9PM DOORS | 9:30PM SHOW

Mourning [a] BLKstar (Cleveland, OH)
https://mourningablkstar.com/
Ben LaMar Gay Quartet
https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/downtown-castles-can-never-block-the-sun
DJ King Hippo
https://www.mixcloud.com/KingHippo/stream/

Creating songs of both eulogy and revolution, the expansion of 21st century black consciousness is felt in waves through Ohio’s Mourning [A] BLKstar. A force that has deep conviction, purpose, and weight, songs are voiced through the a lens of chopped up drum grooves, stark melodies, washed-out synth tones, and historic sample pulls. On “The Garner Poems” the group traffics their signature gritty strain of DIY Afrofuturist soul music, balancing hip-hop production techniques with lo-fi experimentation to create a sonic suite that eulogizes victims of police brutality, including Tamir Rice and Eric Garner, as well as bringing forth a conversation that aligns with the political and emotional state of this world. “The Garner Poems” are modern day spirituals of reverence and despair that serve as both a force of light and a schematic for hope, survival, and independence.