After DJing in New York plus TVB gigs in Minneapolis, Calgary and Vancouver, we drove through the Rocky Mountains to the Sasquatch Festival just outside Seattle which is known as the birthplace of Starbucks – and on almost every corner you will find one.
After our performance I had a chance to catch Vampire Weekend. They instantly became my favourite African style rock band! Never have I heard such an uncanny fusion of styles that sound seamless, the crowd moving ‘n grooving in hipster moves, it felt carefree like the sixties.
Vampire Weekend, geeky white boys from NY, are one of the biggest new bands in America! They have never been to SA but they fuse Zulu maskanda and mbaxanga with a touch of high life guitars like no other rock band, and the rhythm section is infectious with jabs of Afro beat! When I heard them I wished they were from SA! Where Blk Jks are moody dub, they are light and sunshiny.
We had more shows on the west coast before heading to Chicago. Before our show I even bumped into Erykah Badu walking in the street. I was like ‘Yo, you look familiar!’ She says, ‘I’m Erykah!’ I introduced myself, we chatted for a bit and she then invited me to her show. This is the woman who caused controversy with her video getting naked in street at the same spot where Kennedy was shot. After her stunning show she also invited me backstage to chill out with some of her fans. It was nice, warm and intimate. I watched as she got her foot massage while answering questions and she also said her next album is gonna be more Afro. No wonder some people think she is crazy, once you step out the box of normality you open yourself to critics!
