Running With the Big Dogs

Sure, 2006 could be the year for 206 hip-hop, but when it comes to local heroes Blue Scholars, it's the Year of the Mainstage. Not only did our boys sell out their headlining gig at the Showbox in June (the first local hip-hop act to do so at the downtown club), but they were the only hip-hop act to score a Mainstage slot at the Sasquatch Festival. Now, they're keeping that streak alive by moving up to Memorial Stadium at Bumbershoot, opening Sunday for none other than hip-hop's current god, Kanye West. While it would be enough to note that they are the first local hip-hop group to ever play the Bumbershoot Mainstage, it's even better to note that they are now among the few local groups to ever open the Mainstage on the biggest night of the festival. And history has shown we've produced plenty of local giants. BRIAN J. BARR