The first entrance on stage was a contributor, and DJ, to Lizzo’s act: Sophia Eris. She came out wearing a Riot Grrl hat and prepared the crowd for a mind-blowing performance of hip hop and intersectional feminism. The former seems strangely associated with a Sleater Kinney show, but the stance that night was in both acts: intersectional girl power.

Since this performance, Lizzo has released her newest album: “Big GRRRL Small World.” This title encompasses Lizzo’s self-identity: a big girl in a small world. She’s an incredible body-positive feminist that comments on race, gender, and politics in nearly every song. Her talent and image have caught the eyes of massive names in the world of hip hop including, but not limited to, Prince and Andre 3000. Even though I could go on for hours about the accomplishments and my immense appreciation for this woman, her album speaks for itself.

Ain’t I:

I’ve listened to past songs of Lizzo’s and this opening number somehow incorporates every type of sound and rhythm of beats that she has utilized in past tracks. This is a song that could be danced to but is fitting for a listen on a couch. That being said, I don’t like it as the opening song. It’s fantastic. It’s great. However, it doesn’t knock me down as I expected of her opener.

Betcha:

If you follow my album reviews, then you will find that I hate repetition. It is my least favorite aspect of this song. I still don’t dislike the song itself though. I am aware and can appreciate the fact that the repeated word, “betcha,” is producing a sound that contributes to the rhythmic patterns. These beats are always innovative and refreshing, which could be said for every song of Lizzo’s.

Ride:

Ride begins ominously and funky, creating a feel for dance more so than preceding songs. Her self-confidence fills her lyrics in every track, but it’s still surprising and refreshing when it’s so apparent. However, once again, repetition rears its annoying head. Perhaps my mention of repetition is getting repetitive?

Humanize:

The half-time beat is something I love and admire in hip hop. So far, in my listening experience, this is my favorite song. I haven’t heard this style in a lot of Lizzo’s music but I love this.

Bother Me:

She opens the song with one of my favorite songs of hers, Paris at Night. Naturally, that makes me predisposed to enjoying this one. Therefore, I take it back; this one is my favorite track from the album. This track showcases her rapping abilities while you could easily dance along. I don’t like the ending though. This strange electronic ballad is excruciating. The autotune is awful. The rain in the last seconds would have been more suitable for the previous ballad, Humanize.

B.G.S.W.:

Lizzo can rap, there’s no doubt about that. B.G.S.W. showcases her rapping ability more so than the musicality of the song. The beat’s still there obviously but it’s rather simple. The difference of producers in the songs is demonstrative in the use of autotune and simplicity–which is the case in this one because it’s a different producer than the previous ones.

The Fade:

There’s a different producer for The Fade but with a similar style of the previous song. There’s a showcase of her rap abilities with a heavier beat.

1 Deep:

The most poignant lyric: “What happen to a daddy girl when daddy don’t exist no more?” I felt sadder and more connected to Lizzo than I have before. This song is more personal than any I’ve heard by her. I felt it was reminiscent of a heavier song of hers that I saw during her opening for Sleater Kinney about racial inequality that included an excerpt from an MLK speech.

The Realest:

I’ve been trying to figure out my aversion to this song. I think I just typically enjoy songs that don’t include so much obvious autotune and that make me feel like dancing. However, Lizzo does sing more so in this song than in others.

En Love:

If you’re looking for the body-positivity in Lizzo’s music, this is the quintessential example. My favorite and repeated lyric: “I think I’m in love…with myself.” It does what All About that Bass does without being exclusionary of a specific body-type. I’m looking at you, Meghan Trainor. I love this song. I feel I could hear it in a club and it makes me want to go to one. The break down in the end is perfect.

My Skin:

Self-love and body positivity are central. “I woke up in this, my skin.” Lizzo also specifically calls out, “my brown skin.” She introduces the racial tensions that permeate all cultures. She recently released a video for this song, watch it below:

Jang A Lang: 

Racial tensions are at the forefront for this finale. From Lizzo’s social justice standpoint, she comments on the movements she participates in. In this way, it’s perfect for the final touch. She raps about cultural appropriation and the white fascination with black culture, specifically hair.

If you’d like to listen to Lizzo’s album “Big GRRRL Small World,” the full thing is on SoundCloud:

The post Album Review: “Big GRRRL Small World” by Lizzo appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Somehow I found myself invited into a scene of artists and musicians largely because of this role, allowing for basic relationships with regular customers. After working at John’s, I would run into acquaintances from the store in public and at houses, bringing these relationships outside of the store.

The regulars that I see nearly everyday are purchasing groceries: inherently a domestic act. When I see them outside of the store, they’re in their or others’ houses, at house shows usually. I see everyone’s purchases, which divulges intimate details about their lives. I can comment on the purchase or choose to stay silent. However, either way, there is an intimacy already created between myself and the customers prior to interactions outside of John’s. While there is an intimate acquaintanceship, the domesticity of grocery shopping is destabilized by the fact that they’re usually buying beer. Their purchases of alcohol detract from the domestic space of their homes and supports the entertainment aspect of house shows.

