I left Juliette and the New Romantiques at the Main Stage and meandered over to the Green Stage. Astounded by the size of the crowd, which was larger than Juliette’s and growing at the same rate her’s was shrinking, I felt embarrassed. Was I the only one who didn’t know who Audible Mainframe was?

Probably not, but by first song I became a fan. These guys are the faces and souls of this generation. Racially mixed, this rap-band is composed of young men from the streets of Boston, who combine their musical talent with the realities of everyday life in a pure, hip hop form. The vocalist is an amazing rapper that leads the crowd down a journey of poverty, anger, happiness, and revolution through his masterful diction and rhyme. There is a lead, a bass, drummer – the usual – but on the same stage as DJ who spins brilliant beats while the others create symphonic harmony. The combination of old and new, with a touch of rap, makes Audible Mainframe a fresh, new sound with a creative message.

The content of the rapper’s lyrics was refreshing. He spit about the same stuff I talked about with my friends, his commentary reflected my own, and he seemed to express the pent up emotions of the entire crowd. His are the lyrics that unlock your soul and allow it fly free. Instead of rap that focuses on crime, sex and drugs – all of which make you feel locked in a material prison –  the message behind Audible Mainframe was socially conscious, explicitly political and certifiably educational.

While I was busy sucking in all the different flavors and juices the band produced, the audience was partying. It took me a second to realize I was in the middle of a dance floor, but once I moved out of the way I realized these people liked the music more than anything. They liked jamming to the pop melodies, juxtaposed by hard cadences and rough guitar licks. They enjoyed the cacophony of tunes and instruments so much some folks spent the entire show side-stepping and grooving to the beat.

Audible Mainframe has it all. They have the musical appeal of mainstream with the dialect and culture of indie raunchiness. Lyrically intelligent and musically ingenious, these boys are destined to go far. The musical world would be forced to improve if they knew they had to compete against the creativity of Audible Mainframe.