Five Guys, One Idea, Six Years Running

Thursday Night Blunt Club Celebrates 6th Anniversary

Promoter Doug Quick and his business partner and friend, artist Dumper Foo, will be celebrating the 6th anniversary of the Blunt Club on Thursday, May 15th, at Club Red in Tempe. Back in 2002, the regular Thursday night fusion of live art and hip hop quickly found a home in the hearts of Valley artists and night revelers who were yearning for something unique on the street. Though the night has moved from the original venue, each time to a bigger one over the course of its existence, the message has remained strong and has provided the anchor for the Blunt Club’s longevity. “It’s about positivity and bringing different people together,” says Quick, who recently relocated the Blunt Club to Club Red in Tempe to provide more space and opportunity for Blunt Club's growth and future. “It started as a spoken word night (the inspiration for the event’s name, as in blunt language), with Dumper and friends painting and adding to the atmosphere. There were prizes, some slam poetry, and a DJ would play between sets, so it became kind of a party vibe. Our longtime host and co-founder, Emerg McVay, brought a lot of different people in, so pretty soon the Blunt Club was a melting pot of DJs, promoters, musicians, poets, artists, and MCs. It has evolved quite a bit, but for six years we never missed a night.” Quick also credits friends and resident performers Pickster-One and DJ Element as rounding out the five primary players in the Blunt Club’s emergence on the Valley cultural landscape.  

The 6th anniversary will see the Blunt Club continue its quest to produce what Dumper Foo refers to as “the biggest hip hop night in Arizona.” With the space that Club Red provides (capacity 600+ with both Club Red and Red Owl open), Quick is able to book bigger acts and provide performers with the necessities of a ‘show’, and not a ‘gig’, including a top quality light and sound system, a large stage, and the amazing 1200 sq. ft wooden dance floor that the masses adore. “We got groups like Public Enemy, Black Sheep, and the Executioners to come out here,” he says, “and the legendary Afrika Bambatta on June 5th.  The Blunt Club represents a wide collaboration of big local and national acts.”  

Prolific Valley rapper Lucky D gives the event high marks for its “efficiency”. “All forms of hip hop culture come together,” he says. “From MCs to B Boys, DJs, rappers, graffiti artists; whatever. The Blunt Club represents the culture in an artistic way, and all the elements are present for artists and fans. They do an incredible job bringing it all together. It’s not just a bunch of rappers taking the stage one after another; there’s a lot more going on.”  

A kinetic feel of activity and widespread involvement infuses the Blunt Club, providing the unique atmosphere that has seen its followers triple over the years. Central to this energy is the live paintings that Dumper Foo and his mates create while the stage is occupied. “Art and music go together naturally,” he says. “As an artist, my work is going to be influenced by the people around me watching, and their energy is determined by what’s going on on-stage. So the music really determines the mood of the fans and the nature of the artwork that results from it. The hip hop at Blunt Club isn’t about slappin’ girls and shooting guns; it’s mostly positive, and that comes out in what we do as artists.”  

Though Dumper and many of his invited friends like to create graffiti influenced art, all types of different paintings result from any given night at the Blunt Club. “Yeah, there’s a lot of urban art, but there is no limitation to what someone might be feeling at a certain time and what they create,” he says. “I mean, I’ve painted at death metal shows, and paint to different music genres, but really it’s about creating something that you feel from the crowd around you. The diversity of the crowd encourages diverse paintings. Everyone comes as they are, and no one judges anyone. That’s why we’re going on six years now, because it’s a positive gathering of people, music, and art that anyone can come to and feel like they’re a part of something different.” 

Featured Guests:
Flying Lotus
Myka9
Drunken Immortals

Residents:
Element, Pickster-One, Tricky T and Hyder
Host- Emerg Mcvay

2nd Room:
Drum ‘N Bass and Dubstep

Specials:
50¢ Heinekens 9-11pm

The Blunt Club
www.myspace.com/bluntclub  

Club Red
2155 E. University Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 968-2114