09 Mar 2013
Staff Writer
Will Darnell
Staff Writer
Astronautalis can rhyme. Astronautalis can sing. His Hitler hairdo did not make us feel ill. In about 35 minutes the Minnesota born rapper/free stylist managed to enamor himself with an initially reserved crowd that transformed to raucous at the drop of an authentic Denton based freestyle.
Andy Bothwell combined a wordsmith’s vernacular with the improv ability of a self-proclaimed theater graduate. His rhymes instantly transformed the listless crowd to dedicated followers.
Andy, a drummer, and a guitarist laid out comfortable rhythms with a wide variety of subject matter.
Astronautalis is the white Lupe Fiasco. He combines deep, thorough lyrics with the quick, hardcore rhyming that led Fiasco to stardom.
The highlight of the show was when Bothwell threw control to the crowd. He requested freestyle topics and perfectly crafted a song involving fruties, hologram Hugo Chavez, fry street arrests, peanut butter and rooster claws.
The world can continue to fall in love with the bourgeois lyrical stylings of Macklemore but I’ll take the brash drifter reality wonderfully illuminated by Astronautalis.
Astronautalis plays the 35Denton Main Stage 2 at 3 p.m. Saturday. Photo by Will Darnell/Staff Writer
