FROZE AF ROUNDUP: Winter 2018 Hip Hop Shows

No matter how far below zero that mercury drops, the shows must go on. What follows is a quick look ahead.

Jan. 10th - Blackalicious w/ Epidemiks @ The Snow Barn. West coast legends Gift of Gab & Chief XL will be rolling through The Snow Barn in West Dover...courtesy of Bud Light, no less. Opening support comes from Epidemiks, fresh off their New Years Eve celebration at The Stone Church. 9 pm. $15 adv / $20 door. 18+.

Jan. 11th - Khaosity @ Radio Bean. Khaosity kicks off his Light It Up Blue Tour, an effort to raise awareness & money for autism research. Lineup includes Corty Booth and Stormyweather. 10 pm. Free. ALL AGES.

Jan. 12-14th - 1st Annual Granite State Hip Hop Festival. Obviously, this is a New Hampshire event, but like the Ruckus Cup Classic in Maine, it's a big deal. This is going to be three nights of live hip hop at Jewel in Manchester -- perhaps the biggest highlight is Saturday night's bill, which features The Artifacts and Sadat X, in addition to 802 artists like Eyedos and Colby Stiltz. Check event page for details.

Jan. 18th - 3rd Thursday @ Monkey House Anthill Collective's family style party is almost always an event, and this month is no exception. The big reveal this time around is the debut of Princess Nostalgia and the return of rapper/producer/etc Network, who has not been seen in these parts for quite some time. There will also be sets from Fresh Patterns and ILLu, who is fresh off a new release. 9 pm. $3 21+ / $8 18+.

Jan. 26th - Maiden Voyage, C Shreve, Mister Burns @ Windsor Station. A pretty much guaranteed Friday night party. Maiden Voyage will be hosting at their hometown haunt, Mister Burns will be returning, and C Shreve will be bringing the guest boom baps. 9 pm. Free. 21+.

Jan. 27th - Mister Burns, C.Shreve, DJ Jet, Boomslang & Jarv @ Charlie O's. The same party continues north to Montpelier, home of America's Greatest Dive Bar, Charlie-O's. Boomslang will be cranking up the funk quotient to eleven. This will be hot stuff. 9 pm. Free. 21+.

Also Jan. 27th - All Black Party 2018 @ Social Club & Lounge. Heartless Entertainment will be hosting this "grown & sexy" party, which features a $100 cash prize for the best dressed arrival. No word on the lineup yet. Or cover price. 21+.

Feb. 1st - Mister Burns and Jarv @ Switchback Taproom An early set at a great spot downtown. A treat for BTV locals. 6 pm. Free. 21+.

Feb. 2nd - Building Blocks 2 @ Swan Dojo No word on the lineup or details, but the date, at least, is set in stone. The next installment of the community party / actual cypher / b-boy jam / fundraiser will be Friday, February 2nd. More on this story as it develops, folks.

Feb. 3rd - Mister Burns & Jarv at Notte Neapolitan Pizza Bar. The state's reigning tag team champions take their show to Middlebury, VT. 10 pm. $3. 21+.

Feb. 8th - Milo @ Arts Riot. Milo will be bringing his caravan through Arts Riot again, this time bringing along CT-based troubador and label founder Ceschi. Sadly, NYC wizard/god ELUCID will not be making the trek to Vermont, but this will still be a great night. 8pm. $15. ALL AGES.

ROUNDUP: Snow, Shows & Singles

Over the past five years, Burlington has seen a fair few hip hop showcases come and go. Some have quietly disappeared, some have gone into semi-retirement, and some of them have kept on marching. Most of those scrappy survivors are getting together on Thursday, December 21st for a big old party called Holidaze at the Lanes.

It will be held at Champlain Lanes, home of Mics & Strikes, a showcase run by Mister Burns of Lynguistic Civilians. (In case you haven't heard of them, start here.) Rapper, producer, promoter, radio host and plenty more besides, he's got experience and connections. Since he started in May, he's brought some serious acts through Shelburne.

Joining the celebration is Anthill Collective, whose 3rd Thursdays series at Monkey House has had a spectacular run in 2017. They've continuously upped the ante, and always delivered solid lineups without overstuffing the audience. Anthill also helped organize one of the best events of the year, their waterfront art festival Above The Radar.

Finally, props to Yo! BTV Raps and the Self Portrait crew for keeping the torch burning. Here's hoping they can continue the series into 2018.

