ArtBeat at night: Fri., July 18th

Music and Mixed-Media in Seven Hills Park

6:00pm — They Gotta Be Secret Agents
They Gotta Be Secret Agents perform a brilliantly imaginative form of physical theater with live musicians, effortlessly moving back and forth between acrobatics, puppetry and dance. Their poetically beautiful, absurdly logical show is by turns funny, dazzling, and, in the end, surprisingly poignant.

6:30pm — Diatribe and Q Public
Diatribe and Q Public are a Somerville based group who have been performing around Greater Boston for years. Their dynamic style is a far cry from the empty, dance crazy rap that bombards the radio. Through vicious and direct commentary on contemporary America, the duo addresses issues like urban discontent, racism, politics and drug abuse.

7:15pm — Rota Temporis
Comprised of 6 members, the band’s unique style surrounds the revival and performance of ancient middle ages songs and popular melodies, enriched by a touch of fantasy. Rota Temporis offers an exciting live performance enhanced with powerful rhythmic base and striking costumes. Rota Temporis’ repertoire ranges from medieval melodies from different cultures, to songs drawn from renaissance collections, all with personal ballad arrangements by famed international pipe bands. From Italy!

8:15pm — Freezepop
Freezepop has always been something of an oxymoron: embraced by both hipsters and nerds; serious about irony; and retro-futuristic. Formed in Boston in the summer of 1999, Freezepop is comprised of Liz Enthusiasm, the Duke of Pannekoeken, and Sean Drinkwater. Their most recent album, Future Future Future Perfectis a natural fit on videogame soundtracks. Their single “Less Talk More Rokk” was the iTunes #4 dance/electronic song of 2007, and the band recently swept the Boston Phoenix/WFNX Best Music Poll 2008, winning the local categories of Best Band, Best Live Act, and Best Album.

9:15pm — Akrobatik
Akrobatik’s varsity rhyme career hatched in 1998, when “Ruff Enuff,” dropped on Boston’s Detonator Records. In ‘03, Ak signed with New York label Coup D’Etat for his full-length debut LP, Balance. The record launched Akrobatik into the global arena and won him first prize in the prestigious International Songwriting Competition. Back home, he clocked his first of two Boston Music Award trophies for Best Hip Hop Act. Within recent years, Ak penetrated hip-hop’s greater critical consciousness as one-third of The Perceptionists with Mr. Lif and DJ Fakts One. Their 2005 Def Jux release, Black Dialogue, became the only indie rap project to register on Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Records of the Year list. Ak has shared stages with cult,fringe and commercial rap heroes ranging from Edo G. and Guru to The Roots, Fat Joe and Eminem.