Lifesavas

NEW LIFESAVAS SONG 2011!!!

2011-03-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

Google has an exclusive LIFESAVAS track called "And The Soul Goes On".

http://besteverpdx.com/track/and-the-soul-goes-on

Check it out!

LS MOVEMENT

2011-01-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

Vursatyl here... News Update...

Shines and I have been building on some new Lifesavas music. Jumbo and I stay collaborating. 2011... LIFESAVAS NEW ALBUM IS A CERTAINTY!!!

Stay at me at http://www.facebook.com/vursatyl and http://www.facebook.com/pages/LIfesavas/59613841509

Also, http://twitter.com/lifesavas and http://twitter.com/vursatyl

Peace,

Vursatyl

The Day Is Here

2009-06-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

Peace, this blog had been abandoned for a long time. We are working on new music and during this process, we want to be as connected to those of you who are checking for LS as possible.

So stay tuned easy readers. I shall return.

Be Well,

Vurs

The Hills Have Eyes

2006-03-19T19:16:00.000-08:00

We had a day off on the way to Dallas. We stopped in this town called Amarillo, TX to shower, get some food, and let the driver sleep. We went to the movies to see this flick called The Hills Have Eyes. Mistake! I'm not a huge movie critic. I'm easy to please. I was already skeptical about seeing a "horror" flick. I don't go see them ordinarily. I haven't had a lot of success with horror movies. But, I wanted to do what the rest of the group was doing. Feel me? Unity... Haha! Any way, it goes without saying that I wasn't feelin it. I would tell u what it was about, but I'm just not in the mood to waste the energy on that piece of crap. Word. I will say this, Dallas was sick! The show was dope from beginning to end. It was at this spot called The Gypsy Tea Room. One of the more diverse audiences... That's code for, THERE WERE 'SOME' BLACK PEOPLE THERE!!! Haha! :) A little balance never hurt anybody, right? Word. That's it ya'll. Nuff said. Dallas was dope. One love to ey'body that showed us love!

VURSATYL

...but they don't fall down

2006-03-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

What can I say about Vail, CO??? Oh, I got it. The floor... It bounces!
You're prolly wondering "What Is Vurs Talkin About???"

Well we play this spot called "8150" when we go to Vail. It implies that
Vail sits 8,150 feet above Sea Level. Dig? It's like an elevated log
cabin style joint. This spot is known for the dance floor that bounces. Okay, u may have seen sum'n like this, but nothing quite this this exreme. It's surreal. When you got 600 people packed in this room, and everyone is jumping up and down, it is literally transformed into one huge trampoline. The entire club is wobbling around as though it had turned into a liquid of some sort. Feel like ur walking on a giant waterbed. Haha! It's kinda dope.
It can get out of control. People were jumping so hard and so much that the turntables and other equipment started to sway back and forth. To the point, it took 2 people to hold the equipment together long enough to finish the set. Bananas!!!
Thanks Vail!

click to visit 8150

VURSATYL

Technology 101 & The Lost Blaxploitation Scrolls

2006-03-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

Check 1, 2. Check 1, 2. Can ya'll hear me? What ya'll know about that audio blog? Hopefully you got off the late train and started listening to the daily 'get down'. Thanks to the Angel on our shoulder, we have taken another step in to the futuristic vibe of Gutterfly and become one of the first to expand the phenomenon of blogging. Enter The Audio Blog. Our collective daily journal in audio clips as mp3's for those of us who'd rather hear it than read it. Feel me? Just in case we missed someof ya'll, we wanna make sure you can still get the written tid-bits. So here it goes... To bring ya'll up to speed, we made a brief excursion to the Bay Area to mix songs that will potentially go on the new Lifesavas LP entitled Gutterfly. I mentioned that I wanted to give the fans the actual math on Gutterfly before unreliable sources leaked the info we've attempted to keep quiet until now. Originally Gutterfly was a movie that was conceived during the Blaxploitation era. The movie was never completed. But we got our hands on the remnants of it and we were given permission to record it's soundtrack. WOW!!!! You'll have to buy the CD in order to get the entire breakdown on how this "MIRACLE" took place. In short, it's a mixture of actual and ficticious events that come together as an amazing ride. Starring Bumpy Johnson, Sleepy Floyd :brother to (Mink Floyd), and Jimmy Slimwater. Co-Starring, Dead Prez, Camp-Lo, Smif N Wessun, Ishmael"Butterfly" Butler, Fishbone, and Vernon Reid of Living Colour. Gettin' it? Got It? Good! I'll get more details to you all later. You'll just have to tune in to see how this one ends.

VURSATYL

Tiny Bubbles

2006-03-14T06:47:00.000-08:00

The only thing dope about Breckenridge, CO was this one man band style lounge singer we had the pleasure of seeing. It was hilarious!
We were at this spot called Bubba Gumps. The waitress brings us menus and simultaneously hands us an extensive list of songs that a 'live'entertainer would be willing to sing upon requests. Man, this cat had a repitoir of at least 300 songs. We're in Breckenridge, CO mind you. Very upscale. Very ritzy, ski-town. So use ur imagination on the type of songs there were to chose from. Simply put, this musical selection would have made Pat Boone and John Denver very proud.
It was just him, an accoustic guitar, and one of those harmonicas on a neck brace type things... Well it was this cats' job to play whatever the patrons selected. And if he did a good job, we(patrons) were supposed to tip him. So of course, being the deviant that I am, I scoured that list to find the songs that would push his musical range to the max. :) Amidst the slew of Barry Manilow and Conway Twitty covers, I found some challenges for him. 'Hey Ya' by Andre' 3000, 'Reasons' byEarth Wind & Fire and 'Sexual Healing' by Marvin Gaye. Haha!!! I wish I would've had my cam-corder! Classic. One after the other, I requested them. And one after the other, he attempted to pull them off. Whoa. Had to give ur boy credit for knowing that many songs. Althought he gets a capital "E" for effort, these were some of the cheesiest renditions of these songs you'll ever hear. It was something out of an SNL skit!
Now, don't write me off as being too cold. I tipped him after each song... I was genuinely entertained. I laughed so hard I gave myself a headache. The tips were worth it, because that type of comedy... You just can't buy that.
I may not go back to Breckentidge to perform, but I'm definitely coming back to see the Live Entertainment. The one man band. Insane!
100
VURSATYL

