A study in contrasts at the late shows at The Jinx on the opening night of the first Savannah Stopover.
Das Racist was the headliner. The rap corps sprung to fame in recent years with infectious raps that aimed often for laughs or for some (apparently) broader critique of the shallowness of consumer culture. Go listen to “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell” or an earlier post for “Chicken and Meat.” The live show lacked the clarity of the lyrics in those hits, and lacked some of the subtlety of the band’s early and more recent recordings.
What the live show did have was a vibrant, seemingly intentional ridiculousness — the throbbing beats and antics of the four rappers created a stage bristling with energy. I loved the show, despite the constant thought that the performers must have been saying over and over to themselves: “We really get paid to do THIS?”
Das Racist:
Local Savannah band KidSyc@Brandywine, whom I have profiled before, opened the show. It was a revelation for some in the audience who had come to the opening night of the Stopover without ever having seen a rap or hip hop act live. One friend of mine left the show simply stunned by how good the jazzy musicians of Brandywine are and the obvious skill of frontman KidSyc.
Unlike the ironic obscenity of Das Racist (which I enjoyed immensely, don’t get me wrong), KidSyc’s lyrics are upbeat, positive, profanity-free. The group gets tighter with each live show that I see. The Jinx is a great venue for them too. It’s not, however, a good spot to take photos with the red curtains for a backdrop, the red gels in the lights, KidSyc’s red clothes . . .
A few shots of KidSyc@Brandywine: