Author Archives: Niran Somasundaram

The modern hip-hop/rap scene has never been appealing to me. I am a person who scoffs at Top 40 songs and gets extremely angry with my friends if they dare profane my ears with the likes of Lil Wayne or Flo Rida. If you ask me why I have such disdain for the music, my argument is always the same: It is my opinion that the modern-day hip-hop and rap I hear on the radio is completely devoid of meaning and passion.

So it was mixed feelings that I stood in line Monday night to see Immortal Technique. I was introduced to his unrelenting brand of underground political hip-hop by a friend of mine who thought I would enjoy his work. I listened to one of his songs and deemed it bearable, so when I heard he was performing at UCLA for a benefit show to help build hospitals for children in Gaza, I thought it would be a fun experience for my first hip-hop concert. By the end of the night, Immortal Technique, along with fellow artists Akir and Chino XL, had restored my faith in hip-hop.

I rarely take the time to appreciate how beautiful the Kerckhoff Grand Salon really is. With its intimate stage, chandeliers, balcony, long curtains and large windows, the room is basically begging for a concert.

Thursday night, it was filled with the cacophony of CEC’s latest free concert, this one featuring Dominant Legs, Young the Giant and Best Coast.

San Francisco’s Dominant Legs band played an upbeat set of funk-inspired modern rock. At first, I was skeptical that the band would impress, as their first song sounded a bit disjointed. However, by the second song, the band began settling into their groove and began to grow on me. Dominant Legs’ shimmering keyboards and vocals were grounded by their use of prerecorded beats in combination with a live drum set. This led to an incredibly drum-heavy yet airy sound, making the music equally appealing to both the swaying hipster to my right and the couple awkwardly freaking to my left.