Don't drink and sell Merch

2006-03-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

...all of the shows on this tour have been sold out! We played the AggieTheatre in Fort Collins tonight. It was INSANE!!! I've said it beforebut, outside of playing shows at home, Fort Collins crowd might be one of the best crowds we play.
A lot of people drove from the surrounding areas. One love to my cousinTia who came from Denver to check us out and bring a touch of home with her. One cat drove 3 hours to be there. His name was Jorgè. He's a huge Lifesavas fan. Or so he says. Actually he wasn't lyin. He knew every song by heart. He got so drunk, he drifted behind the merchandise table and started selling cd's and t-shirts. Haha!!! He was even telling people he was in the group and even tried to sign autographs! Amazing! Those are the things that have me dying out here. Jorgè, wherever ur at, right on for coming and giving us some comic relief. Hope u decided not to drive home that night.
It's cool to play to a crowd that wants to have a good time. After that show, we didn't have anything left. We were exhausted, in a good way. I feels good to give everything u have when ur getting all of that energy in response. Hype crowds push us to our limits. Plus, this is our 3rd day and we still haven't gotten acclamated to the elevation. So by the time the set is done, we've given everything we could give. Literally!
Thanks for being a dope crowd Fort Collins.
100
VURSATYL

Fort Collins

2006-03-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

...we had a day off today in Fort Collins. We pulled in to the 'telly'around 2:30pm. Had my own room today. YES!!! We all love each other, butMAN!!! You never know how much you cherish ur own space til' you set outon a road trip of this magnitude. We spend so much time within inches ofeach other, it's healthy to spend some time apart. Thus, "The GreatVursatyl Escape". Haha! Yeah!We've been on tour close to a week, and I have yet to really pack, forthis tour. By pack I mean, have all of my wears in a distinguishableorder and in one place that I can access with reasonable convenience.Feel me? So today is that day. I had to get packed.Aight, I told ya'll the other day I wanted to see the Dave ChappelleBlock Party. Well, I finally saw it!!! Dope! I thought it was sooooodope. Dope to see some of my favorite artists all in one place. The offstage activity and conversattions. It was definitely a historicalevent.What's really crazy is that Lifesavas were in Brooklyn that day. We hadheard that Erykah Badu and Wyclef were giving a free concert that daythrough the rumor mill. We had a flight schedule to go back to Portlandthat afternoon, and it was begining to rain. Also, let it be known wehad just played a free show in Brooklyn the day prior at Brower Parkafter completing a 3 week European tour. We were anxious to get home anddidn't know if the Erykah and Wyclef thing was real. So we opted to flyhome. Come to find out, it was The Dave Chappelle Block Party that wecould have witnessed in person, AND WE MISSED IT!!!!Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! It's hard to accept. But, it's one ofthings you wouldn't have guessed would ever really materialize.Any, I finally saw it. I think my favorite moments were seeing Big DaddyKane and Kool G Rap perform with Roots. Three ILL MC's killin it on onestage. Classic. A Fugee reunion... Wow. Dave Chappelle is hilarious. Iwas lovin' all of his commentary. Especially his conga accompanied poem.He's dope. I actually thought Dead Prez killed it with the liveperformance of "Hip Hop". I was really feelin that. I could go on andon, but if u ain't seen it, u sleepin on heater. Word.So, after a good day of packing, writing, and cinema, I called a cab totake me to find some food. The receptionist calls me to let me know thecab is there. As soon as I get in the car, I'm reminded that I'm in asmall town in Colorado. This cat was anxious to get me outta his cab."Where do u need to go?" he asks. It's after 10pm, and I had calledseveral resteraunts and 98% of Fort Collins was closed. Through all ofmy inquiries I had found out that infamous "Waffle House" was the onlythe only thing crackin'. So I told the driver, "u can just take me tothe Waffle House". Wich was about 3 miles from where we were staying."That's too far!" as though I had asked him to take me to Denver. This acab service right? He makes money when he takes people where they wantto go right. Not a foreign concept, is it? So I ask, "How much would itbe to take me there?" "I don't know, round $23.00 one way" he says. Mypride was temting me to agree to pay it, just to make him do it. But Iain't wanna pay $46.00 round trip for a Patty Melt and Fries. Hesuggests I go to a near by Tavern called Jackson's Bar & Grill. I'mstarvin', so whatever... $5.00 for the cab ride... I tell him to wait,I'll pay him to wait. I need a ride back to the hotel. Not only does hespeed off when I get out the cab, Jacksons didn't serve food that late.HOW WACK IS THAT!!! So I end up walking back to hotel and just grabbingsome microwavable burritos at some 24hour gas station/mini-market andcall it quits.It's all good. We usually have a good time in Fort Collins, and I don'tthink tomorrow will be any exception.That's it for me today. Hollar at ya'll tomorrow...
VURSATYL

