Day 2 of the Transmit-Live Festival continued to ramp up the good times at Club 9one9. The Live Urban Showcase began early with Vancouver’s DJ Wood breaking funky beats as people started off their nights. Half Moon Run added a moodier rock tone to the evening, making it more of an electic mix. I hadn’t heard of Half Moon Run before, but the trio delivered a decent set despite having to play before 9PM.
The first rapper of the night, Cityreal was on next! A recent nominee of the Western Canadian Music Award nominee for Rap Recording, Cityreal was a blooming talent of the festival. So far, he has toured with Swollen Members, Warren G and Three 6 Mafia. Again, he managed to excite the crowd, but most people were definitely waiting to hear from the headliners of the evening.
Keys N Krates had been in Victoria recently when they opened for Metric at Market Sqaure, but this time around they were far more suited to the club atmosphere. They offered up a fresh sampling of tunes and remixes of familiar songs, a fun time, but I was still eager to for Sweatshop Union to go on!
Self-described as the “undisputed heavyweight of Norther Western hip-hop” Sweatshop Union closed off the Transmit-Live Festival with a remarkable performance. While other acts of the night were entertaining, the boys from Sweatshop Union proved their place as the main event. They performed live on-air earlier at CFUV during Music of My Mind, giving us all at the station a preview of what was to come. Providing in-your-face beats, clever raps and a sometimes hilarious stage presence, Sweatshop Union finally got 9one9 moving, and gave people something to talk about.
Well, that about closes off my reporting for the festival, for more info on what Transmit-Live is all about, head to their website. And as always, stay tuned to CFUV 101.9 FM for all the news about live shows, new jams and a different take on what’s going down in music today!
CFUV @ Transmit Live 