Talib Kweli, Sugarcult and William Tell to hit MemAud 8 p.m. Friday
By Melanie Barnes, Entertainment Writer
May 4, 2007 | 11:13 a.m.
Talib Kweli, Sugarcult and William Tell will take over Ohio University at 8 p.m. Friday in Templeton-Blackburn Memorial Auditorium for the fourth annual Virgin College Mega Tour.
Talib Kweli is a Brooklyn-bred, conscious rapper set to bring awareness to his listeners about current controversial issues and problems within the hip-hop community, such as sell-out artists and commercialism.
“We need to challenge our audience but we also need to challenge ourselves to know that whatever our new experiences are, we can write about them, be creative and bring that to an audience without them feeling alienated,” Kweli said.
Fans of underground hip-hop will appreciate Kweli’s vivid pictures painted on a lyrical canvas about the struggle “just to get by” in today’s culture.
Kweli got his start in Mood, a Cincinnati-based music group, with DJ HiTek as the producer. However, they never reached mainstream success. That would come later when Kweli teamed with Mos Def in duo Black Star and later released an album of the same name.
Today, Kweli is collaborating with artists such as Kanye West and has made several appearances on Chapelle’s Show. His next album, Ear Drum, is expected to drop July 24 from Blacksmith Music records.
Sugarcult, an indie rock band from V2 Records, is a four-man band native to California. Tim Panetta (vocals/guitar), Airin Older (bass/vocals), Marko 72 (guitar) and Kenny Livingston (drums) were inspired to name their band by their neighbors, a group of lesbians who called themselves the “Sugar Cult.”
In 2001, Start Static put Sugarcult on the alternative map as a musical force to be reckoned with. Songs such as “Pretty Girl (The Way)” and “Daddy’s Little Defect” captivated fans and kept Start Static on repeat in CD players across the country. The year 2004 brought Palm Trees and Power Lines, a homage to their California roots that produced singles “Memory” and “She’s the Blade.”
Lights Out, the 2006 release on Artemis records, brought a newfound maturity and rumors of a foreshadowed breakup milling among fans. Although a possible breakup is merely hearsay at this point, on Sugarcult.com Pagnotta said, “It’s also our way of saying goodnight to our past and welcoming our future. This record is a new beginning for Sugarcult.”
William Tell, former guitarist for alt-rock band Something Corporate, is a pop-rock artist hailing from Orange County, Calif. His solo debut, You Can Hold Me Down, addresses his departure from the band and opening a new chapter in his life.
"If my time in Something Corporate was my college education, then this album is my diploma," Tell said.
Filled with catchy pop hooks that he credits to inspiration from the Beatles and the Beach Boys, You Can Hold Me Down combines the emotionally honest with introspect and exploration. Fans of other solo-guitar acts such as John Mayer will fall in love with Tell and his lyrics designed to make girls swoon.
The Virgin College Mega Tour is a campus concert series set to hit 18 cities nationwide. Talib Kweli, Sugarcult and William Tell can all be seen at Templeton-Blackburn Memorial Auditorium for $5, 8 p.m. Friday.