09/??/07 DJ Rekha (Basement Bhangra) @ SOB's, New York, NY

This hip hop Bollywood dance party included a free dance lesson. I still bust out the moves when the situation calls for it.

04/23/07 The Motet w/Fareed Haque @ SOB's, New York, NY

This show paired the Middle Eastern influenced guitarist of Garaj Mahal with the funkier jazz grooves of The Motet.

09/19/06 Jedi Mind Tricks/R.A. The Rugged Man/OuterSpace @ SOB's, New York, NY

I wasn't too familiar with Jedi Mind Tricks, but since I was going for free thanks to Lifebeat, I figured I'd check out a hip hop show.

Later, R.A. the Rugged Man was added to the bill and he totally stole the show.

R.A. is one of the most underrated rappers of all time. He cut a track with Biggie way back when and he's basically the white Ol' Dirty Bastard. Check him out some time.

05/??/06 DJ Le Spam and The Spam Allstars @ SOB's

DJ Le Spam and The Spam All Stars are a collective best known for being the illustration in Vida Blue's The Illustrated Band, one of the best of the Phish side project releases. Their Cuban-tinged funk fusion fit in perfectly at the world music enclave of SOB's.

03/14/06 Skatalites/Rudie Crew @ SOB's, New York, NY

The Skatalites have gone through multiple lineup changes since their original incarnation in mid-1960s Jamaica and revival in the early 1980s, but they still remain wholly capable of skankin' up a dance floor.

Rudie Crew was much of the same.

I saw a cute skinny blonde dready chick there who I had also seen at the Murphys show.

The world vibe of the show was appropriate given the club's moniker, shorthand for Sounds of Brazil, and ethos as purveyor of global music. It was my first visit there.