A few years back, right when I thought I had really started to expand my musical horizons, an artist came along that changed everything and had me hungry for more. I was very into DJ/producer culture at the time, trying to find as much different music I could that was reinvented or re-envisioned by sampling, scratching and restructuring. It only took one song from this artist and it was hooked - I had to hear everything he ever made and had been checking out everything he's made ever since.

That artist is tonight's headliner at the Bluebird Theater, RJD2. I still remember where and when I heard my first RJD2. From the moment I heard that guitar lick in "Ghostwriter", I knew I was hearing something groundbreaking at the time. Then when it burst into it's crazy beat and you could hear the "Oohs" sampled from Elliott Smith's "I Didn't Understand" I was completely blown away. Up until that point most sample based music I heard were from a limited category of funk/soul music or just straight loops of long sections. RJD2 showed me that music could be sourced from any genre and even just a small snippet, when combined with much more, can be turned into something completely new. From his humble beginnings as the producer to the midwest hip-hop group MHz to his own solo ventures, he's always been about pushing boundaries. RJD2 has evolved since Deadringer, even experimenting with live instrumentation on his album The Third Hand, being a strong influence to me on what a DJ/producer can really be. Check out "Ghostwriter" from his first album and "Games You Can Win" from his latest.




Wick-It The Instigator joins the lineup, a Nashville, TN based DJ/producer. Wick-It The Instigator is known for creative beats, production and sampling that transcends him past the notion of a regular DJ. His live sets are known to incorporate humor and pop culture, which has been turning heads and filling dance floors across the country. He'll also satisfy anyone that has a desire for womp. Check out his remix of Motley Crue's "Shout At The Devil".



Local Denver group Human Agency will open the show. This duo produces a mixture of downtempo style beats and hip-hop that finds the happy median between chill music and danceability. They combine sampled and electronic based music with a little live instrumentation from live drumming to great a deep live sound. Check out "Sifting Through The Ashes".


The doors open at the Bluebird Theater open at 8:00PM and the show begins at 9:00PM. The show is 16+ and costs $25. Act now, because tickets are expected to sell out.