On Screens in Orlando

GREAT LIVE MUSIC RATTLES ORLANDO EVERY NIGHT

Miss Jill Scott

You don’t even have to ask Who Is Jill Scott?, because her 2000 debut album of the same name was as potent a musical introduction as they come. And she’s bringing her tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of her R&B masterpiece to town. 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at Hard Rock Live, POSTPONED

Joywave

RELEASE THE BATS Going round with Clan of Xymox’s Ronny Moorings BY TYLER BARNEY R onny Moorings takes “going Dutch” seriously. For nearly 40 years, the native Netherlander has paid his dues as the only constant member of Clan of Xymox, a project he formed in Amsterdam at the turn of the ’80s. While the band’s members – and its name, occasionally shortened to Xymox (derived from a historical term for infectious disease) – have changed over time, Moorings’ role as the primary songwriter has remained the same. “I like to be the lone wolf in music writing,” he says. “I always did like that, so that is why I haven’t changed my approach.” With well over a dozen albums under his belt (and another on the way, we’re told), Moorings clearly has his songwriting formula down to a science. On the benefits of composing and recording the Clan’s music on his own, he notes, “I don’t have to wait for anyone writing songs, and I don’t have to have discussions about a direction or style. I am not dependent on anyone … I can walk in my studio any time I feel inspired.” Taking full advantage of this creative freedom, Moorings has explored a variety of styles over the years – from the minimal synth-pop and post-punk of the project’s early days to the electro, gothic rock and acid house(!) of subsequent releases – making it a challenge to narrow the band’s sound to a single genre. “Well, most call us darkwave, coldwave, electrowave, something-wave,” he muses. Among those who referred to the group’s style as “darkwave” was the iconic producer and BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, who is credited for coining the term. More generally, Clan of Xymox is considered one of the premier standard-bearers of the early gothic movement. And with good reason. Despite the sonic gap between the Clan and their contemporaries – darker than the Cure, wavier than the Sisters – the melancholy permeating every song is undeniable. It was perhaps this moroseness that caught the ear of Brendan Perry, onehalf of the legendary duo Dead Can Dance, who invited Moorings and his band along as support on a U.K. tour in the early ’80s.

Shortly thereafter, the Clan joined Perry and his partner, the inimitable Lisa Gerrard, on the esteemed independent record label 4AD. Clan of Xymox’s self-titled 1985 album, the first of a pair released on the British imprint, remains a staple of the group’s discography.

To this day, opening track “A Day” – a goth club classic often regarded as the band’s definitive anthem – leaves us speechless. Following the success of their debut record, the band contributed a song to the 4AD compilation Lonely Is an Eyesore, a collection of hits showcasing the label’s musical diversity. Then came Medusa. Commonly held as the Clan’s masterpiece, the band’s sophomore album featured a much darker style of songwriting than its predecessor and introduced an ongoing theme of songs named after women: Medusa, Michelle, Louise (and later, Evelyn, Jasmine, Rose, Emily, to name a few) – all of whom Moorings emphasizes are fictional. After Medusa, the group left 4AD, shortened its name to Xymox, and released – in our humble opinion – their best album, Twist of Shadows. Since then, Moorings has churned out a steady flow of albums and toured nonstop, crediting his “constant enthusiasm for making and writing music” as the project’s driving force. And if you ask us, it’s just the way it should be.

music@orlandoweekly.com CLAN OF XYMOX with the Bellwether Syndicate 7 p.m. Friday, March 20 The Abbey 100 S. Eola Drive abbeyorlando.com CANCELED Rochester indie-rockers warm up for their North American Possession tour with a handful of shows in the Sunshine State. 8 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Social, CANCELED

Central Florida Metal Fest Three days of locally sourced metal excellence including Meka Nysm, Withering Earth and Soulswitch. 6 p.m. Friday, March 20, at the Haven, $12- $50

escapeVelocity Violin and piano duo present a heady program exploring the outer limits of and new voices in contemporary classical music. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at Timucua, CANCELED

Las Nubes Fast-rising Miami rockers return to Orlando again, this time with Las Nubes, Woolbright, Mere and Sad Halen. This is a score for the Henao. 7 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Henao Contemporary Center, $7 Eve Maret Young synth and electronics maestra returns to Orlando, supported by Bacon Grease and Ootheca. 9 p.m. Monday, March 23, at the Nook on Robinson, CANCELED Hot Chelle Rae Multi-platinum pop trio are back at it after a few years of relative silence, with new music and their Tangerine tour on a collision course with Orlando. 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, at the Abbey, POSTPONED DUE TO THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK, THESE EVENTS MAY BE CANCELED. CHECK OUR ONLINE CALENDAR FOR CANCELLATIONS.

