline, from Mint Collective, needed a little help interviewing Electric Wire Hustle, so you know I was down for that. Walking back I ran into friend after friend rolling up for the show. It was going to be a great night.

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I never heard of this cat Taylor McFerrin until that night. He kicks off his set beatboxing and makes a smooth transition into this electro funk that builds the energy.  Looping his beatboxing, the high-hat from the drum that joined him on stage comes in, a couple of synth-sounds from his laptop, and then Taylor gets into it on the Rhodes. I was like, “where did this kid come from? How did I not know about him?”  I’m wide-awake now, and blown away.

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I’ve seen Master Blazter play a handful of times and it’s always great to see what they bring. Talking to Dam earlier, he mentioned they were going to switch it up a little. Boy did they! They cranked up the energy level times 10. With a loud roar from Dam, you knew the Funk revolution had begun. J1 aka THE DEER plays the drums with an intense passion that makes him unforgettable. Computer Jay on keys has this old school swagger with a BIG presence. I’ve never seen an artist that rewired his equipment and play the hell out of it like Computer Jay. And rounding out Master Blazter, Dam Funk on keys and vocals making them a must see when they come to your town.

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Electric Wire Hustle (Myele Manzanza, Taay Ninh, & MaraTK) kicking off their first U.S. tour with a performance at Zanzibar, and what a way to hit the U.S.! Long story short, Anthony Valadez got Abraham Beltran hooked on Electric Wire Hustle (EWH). Abraham hit up everyone he knew and got them hooked on EWH. When Abraham told me about EWH, I couldn’t stop playing their album Every Waking Hour. When Aaron Byrd shot me an email about the show, I was more than ready for that. EWH put on an incredible show. I listened to the album so much I could hear the next song getting ready to drop. Each song they played was similar to the album but had that extra energy/punch in it, almost like a live remix. Standing turned into head nods, head nodding turned into clapping, and clapping morphed into dancing. If you didn’t know Electric Wire Hustle before you got there, by the end you were a fan. Can’t wait for the next LA show!

Everything about this show was dope. From the selection of artists and DJs performing to the vibe of the crowd- it was outrageous. I saw that  Omega Watts, Quadron, Bilal, Soundwaves’ Abraham Beltran, and a gang of other folks were there.  That night Zanzibar was the place to be. Mr. Aaron Byrd I salute you brother for putting on a show that will be talked about for a long time. BIG thanks man.

B+C got invited to check out  Shafiq’s rehearsal and interview at the KXLU radio station Thursday night. Camcorder in hand, it was an experience. The video gives you a glimpse of the rehearsal, so you know the show is going to be banging. The rehearsal is for the upcoming show Plug Research 2010 (December 22). In addition to the crazy lineup there will be DJ sets by Deadelus, J. Rocc, & Kutmah. Your host for the evening is Pharoahe Monch! What are you waiting for? GO GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!! BIG thanks to Rocío for the invite and DJ Chuck. The Band: Andres Torres – Guitar, Brian Martinez – Bass, I Ced – Keys, Computer Jay – Keys, J1 – Drums, & Te’Amir Yohannes Sweeney – Percussion

Vocalists: Novena Carmel, Jimetta Rose, Desarae, Boki, & Kampaign

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The Echoplex

1154 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, 8:00pm-2am | 21 & over

Limited Presale $10 (ticketweb.com), $15 at the door

For more info check out attheecho.com

Video 1 Dam Funk

Video 2 Ras G

Video 3 Moonsatellite

Video 4 DevonWho

Video 5 A-Live

For more info on the videos check out Moonsatellite at Culture King.