Sirius Blvck, an emcee from Indianapolis, will be performing at the Bishop Friday.
Playing with him is a diverse crowd from indie rock bands to a disc jockey. Oreo Jones is a fellow emcee from Indianapolis who has collaborated with Sirius Blvck many times. Nightcap is a band who also come from the Indianapolis area.
Niquolas Askren, the man behind the Sirius Blvck image, said he wanted to add some local music to the show and the Bloomington-based band, Birdbath, was recommended to him. DJ Littletown from Indianapolis will also be ?performing.
Askren said his experiences performing in Bloomington have all been good. He said he expects nothing less this time around.
“I try and give a lot of energy and put on a good show,” Askren said. “People like to see that you’re having fun. If you’re having fun, they’ll have fun.”
On Dec. 15, Sirius Blvck released the last installment in a trilogy of mixtapes produced by Los Angeles producer Bones of Ghosts. Askren said he was introduced to the producer when he found one of his instrumental mixtapes on a blog.
He said they started sending messages back and forth and making music together nearly three years ago.
This most recent mixtape, “Light in the Attic,” takes its name from the Shel Silverstein poem of the same title. Since meeting Silverstein at the age of 9, Askren said the poet was one of his biggest influences growing up and writing his own poetry.
“I just kind of wanted to pay homage to that, you know, that spark you have when you’re a child,” he said.
Askren said he tried to make the mixtape “a feel-good record” because that’s something he’d never done before. He picked this release as his favorite out of his catalogue. “It’s just an all-around record,” he said.
“Light in the Attic” is the first Sirius Blvck record to be released on the Indianapolis record label, Rad Summer, in collaboration with the Indiana Music Archive, Musical Family Tree, and the New York City streetwear company, Mishka.
A blogger from Mishka had heard about Sirius Blvck and contacted Askren to talk about posting some of his music to the website.
Shortly before the ?mixtape’s release, the company offered to help sponsor and promote the album.
Later this year, Sirius Blvck and Bones of Ghosts will begin working on their second trilogy. After working together across country, the two plan to work on this trilogy in person for the first time.
Askren said he is beginning to plan a tour of the United Kingdom for early 2016.
Beyond his solo work, Askren is currently working on an EP set for release with Oreo Jones. He has also joined former members of his now-disbanded group, Indiana City Weather, in a new band, Acid Washed Corduroys.
The show is restricted to those 18 and older.
