Back in 2019 – ”the Before Times,” if you will (please don’t) – Cliff Notez curated a residency at Atwood’s Tavern on Cambridge Street called Sketchbook. The series served as a showcase for Boston hip-hop, featuring a lineup that included performances by Cliff, Forté, Optic Bloom, Red Shaydez, Mint Green, and Treva Holmes. Later that year, Cliff dropped his sophomore album, Why The Wild Things Are. A few of the tracks that ended up on that album (one of our faves from 2019, by the way) – including “Massochists” and “Stevie’s Ribbon” – showed up in their early, bare bones stages during the Sketchbook shows. 

Cliff, who hasn’t played a ticketed, headlining show since pre-pandemic, is now bringing Sketchbook back. This time around, it’s going to work as a vehicle to test out new material in front of a small live audience, much in the way that big comedians will do a run of small comedy clubs to workshop new jokes. Returning to Atwood’s intimate stage for two nights – May 6th and a month later in June – Cliff describes the show as “like wading in the water before jumping in the deep end before Boston Calling and festival season.” For the first show, Boston Music Award winning pop artist Zola Simone will also be on the bill. 

Will these shows lead to a new album release? “This is beginning that process that I’m familiar with,” Cliff sighs. “Eventually. I make no guarantees. An EP, an album, a mixtape, a single. I’ve gotta start sketching it out first. See what I did there?”

In addition to the Sketchbook shows, Cliff has also been working with Double Elvis to host a weekly podcast called Lust For Live, which highlights local live music and arts events happening around town. 

Make sure you head over to Atwood’s on May 6th to get an idea of what Cliff Notez has been cooking up in the interim since his last album. Get your tickets here.