On Thursday, January 3rd, Seaberg was at the Turf Club celebrating the release of a new CD. But the night was billed as a celebration of hip hop, punk music and black & brown art. In addition to the music, there were a few vendors in the back of the Turf Club selling art and clothing.
Kicking off the night was Blvck Madonna. There weren’t a lot of people in the Turf Club when Blvck Madonna started, which is surprising because they are very good. They rapped, they punked, they rocked and the people that were there, including me, really liked them. Blvck Madonna is a band to keep an eye on.
The second artist was Guante & Big Cats. They released a new CD in 2018 titled War Balloons. Guante is a two-time National Poetry Slam champion, has performed live at the United Nations and presented at countless colleges, universities and conferences. Michael L. Walsh, City Pages, may have described them better than I could – “Guante and Big Cats create intelligent, political hip hop that mercifully doesn’t come off as preachy or self-righteous. It’s sobering, demanding your attention like a car crash, yet emotional and alarmingly intimate at times.” His performance certainly leaves you thinking about life and society.
The third artist was Seaberg & the Velvet Punks. The Seaberg part being multi-instrumentalist Taylor Seaberg joining with the Velvet Punks. Seaberg has a very smooth, velvety voice and plays a hard rocking guitar. By the time they took the stage, the audience had filled in and included local singer Bailey Cogan. Members of the crowd shouted I love you and encouragement throughout the night. Seaberg and the band looked like they were having a great time and they played all the songs from the new CD in the order they appear on the CD.
Finishing the night was Nazeem & Spencer Joles. Nazeem & Spencer Joles are rappers that appeared with a DJ. The crowd had thinned a bit by the time the rappers took the stage, Seaberg was the main draw this night. But Nazeem & Spencer Joles had a fun set and worked well together. I enjoyed listening to them and watching them interact with each other. But overall a great night for music and more proof of the depth of talent in the Twin Cities.
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