''Nerdcore Rising'' is a documentary/

concert film A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history The ...

starring

MC Frontalot Damian Hess (born December 3, 1973), better known by his stage name MC Frontalot, is an American rapper and web designer. Hess began releasing music as MC Frontalot in 1999. His first successes came through Song Fight!, an online songwriting and ...

and other

nerdcore hip hop Nerdcore is a genre of hip hop music characterized by subject matter considered of interest to nerds and geeks. Self-described nerdcore musician MC Frontalot has the earliest known recorded use of the term (to describe this genre) in the 2000 ...

artists such as

mc chris Christopher Brendan Ward IV, better known by the stage name mc chris (stylized in all lower case), is an American rapper, voice actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for his high-pitched voice and for combining his "geek" background with the ...

, Wheelie Cyberman of

Optimus Rhyme Optimus Rhyme was a hip hop music, hip hop group from Seattle, Washington. Optimus Rhyme is most widely considered a nerdcore group because of the nerdy nature of their lyrics. Optimus Prime, The name of the band as well as the stage names of t ...

and

MC Lars Andrew Robert Nielsen (born October 6, 1982), known professionally as MC Lars, is an American record producer, rapper, cartoonist, podcaster and educator. Lars is one of the self-proclaimed originators of "lit-hop", and is the founder and CEO of ...

, with contributors from artists such as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Prince Paul, and

Brian Posehn Brian Edmund Posehn (; born July 6, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, musician, and writer. After numerous appearances as a television guest star, Posehn acquired his first major recurring role in HBO's '' Mr. Show wi ...

. The film, directed and produced by

Negin Farsad Negin Farsad ( fa, نگین فرساد; born March 24, 1978) is an Iranian-American comedian, actress, writer, and filmmaker based in New York City. Early life and education Farsad was born in 1978 in New Haven, Connecticut, to an Iranian Americ ...

, was premiered at the 2008 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. It combines interviews about nerdcore and its origins with footage of MC Frontalot's 2006 Nerdcore Rising national tour.

Film content

The film investigates the nerdcore genre of hip-hop music, following the godfather of the genre, MC Frontalot, on his first national tour. Beginning in South Carolina and culminating at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, masses of fans across the country come out to hear Frontalot's music as he strives to achieve mainstream success. Behind the scenes, relationships among Frontalot and his band are challenged by their experiences on the road. Frontalot and keyboard player Gaby Alter, a.k.a. G Minor 7, are childhood friends, and both met bass guitarist Brandon Patton, a.k.a. Blak Lotus, in college. Strugis, the drummer, tries to fit in as the new member and Brandon, the so-called flirt of the band, is a taskmaster in Sturgis. Throughout the film, music industry notables provide insight into Nerdcore. Old school trailblazers like Prince Paul and contemporary hip hop aficionados like

J-Live Jean-Jacques Cadet (born February 22, 1976), better known by his stage name J-Live, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer. Life and career J-Live released his debut studio album, '' The Best Part'', in 2001. It featured production by ...

examine the legitimacy of nerdcore as a subgenre of hip hop. Celebrities like "Weird Al" Yankovic discuss the origins of nerdcore while '' Penny Arcade'' creators Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins expound on the digital revolution that is enabling the nerdcore movement. MC Frontalot strives to live in a world where nerdcore is a real genre of hip-hop and where other MCs take him seriously.

DVD release

The DVD of ''Nerdcore Rising'' was sold in limited release in August 2008. It was sold for the first time at the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle. It was released widely on 15 September 2009.

References

External links

* * * * 2008 films American documentary films Documentary films about hip hop music and musicians Nerdcore 2000s English-language films 2000s American films {{music-documentary-film-stub