Before they play the Pagoda Lounge Saturday night, Talib Kweli and Res of the duo Idle Warship will drop by Streetlight Records in San Jose to sign autographs.
The pair’s performance is one of the most anticipated so far this year in the South Bay, thanks to Kweli’s longtime cred in the indie-rap scene (stretching way back to the late ’90s when he formed Black Star with Mos Def) and the fact that Idle Warship’s debut record Habits of the Heart was such a surprising and successful departure for him.
They’ll sign Saturday at 4:30pm-5:30pm at Streetlight, just hours before their Pagoda show.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqK2TU8nxY8[/youtube]
Though Kweli fans were initially wary when he pressed the point that Idle Warship isn’t a hip-hop project, and when word leaked that he would be singing instead of rapping (he actually does both), Habits of the Heart turned out to be a terrific mix of hip-hop with funk, soul, rock and electronic music. Though Res was mostly unknown despite her solo R&B work, her accomplishments even outshine Kweli’s on the record.
A live stream of Idle Warship’s New York City show revealed the duo in high-energy mode, backed by a full band. “We come here to dance,” Kweli told the audience, “cause that’s the foundation of what we do.”
They play the Pagoda at 10pm Saturday night; tickets are $18.
.Talib Kweli and Res of Idle Warship to Sign at Streetlight
