Juiceboxxx, a Milwaukee rapper and avid proponent of the caps lock key, is set to play Gabe’s this Sunday at 10 p.m. with tourmate DJ George Costanza. Currently in the midst of their Business As Usual Tour, the duo will be joined on stage by locals Giant Question Mark and Ion.
Juiceboxxx has been called “the Buddy Holly of hip-hop” by Chuck D of Public Enemy, “a fucking rap star” by Vice, and “The Milwaukee Maniac” by, well, himself.
These over-the-top endorsements are fitting for such an over-the-top musician. His live shows are frenetic displays of punk infused hip-hop, with an unmatched enthusiasm for simply playing in front of a crowd. Fans of Andrew W.K. or Dan Deacon, or regional artists like Trouble Lights or Little Ruckus, will find a similar intensity in Juiceboxxx. Just look at his horribly awkward appearance on a Milwaukee talk show, in which a series of technical difficulties lead to a performance that’s as compelling as it is disastrous.
Though that talk show appearance is a bit off-putting, don’t worry. Juiceboxxx has proven his skill over the past decade, playing in eighteen countries and touring with such disparate acts as Public Enemy, Japanther and Jeff the Brotherhood. His sound (which he says “connect[s] the dots between rap, dance, punk and classic rock”) does fit in oddly well with all of those groups.
On top of that, if you haven’t seen Giant Question Mark yet, make sure to catch their set. A relatively new collaboration between Alex Body and Joe Heuermann (of Goldendust), Giant Question Mark is one of the most interesting acts playing in Iowa City right now. As dancey and rhythmic as they are heady, Body and Heuermann nicely complement their respective approaches to electronic music, making songs that feel like conversations told between synths and drum machines.
