Mr. Scruff at Smart Bar tonight

Hi pals, this is just a reminder that those of you in the Chicagoland area need to hit up Smart Bar tonight. You might remember a lil' post I wrote last month about Mr. Scruff. I discovered his music at a record shop in San Francisco, and I've been pumped about it ever since. And thankfully, my cousin came across a flyer promoting an event at Smart Bar for tonight. Mr. Scruff will be spinning all night long, a six-hour set to be exact. That's right...SIX HOURS. And based on reviews I've seen on the web, this guy is amazing. Here's a lil' taste:

"Mr Scruff smoothly changed the pace of the music from soul and funk to dub, ska and reggae...As time slipped by, the type of music would sway gently from old reggae to new funk to old skool hip-hop - and the crowd lapped every drop...That’s the great thing about Mr Scruff's sets: you may not know the song but you can be sure it will be very, very funky."
-From www.bbc.co.uk

"As a DJ, Mr. Scruff is damn impressive. The breadth of his musical palette is phenomenal, and he manages to own all genres. Not dipping in and out, with the ebb and flow of fashion, but appreciating them, owning them, and moulding them into his vision. From funk to reggae, trance to ambient, to soul and indie, nothing seems forced, nothing is quirky for quirkiness’ sake. The ability to keep a crowd in the palm of his hand for five plus hours, while building a set from chill out to full on hoolie… I guess its easy when you know how."
-From www.claus.com

And if that's just not good enough for you, maybe you should come to Smart Bar and decide for yourself! I'll be the wild hippie girl dancing by herself in the center of the dancefloor.

If you're still not sold, here are some Mr. Scruff videos for you to check out:

Ninja Tuna!

So as I roam on Haight St. (the hippie district) in San Francisco last Friday, I wander into a record store, slightly tipsy, and I just start picking up random CDs only because I'm impressed and intrigued with their cover art. It's all music I have never heard before. This album catches my eye, and so I have to give it a listen.


I mosey on over to the listening station, where other hipsters are previewing albums as well. And I press play. The first couple songs are alright, but then "Music Takes Me Up" starts playing, and all of a sudden, I'm in the zone. I'm dancing, moving front to back, left to right. A few minutes later, I listen to "Hairy Bumpercress." I'm bobbing my head, tapping my feet. My hips have a mind of their own. I pretty much forget I'm in a crowded record store, and the other listeners are most likely watching me. My pals, Miki and Chuck, later inform me that I started a movement: The other hipsters began dancing in their listening stations as well. I'm glad I could inspire.

Anyhow, I needed a lil' happy jazz in my life and Mr. Scruff filled this void.

I quickly snap a photo of the album and send it to my cousin/roommate, Alexa, and urge her to look into this album because I know she will appreciate it. She responds immediately saying she put a Mr. Scruff flyer in my bedroom while I was in New York. Fate works in wondrous ways, doesn't it? Apparently, Mr. Scruff will be at Smart Bar in Chicago on Friday, May 15. We are soooo going to that show. And if you like what you see and hear below, you should go to.

P.S. I put the videos up instead of the mp3s because the videos are just as good as the songs themselves. Trust.