MC Chris
7pm, Stage 3
How is it that a 32-year-old video-game- and film-crazed white rapper with zero label distribution (many of his CDs are available only at gigs in limited editions) consistently turns Emo’s outdoor stage into a veritable sarlacc pit of Katamari Damacy-inspired infectious fun?
“I think it’s just me being myself, and a lot of kids are just like me,” answers nerdcore superstar MC Chris, who can be heard on Adult Swim as Brak, Aqua Teen Hunger Force‘s Carl, and MC P Pants. “With so many musicians and artists, you’re never really clear about what they’re trying to say. With me, you know exactly how I feel. I talk my ass off between songs and let you know what’s going on in my life, and I crack a lot of jokes about video-game culture, movie culture, nerd culture, and all that stuff. But, honestly, I like to think it’s just me being me. I’m true to myself.”
Staying true for MC Chris includes hosting post-gig screenings of various geek film classics at the Alamo Drafthouse, where he flosses his knowledge of Endor and Hoth, Ripley and Spock, a role he’ll reprise on Saturday for Galaxy Quest.
“I was a screenwriting major at NYU,” Chris confides. “Austin is the one place where I can scratch that itch, too. It’s a way to keep on hanging out after the gig. The Alamo loves it because we sell out their theatre every time, and everybody eats tons of food because all my fans are stoners. They can’t wait to get a burger and fries after the show.”
This article appears in November 2 • 2007.