B Y B AO L E - H U U

NIKO IS | PHOTO BY JEN CRAY

This week, a homegrown star returns and the city’s fanciest stage opens up for locals.

NIKO IS AT SOUNDBAR, MARCH 8 Rapper Niko Is has been one of the most notable Orlando success stories in recent years. Besides being a breakout, he’s really one of the most distinctive hip-hop voices to emerge from not just Florida but anywhere.

In look and sound, Niko’s like a swaying, rhyming personification of his native Brazil. Dazed and dazzling, he’s the modern rap manifestation of tropicália. But there’s something quintessentially Floridian about the way those cultural influences are remixed and refracted in him. From teaming up with producer Thanks Joey all the way back in their high-school days at Dr. Phillips to torching his way up through the city’s underground, Niko is truly an Orlando phenomenon.

That hot roll of Niko’s eventually caught not just fire but also the ear of hip-hop legend Talib Kweli, who was making his own regular DJ appearances here some years back. More than just a fan, though, Kweli ultimately became a benefactor and mentor to the young MC. Since signing on with Kweli’s Javotti Media label in 2013, Niko has been globetrotting with him practically nonstop. Although he still returns to Florida for performances, recording and, he tells me, the food, Niko decamped to California a couple years ago.

In this hotly anticipated homecoming, Niko Is showed off the artistic wisdom he’s been accumulating and gave a per

Niko Is has always been a unique figure on the scene, and now he’s rising fast to become the most original icon that hip-hop has seen in ages

formance that proved his deepening brilliance. Rolling deep with a Latin percussion section, Niko aimed the snap and twang of his tropical patois to shoot color like a rainbow. He’s long had charisma and command, but all the miles he’s traveled on both stage and record have carved him into a supernova presence. What was once an upstart dynamo is now ripening into a boss.

Niko Is has always been a unique figure on the scene. With his loud and proud cultural lens, very few rappers radiate as much terroir as Niko. Moreover, he’s always floated on his own alternative cloud. Filter it all through his bold, signature style and it adds up to one of the freshest voices in the game right now. Niko is rising to become the most original icon that hip-hop has seen in ages.

THE AMP’D SERIES AT THE DR. PHILLIPS CENTER Downtown’s gleaming Dr. Phillips Center has unquestionably upped the average on the city’s stage game. Its programming focus, though, is primarily a Promethean one aimed at bringing us the fire from the major touring circuit. Its AMP’d Series, on the other hand, is dedicated to showcasing homegrown music talent. It’s currently in its second season and will run monthly through June. I just attended the good Someday Honey performance there (read the full review online) but the remaining shows, for your planning purposes, will be soul slayer Eugene Snowden (April 20), fusion-rap crew Universal Funk Orchestra (May 18) and Americana paragon Mike Dunn (June 22).

The series happens in the more intimate Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, a comfortable room that’s a winning combination of theater-quality sound, intimate scale and impeccable sightlines. All tickets are $20 – a seated general admission deal – and gain you access to any seat in the house on a first-come, first-sit basis.

Now just to really show that this ain’t yo momma’s old musical, a bar is even set up inside the room for AMP’d concerts just like at a rock club. OK, maybe not exactly like that, but it is a nice convenience for us rock & roll bar-scene types. It’s as unbuttoned as I’ve ever seen this place get.

Experiencing a show at the posh Dr. Phillips Center is certainly a pleasure. But major venues like these don’t necessarily operate on the same altitude as the grassroots local scene, so having ours open up to worthy Central Florida talent is a great and important community-building thing. The AMP’d Series is a nice civic acknowledgement, boost and celebration of the true local music scene that exists under and around it. More, please.

baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com