K-the-I??? was wrapping up his set at about 7pm following Open Mike Eagle and Mad Gregs. DJ Factor and Gregory Pepper are the two parts that make up Common Grackle who graced the stage next. Gregory rocked out on the Korg and keys and belted out lyrics ala James Murphy while DJ Factor laid down the booming backbeats. They will meet you at the intersection of indie and hip hop whenever you want.
Common Grackle
Next up was Philly native ICON The Mic King who’s super energetic set got the crowd all stirred up and ready to pop. He did this found object freestyle where he asked people in the crowd to hand items up on stage after he tied a t-shirt around his eyes. ICON The Mic King proceeded to flow effortlessly about chapstick, a tampon, someone’s boot, Vaseline, and an empty can of beer. A great party trick!
The multi-instrumentalist Cars and Trains from Portland slowed things down a bit, which lost some interest from the masses. He still provided a killer set banged out with loops of acoustic guitar, MPC, xylophone, a melodica (keyboard harmonica), and his trusted Mac. Watching him create the sound is half of the fun and he is incredibly talented to boot.
Dark Time Sunshine brought a new tangible energy to the stage. Onry Ozzborn of Grayskull was backed by Chicago based producer Zavala and they came together seamlessly. Like lyrical velvet lyered on top of a bed of electro sci-fi fat drum & bass beats. The crowd was quickly enamored with Dark Time Sunshine.
Dark Time Sunshine
The night really started to take off when Ceschi & Anonymous Inc. hit the stage. Ceschi Ramos founder of Fake Four Inc. record label sat in a chair with a guitar and was backed by a full band. He is the man that orchestrated the Fake Four Fest and anyone can see how much he loves music when you watch him play. Ceschi’s abilities as a singer, songwriter, and rapper are apparent if you pay attention to the epic tales he spins with each song.
Ceschi & Anonymous Inc.
Gregory Pepper, AWOL One, and Ceschi
“I came up from San Diego just to see Astronautalis” a girl in the crowd said as she pushed her way up to the front. His rich, thick and raspy vocals are reminiscent of Tom Waits. Seattle based Charles Bothwell’s spastic spirit moves his dedicated followers as he shakes and gyrates across the stage. Incredible passion pours out of him while rapping in a screeching preacher-like style.
Astronautalis
Sole and The Skywriter band killed it. You can pretty much always count on Sole for a thought provoking and emotionally charged show. He definitely delivered. By the end of his set it looked like he had just stepped out of the shower. He was drenched in sweat and left a little piece of himself with the fans that night.
The Shape Shifters are skilled at commanding a crowd and pumping them full of electric energy. They almost make it look easy. The whole crew jumped around on stage feverishly rappin their hearts out. Talent and style are limitless with these guys. At about 1:00a.m. the crowd was chompin at the bit waiting for Freestyle Fellowship.
The Los Angeles legends of independent hip hop were on fire when they hit the stage. Their set wasn’t very long, but they left everything they had up on the stage that night. You can tell that Freestyle Fellowship is bound like brothers when you watch the dynamic show they put on. Their lyrics filled the air as fans sang along to every word.
And as quickly as it began, it was over. People abruptly poured out of the Echoplex as soon as Freestyle Fellowship wrapped up. If you missed this event then you were sleepin. Make sure you get to the next Fake Four Fest. Hopefully there will be another one soon.
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