{"id":475909,"date":"2025-12-27T23:40:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T23:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/475909\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T23:40:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T23:40:25","slug":"cure-for-paranoia-celebrates-new-ep-with-release-show-at-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/475909\/","title":{"rendered":"Cure for Paranoia Celebrates New EP with Release Show at Trees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cure for Paranoia\u2019s show at Trees on Friday night was a strikingly dominant showing for Dallas hip-hop<\/a> from start to finish, and a fitting celebration for Work of A.R.T., the band\u2019s new EP. <\/p>\n

BarbieFartsss kicked the night off with a DJ set that blended drum n bass and atmospheric music with hip-hop classics like Lil Wayne\u2019s \u201cA Milli,\u201d\u00a0 \u201cLooking For The Hoes\u201d by Sexxy Red and even a nearly unrecognizable mix of Ludacris\u2019 \u201cFantasy.\u201d Lights strobed and crazy visuals flashed behind the DJ as she set the room\u2019s tone from the jump.<\/p>\n

Scuttino, one of our 25 best rappers in North Texas<\/a>, came out next, brimming with swagger and contagious positive energy. He introduced himself as \u201cYour favorite cousin, Scuttino\u201d and continued to cut up with the crowd in between tracks.<\/p>\n

\u201cLadies, who in here has a firearm?\u201d He asked with a grin. \u201cSome of these guys out here act weird \u2026 get y\u2019all one. We\u2019re in Texas, it\u2019s legal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDallas, make your New Year\u2019s Resolution Count!\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re $13,000 away from our End-of-Year campaign goal, with just a five days left! We\u2019re ready to deliver \u2014 but we need the resources to do it right. If Dallas Observer matters to you, please contribute today to help us expand our current events coverage when it\u2019s needed most.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"\"The crowd at Trees was vibrating from the start.<\/p>\n

He also got real with the audience and encouraged everyone to chase their dreams, saying, \u201cWhatever you want to do, go do it. It\u2019s free to try.\u201d Scuttino repped Dallas to the fullest and truly made the show feel like a community experience. He shouted out several different neighborhoods, from Oak Cliff to Pleasant Grove and even Louisiana, and everyone in the crowd cheered upon hearing their respective neck of the woods mentioned.<\/p>\n

Though the Oak Cliff rapper spits with confidence, he speaks with a sense of earnest kindness, a combination that quickly captured the crowd. He shifted things to slow the set down for two unreleased tracks that he glided through with ease, then had everyone in the building chanting the hook for his anthemic \u201cDoug Dimmadome\u201d cut.<\/p>\n

Next up was Devy Stonez, who dove straight into his set without warning and unleashed a barrage of bass-heavy beats. Stonez is very even and methodical with his flow, and his bars land with real weight. Like Scuttino, Stonez is also originally from Louisiana but has become a well-known face in the Dallas scene over the past several years.<\/p>\n

\"\"Devy Stonez was among the stacked lineup of supporting performers. <\/p>\n

Prolific Dallas artist Coach Tev hit the stage next. He came out spitting a segmented flow over a syncopated beat, then dug in with quick bars on the next few tracks. His set marked a shift toward more spaced-out, slower beats compared with the\u00a0earlier acts on the lineup. In between tracks, Tev gave a shout-out to all the fellow artists in the crowd, praising them for the dedication it takes to pursue a creative craft.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you just gotta get up at 3 a.m. and write that shit down,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He then brought out Blake Cris for his last two tracks and finished with \u201cEgyptian Rugs.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Tev\u2019s set, the lights dimmed, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett walked on stage. Crockett announced her campaign bid for the U.S. Senate earlier this month with the help of Cure for Paranoia frontman Cameron McCloud<\/a> as part of his series of writing a rap verse every day for 365 days straight. As she hit the stage, she light-heartedly spat a few of her own bars before welcoming the night\u2019s headliners.<\/p>\n

\"\"U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett took to the stage just before Cure for Paranoia\u2019s headlining set. <\/p>\n