Aspen, CO

2006-03-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

...last night we were in Aspen, CO. In walks DeRay Davis. He\'s the voice ofthe interludes on Kanye West record and he is also the cat in"Barbershop" who comes in tryin\' to sell various things to the people in the Barbershop. He was there to check out the show, but woundup hosting he show. Also in attendance was Joe Clair, comedian and former Host of BET's RapCity. He's also a closet "MC", for those of you who never watched RapCity when it was dope. Haha! Am I sayin it's wack now? YES!!! Yeah, I said it! Aight, don't get started Vurs.DeRay was hosting, and of course before he introduced us he had to gethis freestyle on. Haha! And that opened the stage for Joe Clair to dropa few lines. Well, several lines. Thay weren't bad. But I can\'t help butwonder what would happen if 33333I popped up at one of their Stand-Upconcerts and just hopped up right before they were about to go on andburst an imprompto stand-up routine. Haha!!! Underground MC turnComedian, one night only. :) Picture that. Don\'t sweat it, that\'ll neverhappen.They weren\'t bad though. I had heard them both before.Finally, he gave us love and introduced us. It was a dope night. Aspencrowds are typically party crowds, and this crowd was no exception. SOLDOUT!!! That made the 3rd SOLD OUT show in a row! Yeah! Lovin\' That!Aspen is an ill town. It\'s on some High Society type vibe. Louis Vutton,Gucci, Prada, Polo etc. Nothin but Mink Coats and Old Money. I fit rightin. :) Actually, we\'re always the Misfits, but that\'s never moreapparent than bein in Aspen. Wherever we go we \'hush the crowd\'.SILENCE! Funny how u can make people uncomfortable in their own town.That is until after u perform. Then the very people who were lockingtheir car doors, and clutching their hand bags when u walked by earlierin the day, are running up and giving u hugs. Ahhh, Music, it\'s abeautiful thing. I love it, I just wish we could feel that muchtogetherness before the song and dance. Feel me?We had a blast when it was all said and done. Big Ups to the cats fromAkomplice Clothing who hooked us. Good lookin.We\'ll be back!Be Well,
VURSATYL

Coming to a city near you

2006-02-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

Be sure to visit
www.myspace.com/lifesavas and www.lifesavas.blogspot.com for up-to-date tour info and live audio blogs.

Thu 03/09/06
Aggie Theatre
Fort Collins, CO
Blackalicious, Fat Lip with Omni
Fri 03/10/06
Sherpa & Yetis
Breckenridge, CO
Blackalicious, Fat Lip with Omni
Sat 03/11/06
Club 8150
Vail, CO
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Sun 03/12/06
Fox Theatre
Boulder, CO
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Tue 03/14/06
Gypsy Ballroom
Dallas, TX
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Thu 03/16/06
Blue Genie Art Industries
Austin, TX
Chief Xcel & Gift of Gab, Pigeon John
Fri 03/17/06
House of Blues Parish
New Orleans, LA
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Sat 03/18/06
City Hall
Nashville, TN
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Tue 03/21/06
Bluebird Nightclub
Bloomington, IN
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Wed 03/22/06
Temple Club
Lansing, MI
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Sat 03/25/06
Mr. Smalls Theatre
Millvale, PA
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Mon 03/27/06
Newport Music Hall
Columbus, OH
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Tue 03/28/06
Opera House
Toronto, ON
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Wed 03/29/06
Capital Music Hall
Ottawa, ON
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Fri 03/31/06
Buffalo Icon
Buffalo, NY
Blackalicious, CunninLynguists
Sat 04/01/06
BB Kings Blues Club and Grill
New York, NY
Blackalicious
Sun 04/02/06
Higher Ground
South Burlington, VT
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Tue 04/04/06
Paradise
Boston, MA
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Thu 04/06/06
Toadâ€™s Place
New Haven, CT
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Sun 04/09/06
Theater of Living Arts
Philadelphia, PA
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Tue 04/11/06
9:30 Club
Washington, DC
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Wed 04/12/06
Ziggys
Winston-Salem, NC
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Fri 04/14/06
Coca Cola Roxy Theatre
Atlanta, GA
Blackalicious
Sat 04/15/06
New Daisy Theatre
Memphis, TN
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Sun 04/16/06
The Granada Theatre
Lawrence, KS
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Thu 04/20/06
Showbox
Seattle, WA
Blackalicious
Fri 04/21/06
Commodore Ballroom
Vancouver, BC
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Sat 04/22/06
Blackcomb Mountain
Whistler, BC
Sun 04/23/06
Roseland Theater
Portland, OR
Blackalicious, Fatlip with Omni
Mon 04/24/06
Pauley Ballroom
Berkeley, CA

Back on the block

2006-02-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

Stick a fork in it...

2006-02-07T02:02:00.000-08:00

Jumbo is... FASHION POLICE

and a little Rev. shall lead them

2006-01-23T00:29:00.000-08:00

ahhh...

2006-01-19T19:56:00.000-08:00

see no... hear no... feel no...

2006-01-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

it is Ladies' Night right?

2006-01-17T19:11:00.000-08:00

Watch out ladies,
Vurs & Jumbo be lurkin' in the shadows.

RATED J?

2006-01-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

this is your brain...

2006-01-17T01:06:00.000-08:00

AUDIO POST

2006-01-17T01:05:00.000-08:00

Holla at ya boy!

2006-01-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

Ok... I'm hanging out in The Bay and Shines & Jumbo are in Oakland 'doin their dirt.
On the list for the day:
Check out one of THE BEST Record Shops Around.
Hey, be sure to email Jumbo & Shines and get them on the horn for some of this AudioBloggin

shines@lifesavas.com & jumbothegarbageman@lifesavas.com.
I'm out V.

from the compound

2006-01-14T20:44:00.000-08:00

giving you something you can feel

2006-01-12T00:06:00.000-08:00

ok... so you all have been waiting long enough. Starting this weekend, when you see this

click to hear exclusive
AudioPost from the making of GUTTERFLY.

See also-->
So This Is The Future, v. 2006
wweek.com Willamette Week Online | Portland Oregon News and Culture
"...highly anticipated albums of the year..."

