Mike D marks Switch Up with a South Pasadena show

Mike D plays Sid the Cat Auditorium in South Pasadena on 10 May as part of the small run of dates around Switch Up, his debut solo single. The single itself arrived on 8 May, but the 10 May show gives the story a live-news hook and makes it relevant for the day. Switch Up is historically interesting because it is Mike D’s first song as a solo artist and the first new music from an individual Beastie Boy since Hot Sauce Committee Part Two in 2011.

The track began as an experiment in Mike D’s home studio during sessions with his sons, Davis and Skyler Diamond, who perform as the indie-dance duo Very Nice Person. That family connection keeps the release from feeling like a calculated legacy play. Instead, it sounds like a private studio moment that gradually became public.

For an indie/alternative digest, this is a crossover item rather than a pure indie-rock entry, but it is still worth including because it connects DIY home recording, family collaboration, alternative hip-hop history and a rare solo moment from one of the Beastie Boys. Source: https://pitchfork.com/news/beastie-boys-mike-d-reveals-debut-solo-single/