Maxx of Apples and Spades.
HOT DAMN!
9 p.m., the Village. $5.
Max Farrell, the 19-year-old MC who fronts the live hip-hop band Apples and Spades, is fond of framing his young career in politically expansive terms. Last year, he named his solo debut “The Rise of Maxxism,” and he coined his move last fall to Grinnell College in Iowa as the “Grand Expansion.” The group’s new EP, “State of Things,” finds Farrell offering an interior look at Maxxism, which is to say, his lyrics often come across like diary entries. As in most diaries, some of the material is trite, but there’s plenty of surprising wordplay, insight and smart instrumentation to keep you bobbing along. In only a handful of performances, the band’s already developed a knack for stirring up a crowd. Also on the bill: one of Farrell’s mentors, 607, who’s lately been laying low learning to play the violin. Local rappers Mike Streezy and Playalaid share the bill. DJ Shawn Lee mans the turntables. There’ll be prizes given to those wearing the best Hawaiian shirts.
Stream “State of Things” below.