El Güero is on the move as of late. Yesterday he covered Deadmau5, now he covered local hip-hop master, the Pirate Signal. Word and Photos by El Güero.
The Meadowlark is a tucked away and intimate venue, the perfect spot for a secret show announced by word of mouth. On a Wednesday night you wouldn’t expect a big crowd, so the few of us there got a unique treat from the Pirate Signal.
The opening act was The Lake Superior, a 2 man operation who announced their set explaining they only play “once a year”. Drummer Daniel Hogans laid a foundational beat while Guitarist Paul Gemignani wove increasingly complicated melodies. Each of their songs played out like one long buildup, starting softly and crescendoing in both volume and sonic richness.
The main event was Yonnas rapping over DJ Comatoast’s rough scratchy mixing, performing tracks off their new mixtape creatively titled “The name of this Mixtape is the Pirate Signal”.
Yonnas’ style is unmistakable, his rough emotion filled voice equally suited for lyrics and comfortable banter with the small audience, and it was hard to tell if he was amused or disappointed when we ignored every call and response. “Come on, It’s easy, when I say Hey you say Ho….” …no reaction.
Could have seemed like a tough crowd to play to, but really the audience was entirely loyal fans and old friends. The informal style and relaxed trial and error feeling to their performance combined with the tight space gave the sense you had snuck into a show during rehearsal- a privileged glimpse into a work in process.
No Weak Heart Shall Prosper by The Pirate Signal
