Level: Asian

There was a workshop for Asian creatives on Sunday. Afterward, there was a show featuring performers of Asian descent in conjunction with Small World Music at Revival Club. I wasn't involved with any of the activities but I did drop by to catch the tail end of the night.

Blitz was a loquacious rapper, given to rapid-fire rhymes, reminding me of a mellower Busta Rhymes. But his songs weren't mellow at all. Eschewing materialistic or aggrandizing lyrics, Blitz mostly propounded his takes on racism, unrealistic family expectations, and immigrant experiences. His full backing band including sax, guitar, keys, bass, percussion and drums was dynamic and lively. Their repertoire had a driving 70s funk, with some 80s balladry. It made for an interesting and catchy set.

It was a small crowd but Maylee Todd wasn't letting that dampen her performance. In fact, she used the occasion to be even more engaged with the audience by singing most of her set down on the floor instead of up on stage. In some ways, it was a better show than her album release a few weeks back. One, the sound mix was excellently balanced, allowing even the smallest sound (like the swish of a cabasa), to be heard. Two, there were lots of room for her and the dancers. Finally, as Revival is a dance club, they had nice spotlights and disco balls to shine on the dance action of both Todd and the crowd.