Word has it, in the smaller than small entertainment industry circle of the Puget Sound and the Great Northwest we have some talented artists out here. One such talent that I have been privileged to hear over and over and actually had a chance to see perform live are The Staxx Brothers.

The Staxx Brothers are performing live for the release party for their album, The 12 Street Blues in Downtown Olympia at the famed Eastside Club Saturday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. With a band set-up, the group is composed of musicians, male and female vocalists and maybe one of the most potent voices you have never heard. Decurrian is a dope MC from the city of Tacoma who has ravaged microphones with a stage presence and lyrical tenacity all his own. A college-educated MC, Decurrian (a name derived from the Roman word Decurion which means “A commander of a troop of thirty soldiers”) came to local prominence while rapping with respected producer, Tyrant and club legend, DJ Goldfinger in the rolling hills of Pullman and the Palouse area at Washington State University (Go Cougs!). Always respected and noted for his distinct flow, lyrics and voice — Decurrian achieved local celebrity status, but much like other “talented” people he would find himself in the maze of business and life. 

Oh … Did I mention that Decurrian is legally blind?

Not only is he a dope MC, but Decurrian (also known as DC Staxx) has seen his way through the so-called “impairment” of his blindness with a third-eye thinking and rhyming style that today has him fronting The Staxx Brothers with fellow WSU Coug, DP Staxx. I gotta give it up in a real way to Decurrian, because while so many people on the daily talk about what they can’t do, while so many so-called MCs complain about “the struggle” — my man is over here challenging and succeeding against what some would succumb to. So, in that way Decurrian is more than an MC — he’s a role model, a go-getter and a true inspiration for what an MC was coined to be … a master of ceremonies whose sight was beyond what two eyes can see … a visionary of sorts is what Decurrian is. So, check the brother out Oct. 4 with The Staxx Brothers at the Eastside Club in The O.

Lacey is trying to get its weight up on the map of South Sound nightlife … The Place (that’s right … the title is — The Place) is a new spot having its grand opening at the end of September. This is relatively odd for Lacey, a cousin-city to Olympia that is known for its clusters of neighborhoods, parks, shopping centers and a real-estate market that has slowed to a crawl. Anyway, The Place is set to change the game a bit by introducing an actual dance floor to Lacey. Most cats from Lacey go south to The O (Olympia … for those who slept) or north to Tac-Town (you already know …). With DJs Heather Dunn & Luvva J on deck to rock the spot, you can find out for yourself if The Place is the place to be!

Finally, big shot to Olympia’s Todd Denny of the Gear Up with Music program. I had an opportunity to accompany Denny to a dope music academy that he conducts with young people. The camp that I attended was with the Swinomish Tribe in La Conner, Wash. (Skagit County). Gear Up teaches primarily young people of color and those who are living with challenging conditions, that they have a voice, talent and a future without resorting to cultural poisons like alcohol, drugs and violence that have strategically, purposefully and historically decimated entire peoples, tribes and nations. Get this — at the end of the camp, where the young people were taught lessons about choosing alternatives to self-destructive behavior and taught self-esteem, story-telling, writing and performance skills over a three-day period — on the fourth day the students recorded an album titled, The Swinomish Project. That’s Hip-Hop! 

Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. is an editor, writer and producer. A graduate of Washington State University and student at The Evergreen State College, he writes and edits the Pacific Northwest section of OZONE Magazine and hosts and produces Live From I-5 Radio (since ‘89) every Friday at 3 p.m. on KAOS 89.3 FM (www.kaosradio.org) in Olympia. He writes a weekly hip-hop column in the music section on the Weekly Volcano’s Web site —  HYPERLINK "http://www.weeklyvolcano.com" weeklyvolcano.com.