WS TOUR-"Clutch Moments"

2005-11-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

...this was it! It was sum'n out of a movie. Championship Game style! All guns were firing yesterday. We left LA on schedule. Got to soundcheck in SF ON TIME!!! That's a big one.
The club "Mezzanine" is dope. Excellent sound system.
Good promo. We were actually on the poster! Haha! (That's another story). Staff was on point. Sound check was thorough. Guest list got handled. We hit the hotel. Got dipped. Got back to the show before our set time actually began. That's another big one. And then, what Shines, Jumbo and I had been building towards this entire tour all came together. It's that moment when it's all just happening beyond your control. Cruise Control or Auto Pilot. Like ur not even involved. Those "Clutch Moments". Everything went right. Perfect! The energy and the make-up of the crowd was like it was hand-picked for us. We hit all the cues, all the transitions were smooth. The 3 of us were movin' like one body. When that hapens...... It's Magic! It was the last night of the tour. But more than that, it's The Bay Area. A very important show for us. Do the math and u should feel me on that. There's always pressure to do well in the bay. But, have no fear. We had a PARTY! I always say "The Crowd Makes The Show". Although we give 100% every night, the crowds energy makes a difference. We had some Die Hard Lifesavas fans in the buildin. Most of all, we had people who came to have a good time in the buildin'. Good lookin SF! That was one for the history books! I just kinda weaved throughout the crowd shortly after our set, just to linger in that good energy. Those are moments to savor. It felt like everyone had as much fun as we did. I appreciate you all for helping to make that one of the best experiences we've ever had in The Bay Area @ a Lifesavas Show. The Tour is Officially over! It's A Wrap! Next Up "Gutterfly"! The New Lifesavas Album! Coming Soon!
VURSATYL

WS TOUR-"la la land"

2005-11-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

...everybody is somebody in LA. You never know who u might see. It never ceases to amaze me. Actor Roger Guenveur Smith was at the show in L.A. He has appeared several movies such as: School Daze, Do The Right Thing, Panther, Deep Cover, Malcom X, Eve's Bayou, King Of New York, All About The Benjamins, Poetic Justice, Tales From The Hood, Get On The Bus, He Got Game, Summer Of Sam, etc. But you've got to see his one man production, the powerful play "A Huey P. Newton Story". It's remarkable! We've had a lot of exciting moments on this tour. That was one of 'em. He was real cool. Very humble. That's key. He simply said "incredible". Thank you Bro! One more show until we back in the "P"!!! We have a day off today. But it's all work and no play til "Gutterfly" is complete. So we on our way to record a song for the record while we're here in LA. Quannum is puttin's the heat on blast! It's my fault ya'll. Blame Vurs. I want it to be right. Shines has one request... Roscoes' Chicken & Waffles. We'll see. Jumbo wants to hit the M&M Soul Food Spot. We usually hit the one on Crenshaw. But when I'm movin dolo, I always go to the one in Inglewood on Centinela Ave. You can't lose either way. I want to go see "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'". What?!? Yeah, I'm going to see it. I gotta see what all the fuss is about. Can a 50 Cent movie be much more violent than an afternoon with Rev. Shines??? I think not. Jus kiddin'. I'm still in awe of the Gangter Shines I saw in SD. Note: Shines has never read these blogs so I get to take shots at him. Shhhhh!!! Aight ya'll, it's my day-off!!! Later
VURSATYL

WS TOUR-"YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!!!"

2005-11-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

...shines is Gangsta! I ain't never seen Shines like that. We had to hold Shines back last night. Apparently one of the bouncers at the club had got all up in Shines face. Accusing him of being "asleep" at the Merchandise Table. The dude was lookin' for a reason to flash on somebody. He walked up and SLAPPED Shines on the back and says, "you can't sleep in the booth". Shines had just got off the stage and was just resting his head on his arm t the merch booth. Dude started buggin' out yellin @ Shines "YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!!!"
"I don't care what u just finished doing!" That did it. Shines started lettin dude have it!!! Shines was face to face blasting this dude. "Get him Shines!!!" Okay, I shouldn't instigate. We're all fairly laid back cats. But this dude was outta line. Straight up. I was told they have some sort of law that if u have ur head down, like resting on a bar or a table, the tavern can be cited for "over-serving". Wouldn't that have been easier to say, than to cause all of that unnecessary drama? The rest of the staff was real cool. We had been there about a year ago and played to less people. This time there was a dope crowd there. Couple had driven in from other cities to our set. It was a dope show. That's why it was so frustrating having the "over-zelous bouncer" killin our high. We had family and friends from Portland there. Some we knew and others we met for the first time. Regardlesss, it was fam in there. Gotta love that. Next Stop... L.A.
VURSATYL

WS TOUR-"It's A Wrap!!!"

2005-11-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

...what can I say... All we did all day was drive. 19 hours to be exact. We did stop in a few select Truck Stops along the way. The variety of 64 oz. coffee mugs that they sell at those joints is STUNNING!!!
...we got to San Diego, CA around 5:30am West Coast Time. Check-In time is 3pm... This could get ugly.
After Shines does a considerable amount of groveling, they place us in a couple of handicapped rooms. We're not trippin', but a couple things come to mind. First, what if a handicapped person needs the room? Second, since we're in the handicapped rooms, does the $500.00 fine posted above the handicapped parking space apply to us??? Just kidding. We didn't take the space... As for the rooms... It's A Wrap!!! Cats ain't budgin' no time soon.

Tonite it's SD! Home of World Famous Anchorman 'Ron Burgundy'.

Stay Classy San Diego!
VURSATYL

WS TOUR-"quick & eazy lube"

2005-11-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Top 5 Things to do while ur in Denton, TX...
1.Banking/Balance ur tour account books.
2.Record/Book shopping.
3.Take ur car to EZ Lube.
4.Try the Thai Food Restaraunt
5.Hang outside the Quick Trip and pour out a lil' sum'n for the homies who ain't here.
And then we bounced... Peace to Hailey's for havin us. Peace to Bryan from Wherehouse Cd's and Tapes.
VURSATYL

WS TOUR-"i only wanna be with...you?"