With so many extended families under the same Christmas lights, you know the lineup is going to be bananas. Mister Burns, Self Portrait and Stiltz Gang will all be in the building, with Hagen MC, Drive and at least a few members of BTV favorites Bless The Child. 9 pm. Free show. All ages. $15 gets you two hours of bowling.

Speaking of celebrations, Jibba "The Gent" just threw a wild birthday party show last weekend with Slaine & Termanology at The Rusty Nail. To celebrate, he's dropped a new single:



"Ishimown" features Jun Fargo over a spacious banger. Jibba previously collaborated with Jun Fargo on "Maple Syrup," a video that clocked 150k views on Youtube since this summer. Jibba's had a strong 2017, building some real momentum and reach with his album The Broccoli Tree.



Teece Luvv used to be known as John Carter of Earth or JCOE, part of Windsor's party weapon Maiden Voyage. He's just dropped an excellent three track set in collaboration with ILLu. A rapper named Jarv stops through to casually murder a verse and the beats are on point. Dig it.

One last note of appreciation before I go...

Sidebar, a humble & tasty venue tucked next to Mr. Mike's Pizza, has been booking and supporting local hip hop since they opened. They've got some holiday treats on the calendar this month, including an upcoming Sunday set from DJ / producer David Chief on Dec. 17th. He'll have MilkHaus artist LoKi opening.

Sidebar's got another hot ticket right after Christmas on Thursday the 28th: a bill featuring Jarv x Mr. Burns alongside Possibly Human, a collaboration between Hank Collins and Sam Paulino. For a sample of what that project will be like, check out their recent collaboration with producer IMAN, "Fossils."



You can't beat that for three bucks, hot damn. Enjoy yourselves, and whatever you do, drive safe.

ROUNDUP: Hip Hop Shows in December

By comparison to the rest of 2017, December will be a slow month, but we've got big events coming just the same.

Dec. 8th Brzowski @ Zen Barn. One of the nicest venues in Waterbury, VT will be hosting a strange & appetizing lineup: Maine legend Brzowski will be delivering the goods, jam band Annie in the Water will be doing a "hip hop inspired set," and Rick & Morty themed rap group ROY II will be opening. (This explains all the weird stickers I've been seeing around Waterbury.) 9 pm. $5 @ door. All Ages? Try it and find out!

Dec. 9th Jibba "The Gent's" Birthday Bash @ Rusty Nail This is going to be Kind Of A Big Deal. Headlined by underground legends Slaine & Termanology, this party will also feature sets from Bar None The Best, Modest, and Hitmen For Hire -- a new group consisting of Raw Deff, Judge Da Beast, and Yung Breeze. Check out their debut mixtape if you haven't already. 9 pm. $15. 21+.

Dec. 15th Boomslang at Positive Pie. Expect a dance party, bud. Montpelier true school futurists Boomslang will be rocking alongside two 80's-tastic bands, Champagne Dynasty and new BTV outfit Night Protocol. 9 pm. $5 @ the door.

Dec. 21st 3rd Thursday @ Monkey House. Save the date -- still no word on this month's lineup but there's a lot of buzz about a big announcement, so stay tuned. Anthill Collective always does it right.

Dec. 28th Mr. Burns x Jarv x Sam Paulino @ Sidebar. The artists behind two of the very best albums this year will be in one (awesome, small) venue on a post-Christmas Thursday night. (That would be Jarv's Boiler Room and Sam's The South Cove EP.) One man movement Mr. Burns will also be in the building; a congress of kings. 9 pm. Free. 21+.

Dec. 31st Epidemiks New Years Eve Party at The Stone Church. This will be a black & white ball semi-formal event featuring a special NYE performance by Brattleboro favorites, Epidemiks. 9:30 pm. $10. All Ages.

ROUNDUP: Hip Hop Shows in September

September 6th: Yo! BTV Raps Vol. 9 @ Sidebar. This should be approximately hype as fuck, packing some high energy rap acts into an intimate lil' craft bar. Jarv and Boomslang are both party demolition units. In addition, Face One continues his comeback streak, Khaosity will be staking his claim to BTV, and PR Department will deliver a set. That's a new collaboration between Rico James of Self Portrait and local boom bap head PreciseMC. Also, happy birthday to hip hop superfan and live show cameraman Brett North! 10 pm. 21+. Free.

September 7th: Hip Hop Heals @ Backstage Pub and Restaurant This is a benefit show for the Garrows, a local family who had a house fire this summer. Admission is free and there will be a variety of fundraiser activities throughout the evening. Props to Colby Stiltz for putting this on.

