The Ear Drum

Last night, I attended my first ever nerdcore show. And what a show it was, as the king of nerdcore, MC Frontalot, was performing.

Nerdcore, for those who do not know, is at its basis a sub-genre of hip-hop. It involves subjects such as video games, Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons, and often uses uncredited samples to really make it a homebrewed experience.

The show was at The Laboratory, and it was the only Florida stop on MC Frontalot’s nation-wide tour. The crowd was small, but intimate, with a wide variety of people attending.

The show opened with a cavalcade of nerdcore rappers, highlighting the various ways the genre can go. The acts included Rappy McRapperson, King Pheenix and Emergency Pizza Party, all of which had devoted fans there.

The crowd was not really full until MC Frontalot stepped on stage, even when he was preceded by his bassist, Brandon Patton, performing his solo act.

Frontalot, whose real name is Damien Hess, definitely puts on a persona when he performs. He changes his outfit, his mannerisms, the way he holds himself and even his facial expressions.

When I purchased a CD and a shirt from him before his performance, he was soft-spoken and slightly shy. When he went on stage, he became verbose and elegant, as he popped, locked and rapped like only Frontalot could.

He performed songs mostly from his last two albums, Zero Day and Solved. Some notable ones include Critical Hit, Spoiler Alert, It is Pitch Dark and Just Once. Subject matter ranged from Star Wars to text-based adventure games, and even just straight up romantic songs.

Though only a few people were dancing, there was an energy in the crowd, and you could see people quietly mouthing the lyrics. Frontalot is a magnificent performer, and you can tell he really has a passion for his art.

The show was great, and it is a shame that Frontalot does not tour that often. If he comes anywhere near your town, and you are even slightly interested in him, go to the show.

You won’t regret it.