2005-11-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

...we slept all day in Austin. We had driven all night. Thirteen hours straight! So cats was crazy tired and in deperate need of a shower. We played a spot called Emo's. Kinda weird spot. Me and Bretto walked in and thought for sure we were i n the wrong place. Hootie and The Blowfish were on stage going at it full fledge! Full out! And it wasn't even showtime yet. Okay, it wasn't actually Hootie and The Blowfish but u get the visual. No dis to HATBF, but I thought to myself "they must get a really diverse crowd..." "Oh! We're on the wrong side of the club? Whew!!!" Cool. We'd played Austin several times before. Even when we didn't have any formal releases and Austin gave us love. This was no different. Love! Good lookin' Austin. I gotta chance to hang out after the set since I had slept all day. I met a lot of people who were down with carious organizations regarding social change and empowering the people to use our voices to bring change. We support u. Thanks for the info. A brotha who had been forced out of New Orleans due to hurricane opened the show. His name is "Truth". It was a pleasure to open the stage for somone devistated in that horrible tragedy.. Or should I call it Government Abandon? However you wanna put it, we can all play a role. Austin was so live! I can't wait to come back when the new album is done. Stay tuned.
VURSATYL

WS TOUR-"Everything is ablaze!: lifesavas"

2005-11-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

Yo RB, All the love is coming back at ya. Sorry for the broken link. Hard to blog with a MIC in your hand! Feel me?
Peace

WS TOUR-"Yo! Bumrush The Show"

2005-11-07T06:21:00.000-08:00

...thanks Atlanta. For the weather, the food, the show... It was all very dope.
We ate at Gladys Knight's Chicken & Waffles on Peachtree St. Everybody was satisfied and ready to get back to the hotel abd crash. But there's no time to sleep out here. We had to get to soundcheck. Etc. Etc. The highlight of the night was being approached by Professor Griff of the Legendary Hip Hop group Public Enemy as soon as I left the stage. He called my name like he knew me! Like, "Yo! Vursatyl!". I shook his hand like I had to the rest of the crowd. Did a double take and my jaw hit the floor. Professor Griff from arguably one of the most important groups in Hip Hop history. I was litterally speechless at the fact that he was at our show and he was feelin US!!! Public Enemy has a new album coming out. They are a huge part of why we decided to do this. So that was a major high point in our journey to become the best that we can in this artform. Respect the Architects.
VURSATYL

rush hour

2005-11-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

...we had a day off yesterday. We left B-More around 3pm. Why did we do that. Can u say "Rush Hour Traffic"??? We were enroute to Atlanta which is about an 11 hour drive from Baltimore. Halfway to Atlanta we had been requested to come thru a radio station in Greensboro, NC called WUAG

Very dope! We rocked live on the air. It was exactly what we needed. It woke all of us up and put all of us in a good mood. But most of all it got Jumbo wired enough to drive the rest of the way to Atlanta so I could sleep. Haha!!! Yeah. For real, it's a dope show. My man Jack (the host) there is really cool and has a lot of love for Hip Hop. Big up to Jarred (the engineer). They both looked out for us. We played for at least half an hour on air then followed up with a live interview. College radio is where it's at. We just need to know where the late night eats are in Greensboro, NC. Before makin that last haul into Atlanta, cats was scroungin' for a spot eat. Blaah, blaah, blaahh, Denny's AGAIN!!! NOOOOOOO!!!
VURSATYL

no room at the Inn!

2005-11-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

...no room at the Inn! We had reservations booked for weeks prior to our arrival in Phillie. Somehow the hotel manages to lose our reservation. It's Halloween night, and there is a masquerade ball going on in the hotel lobby and Mezzanine above the lobby. Whoa! I was reminded that Halloween is an excuse for adults to get as close to being totally naked in public, as humanly possible. Haha! The cats were outside unloading the van, as usual, while I was "checking-in". Yeah, I was "checking-in", but I was having so much drama, I had to get a little comic relief by peeping some of those costumes. There were several "Adam and Eves". Several "Adam and Steves". One couple wore nothing but Hoola Hoops. Nurses, Lil Jon look-alikes, Trapeze Artists, Gypsies, Belly Dancers, She-Devils, He-Devils, Skinny Dippers, Britney Spears Impersonators, and my personal favorite Halle Berry "Catwoman" wannabees. All the while, the person at the front desk just DOESN'T WANT TO GIVE US ANY ROOMS!!! This Person seemed to be getting some sort of twisted pleasure from watching me look completely bewildered! This was the result of having a reservation confirmation number, same credit card we used to reserve the room with, picture ID, etc.??? And NOTHIN!!! Maybe I should've worn my Suge Knight costume with my attachable "Whoop Hand"...... Haha! Word. Next time. By the time the hotel figures it out, we're supposed to be on stage. Leave the luggage. Hop a cab to the venue. Do the do. Get love. Cheesesteak Time. Cab ride back to the telly.... Stop! Why do I get in a long discussion with a Cab driver from Ethiopia who insists that Hip Hop started in Philadelphia 15 years ago by Stevie Wonder??? What can u say to that? Later!
P.S. Can't forget to say "One Love" to my people 'All Purpose' MC Extraordinare and all around True Hip Hop representative. U the Man 'Purp! Right On for swingin' thru!' And of course our homegirl from the 503rd; Activist, Revolutionary, one half of Good Sista Bad Sista, and one of the Illest Poets I know, Walidah Imarisha. Thanks for comin' Walidah. It means the world to us to see u there! Peace
VURSATYL

money earnin..

