Yellow Dandelion Boy: Nasty Millionaire @ the M Bar May 12, 2007

Remember in my last post where I made fun of projections? Well, now I'm saying the complete opposite. The thing is, if you're going to have visuals while you play, make them interesting. Like shots from Knight Rider, or weird opticals, or even strange Evangelical church scenes. Just make something that holds my attention and not by disgust. Tonight I headed down to a rare hip hop show at the M Bar, where I usually only go to see comedy shows., in fact, I didn't know they even did music here. I was there for only one act, Nasty Millionaire.

A nondescript guy stands there in t-shirt and jeans, another is hunched over donning a sport coat and sweatband around is head, and hiding down off the stage is a guy with a computer. Combined they remind me of the crowd I would run into at an east side bar. However, once the beats start, the two on stage spring to life jumping about the stage with an incredible amount of energy. The beats stick with you and you can't help but keep time with your foot or head or straw, whatever. While one sings and starts the recorded beats, another plays bass live and behind them are the most bizarre projections, just look at the photos. The whole set entertains, while not trying to be preachy or too over the top like some hip hop shows.

While many of the lyrics are very tongue-in-cheek, there are moments that exist with small glimpses into what is really fueling these songs: boredom, heartache, drugs, and, well, Los Angeles itself. Oh, and if you want a copy of his cd, go to his myspace page and he'll drive to your house and give you one. Fun times.
(photos thanks to Capcom J)