UNCOVERING UTICA'S GEMS - Clinton - Hamilton College

talk of the town
on the rise: flobots
in conjunction with its Fall concert series, the Campus Activities
Board (CAB) is proud to announce that The Flobots will be performing
with The Blue Scholars and Asher Roth November 7 in
the Tolles Pavilion.
The idea of The Flobots concert came about this summer and
rapidly progressed at the start of the fall semester. Paul Ryan comments,
“Unlike the Kooks show (where CAB got in at the last second
and was lucky to find a spot at the start of the tour), CAB was one of
the first groups to get onto the Flobots tour, and they routed their entire
northeast run around their stop in Clinton, NY.”
Since the booking, The Flobots have been touring
constantly with big name groups like Rage
Against the Machine and The Fray.
Jarrod Burton ’09, the concert organizer
for CAB, adds that the organization is “always
looking out for bands on the rise, and I think
we caught these guys at a good time when there
were very affordable but definitely gaining popularity and momentum
as a band.”
The Flobots formed in 2000 when MC James Laurie ( Jonny 5)
teamed up with producer Farhad Ebrahimi. They released their first
album Onomatopoeia in 2001. The band expanded with MC Brer
Rabbit, violist Mackenzie Roberts, bassist Jesse Walker, guitarist Andy
Guerrero, trumpet player Joe Ferrone, and drummer Kenny Oritz. The
group members identify themselves by numbers: Jonny 5 is 05, Brer
Rabbit is 0, Mackenzie is 33, Andy is 17, Jesse is 101, Joe is 79, and
Kenny is 69.
14 the continental | autumn 2008
The Flobots released Flobots Presents…Platypus in October
2005. Two years later they released Fight With Tools. The single “Handlebars”
peaked at number 3 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In June 2008, The Flobots expanded their artistic horizons and released
a webcomic series created by D.J. Coffman (13) called Rise of the Flobots:
Architects of Change. The band is currently working on their next
album, which is expected to be released in 2009.
For the show, Asher Roth and The Blue Scholars will be joining
The Flobots. Asher Roth performed his first show recently and is now
called “the next big thing in hip-hop.” Steve
Rifkind calls him “the best lyricist he has
heard in the last 10 years.” Roth’s lyrics are
sharp, witty, and have made a definite impression
on his college-targeted audience.
The Seattle-based hip-hop group The
Blue Scholars has made a solid name (and
following) for themselves with their focus on
the struggles between socioeconomic classes, youth empowerment,
and challenging authority.
Along with their opening acts, the Flobots provide a wide range of
styles in their music, from the anthem “Handlebars,” to the rough and
simple “Stand Up,” to the melancholy “Rise.” All in all, the Flobots progressive
music, in both lyrics and style, and dynamic live performances
will be sure to set the Annex aflame with its rocking symphonic breakbeats.
- ashley stagner ’09
‘We’re always looking out
for bands on the rise, and I
think we caught these guys
at a good time’