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2009 Beer Festival Entertainment

Afternoon Session

THE CHELSY LAU BAND

Hailing from all corners of Rhode Island, The Chelsy Lau band formed in 2006 and has evolved into one of the Providence Area’s most riveting live musical acts. The name of their recently released debut album, "No Genre," reflects the band’s willingness to explore and combine different musical categories. The resulting sound is a soulful blend of rock, blues, soul, and funk executed with solid musical chops and shot through with raw emotion. The members cite Pink Floyd, Primus, and The Meters as major sources of inspiration. In 2008 and 2009, front-woman Chelsy Lau was nominated for “Best Female Vocalist” in both The Providence Phoenix’s Best Music Poll and the Motif Magazine Music Awards. In 2009 her nomination for the category of "best female vocalist" in the Providence Phoenix's best music poll took home the title. Live performances build equally in energy and excitement as the band provides the perfect background for Chelsy's stunning vocals and virtuosic piano playing.

To hear what The Chelsy Lau band is all about, visit them on
MySpace:myspace.com/chelsylau

Evening Session

POORLY DRAWN PEOPLE

 Poorly Drawn People is a social club for gentlemen of leisure, cleverly disguised as a band of Providence's favorite indie rap superheroes. The collective is composed of five like-minded artists that come together for live performances, recording sessions, and the occasional late night, whiskey-fueled roundtable. PDP, formed in 2005, is fronted by MCs Reason and Storm Davis, with soundscapes provided by producers Dox and Entity. Sterbyrock, who hosts one of Rhode Island's most popular independent radio shows on WRIU 90.3 FM, acts as the group's live DJ. The crew's live band is anchored by Berklee-trained drummer Austin Andrews (formerly of Jon Tierney & The Truth) and bassist Vinny Lucciola.

Rapidly evolving into a fully-functional record label, PDP has created a signature sound that fuses classic rap soundscapes with a refreshing voice and vision uncommon in the genre. The crew has introduced their brand of honest, homage-paying hip hop to audiences throughout the New England area and beyond, creating lasting impressions with their uniquely kinetic live shows and relentless work ethic.

Full-length releases include: Storm Davis's Kegstand Poetry for the Recovering Alcoholic (2006), Reason's Gemini Slang (2006), and Dusty Pickup (2007), a collaboration between producer Dox and RI-based rapper Symmetry. Poorly Drawn People has also released several DIY-style mixtapes, most notably Nothing Stays Gold (2007) and Shoot for the Stars, Hit the Ceiling (2008). In March of 2009, the crew dropped the double-EP Motion Not Emotion, which earned a 5-Star review from CDBaby.com and helped PDP win their third consecutive award in the Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll.

"If you've lost your patience with hip-hop, find it again. And once you do, check out Poorly Drawn People, the hope and future of Providence beats."- Providence Phoenix, March 2007

"Poorly Drawn People make serious hip-hop without taking themselves too seriously." - RapReviews.com. May 2009

Key facts about Poorly Drawn People:

• Winner of 2008 & 2009 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll, "Best Hip Hop Act."
• Winner of 2007 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll, "Best Album (all genres)" (Storm Davis's Kegstand Poetry)
• Performed live with notable hip hop acts, including Brother Ali, Mickey Avalon, Schwayze, KRS-One, Akrobatik, Mr. Lif, Last Emperor, Eyedea & Abilities, Vast Aire, C-Rayz Walz, Cappadonna (Wu-Tang Clan), LL Cool J, N.O.R.E., and Sage Francis.
• Live shows have taken PDP throughout the United States, with performances in markets such as Oakland, Seattle, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Boston and New York, and in festival settings such as Maryland's Band Together and Canada's Om Festival, as well as hometown festivals like Providence's SoundSession and IndieArts Festival.
• DJ Sterbyrock acts as host of WRIU 90.3 FM's Wednesday hip hop show, maintaining large audiences and gaining regular praise as the highest rated independent hip hop show in Rhode Island.
• Albums have received postive reviews on reputable Internet hubs such as www.rapreviews.com, www.okayplayer.com, and Wake Your Daughter Up (www.wydublog.com).

To hear what Poorly Drawn People is all about, visit them on
MySpace: www.myspace.com/poorlydrawnpeople
Reason: www.myspace.com/reason
Storm Davis: www.myspace.com/stormdavis
Dox: www.myspace.com/justinsayles
DJ Sterbyrock: www.myspace.com/sterbyrock
Entity: www.myspace.com/entityproductions

To download PDP's free mixtapes, visit these links:

Shoot for the Stars, Hit the Ceiling:
www.stormdavis.com/downloads/pdp_shootforthestars.zip

Nothing Stays Gold:
www.stormdavis.com/downloads/pdp_nothingstaysgold.zip