HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — Internationally known nerdcore rapper MC Lars will bring his fun-filled act to Hot Springs September 20 to open Spa-Con Infinity — Eighth Annual Edition — the three-day comics and pop culture convention held at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
“MC Lars’ music is fun and witty and covers topics ranging from ska music and hipsters to Star Wars and Edgar Allen Poe,” Visit Hot Springs Special Events Manager Alexis Hampo said. “He’s amassed a huge following on YouTube, and Spa-Con is beyond excited to have him at this event.”
This year’s convention, which turns the figure 8 on its side to create the symbol for infinity in its branding, will be held September 20 – 22 . VIP and weekend early-bird passes for this year’s Spa-Con are on sale at www.spa-con.org , with the VIP passes going for $125 and the weekend passes selling for $25. The prices increase to $150 and $35 on May 4.
The MC Lars concert, to be held in the Convention Center’s Horner Hall, is free with the purchase of Spa-Con VIP passes or weekend passes. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 7.
Nerdcore is any form of music that is made by nerds, for nerds, or about nerdly things. Nerdcore can be made in any style of music, but most people identify it in either its pop-punk or hip-hop forms.
“MC Lars is iconic in the nerdcore scene, and I think his performance is going to be a great way to kick off the eighth year of Spa-Con,” Hampo said.
For more than 20 years, MC Lars has built a fanbase across the United States, the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, South by Southwest, San Diego Comic-Con, Slam Dunk, Truck Festival and as part of the VANS Warped Tour. He has performed with artists such as Bowling for Soup, MC Frontalot, Wheatus, Say Anything, Gym Class Heroes, Simple Plan, T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, Nas and Koo Koo Kanga Roo.
He has collaborated with “Weird Al” Yankovic, KRS-One, Sage Francis, Watsky, Mega Ran, Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup, Wheatus, the Matches, Kool Keith, Spose, MC Frontalot, YT Cracker, Schäffer the Dark Lord, Beefy and K.Flay.
He has been featured on CNN, NPR, and MTV and has been profiled in Rolling Stone, SPIN, and Alternative Press.
Lars has presented lectures on the similarities between Shakespeare and hip-hop at two TEDx conferences and at numerous colleges and high schools. He has worked on a public-service basis with the American Heart Association, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Nantucket Historical Association, the New York City public school system, and the Los Angeles public school system.
Seth Gilliam, perhaps best known for his role as Father Gabriel Stokes in the “Walking Dead” TV series, was announced previously as the first guest celebrity to be confirmed for this year’s Spa-Con.
For more information call Alexis Hampo at 501-321-2027.