September 12th: Big Boi @ Higher Ground. Hot damn. Not a lot needs to be said here. 8 pm. All Ages. $35 adv / $38 door.

September 14th: Vermont's Finest @ Social Club and Lounge. Another showcase affair at Social Club, a great BTV venue that makes a point of putting on real events. This should be no exception, an evening of local rap sponsored by God Squad and Heartless Ent. Lineup includes Eyedos, BL SPITZ and Dok Trauma. 8 pm. 18+ $5 / College ID $2

September 15-17 Above The Radar. This is a Very Big Deal: a three-day graffiti festival right on the Burlington waterfront, bringing in some legendary crews to collaborate on massive walls. This is a family friendly, pure hip hop event and represents a massive amount of work by Vermont's own Anthill Collective. Free. Go check it out.

September 15th: Mics and Strikes @ Champlain Lanes. The lineup hasn't been announced yet but if you want raps, drinks and bowling all in one place, this is your fix. Always a good time.

September 16th: Capital Punishment @ Sweet Melissas. Current lineup is Khaosity, Drive, Modest and Lifelesson -- expect more names to be added in the weeks to come. 9 pm. All Ages. $5.

September 16th: Upper Valley Summer Music Festival @ The Engine Room. Packed bill in White River Junction. 9 pm. $10 adv / $15 door.

September 21st: Home Grown Hip Hop @ Club Metronome. Colby Stiltz, Suss Brim, Chyse Atkins, Jibba Tha Gent, Modest, Party Boy Woodz, Joe Grizzly and City Lights. 9 pm. 18+ $5 / 21+ Free

September 30th: The Fall Come Up @ Gustos. A guaranteed good time. This is a homecoming party in Barre for Bar None The Best, and they'll be celebrating with a serious lineup: Judge Da Beast, Jibba The Gent, and NYT (aka Jamell Rogers). To top it all off, this is your chance to see the Street Religion crew live onstage without having to drive at least an hour south. 10:30 pm 21+

September 30th: Boomslang & Jarv @ Charlie O's. Another guaranteed good time, and in the same county, no less. It's a Vermont tradition. Best dive bar in the state if not the country, great party rap, colorful regulars grumbling about great party rap -- just because I've said all this before doesn't mean you shouldn't be there. 21+. Free.

ROUNDUP: Hip Hop Shows in June

A couple of choice cuts from what remains of June:

June 14th: Bucksaw and Loupo at SideBar. An evening of collaborative DJ sets. Expect woozy, deep cuts and heavy "electronic trap" influences. Spaced-out ill shit, in other words. 10 pm. Free.

June 15th: Anthill Collective will be hosting their third "Nights of the Roundtables" session at The Monkey House in Winooski. Expect a family vibe, eclectic vinyl and turntable excellence. Pool tables & great drinks. 9 pm. 21+ $3 // 18+ $8

June 16th: Ziontific Summer Solstice Festival will be kicking off and 802 supergroup Cultural Chemistry will be playing. More information (and tickets) available at their official site. Bring a tent, bud.

June 22nd: Yo! BTV RAPS Vol. 8 at SideBar. A variety show that keeps improving every time. The lineup is packed for this one, with Jibba the Gent headlining in support of his impressive new album, The Broccoli Tree. Also on the bill: Self Portrait, Mister Burns, Matt Hagen MC, LoKi, and "members of Bless the Child." What does that mean? You have to go and find out. 10 pm. Free.

June 29th: Busdriver at ArtsRiot. One of LA's best rappers will be coming through one of Burlington's best venues for a solo set. No word on opening acts but dude himself is plenty enough to leave the house for. 9 pm. $12 adv /$14 at the door.

2017's celebration of A-Dog Day will be on Saturday, August 26th.

Mick Jenkins, 4/23 @ Higher Ground

Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins is coming through Higher Ground, which is interesting. He's touring in support of his 2016 album, The Healing Component, which was tasty, low-key, serious hip hop.

Also interesting: tickets are $18 and there is nobody else listed on the bill. Tough sell for a Sunday night, but Jenkins is a hell of a rhyme writer and live performer. For those of you with Dealer Dot Com money and an interest in high quality rap music, this is a guaranteed good bet.

More info: Higher Ground Listing | Mick Jenkins Website

B.P.M. - A Tribute to Ryan Morin

There's going to be an absurd amount of talent packed into Club Metronome tonight to honor the life (and music!) of DJ BP, aka Ryan Morin. Barely an exaggeration to say that everyone is on the bill this evening. No exaggeration to say it will be one of the most memorable shows of the year.

