MWA Approved: Charlatan, Cochise Soulstar, Axons, and a Freestyle Rap Battle at the Empty Bottle – 1/7

Remember when Run DMC and Aerosmith came together to bridge the gap between hip-hop and rock, and how the world became a better place because they (literally) tore down that wall separating the two genres?

Well the ever ambitious folks at Notes and Bolts are aiming to resurrect that moment on a slightly smaller scale come this Tuesday, January 7th at The Empty Bottle.

n+b_charlatanWhen a good friend of Midwest Action, Omar Rashan of Charlatan, told me he would be playing a Notes and Bolts sponsored show at Empty Bottle I was excited to hear the news. His recent self-titled release was an amazing fusion of electronic music, shoegaze, and pop that is dark, brooding but very danceable all at once.

However, when N+B founder Kriss Stress told me the event would also include a “freestyle rap battle” I was confused. Wasn’t this a supposed to be a shoegaze night and not a hip-hop show? Well it seems that it’s both.

Chicago songwriter & producer Adele Nicholas’ latest project Axons will be joined by Omar Rashan’s one-man band Charlatan and  local hip-hop artist Cochise Soulstar for an unpredictable evening of electronic music, guitar drones and freestyle rhymes.

So take this…

Mix it with some of this…

and sprinkle some of this on top…

…and there you have it! Your Tuesday night is complete. After each of the bands play their sets, Axons and Charltan will serve as the backing band for the freestyle rap battle. Improvising behind their respective guitars, drum machines, and synths just as Cochise and a slew of local MC’s will be doing behind the mic.

Tickets are available here and will only run you $5 or a pair of gloves, which will be donated to Chicago homeless shelters. You can also RSVP to the event’s Facebook page here.

For more on Charlatan, be sure to check out our Psychedelic Sunday Interview with Omar from last August. Follow the links below to hear more from Axons, Cochise Soulstar and Notes and Bolts.

Don’t miss this amazing crossover of Chicago hip-hop and rock!

Notes and Bolts Official | Facebook | Twitter
Axons Official | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter
Cochise Soulstar Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter
Charlatan Official | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter