BUMPIN' UGLIES/TOBYRAPS – BEACHLAND BALLROOM
By Eric Rauert
It's not often that a band sells out a two-day Beachland run. But Annapolis is based Bumpin' Uglies with Tobyraps for support did just that on this cold February weekend and the whole place was packed as I walked in. Good friends with Cleveland based Tropidelic, they clearly have a close relationship with Cleveland and the fans here.
Admittedly I was a little late so I missed the first C-Level opener. Luckily TobyRaps was next and was on stage shortly after I arrived. I don't think I could come up with anything more apt than the first line of his Facebook page description: “Toby is a rapper from Cleveland, Ohio whose style has been described as Lil Dicky mixed with Watsky ». In both appearance and musical style, I found this to be true, but not remotely so.
Mr. Raps elevates the show quite a bit, with impressive bars about life but with a humorous twist. Not completely satirical like Lil Dicky, I enjoyed Toby's injections of humor in songs like “Phone Died” without diminishing the lyrical power. Over the course of about 45 minutes, TobyRaps brought out guest after guest in typical hip hop fashion.
I couldn't watch everyone, but there were guests from Ohio, tour guests and more that made a featured show. And the live backing band brought Toby and his friends' raps to life. Listening to some of his music in the studio, the samplers and drum machines just couldn't keep up. Well done to the band for taking it to another level.
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A crowd-powered smoke machine led the headlining five-piece onto the stage. Bumpin' Uglies are clearly a fan favorite in town as the packed Ballroom cheered them on loudly. There was no apparent loss of energy as the band marched into their second night. All night and in every description of the band, they refer to their style as 'reggae'. I didn't hear any in the traditional sense. This sounds more like third wave ska in the vein of Sublime and Reel Big Fish (complete with horn section).
These are fast-paced songs with vocalist Brandon Hardesty at the helm. He combines classic ska vocal stylings with a metalcore whine similar to Bring Me the Horizon's Oliver Sykes. This is very fun music to dance to and that was what the night was all about: fun. Ethan Lichtenberger and Will Lopez stepped out on keyboard and guitar respectively to add a horn section to the evening. This was a bright and funky addition that elevated it Ugly' SONGS. These horns dig deep into the roots of ska and had me dancing the night away.
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At some point in the middle of the set, someone who I can only assume is the “common roadie” brought copious amounts of the green stuff onto the stage. it was a reggae concert after all. If there's one thing that impressed me about bassist Dave Wolf's performance, it was that he smoked an ENTIRE joint during one song, where he completely flipped. Hands free, like some kind of funky drug god.
The short and punchy ska songs continued in a frenzy, with Hardesty stopping only to tell stories to the receptive crowd and talk about how much they love Cleveland. It certainly felt like a special connection, further shown by the crowd's exuberance and dance moves throughout almost every song and long after they left the stage. The encore started after a few minutes with Hardesty returning on acoustic guitar. As the first song of the encore ended, the band took the stage again for one last party with the audience.
While I wasn't the biggest fan of that particular style of music Bumpin' Uglies I have to offer, I must say I still had a great time. This was a fun and danceable show that ended up being a great way to spend a Saturday night. If you want to relax and can stand being immersed in the culture (in the way of a passive cloud of smoke), this is one to catch.
Visits: 10
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