If anyone reading this is unfamiliar, this Dan Bolles piece on his passing is excellent. And true.

To top it off, all proceeds go to charity. Be there.

Viva La Hop, Cultural Chemistry, Fresh Patterns, 3/11 @ ArtsRiot

One of my favorite BTV venues - the food! the people! the beer list! - will be hosting a damn promising bill next Saturday. The headliner is Viva La Hop, a Boston-based, Berklee-heavy nine-piece (!!!) band. They're a throwback act to the glorious days of acid jazz: killer rhythm section, a polished top end with keys and horn section, and even the whole "conscious lyrics" / "educate your mind" routine on the mic. Perfect for Burlington, in other words.



For local support, ArtsRiot are bringing the biggest & best outfit in town, Cultural Chemistry, an "802 supergroup" with a deep catalog. (And breakdancing.) Current lineup appears to be Skysplitter Ink on the beats, DJ Kanga on the 1s and 2s, and Learic, Mister Burns and Tha Truth on the mic; they're a dynamic posse so that is subject to change. Also, expect special guests.

Earlier in the evening, there will be performances from live hip hop crew Fresh Patterns, who held down Rusty Nail last night solo when Sophistafunk couldn't make it, and Bless the Child, always a reliable source of good vibes.

Boomslang, Free The Optimus, Maiden Voyage, 3/4 @ Charlie-O's

Here's a no-brainer for anyone in Washington County: two of the most entertaining hip hop groups in the state will be playing at Vermont's Best Dive Bar™ with North Carolina crew Free The Optimus. Hard to beat a guaranteed Saturday Night like that, yeah?



Boomslang has become a fixture of the Montpelier rap scene -- and that's a good thing. As co-founding members of local label co-op State and Main, they built that scene by hand in recent years. (Shouts to Mr. Yee & Tank, too.) They know everyone, they're gracious hosts, and they love to bring good music to the capital city. Maiden Voyage are a perfect compliment: just some talented country boys who like to party. This will be a loud, fun evening. NO COVER.

Sophistafunk w/ Fresh Patterns, 3/3 @ Rusty Nail

The upstate NY Moog Demolition Unit known as Sophistafunk will be rolling through Stowe's Rusty Nail on Friday evening. Sharing the bill will be Fresh Patterns, an interesting outfit that gets tighter with every show. Show starts at 9 pm sharp. $10 bill.

Tonight: Loaf Muzik @ Higher Ground

NYC rap revivalists Loaf Muzik will be coming through Higher Ground to headline a heavy bill tonight. California beatsmith Jansport J will be in the building alongside Cultural Chemistry, Almattic, Self Portrait and live hip hop outfit cworner store (no caps, bud) is on the bill now, too. To top it all off, Colby Stiltz is confirmed & certified back in the 802.

More details/ticket sales here.

Milo w/ Elucid, 2/20 @ ArtsRiot

Created in Chicago, Milo started in Maine, wound up in Wisconsin, looped through LA for awhile with the Hellfyre Club and did one hell of a lot of touring in between. His shows are enjoyably weird, his beats often superb, and he will be at ArtsRiot on a Monday night.

Elucid is a god level rap writer. "Save Yourself" was one of 2016's best albums, and he took a hard left on his equally excellent followup, "Valley of Grace." Having him come through Burlington is very rare, very based.

Back in 2015, billy woods came through Nectars with Curly Castro and PremRock on a Monday night. There were not a lot of people there, but the music was fucking outstanding and the drinks were both delicious and affordable. Don't pass up the opportunity for that kind of luxury.

To sweeten the deal further, Adeem's new band/project Adam and the Flood will be opening up the evening. Getting Elucid on an off night is a big win for a small city, and that crew has been on a long tour. ArtsRiot is one of the best venues in the state, too. Go celebrate longer days.

Get Familiar: Sound Affects

VTHH: What is Sound Affects?

Sound Affects: We are a Hip-Hop community event that focuses on teamwork, support & bridging the gap between Vermont & the rest of the Northeast. We are here to unite the Hip-Hop scene & provide the Green Mountain State with a long-standing community event. We are here for everyone. 

Specifically, we are a monthly residency that will showcase the wealth of local talent we have to offer, as well as bring national & regional acts into Vermont. We will be showcasing a local producer each month as well as highlighting local releases, regional tours, national headliners & live-production cyphers.

VTHH: How do you plan to contribute to the current scene?

