I'm a little late in writing about the BQs, who I saw Thursday night at Kings. BQ is Brian Quast, a multi-instrumentalist who has been in several local bands, including The Cherry Valence and Regraped. The band also includes former Polvo guitarist Ash Bowie on bass and Erik Sugg, formerly of Dragstrip Syndicate, on guitar.

When I've seen them before, the band just didn't do that much for me, so I hadn't gone out of my way to see them in a while. They were just straighforward, but not particularly memorable, pop. I don't know what happened, but now they've got a really cool Humble Pie vibe. Erik is one of those naturally gifted guitarists who can come up with an awesome riff seemingly off the top of his head. Some of that musicianship must have rubbed off on Brian, who has gone from being pretty good to damn good. But I still think Ash -- one of the most inventive guitarists ever to emerge from this area -- is being underutilized.

The coolest things only happen when I'm out of town!

If you're in Raleigh this weekend and you love bhangra and Bollywood music, you really should catch Panjabi Hit Squad at Regency Park in Cary this weekend. If I'd known this in advance, I probably would have changed my plans (seriously). And speaking of Regency Park, that's where I saw C.C. Deville plant a smacker on Jessica's lips last year. Everyone I tell that to asks if her shots are up-to-date

Anyway, here's the info from DJ Marco, who is truly an expert on this sort of stuff.

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PARTY 1 (11am-8pm)
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PANJABI HIT SQUAD at Cary Diwali
Koka Booth Ampitheatre at Regency Park
8003 Regency Pkwy - Cary NC 27511
Event is from 11am-8pm, PHS hits the stage at 6pm
FREE ADMISSION!
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Since their beginnings in the 1990s club scene, British production team Panjabi Hit Squad have written the book on hiphop and bhangra fusion. Between their weekly radio show on BBC Asian Network, releases on the AV8 and Def Jam UK labels, and remixes + production work for artists such as Gunjan and Beenie Man, there is no doubt that PHS are the Don Rajas of the desi beats scene! Don't miss this VERY RARE US PERFORMANCE!!!

And make sure arrive early for the rest of the festival, too. The 2004 Cary Diwali is dedicated to celebrating Taal - Beats of India. Experience the food, entertainment, and fun of India as well as register for hourly raffle drawings. Arrive early to receive FREE phone cards!

The best thing? Admission, including the PHS performance, is FREE!!!

http://www.humsub.net/
http://www.amphitheatreatregencypark.com/


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PARTY 2 (10pm-2am)
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MASALA BEAT CLUB at Berkeley Café
217 West Martin St. - Downtown Raleigh NC 27601 - 919.821.0777
Doors open at 9pm, music starts at 10pm
$5 admission
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After Panjabi Hit Squad and the fireworks at Cary Diwali, make your tracks directly to North Carolina's ONLY monthly desi dance party! We're moving things to Raleigh tonight to give the Capital City a taste of desi beats for real. DJ Marco will provide the heaviest bhangra, hiphop, + bollywood sounds while DJ Mogambo throws down hectic South Asian drum'n'bass and electronic heat.

We plan on having some VIP desi celebrity guests in the house that are too hot for us to even mention, so keep the party going all night with the Masala Beat Club crew! And remember, even if you plan on catching Shankar & Gingger with Zakir Hussain at Page Auditorium at 7:30 tonight, you'll still have plenty of time after the concert to party with us!

http://www.berkeleycafe.com/
http://www.solidsoundsystem.com/