1. He can rap his punctuation.
It was just a one-time thing (and thankfully not an ongoing gimmick), but I still flip when I hear Listener verbalize the punctuation of his lines on deepspace5's "Stick This In Your Ear."
I had not hear anyone attempt this before him and haven't heard anyone try it after. Classic!
(Behold this beautiful verse at the 3:00 mark of this clip.)
2. He rocks Three Wolf shirts and killer mustaches.
'Nuff said.
3. He has the most interesting merch table around.
A typical layout includes unicorn statues (not for sale), handmade leather visors (for sale), and self-printed CDs (you'll definitely want one.) Oh yeah, you might also stumble upon something like this:
4. He uses a washing machine as a percussion instrument.
And not just in videos. He hauls one of these babies around to every show and occasionally has to buy replacements in tour cities. And believe me, it bangs.
Watch and listen:
5. He produces undeniably original art.
Although originally known for his backpack-like underground rap as part of Labklik and the deepspace5 collective, Listener (aka Dan Smith) is now forging a career in what he calls "talk music" that is equal parts hip hop, spoken word, punk rock, and performance art.
A recent album told the story of a traveling knife salesman from Arkansas. No, seriously. It was even accompanied by a show with similar props and infomercials.
And while it may not be for everybody, it can certainly be appreciated for its unique and creative nature.
If nothing else, it's a welcome reprieve from the 5-song, Michael W. Hillsong playlist you'll hear on KSBJ.
The Listener performs tonight with electrofolk artist Christin Nelson.
| Wooden Hearts Tour @ Shadowplay Lounge 8000 Macbeth Way Suite #160, The Woodlands, TX 77382 281.298.4313 Set: 8pm Tickets: $5.00 All ages | ||
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