Sound Affects: Our focus is on delivering high-quality shows & giving hardworking artists the opportunity to play on one of the premiere stages in the state, while also offering a space for people to meet each other and network. There is a natural competition in Hip Hop culture - by utilizing that energy and unifying around a centralized monthly event, we will build a consistent platform to showcase the wealth of talent our state has to offer & simultaneously eliminate the competition between ourselves.

Our state is too small to have artists vying over the same audience. Sound Affects can be everyone’s home field, where we can all meet once a month to support the artists who have new projects to showcase. This unified approach will lead to more connection throughout the scene & ultimately, artists feeding off of each other for inspiration. We want to bring everyone together for the greater benefit of us all.

VTHH: Why is there a regional focus?

Sound Affects: There is a LOT going on throughout the rest of the Northeast Hip-Hop scene right now & most of the other states are already connected & working together in a mutually beneficial way. Between similar events like Mind Spray (MA), Rap Night Portland (ME), Rap Night Manchester (NH) & others, there is a tour circuit developing in the Northeast for upcoming artists. By offering regional & national acts a stop in Vermont on their tours, we will insert Vermont into the larger Northeast Hip-Hop scene & raise our state’s value. 

At the same time, by providing opportunities to send Vermont’s best out into the region, Sound Affects will combat the isolation Vermont faces in exposing it’s developing artists beyond it’s boarders. There is no scene within the Northeast that is large enough to survive on its own - look at the way the sports teams are set up. If the states in the Northeast work together, we can all achieve more success. 

VTHH: When & where is your first event?

Sound Affects: Our inception event will be at Waking Windows music festival in Downtown Winooski. This is the festival’s 6th year & they have decided that they want Hip-Hop to be represented, so they asked us to curate a 2-Hour Hip-Hop Showcase. This showcase will be on Saturday, May 7th from 7-9pm at Oak 45. Advance weekend passes are available now & will grant you access to all Waking Windows events for all 3-days. 1-Day passes will also be available at the gates & will grant you access to all events for that day.

VTHH: How can people get involved with Sound Affects?

Sound Affects: A great starting point is to sign up for our email list (below) & connect with us on social media so you can be the first to know about our events. If you want to become involved in a hands-on way, you can join our Street Team & help spread the word about our movement & have opportunities to earn exclusive perks! Interested parties should email SoundAffectsVT@gmail.com with ‘Street Team’ in the subject. 

As far as artists go, as an inclusive event we want to work with as many artists as possible. Artists who want to get involved need to do just that - get involved. We want to focus on showcasing the wealth of highly talented artists our state has to offer at our events.

Artists interested in getting involved:

1. Email SoundAffectsVT@gmail.com & include; links to your music, your artist bio, a brief description of your live performance, your social media links, & what project(s) you're currently working on.
2. 'Like' our Facebook page.
3. Follow @SoundAffectsVT on Twitter.
4. Follow @SoundAffectsVT on Instagram

Sound Affects is a community event & ultimately, it will become what our community makes it. Let’s make it something truly special. Sign up below to join our community & be the first to know about our events!

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Oct. 13th: SPACE EXPLORATION at Drink

Interesting digs tomorrow evening by City Hall Park: "Space Exploration" is an evening of quality instrumental music -- hip hop and EDM, mostly hip hop -- courtesy of Loupo and The Human Canvas. Also featured are Forest and some live music from Patrick Ross and Caleb Bronz. Admission is apparently free if you bring the flyer, but obviously, we're talking about a f'ing bar here, so don't sweat that.

October 15th: Homeboy Sandman at Signal Kitchen

One of the best lyricists alive will be swinging throuhg the 802 in the middle of the month: Stones Throw artist Homeboy Sandman. Opening support will be Chicago producer Brenmar and NYC underground fixture I Am Many, who -- if memory serves -- played the legendary and doomed Hip Hop in the Hills festival in 2006.

More details available via Signal Kitchen's clean & pretty-ass website.

"Different" - Ler Stevens

From Burlington by way of Philadelphia, Ler Stevens has got some damn nice tracks. This was an especially tasty slice -- you can catch him doing a whole set this evening at Club Metronome, opening up for Sophistafunk along with Lynguistic Civilians. If you're feeling frisky, this is a lineup that can scratch that itch.

Higher Ground's Revenge: Fall Roundup

I recently stated that Higher Ground had "settled into a groove of only booking college-friendly blog rap." Either I spoke too soon, or their talent buyer decided to prove me wrong, because the Fall 2014 calendar has diversified quite a bit. What follows is a roundup of the shows we know about - a preview of the good nights to come.

