Los Angeles’ Pacifica radio station, 90.7 FM, KPFK, had its first annual Spring Benefit Concert this passed Thursday evening during the advent of the vernal equinox itself. Those waiting in line for the all ages event outside the L.A. Crash Mansion were a mix of adolescent to late-middle aged hippies, yippies, Brazilian music fans, jazz lovers and more. Upon stepping inside, one was greeted with enough free Mexican food (up until 9:00pm) and music to fill up on until summer comes around. And with such an eclectic lineup of quality artists, KPFK left those inside and outside its listener base hungry for more shows to come.
It was hard to pinpoint what the exact target audience was by judging the show’s lineup (KPFK listeners aside). This was mostly because there was so much to choose from. An intriguing example of stimulus diffusion came from the main stage as Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Jose Neto and hip-hoppers Eyedentity melded together in order to make extraordinary sounds. Seeing and hearing Flora Purim share vocal space with someone who could break beats with his mouth was a treat.
In the lounge was Miguel Atwood-Ferguson playing amazing sets with Nick Rosen, Dexter Story, Ralph “Buzzy” Jones and singer, Waberi Jordan. What was most enjoyable was being in the midst of their free sessions. More than simple rounds of jamming, these bouts led the way into deeply felt messages that were delivered to an appreciative audience. Waberi Jordan took to the mike and captivated all in her presence with beautifully wide ranging vocals. The jazz was excellent and well-combined.
Other performers were UCLA band, Elevators, and Brooklyn-based hip-hoppers, X-Clan. X-Clan, as hip-hop fans may already know, has been bringing noise for the past 18 years. And their energy and message seems to have remained unchanged during those years. Elevators, whose members’ lifetimes may equal that of X-Clan’s, played spirited, funky tunes to their own bouncy crowd.
The overall atmosphere of the entire show was relaxed and positive. Despite age differences, everyone was smiling and friendly. Musicians and DJs mixed freely with audience members to the point where it felt more like a house party instead of a concert. Such an inviting setting served well for listener-sponsored 90.7 FM, KPFK. With a nearly full-moon looming and spring buzzing in the air, the old and the new mixed together in order to create something exciting. Kind of like the birds and the bees.
Photo by Zen
1 response so far ↓
1 Waberi // Apr 8, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Thank you so much for enjoying the show and writing so niely about it.
Be Loved.
W
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