Ellington

On Sunday, Oct. 23, Dreamz JXN (426 Capitol St.) hosts the one-year anniversary of its showcase concerts for independent hip-hop artists. The "Salute to Indies Day" will feature a number of artists and groups who have participated in the bi-monthly concerts since they began. Jackson favorites Cassius, Tricky, Coke Bumaye, Skipp Coon, PyInfamous, Pee Wee, Dem Boyz, Smokin Aces, 5th Child, James Crow and others will rock the stage.

Showcase organizer and host Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin (who is a Jackson Free Press columnist) believes that the series' greatest strength is the diversity of the artists. "The biggest positive I've seen is the networking between the artists and the collaborations and music that has emerged as a result of guys who otherwise wouldn't have been in the same venue," he says.

Kamikaze is adamant about framing the showcases as "indie" as opposed to "local," even though the majority of the artists that have performed as part of the series are in fact local to Jackson. "The term 'local,' although not malicious in itself, has become a way to belittle and insult the independent artist. The connotation is that you are 'small.' It immediately puts you in a box," he says. "I want to change that perception. Our artists are 'indie' artists, because they are doing the work and putting out product."

Salute to Indies Day goes down Oct. 23 at Dreamz JXN. Admission is $10 and doors open at 6 p.m.