October 4th: Things get started next month with a "nerdcore" house party, consisting of MC Chris and MC Lars, with Maine's favorite stoner Spose rounding out the bill. While the flavors served up here are not for everyone, MC Chris and Spose both put on a hell of an entertaining show. (No dis intended to MC Lars, I've just never seen him onstage.)

October 18th: Los Angles legend Flying Lotus will be coming through the Queen City to celebrate his new album, You're Dead. He will be touring with a live band which includes Erykah Badu's bassist, Thundercat. This is definitely going to be one of the more memorable shows of the entire season.

October 20th: Need more LA art-rap in your life? Good news: Busdriver is headlining Higher Ground. He will be bringing along Hellfyre Club amigo Milo -- who has previously been at Jenke Arts -- and a strange act called "clipping." who are clearly on some left field shit.

October 24th: The frat-rap shit-show known as Aer will be selling out the venue, sharing the headline with Dizzy Wright, who is a rapper that raps about smoking weed, only not as well as other rappers who rap about the same thing. This show is, obviously, the reason I'd given up on Higher Ground for the duration of the UVM semester. It's rap for people who don't like rap, and none of them are reading this.

October 26th: A rare evening where hip hop takes over the whole building. In the showcase lounge, you've got Vancouver-based indie phenom SonReal bringing his earnest, pop-inflected confessionals. In the ballroom, you've got a very different scene, with the hilariously awesome Ty Dollar Sign making a most unexpected journey to the Green Mountain State. His opening act will be something called Lil' Bibby, whose bio copy seriously claims he is a "more lyrical Chief Keef."

November 1st: Rhymesayers returns to the 802. Brother Ali -- one of the best rappers alive by any standard -- will be headlining in the showcase lounge with politically motivated rapper Bambu and DJ Last Word. Brother Ali always delivers the goods. This will be an exceptional evening.

November 9th: Slam poet / rap crossover -- and unlikely major label artist -- Watsky will be returning to Higher Ground. He's bringing Hellfyre Club new jack Anderson Paak, as well as some dude named Kyle. Really: just "Kyle." This gig will be in the Ballroom, which indicates Watsky has been doing damn well here on previous trips East.

November 12th: Canadian hip hop / R&B producer Ryan Hemsworth will be in the showcase lounge, which is pretty remarkable. It's unclear whether he's got a real "show" lined up or you'll be paying to watch dude play beats off his laptop and occasionally do things with his hands. I'll keep you posted.

November 30th: Flatbush Zombies will be returning to Higher Ground -- in the ballroom this time, which is curious considering how few folks were at their last show -- and bringing along The Underachievers, which is a group of much stronger rappers. The Zombies are an energetic, anarchic stage show and this promises to be a damn good time.

Oct. 19th: Black Milk Returns to Signal Kitchen

Once again Detroit's finest will be rocking Signal Kitchen with his live band, Nat Turner. Black Milk will be touring to support his new album, If There's a Hell Below. This show is 18+ and tickets are a paltry $12.

Sept. 19th: Paul Wall x Freeway @ Venue

Venue keeps bringing the big names to Burlington. This time, it's Swishahouse legend Paul Wall (pronounced "Pawu Wawu") who is, bizarrely, sharing a bill with Philadelphia phenom Freeway.

Opening acts include Rude Dog Productions, the unfortunately named Cool Table Gang, and VT Vybe, who will presumably be doing a DJ set rather than standing on stage photographing the crowd. (But don't take my word for it.)

More details -- and tickets for sale -- at the Venue Nightclub VT site.

Upcoming @ Venue: Jadakiss and Cappadonna

Venue has been staking a claim as The Spot for national-level rap shows. This is a Damn Good Thing, especially when said shows are 18+, and Higher Ground has settled into a groove of only booking college-friendly blog rap.

First up, on September 6th, Jadakiss will be headlining a Saturday night party. No local openers -- support will come from Flotilla 13, Snyp Life, and Nature, which is impressive. (If you don't know Nature, you've got a quality hour on Youtube ahead of you. Dude has bars on a profound level.) This gig is being sponsored by Get Money Music, which is a bit of a cipher...are they a company? A Blog? A dessert topping and a floor cleaner? All I can tell you is that they're based out of New Hampshire. $20 advance / $30 door / $50 VIP - 18+

A month later, on Friday October 3rd, Cappadonna will be visiting Burlington. He'll be bringing something called Urban Shocker and featuring local hero SIN Sizzle as an opening act. $15 advance / $25 door - 18+