April 15 | 9 p.m. | $10-$15
Moe’s BBQ | Tahoe City
Rasar, the frontman for The Lique (pronounced “leak”) is tall — with his jet-black Afro, chiseled features and commanding physique, he stands out in a room. I bumped into him at Moody’s in downtown Truckee a few months ago. During the band’s break, he thanked me for stopping by and gave me a copy of their CD. His kind, gentle and charismatic nature struck me. The quintet, dressed in their signature suits, is billed as a hip-hop jazz band, but like many artists they stretch genre boundaries.
Rasar, originally from Sacramento, was a regular in the music scene there. He played in a number of bands before moving to Las Vegas three years ago.
“I met my homegirl Butterscotch [singer, beatboxer and musician] and took a leap and moved out there. She’s the reason I’ve been able to get around the world,” says Rasar.
The Lique is on an upward trajectory with their unique sound that fuses jazz and hip-hop. Their performances are alive, upbeat and thought provoking.
Initially he worked as an usher; within in a month, he was offered a job as an emcee at a club on the Las Vegas strip.
“I had no script. I ran around the club, danced and sang,” he said.
From there he found himself doing the open-mic scene and the underground music scene. “The Lique was born out of this amazing opportunity; it was a gateway that connected me to the band,” he says.
In 2015, he met guitarist Sean Carbone who wanted to start a hip-hop jazz band. Their first show was a month later. The band’s name was born while the group was on tour in Switzerland. After performing a gig, the band went to a late-night jazz club. One of the musicians was in the middle of an intense solo when a tall blonde woman seated in the front let out a howl during his show. Rasar was intrigued.
“I walked up to her after the show and asked her what she was laughing about. She kept trying to explain but I didn’t understand her French accent. I had no clue what she was talking about. She kept saying, ‘The leek, the leek, don’t you know the leek?’”
He soon learned that jazz performers play a short phrase or lick generally recognized by jazz aficionados. Rasar went back to his hotel and told the story to his mates. The group decided to name their band The Lique.
According to Rasar, their lyrics are: “Serious, fun, ridiculous and awesome in their own way — a play on things, mocking music that is dumbed down and simplified, about how we stifle ourselves to fit in.”
The song “Batman” has a simple chorus yet offers lyrical depth about the masks we wear. “Democracy Manifest” is the Lique’s debut album. The songs shed light on world issues and take satirical pokes at the madness and maddening things occurring around us.
“I learned that satire doesn’t always have to be funny. There are many layers to the album, which was titled after a seeing a viral video [on YouTube] of an Australian diner dasher. These are volatile times and for better or worse this is what it’s come to.”
Rasar, who played basketball in high school, acknowledges it helped: “I’ve learned a lot about leadership and teamwork,” he says “Somebody’s gotta lead. To be a real leader, you need to learn how to delegate and trust the process. I’ve also learned a lot about music and what’s possible and setting new goals. We are a band of brothers and we love music.”
The Lique is on an upward trajectory with their unique sound that fuses jazz and hip-hop. Their performances are alive, upbeat and thought provoking. The band is having the time of its life, working on new material. They are set to release a new single entitled, “I Am,” this summer.
They perform with Joy & Madness at Moe’s BBQ in Tahoe City on April 15. | Facebook Moe’s BBQ Tahoe City
