We kicked off the month of August at the Mean Eyed Cat for our sixth Mood Live. Each month, we team up with the Austin Music Foundation to showcase talented musicians from AMF’s inaugural Artist Development Program (learn more about this incredible program HERE) for an intimate audience of Mood Music Designers, team members and local music supporters.
For the latest installment of the live series, we turned the spotlight on the group that took home the award for “Best Hip-Hop/Rap Performing Band” at the 2017 Austin Music Awards, Magna Carda. The performance featured Megz Kelli, Chris Beale (aka Dougie Do), and Michael Gonzales in a unique scaled-down set up.
It’s only been a few years since MC Megz Kelli and producer Dougie Do joined forces while attending St. Edward’s University, but this hometown group has quickly risen to the top of Austin’s burgeoning hip-hop scene. Their sound has evolved to seamlessly blend their diverse influences and the latest EP, Somewhere Between, proves that Magna Carda has really come into their own.
As solid as Magna Carda is on their releases, there’s nothing better than seeing the songs live. The scaled down set up didn’t impact the group’s energy and Megz used every free inch of the stage as she moved along with the rhythm of her thoughtful verses. After the first song, Megz coaxed our (sometimes shy) audience to fill in the empty space in front of the stage so the band could properly vibe with them. The group’s off-the-cuff setlist flowed from new songs to cuts from Somewhere Between to highlights from their previous releases (such as “Angela Bassett” from last year’s Cirqlation).
Watch Magna Carda’s performance of “Jazz 99′” from the Somewhere Between EP below.
The prolific group is already working on their next release so expect to hear new music soon. Austinites can catch a full performance on September 27th at the final The Wine Down of the season at 3TEN ACL Live (a series that benefits our friends at AMF!).
Our appreciation to everyone that’s made Mood Live a success, including Austin Music Foundation, Independence Brewing, Loudmouth Rentals, and the Mean Eyed Cat. We can’t believe it, but September’s event will be the last!
– Submitted by Jessica Reed and Brad Bond, Marketing