Keep The Feel Forever

After waiting for a few months for his return, Abstract Rude came back to Reno with his entourage for the Keep the Feel tour featuring Abstract Rude & Tribe Unique, DJ Drez, Deep Rooted, DJ Brandi and Stereotype.

What a line up it was! I’ve been to the last few Ab Rude concerts held here in Reno. In February while I was writing for the Nevada Sagebrush, UNR’s newspaper, I got my first glimpse of Ab Rude as he performed at the Record Street Café with fellow Project Blowed L.A. underground hip hop rapper Acyealone. Now if you love hip hop and never heard of these guys you seriously need to get your butt out their and pick up some of their CDs. They are unbelievable and put on an incredible show. Together they are the A-Team and have been around since the early 90s.
Saturday night’s show may have been the third or fourth time Ab Rude has been to Reno since February. I can’t think how many times he has come but I know for sure that I’ve been to everyone of them.
The Green Room is a comforting and cool atmosphere; they are known to have a great variety of music like Hip Hop, punk, blues, jazz, rock, bluegrass and more. The crowd is always multicultural and welcoming of all types of different people. I've met a lot of people there that I have kept as friends including Jammal Tarkington from Reno SKA band Keyzer Soze, acoustic duo Verbal Kint, and Reno/Sacramento underground hip hop group Who Cares. I also met Grace Gatsby from the recently departed band The Grace Gatsby’s. She used to be a waitress their and Jammal was a bartender and doorman. They are both some of the sweetest people I have ever met and the proof of at home atmosphere that the Green Room offers. My buddy Markes was also their, he bartends at Tonic and is usually at most shows I go to dancing his head off. He is one of those guys you always see when you go out and always keeps me laughing.
Stereotype was the opening act and although the place wasn’t filled up quite yet the put on an awesome show full of energy. They were also really nice guys and had a lot to say when I talked to them. They’re passion for hip hop was relevant and they hope to get their sound out to more places.
Record Street café owner Shawn O’Hair was there; he's a really sweet guy who I chat with a lot when I go to Reocrd Street. He also promoted the show and most of Ab Rude’s shows when he comes to town. Brandi Schlossberg who works in advertising here at RGJ is also DJ Brandi. She was so original playing some classic R&B, soul and funk hits. How surprised was I when she busted out Cymande’s Bra. Many may not now this 70s funk band but if you get a change check them out. DJ Drez was next. Drez has been spinning for Ab Rude since 1998 and is huge in the L.A. underground hip hop scene. He’s basically a world renounced DJ with original and exotic beats. He is also part of Project Blowed.

To be continues...