AUSTIN IS TRULY WEIRD

So it's a widely known expression around Texas that the city of Austin keeps things "weird." For a town that takes pride in supporting musicians, local businesses, and serving as the Silicon Valley the South for tech start ups, it's no wonder that we feel right at home. With all the liberal progressive scenesters roaming around 6th street with indie bands posting up on street corners, its felt a lot like we've relocated to a more humid San Francisco, except instead of PBR's everyone is drinking Lonestars with coozies.

Reflecting on the first few days in Austin has been a culmination of running up and down 6th street meeting bands, musicians, seeing free shows, and making connections. SXSW draws over 200,000 people to Austin during this week. But for the most part people are really friendly...almost too friendly as I can attest to the random dude who blatantly asked me to make out with him in exchange for a rose. And while the taxi drivers seem to be too cool to stop for anyone past 2 pm, we've learned to rely on the friendly passing cars who let all seven of us jump in their car for a ride home. But as serendipitous as our trip has been thus far, we ended up getting a ride from Austin's very own emcee Chad S.N.G. who won last night's SXSW rap battle. So in true underground hip hop fashion, we listened to his flows intently while Elliot spit a few of his own rhymes to show our gratitude for the ride home.

We played our first show last night at the Dizzy Rooster to a full crowd that were all groovin to Eliquate as if we were playin a home crowd. No matter what crowd Eliquate plays for, the crowd never has trouble gettin their dance on. The band definitely played a rockin first show in Austin and found lots of new fans.

After the show it seemed like the music gods once again took Eliquate into their hands as we all peered into the windows of the Malaia Club desperately trying to listen to the Grieves and Budo show goin on inside. It just so happened that the Rhymesayers tour manager saw our pitiful looks peering through the window and walked outside to tell us that he wanted us to come in over everyone else in line. We didn't think it could get any better until we met him and Grieves after the show.  We'll see if fruition and fate bring something out of that connection for the future

Tonite we play at the Texas Rock Festival where we will on at 11 pm. If you're out here in Austin for SXSW come check us out!

this is erin...over and out!!!

On the road...Eliquate in Arizona

It’s the third day of the tour and we’ve already logged over 30 hours of driving under our (breaking) belts, played two awesome shows, lost Elliot’s cell phone, found Elliot’s cell phone, reminisced over Dan’s childhood memories as we ate grits at the local Waffle House, drank a few four-lokos and took a minor side trip to watch the Giants at Spring training. We finished the night off by fitting seven people in a nice hotel room for a mere 30 bucks…all while taking in the beautiful sights that the city of Tuscon has to offer.

If I could describe the city of Tuscon for you all, I would say it is about as gratifying as drinking a warm beer out of a Nalgene (which I am currently doing while writing this blog). We managed to make it less than a mile down the road to the Jiffy Lube for them to tell us that we MUST change our belts. We then put our faith in the hands of  our drummer and tour mechanic extraordinaire, Dan Wells, to replace the belts and get us on our way. It was a group effort though as the rest of the band took refuge under a lovely tree that “sapped” on us while we took in its shade.  But we prevailed and made the best of the situation by taking the time to reflect on the trip thus far and took note of all the efforts we have each made individually to get to this point, on the side of the road, drinking warm beer out of pineapple cans in Tuscon.

Alas, we finally left the lovely state of Arizona behind us and waved goodbye to everything  it had to offer: trannies, 36 inch hoagie sandwiches, fast food chains, and the largest known pawn shop to loan guns and gold. Tuscon apparently has a lot to offer. Now we are on the road again. Only 13 more hours till Austin with many more stories to share. 

LOST IN AUSTIN: DAYS 1-3

So, its only day two and I have got to say I am fucking sore. Starting the trip out with a rocking show on our home turf set the pace of performance at a high I am beginning to regret. However it is alway worth a little back pain to get to see all our homies rocking out.

The second stop of the tour was Santa Barbara, where we played quite possibly the most rocking house party we have ever played. I.V. you never fail to disappoint. Interesting side note, at both shows mosh-pits ensued, perhaps this is the beginning of a new precedent?

After the show we all decided to have a few adult beverages and Thomas (manager), feeling particularly sleepy, decided to take a nap on the couch with his shoes on... So we turned him into a kitty...

