venue
By Rory Flynn, Jayplay writer
Hailing from Minneapolis, Minn., Atmosphere is one of the first hip-hop groups to put the Midwest on the map. First formed in 1997, Atmosphere consists of emcee and lyricist Slug and producer Ant. Their witty lyrics and innovative beats have taken them on tours across the globe and have earned them respect from music listeners everywhere. I talked to Ant on the phone recently after the first of two sold-out shows at the legendary Fillmore theatre in San Francisco.
RF: How are things going on the Pour Me Another Tour?
Ant: Things are great. It has been cool meeting new people and attracting new audiences.
RF: I have heard your latest release, You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having, described as a throwback to old school hip-hop with some of your most progressive beats to date. How would you say the production is different than on your past albums?
Ant: I feel that I never truly accomplished all of my goals for the album but I really wanted to make a noisy record. I wanted to put a different twist of everything into it.
RF: Who are some of the producers or artists who have influenced the music you have produced over the years?
Ant: Certainly Public Enemy is one. The Bomb Squad, Dre, Larry Smith, Timbaland.
RF: Where do you feel most comfortable producing your music?
Ant: I usually work out of my basement. I used to be nervous when I went out to professional studios but having the ability to produce at home allows me to be comfortable and try new things.
RF: What do you use to produce your beats?
Ant: I work with a 4-track (recorder).
RF: Have you ever worked with any home production software such as ProTools?
Ant: I really don't even touch computers. Maybe I'll catch up someday but I don't even have an email address. I think ProTools is both good and bad for music. It allows for more people to release music but it also creates more and more bull shit. Everyone is trying to get famous and really not putting enough time into making music.
RF: After you released your third album, God Loves Ugly, you had major record labels such as Sony, Interscope, and Warner Brothers out to sign you. However you decided to release Seven's Travels on punk label Epitaph. Was this a hard decision for you and Slug?
Ant: Well, I feel that I was at first naive to what was going on. I really left it up to Slug. Atmosphere is all about the Slug show. Epitaph was really genuine and beautiful people so we chose to go with them.
RF: Is Ant just a moniker short for your name Anthony?
Have you had the nickname since you were young?
Ant: I first started being called Ant in the early '90s by some people I was making music with. I don't think anyone should really come up with their own monikers or nicknames.
Both Atmosphere and Brother Ali are performing at Granada, Friday, November 11 with Blueprint and P.O.S on the Pour Me Another Tour. The show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15.
Valerie Taylor
If you're looking to class up your night life, head to the bar inside The Eldridge Hotel, The Jayhawker, at 701 Mass. Street. The bar is dim, with dark wood. Sometimes there's live music too. If you 're lucky, you'll see Valerie Taylor, a 25 year-old bartender who's worked At The Eldridge for a year and a half. If you're really lucky she'll make you her specialty drink, aptly named The Boner.
The boner
- 3 count pours of
  Absolut Mandarin
- ginger ale
- fresh oranges
Pour in a Collins glass over ice.
if they want a wider selection, a mellow atmosphere and qualified bartenders, this is the place.
Why should people drink here?
What's "qualified" mean?
We study the art of mixology,
just a personal love of liquor.
What's the weirdest thing you've seen at work? I took a bathroom break and I walked in on two people having sex.
... Lindsey Ramsey ...