Let’s Go Out Tonight

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The New York Sun

MUSIC

GET UP, STAND UP Flobots, an instrumental rap band from Denver, Colo., offer what some might call “nü-protest” music — an amalgam of politically-inclined alternative rock from the 1990s, popularized by such bands as Rage Against the Machine — with contemporary progressive rap pursued by rappers such as Common and Lupe Fiasco. This sextet performs at the Bowery Ballroom tonight. The band’s comments on current events, world history, and humanitarian unity are earnest, but not annoyingly preachy, nor does the band sacrifice educational value for entertainment. Its lively mix of hip-hop, politically-conscious lyrics, and intricate instrumental music have made Flobots one of Denver’s most influential bands, opening for acts such as Public Enemy and the Fray. “Stand Up,” one of the band’s most popular songs, is about garnering hope and optimism in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Two MCs head the group, Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit, while violist Mackenzie Roberts, bassist Jesse Walker, drummer Kenny Ortiz, and guitarist Andy Guerrero anchor the songs, with occasional help from trumpeter Joe Ferrone. 7 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. at the Bowery, 212-533-2111, $15.


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