Like them or not, there is no denying that in their short time on the scene the members of Odd Future have made an impact on the music industry. They are shock rockers for a new generation, releasing their songs as performance art videos on YouTube. Their visuals and their music shock and offend and they do so intentionally. In a post-Alice Cooper, post-Marilyn Manson, post-NWA world Odd Future is the embodiment of shocking the music industry in the new millenium. However, I can't dismiss them as nothing more than performance art. This group is as talented as they are young. Based in L.A., they're a musical collective with at least ten members. There are even groups within the group but it's safe to say the whole thing is based around Tyler the Creator. In addition to being one of the most recognizable emcees in the group he is also the main producer for all or most of the group's musical endeavors. His own solo record, Goblin has been hailed as one of the most interesting and refreshing hip-hop albums in recent years and marked a new era for the genre.
In a live setting Odd Future are as punk rock as they are hip-hop. Don't expect to see a bunch of dudes standing around grunting into microphones. These guys stage dive, they assault photographers, they spit at the crowd, they are unpredictable to put it mildly. You never know how many members will appear nor if they'll actually perform a full-set. They have been known to appear with Flaming Lips-esque props on stage as well. Even if you don't like their music it could be worth the price of a ticket just to see what will happen. You can catch the OFWGK†Δ crew tomorrow night at Emo's.
Earl Sweatshirt - Chum video via YouTube
The great thing about seeing a group like Odd Future is even if you don't like one artist, you may like another artist on the roster. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of Tyler, the Creator as an emcee although I can definitely appreciate his production skills but I am a big fan of Earl Sweatshirt. Earl disappeared from the crew for a period and there are many myths and legends about where he went and why. My favorite story is that his parents saw one of the early Odd Future videos and sent Earl off to boarding school since he was still in High School. That may or may not be true but it's still a great story. Lucky for all of us, he has resurfaced with the release of the song Chum and I would expect that he'll be at Emo's tomorrow. I mean what would you think, if you saw your High School-er in a video like this?
Earl Sweatshirt - EARL video via YouTube
Frank Ocean is also part of the Odd Future crew and he was just nominated for several Grammy's last night but I don't expect him to be at Emo's tomorrow. You can and should expect to see Mellowhype to be there though.
Mellowhype - Break video via YouTube
In a related note, hardcore band and Odd Future label-mates Trash Talk will be performing at Red 7 tomorrow night with a DJ set from Odd Future. Tyler, the Creator has been known to perform with Trash Talk but I'm not really sure how that could or would work tomorrow evening? Tickets for the Red 7 show are only $10 if you buy them today but they go up to $12 tomorrow.
