There’s a fine line between ridiculously good and just plain ridiculous. The potential series Boyz In The Wood dances that line with both grace and hilarity. Strong writing and comical chemistry between the actors make this series irresistible. What also stands out about Boyz In The Wood, is that it features a member of my very own underground festival community: hip hop artist Evan “EVeryman” Shafran.
Starring alongside Shafran is Mason Hallberg and Eric Walsingham with their friend and fellow festival-devotee Andy Oleck as the show’s director. Boyz In The Wood is an irreverent comedy that exists at the intersection of music and television—though it’s not technically on any networks yet. The show is about three, hip hop-loving outcasts who stumble upon an opportunity to live in a house in the Hollywood Hills. As to be expected, the show is chock full of outrageous banter, original music and copious amounts of cannabis.
What makes this series unique, is the integration of musical performances—it’s a musical show unlike any other. Shafran, whose performance moniker is EVeryman, is a prominent fixture in the festival community. Essentially playing an embellished version of himself, his character on Boyz In The Wood is actually EVeryman. From behind the camera to on the stage, EVeryman is a part of Shafran’s acting career as well as his reality.
While the transformational festival community is predominantly ruled by various sub-genres of underground electronic music, there are a handful of hip hop artists that have found their niche in the festival scene. Away from the standard styles of top 40 rap and hip hop, Shafran can freely express himself to an audience who appreciates his style, which is reminiscent of the old school hip hop from the ‘80s and ‘90s.
To celebrate the completion of their pilot, which will hopefully lead to a full season, Shafran released a Boyz In The Wood mixtape that pays tribute to his original songs as well as the hip hop of a bygone (but not forgotten) era. The festival community is always producing ambitious individuals who fearlessly swan dive into the rushing river of their dreams. Some get swept up and some swim to shore, but Shafran and the Boyz In The Wood seem to be deep in the flow with no signs of washing ashore.