Eclectic Shock

Ah, the mystique of the Ladmo Bag. Not only did it contain a dizzying mix of candy and knickknacks, it was also bestowed upon kiddies from the sainted hands of the Wallace & Ladmo characters.

Bear Cole, a.k.a. Bear the Astronot, thinks music should be a similar fountain of treats. As he points out, "I don't know many people who don't have a mix of a lot of music genres in their iPod." Cole took this philosophy and synthesized The Grab Bag, a showcase featuring the funky sounds of The Skacas, Ryan Poulson’s rolling acoustic act, and the entire lineup of local hip-hop label Orchestra Records.

"Most shows have either just live bands or just rappers, but I wanted to bring them both together in one show," says Cole, who will perform songs from his latest album, Cricket Songs. The tunes, he says, were first cultivated as a kid growing up in Grand Canyon National Park: "My first freestyle ciphers were in native drum circles on the lip of the Grand Canyon.”