RON SWARNER: GRITTYSHOOT â€" LABOR DAY WEEKEND IN TACOMA >>>

Spending Labor Day weekend enjoying the sights, sounds, tastes and smells from our own backyard:

The Revengers
Where: Last night at Doyle's Public House, Tacoma
 
One of the hottest bands in Tacoma The Revengers performed an amazing show last night at Doyle's Public House in Tacoma. Confined to the corner stage, rapper Champion J, rapper Direct, bassist Dustin Riecan, drummer Hammer and guitarist Mason Hargrove filled the nearly packed bar with progressive hip-hop featuring elements of rap, funk, jazz, grunge rock, and soul and. Think early Beastie Boys with a little Chili Peppers, A Tribe Called Quest and Jamiroquai.

The only thing more live than Champion J and Direct's rapid-fire quick-witted acrobatic rhymes is their physical energy. They must be subdued by an electronic force field. Otherwise, I assume they'd bust down the door and take their mics to the street.

Guitarist Hargrove explores his pedals as much as Tom Morello. I can hear bits of Rage Against the Machine â€" not the screechy scratch sound but some of the rhythm work. Hargrove's jazz guitar work you hear in the Kareem Kandi Band plays here, too.

Dustin and Hammer lay down an amazing funky, rocking groove, which keeps this band ignited.

LINK: The Revengers MySpace