The Wilkes Agency

Dan Black and Samuel in California

Wilkes — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:35:09 +0000

So I have been hard at work the last few weeks putting together and managing the Samuel tour in California. Samuel will be opening for Dan Black for shows in Costa Mesa, LA, San Diego and Fresno. So far the tour is going very well and we’ve been having a blast. The first show was at Detroit bar in Costa Mesa. If you are in the LA area this week feel free to drop me an email at ian@wilkesagency.com to come to one of the shows. Lots of fun and good music ahead!

June 2nd – Costa Mesa at Detroit Bar
June 3rd – Los Angeles at The Roxy
June 4th – San Diego at Casbah
June 7th – Fresno at Starline

Just Blaze and The Alchemist Unleash “SOUNDCLASH” on Europe

Wilkes — Thu, 06 May 2010 21:30:35 +0000

The past few weeks I have been hard at work helping my good friends over at Clockwork Music put together the SOUNDCLASH tour featuring The Alchemist and Just Blaze in Europe. This is going to be an incredible tour featuring two of the most legendary producers and djays in hip hop today. The first show is TONIGHT in the East Village in London UK. The rest of the shows are listed below. We have already started making plans to bring this tour to the states so if you would the like The Alchemist and Just Blaze to come tear it down in your city email ian@wilkesagency.com or dan@clockwork-music.com for booking details or if you are interested in tickets for any of the Europe dates. Enjoy.

“JUST BLAZE & ALCHEMIST UNLEASH “SOUNDCLASH” ON EUROPE

May 6 London, United Kingdom / East Village
May 7 Bordeaux, France / BT59
May 8 Nantes, France / Jongl’Hop
May 9 Amsterdam, Netherlands / Bitterzoet
May 11 London, United Kingdom / East Village
May 12 Zurich, Switzerland / Rote Fabrik
May 13 Milan, Italy / Tunnel
May 14 Paris, France w/ DJ Premier / Elysee Montmartre
May 15 Marseille, France / Cabaret Aleatoire
May 16 Helsinki, Finland / Virgin Oil Co.

Two of the world’s most legendary producers have joined forces to create a show like no other. With a catalogue of hits that includes the biggest and brightest names in music today, these two legendary producers are putting it down on the decks as they play off each other in a display of skills and selection in true sound clash style.

Just Blaze is one of the most creative forces in the game. Having cut his teeth in the late 90’s creating underground bangers for the likes of Buckshot, his distinctive sound soon caught the ear of the major players in the game and he soon had beats featured on albums from the likes of Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Big Pun & Jadakiss. However, it was as an in-house producer for Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records imprint where he initially became a household name, producing instant classics for Kanye West, Cam’ron, Freeway, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel; and of course the main man himself, Jay-Z, who has featured Just Blaze’s epic production on six of his last seven albums–all of which have gone platinum!

The Jersey born producer, also known as the Megatron Don, has a distinctive sound drenched in soul that still bangs so hard it rocks dance-floors across the globe while simultaneously influencing many of the biggest producers in the game. Just Blaze will undoubtedly be treating a packed house to a fantastic mix of his own productions and the influences behind them in this exclusive sound clash set.

The Alchemist, as the name would suggest, has a knack of turning things into gold, in his case samples and loops. Having got his start in the production game under the tutelage of two of the biggest names in the game (DJ Premier and DJ Muggs), this California native has made a name for himself for his trademark rough Boom Bap style hits. Through his work on albums for underground favorites Dilated Peoples & Defari he came to the attention of Mobb Deep who chose to feature his beats on their classic Murda Muzik LP; and he has has not looked back since.

With a resume that now reads like a who’s who of Hip-Hop’s elite; including work with Nas, Ghostface, Lil-Wayne, Emimem (The Alchemist serves as his tour DJ), Big Pun, Fat Joe & Raekwon to just name a few.

Just Blaze and Alchemist’s “Soundclash Tour” promises to be a legendary performance from two of the most respected names in Hip-Hop history; its also one that needs to be both seen and heard to be believed.

St. Petersburg Florida and The Don Cesar

Wilkes — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:15:06 +0000

I spent a week down in South Florida on St. Pete Beach recently. St. Pete is a beautiful region of Florida once you cross the bay way and head out toward Fort Desoto beach which was named America’s #1 beach in 2005. One of the other highlights of St. Pete is the Don Cesar Beach Resort and Spa. I had the pleasure of getting to do a site visit here and experience some of the hospitality. The Don is situated in a beautiful spot right on the beach with two good sized pools and a nice big beach side bar right in the middle of all the action. The F&B was par however the facilities and service were great. Very friendly staff and about as prompt as you could expect given the lax style of South Florida. The rooms were standard for for a large Lowes Beach Resort, I wasn’t wowed but was not disappointed by any means. Below are a few photos of the pool area and a little of me getting my frozen drink on.