We are now in Long Beach stealing wifi from Burger King getting ready for our show tonight at DiPiazzas. Being that we have no place to stay in Long Beach, we are fairly certain we are going to just barge it to Tucson after the gig.

As we step out into the fray, all we ask is that you root for us friends, and stay posted for more as Eliquate: Lost in Austin continues.

Eliquate: Lost in Austin Tour

In 1700 miles Eliquate will find themselves at the end of their journey. Though the in between is yet to be determined one thing is certain, we are going to Austin, Texas. What we are most interested in seeing how two cars hauling campers of gear through three federally enforced checkpoint will favor when asked what our business is crossing state lines and only being able to respond with the lyrics of a Twisted Sister song. But I digress, Eliquate will be embarking on our ‘Lost in Austin: 2012 tour” We Will be playing the fallowing dates along the way.

March 8 - The Catalyst. Santa Cruz, CA. 8pm
Facebook Event

March 9 - Houseparty on Isla Vista. Santa Barbara, CA.

March 10 - DiPiazzas. Long Beach, CA. - 1030pm

March 11-14 GET TO AUSTIN!

March 15 - "RedGorilla Music Fest" The Dizzy Rooster. Austin, TX. - 1030pm

RedGorilla Music Fest

March 16 - "Texas Rockfest" HTR Outdoor Stage. Austin, TX. 11pm
The Heart of Texas Rockfest

March 17 - "Texas Rockfest" HTR Outdoor Stage. Austin, TX. 140pm

Though the road will be long, we are excited to be able to test our luck against the elements.    
 

Thursday, March 8th- The Catalyst Club (Santa Cruz, Ca) w/ boostive & Planet Booty

Thursday, March 8th- The Catalyst Club (Santa Cruz, Ca)

w/ boostive & Planet Booty

Euphoric Styles presents... ...In association with Thieves Clothing. Eliquate (hiphop/avant-garde, Santa Cruz) www.eliquate.com boostive (dub-hop, Santa Cruz) www.facebook.com/boostive Planet Booty (electro-funk, San Francisco) www.planetbooy.org This will be Eliquate's SXSW sendoff show. They will be hopping in the bus the following day and heading out to Austin, TX. Help us see them off in style. They will be joined on stage by another local act, boostive. boostive (never capitalized) is a fresh new band in the dub community. Mixing trippy licks with an extremely strong live performance, boostive will keep you moving. Planet Booty will be bringing the party. This electro-funk mega act from SF will make sure the night starts off with the booty shaking. This is going to be one hell of a party. Get your tickets early. Thieves Clothing www.thievesco.com The Catalyst Club March 8th 830pm 16+ $7 presale/ $10 door If you haven't like Euphoric Styles on Facebook, click here!! http://www.facebook.com/EuphoricStylesLLC Find your high... www.euphoricstyles.com

Tuesday, March 6th- Streetlight Records (Santa Cruz, Ca) Eliquate will be playing an in-store performance at Streetlight Records

Eliquate will playing a in-store set at Streetlight Records. Tuesday, March 6th. 4pm Free This will be promotion for Eliquate's SXSW send off show on March 8th at the Catalyst with boostive and Planet Booty. (Facebook Event) They will also be promoting their album "Arch Rhythm" (2010) and their brand new EP "Who the F**k is Eliquate?"

Milk Party "Good Times" Music Video Shoot

We, by we the greater organization that is Eliquate, would like to thank you, by you I mean the “Good Times” crew, for all your efforts. Because of you, our dreams of filming a second music video have come to fruition. A big, Big thanks is due to Philips Shum for his excellent direction and cinematography, and just a really rad guy to work with, Donald Rossini for allowing us access to the amazing property that enabled the shoot to run so smoothly, Euphoric Styles for their generous contributions to the project, and all the soggy and enthusiastic extras that had to digest our creative process. We were able to shoot the video in six and a half hours thanks to the concerted efforts of a dedicated many. The video is now in the process of being edited and we are excited to see how it will turn out. Stay tuned for more

Eliquate and Lyrics Born at Moe's Alley. Feb. 17!!!

