The Small World of Santa Cruz
An artist's community. A young place, like Portland. MC Lars plays the Catalyst, tonight. WiFi everywhere. Catch a wave, dude! Chill.
Quasy is an immigrant from Mexico City. He had been kidnapped, and therefore doesn't feel safe in his native country. John (who reminds me of Dorfmann from "Animal House") is from Monterrey and lives with his aunt. He stays at the hostel to get away. Digger is a farmer, Buddhist, and member of "Peace, not Bombs" from near Syracuse. He collects coffee grounds from restaurants and camps out in the nearby state parks. He is sure that the world is controlled by the Masons. All are gregarious.
My first night at Santa Cruz, we all head to the Pergelosi coffee house (from where I've been posting). Digger gets me copies of the alternative newspaper. There is a story about MC Lars, a Stanford student and rapper. "I've heard him on KALX. Both times, I called the radio station to ask who is the artist. If I had more time, I would try to interview him."
As look up, I see a face that matches the MC Lars press photo. He's talking to a woman, suggesting to her that she "be an adult" and at least talk to the boyfriend before she dumps him. Soon, noticing his photo (I presume), MC Lars wanders away.
The next day at Pergelosi, we watch a tour bus unloading the four bands who will play the Catalyst. "MC Lars is the only artist I recognize," I tell Quasy and John.
"American Hi Fi had a hit a couple years ago," Quasy tells me, and he hums the tune. "I've never heard it," I answer. "Maybe, you'll recognize it when they play it tonight," Quasy responds.
Four artist types with laptops are listening to us from the next table. (I go to the Catalyst and immediately recognize the four as American Hi Fi.)
The show starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. with the fanfare from "2001, A Space Odyssey." MC Lars, wearing the low hanging hip hop pants, and looking very much like the college age student that he is, raps about McBeth, after explaining that he is an English major. He raps about GREs and SATs (where he presumably scored 1680 out of a possible 1600). He raps about Stat 60, a class he doesn't like. He covers the standard music industry characature of LA managers who are looking for a new "emo" band. The Raven, by EAP, is rapped. There is a track called, Generation I. Overall, it is a lively performance with PJ on bass, DJ on the sound effects, and lots of rhythmic hopping.
Mom and Dad are introduced from the stage. I talk to proud friends of his mother, who work at the Monterey Library. I leave a note at the merch table, that before MC Lars goes on his next tour, to please call, and we'll at least get an interview on KALX. Clever musicians are a rarity. He is a rap version of Gung Ho and Something Fierce, two clever pop bands from the 1980s.
Quasy is an immigrant from Mexico City. He had been kidnapped, and therefore doesn't feel safe in his native country. John (who reminds me of Dorfmann from "Animal House") is from Monterrey and lives with his aunt. He stays at the hostel to get away. Digger is a farmer, Buddhist, and member of "Peace, not Bombs" from near Syracuse. He collects coffee grounds from restaurants and camps out in the nearby state parks. He is sure that the world is controlled by the Masons. All are gregarious.
My first night at Santa Cruz, we all head to the Pergelosi coffee house (from where I've been posting). Digger gets me copies of the alternative newspaper. There is a story about MC Lars, a Stanford student and rapper. "I've heard him on KALX. Both times, I called the radio station to ask who is the artist. If I had more time, I would try to interview him."
As look up, I see a face that matches the MC Lars press photo. He's talking to a woman, suggesting to her that she "be an adult" and at least talk to the boyfriend before she dumps him. Soon, noticing his photo (I presume), MC Lars wanders away.
The next day at Pergelosi, we watch a tour bus unloading the four bands who will play the Catalyst. "MC Lars is the only artist I recognize," I tell Quasy and John.
"American Hi Fi had a hit a couple years ago," Quasy tells me, and he hums the tune. "I've never heard it," I answer. "Maybe, you'll recognize it when they play it tonight," Quasy responds.
Four artist types with laptops are listening to us from the next table. (I go to the Catalyst and immediately recognize the four as American Hi Fi.)
The show starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. with the fanfare from "2001, A Space Odyssey." MC Lars, wearing the low hanging hip hop pants, and looking very much like the college age student that he is, raps about McBeth, after explaining that he is an English major. He raps about GREs and SATs (where he presumably scored 1680 out of a possible 1600). He raps about Stat 60, a class he doesn't like. He covers the standard music industry characature of LA managers who are looking for a new "emo" band. The Raven, by EAP, is rapped. There is a track called, Generation I. Overall, it is a lively performance with PJ on bass, DJ on the sound effects, and lots of rhythmic hopping.
Mom and Dad are introduced from the stage. I talk to proud friends of his mother, who work at the Monterey Library. I leave a note at the merch table, that before MC Lars goes on his next tour, to please call, and we'll at least get an interview on KALX. Clever musicians are a rarity. He is a rap version of Gung Ho and Something Fierce, two clever pop bands from the 1980s.
posted by David Rasmussen at 1:39 PM
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