Dang, son. Some writers just know how to slap ya silly with punch lines, to the point that you’re not always sure whether to laugh or gasp for air. Open Mike Eagle, however, exercises a rare sort of verbal jujitsu, where even the most absurd joke rings true — particularly in this modern world of abstracted interactions, muffled paranoia, and mediated social awareness (“I’ve been woke so long that I need to take a nap,” Eagle quips in “TLDR (Smithing)”). His latest album pushes that art to the max, as Brick Body Kids Still Daydream explores the life and death of the Robert Taylor Homes housing project from his hometown of Chicago. As with Eagle’s best work, this one too touches on tough subjects — our rapidly shrinking attention span, our diminished connection to local networks like radio stations, to name a few — with clever beats and even wittier turns of phrase. Laugh if you want, but keep your ears open.
w/ Billy Woods, Stono Echo. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $12. All Ages.
More Info
Web: mikeeagle.net
Bandcamp: openmikeeagle360.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @mikeeagleraps
SoundCloud: @open-mike-eagle
Twitter: @Mike_Eagle