As Black Belt Eagle Scout noted on Thursday evening, she and Mato Wayuhi come from very different genres of music. BBES makes crunchy, guitar-driven indie rock, while Wayuhi is a hip-hop artist. Despite these differences, their work together is compelling, and they had the audience enthralled in their recent appearance at DC’s Songbyrd Music House, in an evening that featured great songs, lots of heart, and emphasis on culture, family, and their shared Native American heritage (BBES is Swinomish, hailing from the Pacific Northwest, and Wayuhi is Oglala Lakota, from South Dakota).
If you’ve seen the acclaimed series Reservation Dogs, Wayuhi’s music may be familiar to you. (If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it strongly, it’s one of the best TV series of the last decade.) His set included pieces he composed for the series, such as “Anora Awakes.” I was particularly touched by “Maisie Jones,” which he dedicated to the “badass women” who raised him — I was fortunate to grow up with a lot of badass women, too, and they made me the man I am today. Even more touching was when he brought up his nieces and nephews, who live in the DC area, to sing with him. He performed “Stankface” before he was joined by BBES. He also mentioned that this was his first playing in DC (which was also true of Ailani, who opened the show).
Watch the official music video for “Stankface” by Mato Wayuhi featuring A$h Da Hunter on YouTube:
The rest of the evening saw BBES and Wayuhi perform together and separately, doing songs they’ve written together, like the unreleased “Galaxy.” After the plaintive “My Heart Dreams,” BBES introduced “Don’t Give Up,” sharing that she’s seven months pregnant. In a moment of vulnerability, she admitted there’ve been a lot of times she’s wanted to give up, which we can all relate after these last half-dozen years. Most days, I get home from work, and I’m a potted plant — it took an effort of willpower to get myself to this show, and I’m glad I did. (I’m also glad I got to the venue when doors opened so I was able to grab one of the few seats available!)
Wayuhi took over, explaining he wrote “A Damn Shame” in “the throws of love,” which was fitting for a show just a couple of days before Valentine’s Day. “Soft Stud” dealt with similar subject matter; Wayuhi said, “Making eye contact with your muse sucks.”
Watch the official music video for “Soft Stud” by Black Belt Eagle Scout on YouTube:
Things got kicked off with an opening solo electric set by Ailani. She started with “Stormy Eye,” and her set also included “Warped Reality,” “Mortified,” and “Fond of You,” which was released on streaming on Valentine’s Day. Ailani had a warm, engaging stage presence and I really liked her songs.
A confession: for someone as into music as I am, I have listened to and know very little about hip-hop and rap. If Wayuhi and BBES weren’t touring together, I probably wouldn’t have encountered his music or seen him. This show expanded my horizons beyond the kinds of music I usually listen to and exposed me to some really good new music. Even being by nature an explorer, someone who seeks out new sounds and ideas, and who likes to be challenged with the novel and the unfamiliar, I still tend to do that within self-imposed limits.
While they may come from different musical angles, Wayuhi and BBES come from similar places in the themes and emotions they explore. I’m glad I summoned up the energy to make it Thursday night, as this show was full of warm, heartfelt moments that lifted my spirits and took me to some new places.
