(Review) 2011 Urban Woodstock

Written By @SimplyCecilia of @HoustonTREND

There’s a musical renaissance underway in Houston. While it will forever hold dear the title of the “City of Screw,” gone are the days when its artists will settle for being known for little else. With a wave of new artists pushing to shore, the Houston music scene has begun to swell; spawning numerous concerts, events, and shows, some of which were memorable, while some were not.

An event sure to be buzzing for quite a while is last night’s (Sunday 10-23-2011) “Urban Woodstock.” Named and loosely fashioned after 1969s Woodstock, a 3-day music and art festival most memorable for performances by The Who, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and Jimi Hendrix just to name a few; this version was both an ode to smoker’s and musicians alike.

Coming fresh off a stomach virus, upon entering the venue I felt like an outsider armed with a purse full of crackers, medication, and a water bottle surrounded by stoners and alcohol enthusiasts; however the vibe was relaxed and welcoming.

At the front lay the stage, directly in front of which stood picnic tables in the sand, beyond that lay both a kitchen for Mexican cuisine, as well as a line of vendors with their wares on full display. It must be noted that whoever lined up the vendors cleverly did so with the target audience in mind. Big Tho’s Smoke Shop, various jewelry and trinkets, Moonstar clothing, and Kevo’s Tattoos were among a few of the local businesses there.

While I missed some of the performances while conversing with the many familiar faces in the crowd, here’s what I caught…

Varrie V:

Though at times her music seemed to drown out her vocals, during an acapella she shined and the audience got a chance to really appreciate her voice. I must also note that having seen her perform before, her choreography is on point. Complete with professional background dancers, the girl knows how to perform.

Highlight: The debut of a new track from Hoodstar Chantz ft Varrie from his upcoming project “Before the Fame.”

Hoodstar Chantz:

Having missed him at the Redbull Freestyle competition, I was eager to see the young man that seems to have everyone buzzing lately. Walking onto the stage while freestyling, his delivery was both clear and crisp; always energetic, he easily commands a stage alone.

Highlight: There was a young lady, and I use this term loosely, who damn near knocked me over trying to get to the stage to see him. Salute.

Delo:

Now Delo is a lyrical serial killer. Having been to numerous performances of his I have seen his prowess. Last night however, he was “fucked up,” as he admitted, which ultimately affected his performance. [It must be noted however, that the death of a friend’s family member may have been a contributing factor.] Overall one off night and a few missed lyrics doesn’t change the fact that he wrote the lyrics. And we know them well.

Mookie Jones:

Right in line with the Woodstock vibe, Jones came out hair wild, to the backdrop of Jimi Hendrix’s version of the Star Spangled Banner. Anybody who appreciates Hendrix is instantly cool, that’s the rule. Not being familiar with his music I actually enjoyed his performance. He exerts confidence while resisting stepping across the cocky line, and his music had a good vibe to it. A nice solid performance.

Dante Higgins:

Being the owner of both of his previous projects, it’s not hard to see why the Houston Press named him this year’s “Houston Best Lyrical Genius.” So his performance was one I was looking forward to the most. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up with the artist roster, confusion occurred, causing another young man to rush upon the stage as Dante, whose performance had already been pushed back numerous times, was finally set to perform. Although the situation was de-escalated Dante decided not to perform.

Highlight: When Doughbeezy picked up the mic that had been dropped in the melee, I thought we might get a surprise performance, but alas, it was not meant to be. *le sigh*

The Flamez:

Hailing from New Orleans, this was one of my favorite performances of the night. This group had energy  from start to finish, and like Wayne, were able to cleverly cover a medley of current tracks with their own lyrics and still make it entertaining. High energy, great songs, and great hooks, I hope that they make Houston a regular stop while traveling.

MC Beezy & Rai P:

Finding yourself the last act of the night, after an incident, when half of the crowd has already left is a tremendous feat. Yet Beezy performed like a true professional, making it clear that be it an audience of 50 or 500, if he’s performing he will put his all into it. By the time they got to their signature, “Swagged Up I Be Killing” one of Houston’s hottest songs out right now, I was doing my little jig in front of the stage.

All in all, while there were a few glitches, its far easier to criticize an event, than to throw one yourself. Brought to you by Jessica Vickery and Molo “Vicious Indian,” it was a great concept of what I hope will be a continued trend of providing a platform for this city’s rising talent.

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