IF YOU GO:What: ‘Artists on the Brink’ Where: Jabberwocky CafeWhen: Tonight, 8 p.m.How much: Free

Authentic rhymes straight from Harlem will share the spotlight with the sounds of Soulive and Justin Timberlake at the Jabberwocky Cafe tonight.

The only exception will be the lack of commercial hip-hop beats or an appearance by Timberlake himself.

Union University Concerts will host ‘Artists on the Brink,’ a show featuring performances from poet and lyricist Brian ‘Sciryl’ Henry (‘Lyrics’ spelled backward) and The Luna Ticks, a band made up of SU students, tonight at 8 p.m. at Jabberwocky Cafe.

‘Artists on the Brink’ is a project that attempts to incorporate student involvement in producing concerts, said Mike Robinson, UU Concerts director of special initiatives.

‘It’s an idea that I had last year for newcomers to get involved (in producing concerts), while at the same time showcasing some great talents,’ Robinson said.

Lead guitarist and English and textual studies major Benjamin Offenberg of The Luna Ticks will perform with an original all-Syracuse student band.

‘The band happened just out of word of mouth,’ Offenberg said.

‘Once we played at one gig, we got asked for another gig, and it kind of just snowballed then.’

The band displays a wide of variety of genre-defying music, blending funk soul, hip-hop and classic rock, Offenberg said. And although the band plays its own original tracks, The Ticks have also covered songs from Soulive, Eric Clapton and Phish.

Performing spots are not limited to SU students, Robinson said. Such is the case of 19-year-old Henry, a poet and lyricist born and raised in Harlem, N.Y. Winner of the 2005 National Poetry Slam, the poet’s resume consists of having performed on HBO’s ‘Def Poetry’ and BET’s ‘Freestyle.’

Henry’s manager Anthony Gentile, a senior marketing and entrepreneurship major, describes his client as a lyrical poet that appeals to a wide range of audiences.

‘He’s very creative, he really knows everything he’s doing,’ Gentile said. ‘He pays very strict attention to what he puts down, and performance-wise, he really knocks it down.’

Robinson aims to provide concerts that showcase up-and-coming talents every month, switching musical genres to appeal to a variety of audiences.

‘The project is to touch upon every musical interest in the student body,’ Robinson said.

Published on November 6, 2007 at 12:00 pm