The Stakes

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The Stakes

The Stakes are good. I mean really good. Reminding me of past Phoenix live hiphop act Antedote or even Drunken Immortals and Cousins of the Wize, the Stakes are a full band that definitely shakes things up. I just so happened to catch the Stakes at Bud’s Glass Joint during this past September’s First Friday and boy was I impressed. Comprising of Emcee’s ZeeDubb and Lord Kash, vocalist Beth Jeffress, pianist Ben Scolaro, guitarist Caleb Veazey, bassist Alex Meltzer, and drummer Kevin Phillips, the Stakes lay down that stoned soul picnic kind of music for sure.With smart lyrics and musicianship, I strongly recommend heading to the band’s SoundCloud page to hear a recent live set. With their debut, full-length album set to drop in the spring of 2014 engineered and produced by Clarke Rigsby, this is one Stakes fan that can’t wait! - Yab Yum Music and Arts

It is safe to say that mainstream music nowadays is watered down compared to what used to rock the radio waves in the 1960s and 1970s. Artists like Miley Cyrus are more concerned with twerking than promoting social and political change, like Bob Marley did on his 1973 song “Get up, Stand up.” Breaking away from today’s standard, The Stakes aims to unite enlightened people by shedding light on political issues with its combination of musical genres.

Made up of Kevin Phillips on drums and emcees Lord Kash and Zeedubb, along with former ASU students, vocalist Beth Jeffress, pianist Ben Scolaro, guitarist Caleb Veazey and bassist Alex Meltzer, the multi-faceted group recently celebrated its one-year anniversary on Nov. 1 during a First Friday performance in downtown Phoenix.

Guitarist Caleb Veazey calls the lack of content in modern-day “Top 40″ music “despicable.”

From a female perspective, vocalist Beth Jeffress feels more needs to be done to encourage young girls to better themselves.

“It’s alarming that women are still being sexualized these days,” Jeffress said. “We need better examples for females in the media.”

Jeffress also said that what is truly needed is a revolution.

“We’re playing our part, so I haven’t lost hope,” Jeffress said.

Zeedubb, however, sees the lack of content in mainstream music as a blessing for the band. To him, these issues make people pay more attention to underground artists like himself.

“I’m happy music is horrible nowadays,” Zeedubb said. “It makes it a lot easier for us to stand out, because everyone else sounds the same. As a band, we don’t conform to what’s popular. We blend the best of every genre together. That’s why people like our music.”

On a local level, The Stakes want to provide an avenue for artists of all kinds in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The group said that the Phoenix area has a lot going on artistically that is too often overlooked, and it wants to help bring light to the art that’s happening all around the Valley.

“There has been a void in this city’s identity as far as art and music,” Lord Kash, The Stakes emcee, said. “We are here to fill that void and show the city that we’re really here for them. Our goal is be the face of everything this city has to offer.”

From painters, to sculptors, to musicians and even spoken-word artists, Lord Kash said he and The Stakes want to help promote artists of all kinds.

These former Sun Devils will be performing at “Devils on Mill” on Nov. 16 before the ASU football team takes on the Oregon State Beavers. They’re hoping ASU students with a love for art will come out and connect with the band to help build a more established art scene.



Reach the reporter at cmgaray@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ghost1effect - The State Press