February 11, 2008

Free 'Nuttin' But Stringz' concert is Feb. 14

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Hip-hop violins? For real? Very much so. Nuttin' But Stringz comes to Shryock Auditorium at Southern Illinois University Carbondale for a free concert beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14.

The concert is part of the University's Black History Month celebration.

Tourie and Damien Escobar, two brothers from Jamaica Queens, New York, bring their unique blend of classical violin and hip-hop freshness to Carbondale. The Julliard School of Music-trained duo used to play violins in the subway for change. Now they've been on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The Ellen Show," "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," "The Today Show," BET's "106," A&E's "Breakfast with the Arts" and in the 2006 Buena Vista film "Step Up."

Their single, "Dance with My Father," is available on iTunes – purchases benefit the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. The duo recently released a debut album, "Struggle from the Subways to the Charts."

Learn more about this hot new presence on the music scene at their Web site at www.nuttinbutstringz.com.

Or skip the cyber and do the real at Shryock.

Concert sponsors are Black History Month Committee, SIUC School of Music, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Residence Hall Association, Black Togetherness Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and the University Bookstore.