Touring packed bars and halls from the Rockies to the Coast Range for the last month and a half with shows almost every other night is hard work, but three-time Juno Award winning rappers Swollen Members are enjoying the run.
The band brings the dark signature sound of their battleaxe Warriors Tour with special guests, Kuruption Camp to the Ocean Port Pub tonight (Friday, May 8).
"So, we have been killing shows, all of which have been of the hook," writes rapper Prevail on his website's blog. "Every city has been wild and it feels good to get back out and do a sizeable run of gigs."
The Ocean Port venue is a regular stop for the band, "a small club, but great vibe" writes Prevail, "one of our friends owns part of it so we are well taken care of."
The Swollen Members have just released their latest CD, a 20-track opus, Black Magic, which has been described as a focused, brilliantly diverse, set of mature hip-hop that only years of touring and studio sessions could produce.
The LP's thumping beats are spiked with classical overtones, and its carefully written, life-soaked raps will appeal to the veteran crew's original fan base. In short, Black Magic will bring down the house.
And that's what nearing happened at a recent show in Colorado.
"People were jumping to every song that we were playing," writes DJ/producer Rob the Viking, "they were jumping so much that, by the fifth song of our set, they cracked four beams in the floor and they had to evacuate the club that was downstairs, and ultimately evacuate the whole building and shut the club down. So we actually did bring the house down that night."
"Something that we've always tried to do is experiment, and we really did that on our last project [Heavy], but we went in a direction that made us want to come back to our original style," writes Prevail. Thus, Black Magic picks up where the gloomy, thick boom-bap of Balance and Bad Dreams left off. "On this album, we came back out the gates real hungry and real fierce."
Swollen Members also take the time to give back with their touring, they recently performed three shows in support of the Miranda Family Foundation.
"A great cause to help a mother of three, get the proper medication for her children," writes Prevail, "combined with donations, ticket sales and auction items, I heard we hit $100,000. That feels good."
Swollen Members perform at the Ocean Port Pub tonight (Friday, May 8) at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 Advance and $20 at the door and are available at the Ocean Port.
