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Beat Street
By Todd S. Inoue

Raffi Goes Reggae: Live 105 DJ mines local talent for comp MONTE SERENO resident and vicious DJ King Raffi recently released his pet project, Reggae Soundsystem Skankin' Vol. 1. This compilation of reggae and all its subgenres gathers together acts broadcast on Raffi's Sunday Reggae Soundsystem radio show on Live 105. Lots of local acts--Monkey ("Skamba!"), Dub Nation ("Kronik"), Root Awakening ("Take the Time"), Dub Congress, Native Elements, Inka Inka and the Brownies--are included. Only three tracks on this 14-track CD are from out of the area: New York's Toasters, Germany's Dr. Ring Ding and the legendary Laurel Aitken. Reggae Soundsystem boasts a hefty selection of styles. Swing, dance-hall, dub and roots are equally represented. The CD is free, but you have to listen to Live 105 to get one. Stop Fighting Feuding brothers isn't just the shtick of Brit poppers. Hieroglyphics family members A-Plus and Pep Love got into a tussle onstage at their recent Palookaville show in Santa Cruz. Pep, obviously peeved with A-Plus' intoxicated performance, wasn't feeling it when A-Plus tried to wrap an arm around him, and so he pushed him away. Then A-Plus retaliated by pushing Pep into the crowd, and the tussle was on. As the two were separated (the music still playing, mind you),Opio quickly took control of the situation, freestyling a rhyme about how this shit happens when someone drinks too much. After the feathers flew, A-Plus took a powder while Pep apologized to the crowd (and A-Plus) for losing control, and the show rocked on. The Palookaville crowd definitely gets props for staying peaceful and positive, making the Hiero show a memorable one. There have been too many shows--punk, metal and hip-hop--broken up by fights or police, so it was refreshing to be in such a positive environment. The Assgood File Here's the tally from the NOFX show last Tuesday at the Edge in Palo Alto: one gob of spit lobbed at Fat Mike (who stopped the show, had the offender brought to the stage and dumped a beer on him); two former members of Sublime in the opening band, All Day (rumor is that the band got bounced from the tour; no problem, the two members are also in the Long Beach Dub All-Stars, so they'll be opening for Primus on Tuesday at the San Jose State University Event Center); NOFX played "I Wanna Be an Alcoholic" three times; there were 12 different varieties of NOFX T-shirts and sweatshirts for sale; there was at least one reviewer who failed to see why NOFX is so rad. College Life The amazing, blazing Pee Chees played a secret show at a Stanford dormitory last Friday. Under the glow of one halogen lamp, the band reaffirmed my contention that they may be the best live act in the Bay. See them on Thursday (Feb. 5) at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco and on Friday (Feb. 6) at Gilman Street in Berkeley before they leave on a U.S. tour with Unwound. ... Also on the Farm, Justin Chin will be performing at 8pm on Friday (Feb. 6) at the Old Union Clubhouse Ballroom. The San Francisco-based poet and performance artist will be doing two solo pieces that explore gay Asian male identity in community, body politics, aesthetics and "all manner of queer stuff." The show starts at 8pm and is free. For more information, call 650/723-3681. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]