The other highlights of my trip were all the grimy little bars and restaurants right on the harbor. A good friend of mine that lives in St. Pete took me to some of them for some local catch and evening cocktails, so good. Most all of them had doc space for boats pull up so boaters could just jump out and be right in the restaurant. Below are a view candid shots I took from my phone. The spots to mention would be The Wharf and The Sloppy Pelican, great food and lively scenes.

SXSW 2010 Recap

Wilkes — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:05:26 +0000

The trip to Austin this year for SXSW was a huge success and a great time. I want to recap some of the bigger acts that I saw that were great as well as some hidden gems that I just happened to stumble upon. (Above photo credit Loren Wohl)

The first group I want to talk about is The Very Best. These guys came out onto the Fader Fort stage and absolutely set the place on fire. One of the most hype performances I saw without a doubt. This group is straight out of Africa coming through with amazing hooks, melodies and beats that will just melt your face. They have a great classic reggae feel to them as well with a very tropical sound. In fact I coined my own phrase to describe The Very Best and that is Trop Pop. Definitely keep an eye for this one and make sure to check out their myspace.

Next up, a very non traditional hip hop artist that got it absolutely cracking in the packed spot was Alabama’s own Yelawolf. The beauty of this show was that I randomly walked in on it at Beauty Bar not knowing he was playing. When I walked in he was just starting his track Pop The Trunk. He had the spot filled to the brim with every head in the spot singing “Don’t make me pop the trunk… on youu.” So amazing. Very unique style, voice and fantastic to watch live.

Of course I have to talk about the home town hero Samuel. Samuel played two showcases the first of which was the Hypem showcase however his second show for the Neon Gold Records showcase was the show that made you want to go back to your hotel room after and write your mom about how good it was. Samuel did not hesitate to bang out what may have been one of his best performance yet opening for Marina and the Diamonds for a sold out Lamberts BBQ. Samuel only seems to ripen a little more after each show and is slowly becoming the great pop artist I have faith he will one day become. Look out for his debut album entitled “Trains to Wanderland” which will be dropping this July.

This next adventure I’m going to tell you about was by far the most epic. After a long night of drinking I found myself back near The Mansion, my resting place, with my friend Luka. There was this dump of a frat house right across the street from the hotel and we heard some great music coming out of the place so we decided to check it out. As the current band was finishing people outside on the lawn were hurrying us in saying, lets go The Bubbles are about to go on. The Bubbles indeed, I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears, these guys were simply amazing. Incredible live show, drunk off their asses and having a blast. Huge mosh pit took up the whole main floor of the spot and these guys tore it down. A great indie pop band from Austin and a true gem. Incredible light poppy sound with that unique touch to it that can get anyone moving and feeling good. After my friend Luka and I left the show we kept laughing saying, no one will believe us when we tell them about The Bubbles experience. It was simply that good and I will remember it above any of the other performances I saw.

So until next year folks, it was an epic one. Drinks, laughs, adventure and music, couldn’t be better.

Austin Texas: SXSW 2010

Wilkes — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:32:21 +0000

Heading out to SXSW next week and couldn’t be more excited. Many big things happening within the family including HeavRoc Music’s very own Samuel to perform in the Neon Gold showcase and the Hypem Showcase on Thursday March 18th. However for me I’ve been booking hotels and flights for many managers, indie/major labels, bands and artists for SXSW for a good 2 months now. After booking some great hotels it was time to decide where I was going to be resting my bones this year. Last year my number one pick was The Driskill which I think is by far Austin’s finest. Kind of like the Waldorf Astoria or the Plaza to New York but not played out just yet, this place is truly where its at. Located in the heart of downtown Austin, this hotel offers a product second to none. Fantastic hospitality and the location couldn’t be better for bands or SXSW goers. This hotel was a huge success for me last year. I also booked several rooms at The Mansion on Judges Hill. A little more on the boutique side and located on the Northern part of downtown but still in a great location for SXSW action. This is my hotel of choice for 2010 and is where I will be staying. I expect great things from this property and from my talks with the managers there thus far I am excited for a great stay. So lets rip down south for some feel good times in Texas and look out for my affiliated showcases! Check the flyer below.

Samuel and The Postelles at Bowery Electric

Wilkes — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:13:20 +0000

Last Wednesday the Bowery Electric basement in New York City had the special treat of witnessing two highly anticipated rising stars in new popular music. Samuel and The Postelles performed absolutely solid sets, showcasing never before heard songs off of their upcoming debut albums both due out the spring. The show was the first epic of a short residency that The Postelles are hosting at Bowery Electric every Wednesday of this month. The Postelles have one more show left this month at Bowery on February 17th and its FREE. Photos from the show below are courtesy of Joe Scordo.

