Live From The Justin Warner Stage At The 2014 Food Network Music Festival
Last week, it was announced sort of on the DL that Food Network magazine is organizing a music festival to be held in Chicago in 2014 — according to an Ad Age report. And while this world doesn't lack food-plus-music mashup events, we stopped for a second and got to thinking about the possibilities here. Of course, Guy Fieri will be all over this thing like ketchup on a hot dog. But what about some of the other FNC personalities? Will Alton Brown rock a leather jacket and show his appreciation for the current garage rock revival? What about Giada de Laurentiis' love for freestyle R&B? Will Sweet Sensation play a reunion gig?
But out of all the Food Network peeps, it's Justin Warner who is particularly in touch with the music scene. If you've ever visited his restaurant Do Or Dine, you know how that Cam'ron Pandora channel is sort of always playing. Justin Warner has some quality musical taste. This is why we asked him to give us a list of bands and artists who will be appearing on the Justin Warner Stage at the Food Network Magazine Music Festival Going Down In Chicago Sometime In Q4 Of 2014! Take it away, Justin.
Nelly and I have a mutual fanaticism for Honey Nut Cheerios. He sent me a pair of those sweet Lebron x Nike's in Buzz Bee yellow. In addition, I purchased an old beater Jeep and I'm too lazy to put the top on so I cruise through Brooklyn blasting "Hot in Herre" in October wearing an ugly sweater and I've found that it brings a smile to everyone's face. I think we've all found ourselves asking someone, "Why u at the bar if you ain't poppin the bottles?" at food events. Also "Must be the Money" is a good track for getting people to yell and sing, and that's generally a sign of a good party.
I'm friends with Andy Milonakis, and he's extremely well-versed in many facets of gastronomy. While incredibly profane, which isn't generally a thing that Food Network or really any major food-event organizers would condone, he and his group Three Loco have an entire album perfectly seasoned with comestible quips. "Stackin mo dough than phyllo!" Andy also raps about sitting in First Class eating beluga lentils. I actually ate beluga lentils on my very first post-Food Network Star flight, so the lyric has a lot of meaning to me. The track is called "Bills are Paid" and I think most anyone has experienced the feeling of having three dollars left after paying all of the bills, so you BLOW that three dollars on a large can of Sapporo. Fancy. Unfortunately, I doubt that the family-friendly feeling of fiscal stability contained in the track will be heard past the following lyric which involves contorting a flight attendant "like a New York pretzel."
I think everyone knows that maybe aside from myself, Action Bronson is THE culinary rapper. I've been spending most of my hip-hop career in the oenorap section of Sam Goodie but I have plans to make an album that will put me firmly within the folder of gastrorap.
Lastly, Girl Talk just straight kills party music. You could put on any of his mixes over a PA and people will go nuts. Sometimes I don't think about food, you know. In those moments, I listen to Girl Talk. He's the kinda dude that my mom would be stoked about seeing because he somehow marries perfectly the flute from Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick" with that "Bandsa Make Her Dance" track. As far as mashup artists go, he's Carême.
I think Jean Grae needs to come out with an album called Brunch Jeesus and then we can do a mid-morning stage as well. She has more cred than an AmEx Centurion, so maybe she can bring Talib. He has a sick verse about "making up a miracle flow over a cereal bowl," so maybe Nelly can show up for that event as well.