FACEBOOK EVENT

Lyrics Born Music Video Amongst the dusty records of UC Davis’ KDVS college radio station, Tom Shimura, who currently makes records as Lyrics Born, found too much to love. Sandwiched between gatefold LPs, 12-inch singles, dub versions and white-labels was a reservoir of inspiration that he would draw on for the following decades. That was then. This is now. Since his college days, Bay Area-native Lyrics Born’s raw, authentic talent has been polished to a gleaming beacon of originality in a time when it’s needed most, and it’s release marks a new era of label relations. “The old model is dead, you cant just put it out and expect people to get it”, explains LB, and the statement could easily be applied to his sound or his approach to marketing the finished product. Lyrics Born has gone about the creation of his latest effort, As U Were, in a less-than-conventional manner. One defining characteristic of his sound thus far has been that it can be described as unequivocally fun, and this remains true of As U Were. However, LB does routinely peel back the gregarious exterior to reveal a contemplative everyman, and it’s times like this that his true artistry is apparent. “It’s at the point in my career where I’ve been through a lot, fun and not so fun. I think I’m dealing with a lot issues that are more mature than the last few albums, from abandonment to betrayal to incredible joy”. He voices these sentiments prominently on the lead single “Lies x 3”, a driving, heartfelt plead for truth. While touching on newer subjects, he also reached out to artists that he felt removed himself from his comfort zone. “The new record is more synth-oriented. I made an effort to work with younger artists: Trackademicks, Francis and The Lights, and Sam Sparro, namely”. The bay-swagger is in full effect on “Funky Hit Records”, and while the new guests add a new dimension to the sound, Tom Shimura isn’t one to lose sight of his roots. Gift of Gab drops a requisite, thought-provoking verse on the critical “Pills” and the classic Latyrx tag-team makes it look way too easy on “Pushed Aside, Pulled Apart”, one of the album’s standout cuts. As U Were may well be LB’s greatest achievement, but it’s been a long time coming. Lyrics Born had been a music obsessive since his youth, and in 1993 freestyles among a group of UC Davis classmates that occupied the same cramped radio quarters began to find their way onto paper, and suddenly LB had written “Send Them”. It became the first single on the newly minted Solesides Records, a collaborative venture between himself and his accomplices who would later go on to be known internationally as Blackalicious (comprised of MC Gift of Gab and producer Chief Xcel), DJ Shadow and Lateef The Truthspeaker, an East Oakland rapper with whom he found a shared affinity for the rapid-fire lyrical volleys that would define the next step. As Latyrx (a combination of their working names) the two MCs released The Album, in 1997. The LP would go on to become a certified classic, selling 100,000 copies, yet would prove to be the tip of an even larger iceberg. Solesides was re-imagined as Quannum Projects in 1999. As co-owner, LB used Quannum as a conduit through which he delivered his most realized project to date, 2003’s Later That Day. The album yielded his biggest commercial success to date, “Callin’ Out”, which charted nationally and was featured in several major motion pictures, EA Sports games as well as a Diet Coke spot featuring Adrian Brody. The remix LP, Same !@#$ Different Day was released shortly after, showcasing the talents of his closest associates and as well as new material. Meanwhile, Lyrics Born began to explore different means of engaging listeners. He kept fans abreast of his work by peppering the internet with The Lyrics Born Variety Show mixtape series which he released himself through his website. The mixtapes, as well as ceaseless touring and the creation of his own internet media outlets Lyrics Born TV and LBFM, were elements of a new formula. Since the release of Later That Day, Lyrics Born has averaged over 150 shows a year, and his explosive live energy was captured on the disc Overnite Encore, a compilation of live performances with live musicians from the Australian leg of his 2006 world tour. He followed up in 2008 with Everywhere At Once, a varied studio disk that signaled a departure from the sample-based pieces he had become known for, supplementing the sound with a full band and a healthy dose of synthesizers. Hence, he has arrived at well-rounded sound that is classic and yet futuristic. Tom Shimura hasn’t forgotten how he got here, but he’s never been afraid to look to the future, either. Eliquate Live HipHop from Santa Cruz, CA. Coming off of the release of their new EP, "Who the fuck is Eliquate?" You don't want to miss this one! Advance Tickets: Tickets 8pm, $15 advance/$20 door