Cook.Eat.Drink.Live

Wilkes — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:38:46 +0000

A few weeks ago I went to check out the Cook.Eat.Drink.Live show at Le Venue in NYC. The show was awesome with displays and food from over 30 well known restaurants and vendors from NYC including Morton’s Steakhouse, Blue Moon Brewery and Vermont Spirits. Of course I spent a good amount of time at the Vermont Spirits table getting quite loose of their free shots of Vodka given that I am a Vermont native myself. I typically don’t drink Vodka much but I was taken with the taste of their White, Gold and Premium flavors made from fermented tree sap, amazing. The wine tasting was also something worth mentioning with over 200 wines from the northeast and many coming from upstate New York. I also sat in on a fall cocktail demonstration from one of the mixoligists from Apotheke Bar in China town in NYC. If you’ve never been to this bar it is definitely worth setting a side to get nice off of their signature cocktails and shots. Below are some images I took from my cell phone of the show. I will definitely be back next year!

DAN EATS

Wilkes — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:05:51 +0000

As a big fan of not only lodging/hospitality and travel I am also a big food fan. I am not the most knowledgeable about different cousines and I usually learn and taste something new every time I dine. A good friend of mine named Daniel Pappas is similar to me in this way and put simply in his own words he tends to think of each meal as his last. In this daily struggle to find the best meal possible at a reasonable cost in New York City there is quite the cognitive process that occurs as you can imagine.

Daniel has taken this conundrum and turned it into a great blog which I think is awesome. If I’m not with Daniel getting soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai or getting it in with the best burger in New York at Corner Bistro I can keep tabs on him via his new blog aptly named Dan Eats. Great blog from a great guy. And just for fun I uploaded a picture here of a burger I ate last night at Stone Street Tavern in the financial district of NYC. This burger is what they call the Bleu Burger. An 8 oz chunk of heaven injected with bleu cheese. This is the most inventive way I’ve seen to add cheese to a burger yet and may I say it was spectacular. So good I took a picture on the spot and sent it to Daniel himself. Enjoy.

Weekly Travel Deals

Wilkes — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:42:45 +0000

I know the travel deals portion of the blog has a lacked a little so I’m going to try to set up my weekly deals every week so everyone can stay caught up and hopefully get some traveling done. You know who what to do when you see something you might want; ian@wilkesagency.com.

3 Night Las Vegas flight and Hotel from $200 per person (deal ends 11/1/09)

Stay at the NEW YORK NEW YORK Resort in Las Vegas

New York-New York Hotel & Casino presents a scaled-down Manhattan skyline of famous buildings rising in a Western desert. This south-end Strip resort features a roller-coaster ride around skyscrapers, an expansive pool and jet spas for outdoor fun.

Check out the resorts website here for more information on the resort itself and for pictures.

Hotel Mela NYC

Stay at the fantastic new luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Manhattan from only $179 per night from 10/30/09 – 11/3/09. This deal is a last second deal so don’t hesitate! Check out Hotel Mela’s website at www.hotelmela.com. Hotel Mela is part of a chain of luxury boutique hotels called Desires Hotels. Make sure to check them out as well and stay tuned for more deals with this company.

TODAY ONLY FALL FARE SALE TO EUROPE!

Go to Florence, Milan, Prague, Madrid, Venice and more from only $249 each way. This deal ends today 10/29/09 so act quickly.

Fall Hotel Sale in New Orleans

Book by November 2, 2009 for travel between October 5 – November 30, 2009 to recieve rates as low as $39 per night for some of New Orleans hottest hotels including Royal St. Charles Hotel, Hotel La Cirque, Chateau Bourbon, and over 15 more hotels.

HUGE AMERICAN AIRLINES SALE: RATES FROM $25 NATIONWIDE ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT

Check out flight deals from $25 and up nationwide HERE

Some Great Travel Deals

Wilkes — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:22:33 +0000

Hey everyone,

Just want to share some incredible travel deals that we are now offering. Please email ian@wilkesagency.com if any of the following appeal to you. Also, make sure to keep us in mind for your corporate and leisure travel needs. We keep costs down and quality up.

MILAN AND FRANKFURT GERMANY

$232 and up each way to Milan and Frankfort Germany. R/T required.

Book by 09/18/2009

Depart between: 10/26/2009-12/10/2009

Return between: 1/01/2009-03/10/2010

BARCELONA VACATION

From $599, book by October 15th for travel from 11/01/09 – 11/07/09

Roundtrip flight to Barcelona
6-night hotel accommodations
Continental breakfast daily
Hotel taxes and service charges included

THE VENETIAN, LAS VEGAS

Enjoy the AAA rated 5 Diamond resort at just $159 per night

Stay from Sunday – Thursday through December 28th