BLACK ELVIS TOUR - Los Angeles

By C.A. BATTS

...from the dairy of a mad photographer It's rare, for me to get excited about a show any more, whether it's the Misfits or the GZA. Due mainly to the lack of interest by the artist, driving around looking for parking and standing in line. But I can honestly say I haven't been his exicited about an entertainment event since Tyson vs HolyfiledII.(I use to be a such huge TYSON fan and we know how that one turned out).

The show was booked according with Blood Of Abraham whom I've befriended within the past month or so, as the opening act . This was my second time seeing BOA, this time without there live band backing them up. I can't really say which performance I prefered over the other because each had there own taste one being organic and instrumental the or being back to basics.

BOA seemed more in tune to the beats and rhymes aspect of the show with DJ MUNSON on deck, Benyad fresstyling and Mosik accosting the crowd into showing love. DJ Spooky performed next with a sea effects, beats and instruments at one point he played a stand up bass and bounced between two turn tables truly looking like Dr. Octagon (from Spiderman fame stupid). He went fron atari-keyboarding to drum n-bass to jungle to amplified scratch- static-twist that had the crowd humming boom bap boom bap. And finally the grand wizard of hip-hop weird the man behind the mask the unlicensed Doctor with the rubber wig took the stage in true super hero fashion with his partners in crime masked, rapping on crutches, tin eam jerseys hyping and chanting and preparing the audiences for the caped crusader. Black Elvis is dope. No, really I mean he's so on some other shit in a very normal way. It's rare to see MC's have fun, smile and engage the crowd like, hey I'm glad you guys came to my party he's some hot wings and potato salad enjoy the free beverages.

He performed tracks from his Ultramagnetic days, Sex Styles, Dr. Octagon, Dr. Doom and Black Elvis and the crowd loved every minute of it and so did I. I shot from stage to crowd and back again. He invited girls from the audience on stage and he also had a couple of girls in cowboy hats and blue jeans in his crew all of them were surprsingly tame though.( for some reason I expected a LUKE show). He even changed persona's on stage from NASA test pilot to captain Kool Keith to Black Elvis. I left wanting to play house with the neighborhood kids and making noise on my casio keyboard.