Australia’s reigning hip-hop kings will make a stop in Revelstoke this week when they play Traverse Lounge on Sept. 19 – likely one of the bigger acts to play town this year.
The Sydney trio of U.S.-born Bliss (Jonathan Notley), Aussie MC Eso (Max MacKinnon) and DJ Izm (Tarik Ejjamai) are on a Canadian tour focusing primarily on the west coast. Here in B.C., they’ve earned a following amongst hip-hop aficionados and made inroads on the outdoor festival circuit, focusing on extreme-focused sports festivals, such as the 2007 Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler.
The trio are touring their early-summer release Circus in the Sky, their fifth studio album that seeks to cement their position on top of the down under hip-hop scene. Bliss N Eso have been active since the early 2000s, and achieved breakthrough success in 2010 with their platinum album Running on Air. Their singles Down by the River and Reflections got significant rotation in Australia and in hip-hop markets abroad.
En route to Canada, the trio stopped over in Afghanistan, where they played for Aussie troops stationed there. Check out their Facebook page for recent posts and you’ll see they’re living up to their reputation as a wild live show that gets the crowd into it.
Circus in the Sky debuted number 1 on the Australian Recording Industry Association’s album chart.
It features a collaboration with hip-hop legend Nas, and a selection of U.S. and Australian MCs like Pez, 360 and emerging Perth rapper Drapht.
The artists revel in their current success, repeating the mantras of chasing your dreams, living for the moment and refusing to conform to concepts of adult responsibility – and just plain partying.
These themes are all on display in their current video Act Your Age, which thrives in the good times of alcohol-fuelled irreverence.
Hip-hop fans or not, expect a big turnout from Revelstoke’s growing Australian contingent for this let-loose weekday show.
Bliss N Eso are scheduled to take the stage at Traverse Lounge Thursday, Sept. 19. Tickets at Traverse or Society Snow and Skate.