Once I went to my first house show, which was also a reading, I realized how unnerving it was to walk into a home in which there was no one that I knew. Sometimes even a home full of acquaintances can be the most awkward and terrifying part of the evening. Somehow the uneasiness is worse than meeting strangers in other settings, like a bar or a concert.

The first house show on the agenda for this semester was at Governor’s Mansion and I was nervous. The line up for the night included: Maiden Mars, an all-girl band from Iowa City; Teddy Bomber, from Champaign, Illinois; and Rational Anthem, an Iowa City pop punk band that I have had the pleasure of seeing prior to this show.

Let me preface this article by clarifying that I am not analyzing bands’ sets in a traditional concert review. I will not be analyzing the music. I may include anecdotes about the bands’ performances for purely informative reasons and to supplement the portrayal of mine and other’s experiences.

As is true with Governor’s Mansion and other houses, each will have a different musical genre in attendance. However, respectively, they are all inclusive in Iowa City’s house show society.

This specific night, at Governor’s Mansion, began at 9:00 pm. The floor of the first level began vibrating, signaling that Maiden Mars’ set was starting. The unfinished basement had not yet started smelling of sweat, as it would later in the night. Proclaiming themselves as a Riot Grrl-esque band on their bandcamp is fitting. One of the girls said something along the lines of, “This guitar’s really out of tune and I don’t give a fuck,” which showcases a refreshing bad-ass attitude paired with their heavier pop-punk sound. Overall, their set was extremely well-received within the basement space.

Between sets, the majority of the audience needed relief from the humid heat of the basement. I followed the crowd to the back porch and sat observing. Casually, I began talking with Rica, a John’s regular, who offered me a healing rock to hold while I introduced myself to another regular, Jessica.

To informally interview them, I asked, “What do these shows do for you? What do they provide in your life?”

Rica, like others, attends these events to support local and travelling musicians. However, this is not the only reason for her regular attendance. Jessica and Rica both agreed that house shows provide a familial vibe due to the close-knit group of people. However, unless close friends are in attendance, a sea of strangers in this setting can feel isolating. In similar spaces, Rica feels a different vibe. There will probably be a fair number of strangers in a bar. However, there is no necessity to talk to someone because of a bar is a public space. More than likely, no one will bat an eyelash at your solitude. We arrived at the idea of inclusion, but the rest of the attendees made a dash for the basement door, signaling the end of the interview.

Teddy Bomber began their set. The basement had started to fill with lovers of punk and their friends. In this moment, the humidity and smell of physical exertion had started to accumulate, reminding everyone of the level of attendance in the close space. Not many in attendance at this show had heard of the band before. Unknown and away from home, Teddy Bomber was possibly the least acquainted with the Iowa City punk scene, but the audience welcomed them. This band is perfect for a basement show, as Sam Meyer, the host of this show at Governor’s Mansion told me. Teddy Bomber fit the pop punk and garage band genres with a hint of grunge. There were several heads bobbing and others banging as the band played a song about “not being like a bro but still really liking to get drunk.” No one had known this band well before the show but I desperately wanted to after.

I hung around in the basement while Rational Anthem set up instead of heading upstairs. I talked and joked around with friends and acquaintances

To end the evening, Rational Anthem played one of their best sets that I’ve seen. Their pop-punk sound filled the room with energy, making it incredibly easy to dance or bang your head. They also just recently left for tour, including The Fest. After that tour, they’re traveling to Europe!

Sam stood in front of me, looking back every now and then to bang his head and scream the lyrics in my face. There was a couple next to me head banging so heavily that I knew their necks would be sore in the morning. A majority of the people next to me, in front, were physically participating in the camaraderie. I understood that, as is true for other spaces, having these connections made this experience enjoyable. It filled that familial space, which sometimes empties after leaving what was home, that creates the feeling of being essential: the sentiment that if you left, your absence would be noticed.

Generally, myself and others seemed among friends. At least this was true of the front of the crowd. The number of people nearly expanded to the back of the room. After observation of both spaces, the front is usually more invested in the show and the back group of people mingle and stay stagnant. The sense of inter-connectivity in the front seems intimate and the back seems less so, but still inviting.

Those more invested in the show have a shared interest. Those further back conversed in pockets of friends or acquaintances, more excluded from others around them. The level of interest in the band, and prior experiences, shapes the experience of the house show.

Connectivity to the band and other attendees is dependent on prior inclusion and level of participation in the scene.

Without prior inclusion through past coworkers and acquaintances, I might have stood by the merchandise table while holding my flannel and occasionally writing in my blue notebook. The domestic environment of a house show makes the environment different from a bar or a music festival. The venue begs for an intimate connection to others; otherwise, it feels like encroaching on someone’s personal space and as if belonging relies on intimacy before passing through the front door.

“Home is Where the Art is: Iowa City’s House Show Scene” is a recurring column, published bimonthly, that shares the author’s and attendees’ experiences, discusses the bands’ shows, and analyzes the intimate space. 

The post Home is Where the Art is: Iowa City’s House Show Scene appeared first on KRUI Radio.