Bobby Ray, Vonnegutt and Playboy Tre jam at Smith's Olde Bar

(Promo graphic/Whynatte)

Three of Atlanta’s finest emerging talents rocked Smith’s Olde Bar in Ansley Park Thursday, December 17th. Bobby Ray headlined the Whynatte beverage sponsored show with guests Vonnegutt and Playboy Tre in what could best be described as a special Christmas treat.

Smith’s Olde Bar was an interesting choice of venue. I actually passed the place on my way there since the sign the green and white letters and dimly lit lantern-style lamps were hard to see at night.

Most bars and clubs having anything to do with hip-hop in Atlanta are glitzier spots with dress codes and velvet ropes separating the people from the entertainment, so it was truly refreshing to chill at a come-as-you-are neighborhood bar, reminiscent of Cheers. It was much larger inside than it appears on the street and the upstairs performance area served the intimate crowd well.

Playboy Tre opened the show with cuts from his mixtape, Liquor Store Mascot. The crowd felt his unique flow and style as the only non-singing artist of the night. Tre is following the alcohol-soaked theme of his music in the upcoming album, Last Call. No word on the release date.

Next up was the rap/alt-rock outfit Vonnegutt. The quartet garnered buzz when they were signed to Big Boi’s Purple Ribbon label in 2007. Frontman singer/rapper, Kyle Lucas, led the band through a good portion of their catalogue, including the singles “Bright Eyes” and “Ex-Girlfriends Are Stupid” from the Vice Nine EP. Their debut album, Falling Up The Stairs is dropping in March. Their sound is something like The Roots mixed with early No Doubt's stronger rock moments before Gwen Stefani became a “Holla Back Girl."

Vonnegutt is also featured prominently on “Follow Us,” the tentative number three track on Big Boi’s Sir Lucious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty. (Big Boi’s first full solo joint was initially dropping this December, then in January, but has been delayed indefinitely due issues with his move from Jive to Def Jam.)

Finally the man of the hour, B.o.B. a.k.a Bobby Ray, emerged. The Decatur native has been gaining traction with several popular mixtapes and TV appearances including the ESPN Espy Awards and the Mo’Nique show. Currently, his “I Am the Champion” commercial promoting Bowl Week is in heavy rotation on the aforementioned sports channel.

At Thursday’s show, B.o.B. cut loose with musical arrangements of hits like “Haterz Everywhere” that were more rock than hip-hop. He seamlessly moved from electric to acoustic guitar, and rapping to singing while maintaining a high energy level throughout his set. Playboy Tre returned to the stage to join him on “Voltage” from the B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray mixtape.

B.o.B.’s longest segment of pure rap came in the form of a freestyle about finding himself after dropping out of Columbia High School to begin his career. There was never a moment in his performance where he failed to engage the crowd. For just a moment the artist signed to T.I.'s Grand Hustle label tamped down the energy to serenade a young woman scheduled for deployment to Kuwait. He faced her as he sang “Lovelier Than You,” from his upcoming album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray. His lighthearted mood made the moment touching and genuine, but not overly sentimental.

He then moved onto one of his most popular songs, “I’ll Be in the Sky.” The band sped up the beat to give it a “church” kind of feel, replete with a tambourine. He closed out his show with the new single, “Nothing On You.” Fans should expect the album in April.

“This was my last show for the year, not my last show. Somebody thought I said it was the last show. I had to clear that up,” remarked B.o.B. later that evening.

We’re hoping for many more.

Video of B.o.B.'s performance

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