Well. Bet you weren’t expecting a multi-flavored suite from a brass ensemble on Immersive today. But hold up: before you deem us band geeks and close out the tab, let me explain. You know Mariah Parker always demands your attention whenever she steps up to the mic as Linqua Franqa, and this one-off collab with nine-piece squad Misnomer is no different. “Justice,” a six-minute suite that shifts between somber fanfare, Latin jazz, and smooth R&B, commemorates the types of people (and especially people of color) that often get locked into jail.
Now, I don’t have enough space in this blurb to enumerate all the ways that our nation’s prison system ensnares the working poor. But Parker offers one example: Fernando, an undiagnosed schizophrenic, is driving home and smoking a bit of weed to quiet the voices in his head, when an officer on patrol stops him and arrests him for possession. It’s a story that asks for empathy, particularly from listeners who might laugh off marijuana use as just recreation (“If you’re trust fund, then it’s just fun,” Parker retorts). As star students and graduates from the University of Georgia frame Parker’s verses with unrestrained grandeur, “Justice” gives folks like Fernando the dignity and honor that their cases deserve.
See, I told you this wasn’t just music snobbery. Besides, all proceeds from the sale of “Justice” will be donated to the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit that works to reform the racial and economic inequality in our criminal justice system. Want to help the cause? Then go ahead and drop a few dollars for the download here.
Misnomer will perform on Sat., Aug. 18 at Nowhere Bar. Doors open at 9 p.m.
Linqua Franqa will perform at Athens Popfest on Sat., Aug. 11 at the Georgia Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $22 or free with 4-day pass. 18+ to enter.
More Info
Web: misnomersound.com
Facebook: @misnomersound
Instagram: @misnomersound
Twitter: @misnomersound