Localsfest 2013

By Sanai Meles Atlanta-based artists Killer Mike and Carnivores came to absolutely rock WMRE's Localsfest on Oct. 26, 2013 in the tiered outdoor setting of Emory's Business School Amphitheater.Localsfest is an annual fall concert put on by WMRE, Emory's student-run radio station. Featuring up-and-coming artists from the Atlanta area, Localsfest acts as a great opportunity to acquaint the Emory community, many of whom come to the school from outside Atlanta, with the local music scene.Past Localsfests have featured artists like Atlas Sound, Washed Out, the Booze, Mood Rings, and the Coathangers.To start off the chilly Saturday evening, Astigmatic, aka College junior (and WMRE Co-Social Chair) Mateusz Nawara, played a killer electronic DJ set with moody beats and atmospheric glitches.[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/122473201" params="auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&color=ff7700" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]Nawara has been producing since he was 16, and during his performance, he broke out tracks like “Videodrome,” as well as others from artists like C.Z., Submerse and H20$port$.After Astigmatic, local opener Carnivores brought their brand of surf punk to the stage. Formed in 2009, Carnivores is comprised of Philip Frobos (bass/vocals), Caitlin Lang (keyboard/vocals), Ross Politi (guitar), Nathaniel Higgins (guitar/vocals) and Billy Mitchell (drums), and they've played countless shows in and out of Atlanta, including a tour opening for Franz Ferdinand last summer.Incorporating coastal sounds similar to Best Coast and Tame Impala, the band uses discordantmelodies soaked in reverb to create rhythmic, lo-fi music, delivering a live performance possessed with an unmistakable, danceable joy.Songs like “Spells” and “Sinking in Your Automobile,” off of their newly-released third full-length Second Impulse (Army of Bad Luck), ended with cheers and applause from the small crowd. Based on the head-bobbing and foot-tapping among a crowd largely unfamiliar with the group, Carnivores certainly made a few new fans.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxdRHgbKkXUAs Carnivores concluded their set, more and more of Emory's dedicated rap heads and general music enthusiasts began to arrive in anticipation for Atlanta rap heavyweight Killer Mike, who eventually came on stage to a resounding ovation.The critically-acclaimed hip-hop artist released his last full-length R.A.P. Music in 2012 and released the groundbreaking collaborative album Run the Jewels this summer with New York rapper El-P.An Atlanta native who holds a deep sense of pride in his city, Killer Mike holds close ties and friendships with legendary Atlanta hip-hop duo OutKast, who featured him on Stankonia (2000) tracks like "Snappin' & Trappin'" and "The Whole World," and was part of renowned rap supergroup Purple Ribbon All-Stars, responsible for the hit "Kryptonite."At Localsfest, Killer Mike started off the night on a thunderous note with the track “Big Beast” off of R.A.P. Music, and his enthusiastic, spiritualperformance continued from there. Even though technical difficulties interrupted the performance at one point, Killer Mike was a consummate professional and rapped a cappella instead of complaining about the circumstances. His performance would go on without missing a beat, as he gave onlookers more Southern hip-hop.Killer Mike seemed well versed in knowing how to work an intimate crowd and gave onlookers a window into his down-to-earth persona, full of love for his family and hometown. Songs like “Kryptonite” had the audience jumping and chanting every word, and the harshly poignant “Reagan” gave rhythmic life to political dissent.[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/46600059" iframe="true" /]Killer Mike’s personality and stage presence made for an interactive, fun performance, and by the show’s end, you forgot how cold it was outside.Sonam Vashi contributed reporting.