Urbindex and Smoke Screen(Chemist and Mooke) both of Cleveland, Ohio did a tour in May of 2011 that led them to Garfield Artworks in Pittsburgh where I was first introduced to these dudes. I'm not sure if either group had any merch with them or they just didn't both bringing it out because there was literally no one at the show. The only people at the show besides the touring acts were the owner of Garfield Artworks Manny, Lord Grunge, and myself.
I had found out about this show only a few hours before when Manny called me asking me to play because another band dropped off the bill. I eagerly accepted excited to play a show that someone else had done all the "promotion" for, and I could just swoop in and reap all the benefits without putting in any of the work. When I showed up to see only Manny, Urbindex, and Smoke Screen(Lord Grunge was a little late) I was less than enthused and contemplated not playing at all.
However after Smoke Screen and Urbindex each went up and completely rocked a set for absolutely no one I felt like a rock star asshole for even considering not playing over a poor turn out. After our sets I was talking with the acts a little bit and they were trying their best to stay positive about the turn out and not like the flopped first show of tour ruin the rest of the dates they had booked saying they just have to pay their dues in Pittsburgh like they did in Cleveland to get better turn outs. Later I overheard them talking with Grunge being a little harder on themselves about the lack of people at the show, he shook his head in disapproval and said, "no way dude, this is how you sharpen your teeth," and he was exactly right. Poor turn outs are part of playing DIY shows and there's nothing you can do to prevent it, all you can do is grin and bear it while playing your best at each gig no matter how many or how few people are at the show and you'll prevail, gaining however many fans/friends as possible at each stop. And that's exactly what Urbindex and Smoke Screen did with the three people at their show in Pittsburgh.
I'm pretty certain Ambidextrous is the release Urbindex put out right after the show in Pittsburgh. Check it out, it's good, it's free, and it's self produced.
This is probably Smoke Screens most recent release at the time of the show last May. These two compliment eachother really well and you can tell they've been rapping together for nearly five years by the way they can go back and forth and not just stick to switch off between verses.
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