Daygo City Live

The Rhythm Lounge gig was billed as "the official album release concert" for San Diego hip-hop compilation Young Mass Presents...the Best of Daygo City.

Opener Forte rocked the spot with a Zapp-style talk-box rendition of One Way's classic funk cut "Cutie Pie." Forte joins Roger, DJ Quik, and Teddy Riley as masters of the talk box, which is a keyboard with a tube that runs to the performers mouth to alter sounds. Seeing's believing:

Most of the performers ran their laptop loops through the clubs soundman as they rocked the mics.

Gas One from dagosd.com's All Gas, No Breaks radio show was busting me up hosting between acts, and he gave away a lot of stuff. The beer was only $3 before 10 p.m. I took several of them to the head when Outta Control jumped on stage Beastie Boys-style, quaffing beer while performing their compilation song "Come Correct." The party was on!

I discovered why they call Bloodstone "Street Preacher" when I saw he had a whole bunch of cats gathered around in the parking lot talking on the ups and downs of the SD music scene, life, kids, and the Myna calendar’s prediction of the end of the world. He then got on stage and blew the roof off the spot.

All hands were in the air as the OG spit his track "Gangstas Don't Dance." At that point I went to the bathroom ($3 beers, remember?) but found someone had blown chunks all over the pot, floor, and sink...so I went next door. Unfortunately, during that time I missed out on HeatRok, but when I got back to the show Tha Cor had the stage and was doing their thing. Lead man Crhymes rang out "Do you want to smoke and get high?" I recognized the song from the Daygo City album and it sounded dope live.

The place was packed. The pool tables were full all night, the bar was busy, and the front stage area had a big group of people partying for every act. I don't know if it was a case of the planets aligning on some weird stuff, but the SD hip-hop scene felt like the bizness that night!

Artists: Forte, Bloodstone the Street Preacher, Outta Control, HeatRok, and Tha Cor
Venue: the Rhythm Lounge, 3048 Midway Drive, Sports Arena
Show date: November 6, 2009
Seats: at the bar, on the dance floor, searching for a bathroom