2005-11-02T06:25:00.000-08:00

...we got to NY about 4am. Drove around for 2 hours trying to find various relatives place of residence. Dropped Shines off in Manhatan. Took Libretto to the Bronx. Me Jumbo headed to Mt. Vernon. Got to bed about 6am after driving from Boston. Slept til about 12noon. Got up and made a mad dash for Fordham Road in the Bronx. That's my spot! My mans put me up on it back in the day. So whenever we get to NY, that's a must do. Fordham Road. Whatever u lookin for, u can find it if u spend sum time. This record, we wanted to let people in a little more. So brace urself... Me and Jumbo are clothes fanatics! Yep! I said it. We always have been though. Thing is we only really get down and dirty about 3 or 4 times a year. Wich just so happens to be the amount of times we wind up perfomin in NY. U know? We save up, cash bottles, slang joints to Buffalo Exchange and all that to get ready for our semi-annual splurge fests out east. We grew up in that Slick Rick era when it wasn't a bad thing to stretch out every now and then. Hey! Loosen up! U gotta allow us at least one vice. Some people smoke, drink, snort, sniff etc. We splurge. What? 1st day is Fordham. 2nd day is 125th in Harlem. We also had to hit Canal St. Put it like this, we went so bizerk u almost can't sit down in the van. Haha!!! We did it big but we came to NY with one MAIN objective in mind, RIPPIN IN BROOKLYN!!! And it all came together. Ladies and gentlemen! Appearing with Lifesavas tonight for a one time only performance. Playing lead guitar! Give it up for VERNON REID!!!! That's right from the legendary rock group Living Colour, the lead guitar player Vernon Reid drove out to Brooklyn to play with Lifesavas at the South Paw! He was so mellow and down to earth it was unreal! He wasn't trippin on nuthin. He was just loungin and kickin it with us as though we had known each other for years. It was one of the true highlights of my carreer. That might have been the biggest moment I've ever had doing this music thing. To be honored with the talents of some one of his stature. That was a blessing! Give Thanks. Needless to say the crowd went WILD jus like we did when Vernon began his solo. The energy in the room just exploded. Pure Natural High. There's nothin like that. I'll never forget that night!
VURSATYL

B A N A N A S

2005-11-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

...Boston was BANANAS!!! The club was divided by a pole in the middle of the audience. So the audience was forced to clique up. There were like 2 seperate pools of die hard fans and new recruits. Although we've been to Boston numerous times, it always surprises me how many people are familiar with the movement. I always say that "the crowd makes the show". Boston proved my point. When the crowd is thick and has a lot of energy, it pushes you to another level. U have to dig deep and give that extra somethin. Feel me? That was definitely one of those shows, I didn't want to end. But we had to shake and make our way to the city. NY that is. That's where we try to cram 2 weeks of shopping into a 4 hour time slot before sound check. Records, clothes, more records, sneakers, more records and did I mention RECORDS??? Next stop 125th Street Harlem, USA!!!
VURSATYL

throwin up the "L"

2005-10-31T05:51:00.000-08:00

...SOLD OUT!!! Yessir! You ar reading it correctly. Sold out in Middletown, CT in Crowell Concert Hall @ Wesleyan University. We couldn't believe it! It was a Huge hall and @ soundcheck the sound was wack. We all said "here we go again". To our surprise this is arguably the "Best Show Of The Tour". It was auditorium or stadium style seating. Like in a movie theatre. People left they seats and Ey'body was packed in @ the stage or standin in the aisls and on seats. There was so much good energy, it didn't even matter that the sound was wack. We turned that hall into a house party. It was dope. People knew all the words. One dude stood out in the crowd the whole show throwin up the "L". Gotta love that! Basically we left the stage and was like "WHOA!!!". Cats immediately started givin up! "Yo this the best one...!!!" I can't front, it was bananas! Message from Jumbo: "Rubybeth the 1st person to come at Jumbo about what inspired Skeletons. The novel Beloved she wins Megabucks! " For all my people who came. I wish we could've hung out but cats was crazy tired. I had paper work to do. As well as writing to do for this album, so I broke out right after the set. Ususally I like to parlay after the set and rap wit people as much as possible. Ya'll can feel free to hit me up at vursatyl@lifesavas.com. We can build like that. Be Well.
VURSATYL

milky!!!

2005-10-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

...we went right to the Real Jerk. A Jamaican restaraunt down on Queen Street in Toronto. Wooo!!! Chicken Roti! Ackee & Salt Fish!!! Rice & Peas! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!! We always get a little bit juiced about food on tour because we are reduced to eating every form of fast food, or Denny's style blahhh blahhh. Whatever's open after the show. So everyone is on beam when we get to eat some real food. This is the Gutterfly experience so we had to dip over to Yonge Street and cop some wears. U know I'm always swoopin' them "Top Secret Ones". What ya'll know about the Navy Patton Leather with the Burgandy Swoosh??? Haha! Milky!!! Quit playin! My man Jumbo steady on them vintage spots and got dirty on some diggin. On with the new... I finally got the skin I was wanting for my Ipod. I don't move without it. I got the 3G 40G. So it's hard to find joints to fit mine. Time to upgrade. Lol! Oh yeah, of course I had to get that new Slum Village album. For those of u who don't know, I'm an SV fan. Yeah, I wanna see the original line-up do it again but, I can't front on Elzhi. That cat is a beast! You know T3 still embodies that old Slum vibe. So, I'm still ridin' wit ya'll. Baatin if u out there get at us dawg! Word. We rocked at a spot called the Reverb. We've played ther several times. But last night was real dope. One Love to all the Kings and Queens that came and blessed the spot. Good to see ya'll out. We had a good time. So many Lifesavas supporters in T Dot. We wasn't knowin! So many of ya'll came and showed love. That was good to see. I'm documenting it here and now so that everyone can see I wasn't fakin'. "Gutterfly" is almost done! Lookout out for the new album coming in 2006. Bar any mis-haps, we're lookin at this spring. Some of what you will here on the album was recorded right there in Toronto in our Hotel Room on Lakeshore Drive. That's my word. We pullin double duty out here. It's a beautiful thing. Stay tuned.
VURSATYL