In a grand introduction, Cure for Paranoia\u2019s Tomahawk Jonez and Jay Analog, along with each member of the live band, strutted up to the stage through a path marked off by red velvet ropes, as BarbieFartsss introduced them to the crowd in a very fashion show-like presentation. McCloud hit the stage last, sporting a black blazer and tank top with a red shoulder bag, his hair dyed neon blue and green.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He teased \u201cThe Artshow\u201d before telling the audience they\u2019d have to wait a bit longer for that one, then performed a fully fleshed-out version of \u201cpt.1 UNbOTHERED,\u201d a song given new life with the support of his spectacular live band. McCloud rapped at a blistering pace on \u201cWorld War III,\u201d and had everyone jumping for \u201cNo Brainer.\u201d He brought out Tye Harris to perform his verse on \u201cOrigin Story,\u201d a hype track with a pensive, tense beat.<\/p>\n

While McCloud naturally commanded attention, it can\u2019t be overstated how crucial the band was to last night\u2019s performance. They brought every track to new heights and included several instrumental breaks to fully emphasize every moment. McCloud was quick to step aside for a trumpet or sax solo and gave each member their own moment to shine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first time we\u2019ve ever performed these songs, so I want to thank you all for coming to our rehearsal,\u201d McCloud joked.<\/p>\n

\"\"Cure for Paranoia frontman Cameron McCloud said it was the first time the band had ever performed songs from the new EP. Based on how great the set was, they could\u2019ve fooled us. <\/p>\n

As an EP, Work of A.R.T. covers an impressive amount of ground in its 20-minute runtime, both musically and thematically. The production is killer; instrumentals evolve organically and bend or break at McCloud\u2019s will to highlight an impactful bar or sly punchline.<\/p>\n

McCloud\u2019s sharp sense of humor shines through in just about every song, like on \u201cThe Artshow\u201d when he boasts, \u201cI\u2019m fine as fuck, and I kill shit; Luigi Mangione.\u201d The EP showcases his impressive range, from fast-paced bars on \u201cNo Brainer\u201d to his more metered approach on \u201cOrigin Story.\u201d Saturday\u2019s live unveiling of the new project was a masterclass that showcased Cure For Paranoia\u2019s ability to be able to effortlessly reach into any bag they choose and pull out something impressive.<\/p>\n

McCloud took a moment to remind the audience that their daily struggles don\u2019t define them, as he told the crowd, \u201cRegardless of what you\u2019re going through and what you feel like you\u2019re up against, sometimes the shit isn\u2019t happening to you, it\u2019s happening for you. It\u2019s happening in order for someone to see you persevere and say, \u2018Godamnit, I can do that shit too.’\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The crowd was captivated by Cure for Paranoia\u2019s infectious display of a live music masterclass. <\/p>\n

The crowd was rapturous as the band performed \u201cThe Artshow\u201d before McCloud took a moment to sing happy birthday to his sister Dorothy.<\/p>\n

The group closed out the night with \u201c& Pose,\u201d extending the song well past its usual runtime as the band played their hearts out \u2014 we\u2019re talking 10 minutes of all-out, pure, in-the-moment grooves. Everyone on stage was winded by the time they finished, and the audience exploded with applause.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no other way to cut it: If you weren\u2019t at Trees last night, you missed out on a night of Dallas music magic. Between the stacked bill of dynamic openers and the powerhouse performance from Cure for Paranoia, the record release show was one for the books.<\/p>\n

\"\"Work of A.R.T., Cure for Paranoia\u2019s new EP, truly came to life with the spectacular chemistry of the band\u2019s live performance. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cure for Paranoia\u2019s show at Trees on Friday night was a strikingly dominant showing for Dallas hip-hop from…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":475910,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,89977,1596,14839,14838,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-475909","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-concert-reviews","10":"tag-dallas","11":"tag-hip-hop","12":"tag-local-music","13":"tag-texas","14":"tag-tx","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-united-states-of-america","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115794178167682305","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475909\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}