Instantly falling in love with a group you’ve never even heard of is definitely a Sasquatch! perk. And that’s exactly what I got, from almost the second Mad Rad took the stage. Four lovingly vulgar DJs from Seattle, Mad Rad is a fresh hip-hop group capable of spinning your head into a frenzy with their deft use of style, rhythm and movement. They sound-checked with a festival remake of “Party Mountain,” and it was surprising to see that their backup band featured Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band singer-guitarist Benjamin Verdoes. Said back-up band took a bit of a backseat to the four emcees, however, as they rapped their way around everything from weed and vagina to their love for the Talking Heads.
The foursome literally danced all over the place, and most of them jumped off the stage at least once. The shirtless dude of the group was fearless in each one of his stage exits, which numbered five or six, and one of his attempts nearly got me clotheslined by his mic cord. He exuded sex more than any of the others, though, and was irresistible to watch, especially when he started climbing the scaffolding of the stage.
Mad Rad’s crowd seemed just as in love with them as I was, and I was stunned to realize how many people were there for the show – definitely the largest group I’ve ever seen at the Yeti Stage. There’s a chance they were actually there for the next act - the hyped up Das Racist - but even if that was the case, it was awesome to see Mad Rad pull some new fans out of their fanatical set. They’re just more proof that if you want to be paid attention to anymore, you’ve got to do everything it takes. And be slightly weird while doing it.
