Speaker Child is not letting 2019 go gently into that good night.
The hometown G-funk hip-hop artist, who honed his game for a decade in the Great Northwest, will be onstage at the Tahoe Biltmore in Crystal Bay on the last Saturday of the year.
“This is my first headlining casino gig and I will be showcasing what we’ve been working on as a team,” said Speaker Child, aka Brian Augustine.
Second-generation artists from Seattle, Roc Phizzle and Moia Bri, will perform along with Carnelian Bay’s DJ Haylestorm on an extended night of music in Club Breeze on Saturday, Dec. 28. Advance tickets are $15. The door cover charge is $20.
Speaker Child will perform all of his songs from the 2019 album “High On Wheels,” his first on Andre Nickatina’s 75 Girls Label. Roc Phizzle produced the album, as well as Speaker Child’s 2018 debut, “Mind On My Business.”
“Roc is going to be on the decks — on the turntables spinning, doing some DJ work and he’s also going to be on the microphone laying down some verses with me onstage,” Augustine said.
Roc Phizzle has had a busy year, opening arena shows across the nation for Lakeside, the funk band best known for its big hit “Fantastic Voyage.” His father is Marvin Craig, Lakeside’s founding and current bass player.
“I give Roc ideas and he’ll go into the lab and put some things together,” Speaker Child said. “I still go up to Seattle to write and record.”
Moia Bri also has performed on Speaker Child’s two albums. She is featured on the song “Runaway,” which currently is getting air time on college radio. Her mother, Sarah Mayor, was a singer on rap albums in the late 1980s and 1990s, including tracks by Proper Dos, such as “One Summer Night.”
“She’s been onstage since before she was born,” Augustine said. “Her mom performed in Hong Kong and the Philippines when she was pregnant with her. She’s super talented. We just click.”
DJ Haylestorm has played several shows with Speaker Child.
“He’s going to be laying down all the beats and getting people dancing and getting the show ready to go,” he said. “He works with real record players, it’s not all computer, He’s actually running records, bringing that original feel of turntablism.”
Augustine moved back to the area in late 2018 and has presented numerous shows around Lake Tahoe.
“I want to give a shoutout to the Tahoe Biltmore for giving me the opportunity to showcase the local talent and some talent from Seattle,” he said. “They’ve been very, very helpful.”
— Tim Parsons
Speaker Child
With Roc Phizzle, Moia Bri and DJ Haylestorm
When: 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28
Where: Tahoe Biltmore, 5 Nevada State Route 28, Crystal Bay, NV 89402
Tickets: $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
Link: http://bit.ly/Speakerchild
