Here's a secret you might not know: Going out kinda sucks. Wedging your car into nonexistent parking spots sucks. Rubbing up on people you don't wanna rub up on sucks. Dirty bathrooms with broken doors that can't close suck. Tall people blocking your view sucks. The whole experience frequently leaves me driving home drunk in the hopes that I might crash and die and thus be free from the misery of social life.
So when I recommend a show worth seeing despite all the inherent negatives of going out, just know that my recommendation means a lot. The monthly Hip-Hop vs. Punk Rock series at Tower Bar has been going strong for more than a year, and that trend doesn't look to stop this month. On Saturday, you can catch hip-hop acts Vernon Bridges and Scatter Brain. along with the punk bands the Natives and the Last Years. While I can't really vouch for the Natives or the Last Years (musical ignorance on a hundred thousand trillion), Vernon Bridges and Scatter Brain are more than enough to warrant the oh-so-hefty $3 cover charge.
Vernon Bridges, formerly known simply as Kaboose, is relatively new to the scene or at least new to me. I stumbled upon him just a few months ago by watching some of his videos on YouTube. They're trippy to say the least. He recently released his new album, Wrought of Chaos. It's very dope in the same trippy way, with Bridges' off-kilter imagery and abstract philosophy. Plus, it's supported by similarly abstract soundscapes from producer extraordinaire Infinity Gauntlet.
On the other hand, Scatter Brain is not at all new to the scene. He's been extremely active in the past year, playing tons of shows around town and abroad, entering rap-battle circuits and producing beats for dope local acts like Genghis Khan, Old English and even Vernon Bridges. Actually, I nominated him for Best Hip-Hop on this year's San Diego Music Awards ballot. He'll be performing tracks from his latest release, Murder & Madness Vol. 1, with V-Rock the Beatsmith on the boards.
Check the details below. I'll see you at the show!
Hip-Hop vs. Punk Rock
Saturday, Sept. 8 @ 10 p.m.
$3 cover | 21+
Tower Bar
4757 University Ave.
Quan Vu Quan Vu is the founder and editor of local music blog SD Raps.com. He has also written about local and national hip-hop acts for San Diego CityBeat and the San Diego Reader. You can nerd out on rap trivia by becoming BFF's on Facebook or e-mailing him directly.
