Not only do underground hip-hop shows give the attention local artists deserve, they give a show worth going to.
Local art bounced off the walls and sailed through my ears Sunday evening at the Hawthorne Theater. "The Underground Hype show" reaches out to Portland hip-hop artists who can sell tickets for shows. "Earth Entertainment" also reaches out to local artists through SoundCloud and ReverbNation to invite a select few to the event. The ones who were invited are known as Hai-Q and Jax, the duo, plus their D.J. Mitchel Mandel are the main courses of our evening.
(Jax.)
https://soundcloud.com/mafjax.
Showing up to an underground show has more delight than any other well-known performance. My crew of girlfriends and I quickly grabbed a favorable spot on the venue floor. There's thankfully no need to push or shove random strangers around to get to our spot either. It was my first concert where I didn’t feel the deathly passive-aggressive glares from other fans breathing down my neck as I stood proudly and accomplished to jack the sweetest eye-seats available.
I could feel how nice the air conditioning is in a theater for once, which is so replenishing while dancing with my friends. Usually, a mosh pit of mad fans blocks the fresh air circulation, leaving my skin baking in the thick aroma of sweaty humans around me. Talk about an acne scare. Here at an underground show, my pores are just as clear as the view. Past shows have never shown me such hospitality. Everyone's free to move and groove, without awkwardly grinding on another stranger behind them as rappers spill their music into the audience.
(Hai-Q.)
https://soundcloud.com/quentin-nass.
Each performer had 10 to 15 minutes of stage time before the next artist was up, which left Hai-Q to perform “Restless” from his most recently dropped mixtape "Highly Recommended" Jax spit “S.O.S” and “Toodle Hoozin,” singles posted this year on his music platform. Together they stunned the room performing “Hips” and “Ain’t Shit” to wrap up their performance. The crowd was not feeling ready to turn down and chanted “Encore!” as the trio exited the stage.
During the transition, my crew and I snuck backstage to join up with the group, give our congratulations, and snag a few pictures with the boys. Previous shows have never allowed me to personally meet the artist. From there we got to hang out with their group outside for the remainder of the night. A real treat that we don't get to savor when going to well-known shows.
(Hai-Q and Jax.)
(Jax.)
