For Your Consideration is a semi-regular feature on Guerrilla Candy that looks at the lesser-knowns of the local music community
Named after this guy, Eli/Porter is a local six-piece band that blends elements of hip hop and rock and while rap-rock is the first thing that comes to mind when listening to their music Eli/Porter is not rap-rock of the Limp Bizkit varierty.
The band features an MC (Colby McGehee) and a vocalist (Richard Latham) who compliment one another well with McGehee spitting rapid-fire rhymes and Latham’s impressive pipes setting the tone for the band’s blending of musical styles. The pair have an impressive dynamic on stage which is what gives Eli/Porter its edge over your standard band trying to recreate the sounds of 1999.
If it sounds like the band gives off a bit of a Linkin Park vibe (one song even features McGehee repeating “I’m about to break”), you’re right and this can be a good or bad thing depending on how you feel about Chester Bennington and Co. Luckily unlike Linkin Park for the most part the band’s DJ, Matt Rice, stays away from the music and lets his beats and the skills of his bandmates speak for themselves.
Earlier this month the group opened a Sunday night all-ages bill of rock groups at the Showbox headlined by The Classic Crime, aka the pride of Cashmere, Wash. and to say Eli/Porter’s rap-rock tinged songs won over the crowd is an understatement. During their 25-minute set Eli/Porter’s high energy and impressive musicianship (guitarist Kenny McLean is the group’s secret weapon) made sure the kids walked away satisfied and impressed by the evening’s opening act.
While that show happened to be filled with bands that make music for the Hot Topic masses, the versatility of Eli/Porter makes sure the group would also fit in on a hip-hop heavy bill. They definitely straddle genre lines and the blurring of boundaries is something that will likely work in their favor down the road.
Eli/Porter performs about one show every three or four weeks so you have to be on the lookout if you want to catch them live. You can also check out some music over on their website. However, don’t be fooled by the funk rock sound you hear from the recorded material, the band is definitely a different beast in a live setting so make sure to see them perform before passing judgment.
