The coolest things only happen when I'm out of town!

If you're in Raleigh this weekend and you love bhangra and Bollywood music, you really should catch Panjabi Hit Squad at Regency Park in Cary this weekend. If I'd known this in advance, I probably would have changed my plans (seriously). And speaking of Regency Park, that's where I saw C.C. Deville plant a smacker on Jessica's lips last year. Everyone I tell that to asks if her shots are up-to-date

Anyway, here's the info from DJ Marco, who is truly an expert on this sort of stuff.

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PARTY 1 (11am-8pm)
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PANJABI HIT SQUAD at Cary Diwali
Koka Booth Ampitheatre at Regency Park
8003 Regency Pkwy - Cary NC 27511
Event is from 11am-8pm, PHS hits the stage at 6pm
FREE ADMISSION!
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Since their beginnings in the 1990s club scene, British production team Panjabi Hit Squad have written the book on hiphop and bhangra fusion. Between their weekly radio show on BBC Asian Network, releases on the AV8 and Def Jam UK labels, and remixes + production work for artists such as Gunjan and Beenie Man, there is no doubt that PHS are the Don Rajas of the desi beats scene! Don't miss this VERY RARE US PERFORMANCE!!!

And make sure arrive early for the rest of the festival, too. The 2004 Cary Diwali is dedicated to celebrating Taal - Beats of India. Experience the food, entertainment, and fun of India as well as register for hourly raffle drawings. Arrive early to receive FREE phone cards!

The best thing? Admission, including the PHS performance, is FREE!!!

http://www.humsub.net/
http://www.amphitheatreatregencypark.com/


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PARTY 2 (10pm-2am)
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MASALA BEAT CLUB at Berkeley Café
217 West Martin St. - Downtown Raleigh NC 27601 - 919.821.0777
Doors open at 9pm, music starts at 10pm
$5 admission
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After Panjabi Hit Squad and the fireworks at Cary Diwali, make your tracks directly to North Carolina's ONLY monthly desi dance party! We're moving things to Raleigh tonight to give the Capital City a taste of desi beats for real. DJ Marco will provide the heaviest bhangra, hiphop, + bollywood sounds while DJ Mogambo throws down hectic South Asian drum'n'bass and electronic heat.

We plan on having some VIP desi celebrity guests in the house that are too hot for us to even mention, so keep the party going all night with the Masala Beat Club crew! And remember, even if you plan on catching Shankar & Gingger with Zakir Hussain at Page Auditorium at 7:30 tonight, you'll still have plenty of time after the concert to party with us!

http://www.berkeleycafe.com/
http://www.solidsoundsystem.com/

Kung Flude Dudes 

Last night I experienced Kung Flude Dude, a fast hard-rock trio that reminded me a whole lot of the late Grande Prix -- Goofy lyrics, goofy costumes, crowd-participation stage antics, and cool, catchy music. According to the singer, the song "Knuckle Sandwich" is about his two favorite things -- eating and getting punched. He also said another song, "Here Come the Jerks," was "so damn good we had T-shirts made for it!" Indeed he and the drummer were wearing T-shirts with the slogan. Maybe the bass player thinks that song sucks.

Here they are doing karate kicks with particle board, which then ended up strewn all over kings. H-bomb got called onstage, and apparently got wacked over the head with another sheet of particle board, but I was looking down trying to figure out my damn camera phone when that happened. (Much like how I missed C.C. Deville planting a wet one on Jessica at last year's Poison concer because I'd gone to the other side of the stage to get a better view.)

Johnny Ramone 1948 - 2004 I feel like I should write something about Johnny Ramone's death. But truthfully, even though their music is a significant part of my teen-age soundtrack, I'm not really a Ramones fanatic. But then again I'm not a Beatles fanatic, so you can take that for what it's worth. So I'll leave the eulogies to someone with a greater appreciation of his music, and just say good bye to a real music legend.

I didn't think it could get any better than Vandenberg -- but then they played a double shot of The Specials! Woo hoo!

Just a quick note to say how much I loooooove VH1 Classic. Since I had digital cable installed, I've been treated to a whole slew of forgotten videos from my youth, not the least of which is Vandenberg"s "Burning Heart."

Tonight I even saw "I Know There's Something," the solo video from ABBA songstress Frida (the dark haired one). When I was in high school, I got a boyfriend to admit he was cheating on me by calling the local radio station, pretending to be the girl he was cheating on me with, and dedicating that song to him. I timed it so that we were riding in his car when the song came on the radio, and I made sure to pitch a most hellacious hissy fit. Poor guy. I had him in tears by the time the song was through.