Though at this point a remarkable DoNormaal performance is no unusual occurrence, Friday's set from the artist (as part of the 2017 Upstream Music Fest + Summit) found DoNormaal in quite good form, the artist's enthusiasm returned by a sizable audience in the Court in the Square venue. Since before the release of her 2015 album Jump or Die, DoNormaal (the moniker of Christianne Karefa-Johnson) has been on a creative tear, playing at a host of local DIY venues throughout the area, as well as alongside nationally recognized rappers (see: her recent set opening for Princess Nokia at the Crocodile). Accompanied by d.j. and a backdrop of hazed-out projections, DoNormaal also brought out collaborator Raven Matthews for a rendition of Jump or Die highlight "Chocolate Delight," following Matthews's performance on the stage earlier that night.
What made DoNormaal's set particularly striking amidst a wave of local talent spotlighted on Day 2 of Upstream was the artist's flow, which constantly varies in rhythm and tone, punctuating each track with a different perspective or attitude. Additionally, the ease with which Karefa-Johnson raps emphasizes the power of her imagery and wordplay. She asks the audience to linger on her turns of phrase, the rhythms, her gift of poetic verse.
On Saturday afternoon, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio debuted three new songs to a capacity crowd at Little London Plane in Pioneer Square. Though the trio finished some of new tunes, including the ironically named "I Don't Want to Play This," as recently as Monday afternoon, there was no way that anyone…
Summer Cannibals are a band which announces their presence. Since the release of 2016's Full of It record, released on Kill Rock Stars, the band has fine-tuned an impressive live show, as evidenced by their set today at Little London Plane, as part of Day 3 of our Upstream Fest & Summit coverag…
