Ending the tour with victory, Afro-punk visits Vancouver - 11.17.09

Being on the road for almost a month, the Afro-punk band's were ready to jam in their final city for the tour, Vancouver, B.C. The bands packed up their gear and crossed the border into Canada, ready to close out the tour with a bang.
Upon arrival to Vancouver, the bands checked into the music venue, creatively called, The Venue, and got ready for the night's show. The Venue was decked out with a dope light setting behind the stage along with ample floor space for crowd participants to fill in the spot. Outside, signs of Afro-punk's arrival- highlighting the show's line up of Saul Williams, Krak Attack, American Fangs, and Earl Greyhound- to Canadian patrons illuminated the chilly streets.

Inside, where the venue was filling in and warming up, the crowd headed to the merch table to check out the band's and Afro-punk's goodies that we sold on the road, including tour t-shirts, free download cards for the "Fuck Rock Stars: Volume 2" Afro-punk compilation c.d., posters designed by AP artists, Jermaine Rogers, the AP documentary, along with the touring band's material. Our merch guy, Keith, even made two cute new friends while in Vancouver, that helped him sell out the rest of the Afro-punk gear.

Flashing colors lit up the stage with the words "The American Fangs," signaling it was time for the Houston wild boys to start the show. The guys, Gabe, Micah, Kyle, Kenyon, and Jerry waisted no time grabbing their gear and going wild- crazy boy punk style- with Gabe jumping off the stage into the Vancouver audience, screaming into the mic with passion hits from their self-titled E.P. The American Fangs played every night on the Afro-punk tour (with the exception of Washington, D.C.) and drove across the U.S. to each venue in a 12-seater van without hesitation. With their wild personality, they were bound to get in a little mischief, throwing fire crackers outside of their tour van while driving and peeing in public with little discourse, but, they said, having the opportunity to travel with the Afro-punk tour was one of the best things that has happened to them in their music career. It was a bitter sweet set for The American Fangs, lead singer, Gabe, said. "Even though I missed my friends and family, being able to rock out and show America what the American Fangs has to offer has been the best part of the tour experience," he said in regards to his experience with the Afro-punk tour. At the end of the Vancouver set, Gabe simply rested the mic on the stage and walked away.

The stage lights continued to swirl around the venue, as the 70's inspired Afro-punk band, Earl Greyhound, hit the stage. The colorful beaming lights were a perfect fit for the psychedelic sounds from Kamara, Matt, and Ricc's funky grooves as they rocked out their final tour show. The Vancouver show was the worst Afro-punk city for drummer, Ricc, to perform in, he joked, because it was the last night of the tour, but said the Afro-punk experience was great for him because it was a chance to see all nations, cultures, and races come together in love to celebrate life, music, and freedom of expression. The Brooklyn band, who already have two albums under their belt, are expected to release their third album by the beginning of next year.

The Krak Attack duo, CX Kidtronik and Tchaka Diallo, went out of the Afro-punk tour experience with a party, inviting the guys from American Fangs to jam with them during their set. Not necessarily fitting the typical punk mold, Atlanta rapper Tchaka Diallo said that he enjoyed the tour experience because to him, Afro-punk is a movement where being yourself is the only requirement for entry. "Afro-Punk is a multi-cultural experience that encompasses the energy of the beginnings of Rock N Roll, Punk, Grunge and Hip Hop, and I can definitely get down with that," Diallo said.

Keeping up with a theme of musical unity, Saul, transitioned into Niggy Tardust, and his band came out and were ready to party. During his hit song, "List of Demands," the Afro-punk tour members jumped on stage and celebrated the conclusion of the Afro-punk tour. It was also a special night for Niggy Tardust, Saul said, because at The Venue, almost a decade ago, was the first place Saul introduced his character Niggy Tardust, inspired by David Bowie's earlier persona, and tonight would be the last show Saul would tour as this alter ego. "Niggy Tardust will always be around, but this is the last time I will feature him on an entire tour," Saul said. "Who knows what will be next for Saul Williams," he said.

Vancouver, we couldn't have asked for a better audience to conclude the Afro-punk tour experience. Thanks for sending us home full of smiles. Next stop for Afro-punk, check back at www.afropunk.com!

-Whitney Summer Boyd