A riot went on at Gramercy Theatre last Friday night. What started as a moderately small group of people during opening artist Otto Von Schirach's set turned into a wild, jumping, yelling, fist-raising crowd by the time Atari Teenage Riot took command of the stage.

Opening artist, Otto Von Schirach, an industrial dance music group, put on quite an odd show themselves. They featured one masked male that screamed into the microphone, producing strange and interesting sound effects while he fiddled with the sound table decks and equipment. The music and lights created a rave-like atmosphere, which got the crowd dancing. The other two members, another costumed male and female, danced with incredible enduring energy all over and around the stage. The girl, at one point, stood still in alternating odd positions while holding out a blow-up pink flamingo towards the audience.

Mother Nature's grey skies and continuous pelting of rain was not enough to stop The Rapture from performing an electrifying show at Webster Hall. The New York-based dance-punk outfit was eager to showcase their material that had been in the works for the last five years, hoping to prove they were well worth the wait.

Opening for The Rapture was the eccentric Ian Svenonius with his current project, Chain and the Gang. Donning a yellow suit with a backing band clad in jail outfits and morose facades, Svenonius attempted to warm up the crowd with his awkward singing-talking style, going back and forth with his call girl, both repeating the word "yeah" until it had lost its meaning. Unfortunately for C&TG, the sparse crowd radiated an uncomfortable vibe towards Svenonius' antics. 

After Chain and the Gang took its leave an hour ...

It doesn't seem as though mainstream rappers have truly come to grips with the worldwide economic recession. At best, rappers like Young Jeezy and Nas acknowledge the recession, without really saying much about it. At worst, rappers like Lil Wayne and Jay-z ignore it outright, while laughing about how their own economic problems are solved for good. There's nothing wrong about a little luxury rap, but too much of it at a time like this is noxious.

 If the mainstream industry has failed to recognize the increasing pressures of the financial panic, the underground rap industry has been buzzing with smart, insightful commentary on poverty and survival. From E-40 to Beanie Siegel, tough-as-nails street rappers have grown to exemplify these troubled times. In his newest album "Cats and Dogs," former Dilated Peoples member Evidence proves that he too is an effective foil for the crushing grip ...