fight club

2005-10-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

...Cleveland was actually dope this time. I have to admit we've had some sketchy outings in Cleveland. But this time, Cleveland was on point. As soon as we pull up to the club, there's about 4 security guards draggin these two local mc's out of the club. Haha! I know it's cruel to laugh, but u kinda had to be there. 2 kids trying there best to get at each others throats. Yelling and screamin' while being strong armed by security. But yet neither one of them really wanted to be let go... Feel me? It's freezing outside, and at one point, one kid takes his shirt off as if that would spur some sort of super human strength. Only to wind up getting wrestled back to the ground by security. Get this, the security's solution to the problem was "Okay, we're gonna count to 3, and when we get to 3, u run that way and u run the opposite way. Okay? 1, 2, 3..." Uhhh NO! Of course these guys go right back at each other. Pure Comedy! Nobody was hurt or really even through a punch. What really made it comical was to get inside the club and find out that it all started because one of the local MC's was in the crowd getting his heckle on, while the other was on stage trying to perform. It got personal and thus the wrestling match began. I can't give any specifics, but picture Marky Mark Walberg in a sling shot circa 1991 trying to fight Butter Bean the ultimate fight charachter in the middle of a suburb in Cleveland, OH. Strange!!! And it don't stop!

Indianapolis

2005-10-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

...we chilled so hard in Chicago, for so long, we were all runnin' late for sound check. I'm known as the "Navigator" when we're on the road beacause I'm "Never Lost". But Indianapolis is tricky. Needless to say, a few u-turns and round-abouts aside, WE MADE IT ON TIME! That may not seem like a huge accomplishment, but believe me, when u have 4 men, all trying to squeez as much as they can into a 2-3 hour time span. In a city like Chicago, it's hard to convince to pack it in, so we can get to sound check. To put it short, we showed up, we rocked, and bounced. Only to wind u in more Lifesavas adventures... Stay tuned. Big Up Indianapolis. Thanks for rockin wit us!
VURSATYL

windy city

2005-10-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

...last night we rolled into the Windy City. It's tough to go there because u know u ain't gonna wanna leave! It was a packed house at the Abbey Pub. Can't front when we first walked in it look like somethin out of a House Of Pain video. No dis, we just "hushed the crowd" when we came in. It didn't take long to see, we had obviously took a wrong turn into the dining room area. We would later come back to this part of the club and have a pretty cool meal. But at first glance.... Whoa. The show was dope though. It was crackin. But the Twilight Zone episodes don't stop. Why was MC Brainz at our show? Haha! Word. Some of the older heads may remember that cat. Early 90's cat who was made famous during that whole Michael Bivins/Biv 10/East Coast Family movement. Wich basically gave birth to the r&b group Boyz II Men. Well anyway, he got down wit them. He had a song called "Oochie Coochie" that made some noise. "Oochie Coochie" at an underground Hip Hop show??? Ill, right? Enough of that. Chicago is dope! I love the city. The vibe. The energy. It's one of my favorite places to perform. Why do we only get to be there for a day? Gotta come out and spend at least a week. Go shoppin. Get some good food. Feel Me? My man Sapien took us to the hood today. I always go to the hood if there's a second. Didn't get to get a haircut. But we did get to go check Cabrini Green Housing Projects. It's crazy to see the gentrification spreadin' through so many hoods.. Cop boxes on every block. Don't let me get started. Aight ya'll. I gotta jet. Get at ya'll tomorrow. Be well, VURSATYL

legendary!

2005-10-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

...aight, once again we've been fortunate enough to play the legendary FIRST AVENUE club in Minneapolis, MN. For those of you who don't know, this is the same club that all of those classic live performance scenes were shot for Prince's debut blockbuster film "Purple Rain". A lot of history was made in that club. Too many artists to name. Let your imagination run wild and chances are many of our most influential artists have touched that stage. Coming out of those dressing rooms and onto that stage is an immediate high. Not to mention, getting as much love as we receive every time we play Minneapolis. As soon as we pulled into town I knew it was gonna be a good day. We've been on tour for a couple of weeks and after dealing with shady billing, faulty sound and other road drama, u look forward to those nights when u can catch a vibe and really zone out in what made us wanna do this in the first place. So when all u have to worry about is getting on stage and giving everything u have, it's a beautiful thang. Peace to all of the people who came up to us and expressed how they had been down since the start. Cats repeatedly told me how they had seen every show we had done out here or anywhere near here. That's dope! I'm feelin that. That's how we are. We'll drive for miles to catch some good music and see our favorite artists. Matter of fact, I've been know to fly out to see shows that I know won't make it to where I live. So it's always dope to talk to people who are passionate about their music. Headed to the Chi right now. I'll get at ya'll in the a.m. Be Well VURSATYL

