After almost a year’s absence, ABK finally made his way back to Nashville this past week. Since ABK is usually the only Psychopathic artist that ever comes near Nashville, his shows are always a big deal, and bring out tons of fam in the area. Since we lost our normal underground venue last year, we’ve had to ping pong around to new venues since then. Finally, it seems as though we’ve settled into Venue 109 in Madison, just north of town. Twisted Insane performed here earlier in the year, and the venue owner was impressed with the crowd he drew, so luckily he was eager to book ABK at the venue too! Most people seem to like Venue 109 since it almost feels like a private home, with a big porch and trees all around the property.
When I arrived, I knew tons of the people who were already hanging around for the show, which was so nice! Most of the shows I’ve been to recently have been out of town where I didn’t know anyone, so it was cool to just wander around and hang out with my friends! Once it was time for showtime, the first opener was local rapper Sociopath. He did a good job of bringing everyone in from the porch and getting them primed for a good night of music!
Next up was another local underground band, SGF (Spewing Gutteral Fragments). SGF has been around for a while, and even through some changes in their group members, they’re really fun and entertaining! Some of them cover themselves in blood and other makeup, and they all have great energy when they’re onstage. And since they’ve been around for a while, a lot of people know their music and get just as into the performance as the band! These guys are beasts, and I really hope to see them at more shows in the future!
Next up was Wicked, who has also been around in the local scene for a while. Much like his name, his music has a decidedly darker and more wicked sound than some artists. I’m very glad that he’s stepped up his game at recent shows, and I’m sure we’ll see a lot more from him in the future. After Wicked, ABK’s opener Bake Lo took the stage. I was actually assisting with some last minute prep during his set, so I missed most of it, but I heard that it was pretty good. I also missed most of Mr. Y.U.G’s set, but I did catch the tail end, and he was tearing it up! I heard a lot of good things about his set from the people that watched the whole thing though!
As everyone got wind that it was time for DJ Clay, everyone came inside and found a spot near the stage. Once DJ Clay came out and started his set, you could tell that he was having a blast!
When he’s doing his thing, he really looks so happy, and like he’s having so much fun! He’s all smiles, and you can tell that he genuinely loves what he’s doing. After a while of playing some songs on the turntables, he stepped forward and sang some of his solo work. I thought this was great the last time he did it, so I’m glad to see that it’s still a part of his set. It seemed like everyone particularly enjoyed Kept Grindin’, which is definitely one of my favorites!
Once he was done, everyone stayed put and soon it was time for ABK. They ended up setting up a grill and a fire pit on the stage, which was cute and definitely made you think of summer :-) Like always, when ABK took the stage, he immediately came out full force.
I love how ABK keeps this cool, calm and collected attitude toward his set, while drawing in the crowd by coming close to the edge of the stage and looking people in the eye. He played a lot of his staples, like I’m Coming Swinging, Gang Related, Stick and Move, and a full length version of One Last Chance, which is definitely my favorite of his. Through his set, Mr. Y.U.G. and DJ Clay kept coming out and messing around with the grill, as though they were cooking on it, which was funny.
To finish out the set, ABK sang On My Way, and pulled a bunch of people onto the stage. My friend Moonshine and his girl went up on stage, and the energy became electric. Everyone was chanting Fam-i-ly and pounding their fists, and the place was just packed with family love! It was great…the perfect way to end the set!
Once the set was over, I jumped back to the merch booth and picked up a copy of A World Upside Down as well as one each of the ABK and DJ Clay papercraft patterns. After a while of hanging around outside with my friends, the crowd started to dissipate and head home for the evening. After a few last goodbyes to my friends, I also headed out, just a little after midnight.
This show cemented for me that Venue 109 is a great place for live music. ABK never disappoints when he’s in town, and I LOVE watching DJ Clay perform as well. Here’s hoping that we see both of them come back through town sooner than later!
Location:
- Venue 109
- Tennessee
- United States
Guests:
- Anybody Killa. DJ Clay, Mr. Y.U.G., Bake Lo, Wicked, SGF, Sociopath
Tour:
- Underground Summer Jam Tour
Record Label:
- Psychopathic Records
Reviewer:
- VeryTwiztidRaven
Review Date:
- 06/18/2013
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