News:: Rocking The Bells in TO and Vancity

Despite the best intentions, I rarely get tour listings posted earlier than the week of the shows. Not sure why that is really, but I think it's because I try not to post them too early, but then other things come up and them when I realize I have yet to post them, the show is two days away. Not the best pub for shows, but hey, I guess you get what you pay for. Anyway, all this waffle is serving as the preamble for a concert series I won't be attending, even if I wanted to. And I do want to, believe me.

Rock The Bells has to be the premiere hip hop festival on the scene today (is it the only hip hop festival I know about? Perhaps, but it's still stellar). This isn't news to most I would guess, but it is hitting Toronto and Vancouver for the first time this year, and the lineups are really quite incredible, so I thought I'd post it up. I mean have a gander at just the headliners:

A Tribe Called Quest(!)
The Pharcyde(!)
Nas
Mos Def
De La Soul
Rakim
Method Man & Redman
Raekwon & Ghostface

A reunited Tribe (the whole squad, Jarobi included!) and the return of the Pharcyde? Rakim? Yes, yes, and yes. This is not even to mention some of the other acts scheduled, of both the solid underground and up & coming variety (Immortal Technique, Murs, Dead Prez, Jedi Mind Tricks, Wale, The Cool Kids, Blue Scholars). I know not all of those acts are at every show (check the site), but the list is really quite impressive no matter who's playing where. So if you're in any of the cities below, I'd start warming up your finest b-boy stance.

Sat    7/19     Chicago, IL
Sun    7/20     Toronto, ON
Sat    7/26     Boston, MA
Sun    7/27     New York, NY
Sat    8/2      Miami, FL
Sun    8/3      Philadelphia, PA
Sat    8/9      Los Angeles, CA
Sat    8/16     San Francisco, CA
Sat    8/23     Denver, CO
Sat    8/30     Vancouver, BC