get your hand out of my pocket

2005-10-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

...so after the show in Lawrence, KS we go to the local Perkin's 24 hour resteraunt. It had been an interesting day up to that point, and even though it was 3:00am, the day hadn't even begun to show us how much excitement goes on in Lawrence. Dig it. We walk up and are greeted by 3 considerably intoxicated adults. One of them who doesn't seem to be the least bit pleased that we're anywhere near where he or his friends will be dining for the evening. He's givin' my man Bretto the look so tough we're all wonderin if something had gone down before we got there. But, whatever, we was starvin. We get in the spot and this other character makes it known he's havin a bad night. He's drunk out of his mind and sittin at a table alone with nothing in front but a mug and entire pot of coffee. He was whispering and randomly shouting out various obsceneties. Keep in mind he's alone. But whatever, to each his own. We say "what's good" to this brotha, cool cat. This is where it gets crazy. In walks the 3 people we first saw when we got there. But now that cat that was staring us down is giving that brotha "dirty looks". We started to assume that there had been some tension between these two. But there hadn't. This cat was just "On One". Seriously. So the guy who's in the corner arguing with himself gets up and starts going from table to table giving political advice and his opinion on race relations in Lawrence. While the drunk cat with the staring problem won't stop looking at this brotha, there's mounting frustration. Finally the inevitable happens... "Man, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!?!?!" Needless to say, "drunken staring problem guy", says exactly the wrong thing. And with lightning quickness, this 320 lb. brotha had his hands around that mans neck and squeezing as though he wanted to see what would come of that dudes ears if he squeezed hard enough. As this guy continues to issue out an impressive beat down, up walks the guy we now have concluded has a severe case of tourette's syndrome and/or slightly manic depressive disorder. He starts trying to reason with these to and when, suprisingly, they don't respnd, he calmly walks back over to his booth, sits down and bursts into tears. Sobbing and screaming "WHY???" "WHY???" Occasionaly he would just crack up laughing as though someone had just said something really funny. All the while, this waiter keeps askin me if I've had anough time to decide. Bugged out! You know what the really bizzare thing was? The other 70% of the restaurant sat quietly eating as though this wasn't uncommon behavior for Perkins on a tuesday night. Then out of nowhere the 2 guys stop fighting sit down and prepare to eat. Of course it wouldn't be complete until Lawrence, KS finest show up and get their opprtunity to power trip and abuse what little authority they do have. Of course the principle characters are taken outside only to be greeted by 7 Police Cars and approximately 11 officers on high alert. Obsessive? Maybe, but that's just how it goes down in Lawrence. If u ever come to Lawrence, KS, ask somebody where Perkins is. I don't know if u'll dig the food, but there's a good chance u'll be entertained.
Stay tuned for more,
VURSATYL

mmmm, cheese steak

2005-10-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

...so here we go on the latest... We did the Colorado cities this past weekend. Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins. Whew!!! That was insane. So we get to Denver and somehow they've managed to switch the venue at the last minute. Crazy! I talked to one women who was almost in tears because she went to the scheduled club and watched an entire show waiting for us to take to the stage. Only to find out that the show had been moved. She came to the new venue about 30min before curfew and couldn't believe that she had missed the entire show. Fortunately Boulder, CO and Fort Collins, CO were not far away. She was able to come to the other shows. There were other people that had similar encounters. Hopefully we'll get back to Colorado soon and get a chance to rock for anyone who broke out in the confusion. All I can say true believers is "IT WASN'T US"!!! Haha! Needless to say there was a lot of love in Boulder and Fort Collins. To my people the treated me to the Cheese Steak... Good Lookin!!! That jawn was lovely! Shines and Jumbo had already tried to put me up on that Bodega across the street from the Fox Theatre. If ur ever in Boulder "Don't Sleep". Fort Collins, CO is prolly one our most enthusiastic markets. People are always at us tough about their favorite songs from Spirit In Stone. Honestly, I love that! It's dope to be makin music and see that people connect with it on a real level. Hellohihey and What If It's True are some titles that I heard people yelling for. My man stage right kept yelling State Of The World!!! Head Exercise!!! But I have to say I never had that many requests for Skeletons in one city. I think everyone I talked to after the show wanted to hear Skeletons. Deep. That's the one song we didn't do that night... We can't do everything. I know that we'll be back though. Big up Fort Collins. We had fun.

the misfits have returned

2005-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

...as we moved further east, cities like Missoula and Bozeman stand out as highlights so far. It was Ladies Night in Bozeman, so joints like "Fa Sho" remix and "Fever" were met with open arms. Not to mention the new rollin jam "No Surprise". Fans seem to be diggin the new joints. I can't front it's a good feeling to give ya'll some new treats and see that the energy in the room goes to the next level. It's official, The Misfits have returned!!! This time around everyone who comes out will leave with better insight on how the clan really gets down.

it's small, but it's powerful

2005-10-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

... it's not where you're from it's where you're at right? WRONG! It's all about where you've been and as of last week, the 503 was the place to be. What can I say? The 503 has turned into our favorite place to rock. The Northwest dates started things off with a Bang; Specifically Portland. From the various reports that have come in since we've been out here, the Streets are still buzzing from the kick off of "The Warning Shot Tour". Seems ya'll were sleeping on our doorstep, itching for a taste of what's in the test-tube. We know you liked it but don't grow fangs and fur yet... there's more to come.

road warriors

2005-10-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

…stop knocking, nobodies home! Lifesavas on the road again. Check out the schedule, and see when we’ll be in your neck of the woods. Already got at us? Be sure to email those pics so we can post ‘em.

Tue 10/11/05 The Other Side
Wed 10/12/05 Zebra Cocktail Lounge
Thu 10/13/05 Mangy Moose
Fri 10/14/05 Egos
Sat 10/15/05 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Sun 10/16/05 Fox Theatre
Mon 10/17/05 Aggie Theatre
Tue 10/18/05 The Granada Theatre
Wed 10/19/05 Gabes Oasis
Thu 10/20/05 First Avenue
Fri 10/21/05 The Abbey Pub
Sat 10/22/05 The Patio
Sun 10/23/05 Grog Shop
Tue 10/25/05 The Reverb
Wed 10/26/05 Higher Ground
Thu 10/27/05 Crowell Concert Hall
Fri 10/28/05 Paradise
Sat 10/29/05 Canal Room
Sun 10/30/05 South Paw
Mon 10/31/05 First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
Tue 11/01/05 The Funk Box
Thu 11/03/05 Apache Cafe
Fri 11/04/05 Club Downunder
Sat 11/05/05 Emos
Sun 11/06/05 Haileys
Tue 11/08/05 Casbah
Wed 11/09/05 Knitting Factory LA
Fri 11/11/05 Mezzanine

careful where you step

2005-10-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

...while the cleaning lady does her thing in here (pick up Jumbo’s Tasty Cake wrappers) we’re gonna step outside and see what’s up with ya’ll since we been locked in the Lab re-doin the DNA of HipHop. Get with the road trip...