Audiotistic lives

Saturday night is just turning to Sunday morning on April 13, 2002. While the party is ending throughout most of Southern California, the National Orange Show in San Bernardino is alive with anticipation.

Tens of thousands of youthful hip-hop and dance music enthusiasts, who’ve already borne witness to great performances by hip-hop heroes the Roots and Mos Def, as well as dance music stars Roni Size and Christopher Lawrence, are pounding the asphalt jungle en masse on their way to the venue’s main stage. In a few moments, Grammy-nominated hip-hop stars OutKast are preparing to close out the sixth-annual Audiotistic festival.

For Audiotistic, the self-proclaimed “Future Sound Festival,” that April was the peak of success. More than 32,000 fans came out for the event, which went off without a hitch.

Still, in the brutal L.A. festival climate, where a combination slumping scene and politics has laid out the circuit, previous success is not enough to ensure survival. So, when April came and went this year without an Audiotistic festival, fans understandably figured it had simply ceased to exist.

Now the faithful can breathe a sigh of relief. Not only is the festival set for Saturday, but it’s also being held in L.A., in and around the Sports Arena.

“We wanted to move the concert to Los Angeles for some time now,” promoter Meelo Solis says. “We got so many comments from people like, ‘I loved it. Except for the drive.’ ” For Solis, as well as promoters Darin Feinstein and Bevan Cooney, now that the trio’s dream of holding the show in L.A. proper has become a reality, they had to come up with the right lineup.

They started by getting New York rap superstar Nas and dance music kings the Chemical Brothers as the headliners of their respective stages.

No disrespect to past Audiotistic lineups, but Solis agrees, “It’s definitely a progression for us.” Having a platinum-selling MC and arguably the biggest dance act around turns Audiotistic into a major player in the festival circuit. The lineup includes such diverse talent as Talib Kweli (see sidebar), influential Philadelphia DJ King Britt, Big Boi of chart-topping rap group OutKast, and L.A. stalwart DJ Dan, among others.

“We’re fortunate enough to have grown a brand that people in hip-hop and the dance world want to be associated with us,” says Feinstein.

Ed Simons of the Chemical Brothers, who are doing a mini DJ tour to promote their recently released retrospective, “Singles 93-03,” says the meshing of hip-hop and dance is what attracted him and partner Tom Rowlands. “It’s obviously not on the same stage, but playing with hip-hop acts appealed to us,” says Simons. “Our early records were very inspired by hip-hop beats.” And in an age where America’s musical apartheid is evident from radio to magazines, a bill that cuts across genres is especially appealing to musicians.

“We see it as a shared celebration of the beat that reaches across musical boundaries,” says Simons.

Plus, as music fans, it’s an opportunity for them to see other performers, which Simons says he and Rowlands plan on doing. “We’re looking forward to seeing Nas and Big Boi especially.”

Simons isn’t the only one eager to see Nas. Kweli says, “I want to see what Nas brings to the stage. It’s been an interesting couple of years for him,” referring to the emotional records the gifted rapper put out in response to some personal issues, as well as a very public feud with rap superstar Jay-Z.

And for Solis, who says, “Every year I’m thinking about the next year,” he wanted Nas even before 2002’s event.

For the more practical Feinstein, who’s aware of the pressures of putting on a large-scale event in L.A. that highlights two of the most maligned forms of live music, his enthusiasm is still a bit reserved. “Ask us after we’re done,” he says.

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Being seen and heard

For respected New York rapper Talib Kweli, this will be his third appearance at Audiotistic. His reason for coming back is simple: “This is an opportunity for me to play to 30,000 fans.” Kweli, who released the critically acclaimed CD “Quality” in December, says the chance to reach a large audience through a live performance is important because he, like many artists without top 10 sales, falls through the cracks.

“There’s such a dichotomy in hip-hop between what the media focuses on and what’s going on in the music,” he says. “People think the artists in the media is all there is.”

Having already done four tours this year, including the Warped package, the emcee has a good idea what audiences are looking for. “Emceeing is about moving the crowd,” he says. Still, he has some surprises in store for the festival, including a couple of new songs.

In addition, being on the same stage with Nas and OutKast’s Big Boi, among others, will have him extra pumped. “I’m still such a fan,” he says. “When I’m around Big Boi and Nas, I know I’m in the right place.”

-- Steve Baltin

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Audiotistic

Where: The L.A. Sports Arena & Grounds, 3939 S. Figueroa St., L.A.

When: Saturday, 2 p.m.-1 a.m.

Cost: $30-$150 (the latter for VIP backstage)

Info: www.audiotistic.com, tickets through Sports Arena box office, (213) 748-6131, or Ticketmaster, (213) 480-3232.