If you haven't yet noticed, Euphonic Conceptions and Cervantes' have been dominant lately when it comes to presenting a wide variety of electronic music based shows. On Thursday, May 24 it'll be all about deep house, down-tempo and other atypical selections that'll please the most discerning music aficionados. Three national/international veteran heavy hitters and one adroit and eclectic local DJ will come together to put forth a memorable show. Open your ears and get ready to dance - it's going to be a good night.


The headliner is house music legend Mark Farina. A true veteran DJ, Mark Farina began honing his craft in the late 1980s. This Chicago native used his discerning ear and passion for record digging to find the best gems in Chicago house, acid jazz and downtempo, a combination of styles that would later be famously known as Mushroom Jazz. His Mushroom Jazz style began as a weekly San Francisco club night that garnered a huge following and continued on as a series of mix CDs called by the same name. He'll be bringing that trademark sound to Cervantes'. Check out a selection from his "Mushroom Jazz" mixtape series.



Norwegian producer/DJ Hans-Peter Lindstrøm has been in the electronic music scene for about a decade. His passion for electronic music began in the city of Stavanger, Norway. Fueled only by his interest and with no formal training in dance music production, Lindstrøm's beginnings are remarkable. He never listened to dance music growing up, but decided to act on the spontaneous desire to create modern disco music. In the beginning it was just himself, a guitar, a sampler, a small stack of vinyl, and the desire and patience to deconstruct and reconstruct the dance music sound. Years later he is now not only an acclaimed producer, but runs his own record label, Feedelity. Expect him to bring his contemporary deep disco to the dance floor. Check out Lindstrøm's remix of "Boyfriend" by Best Coast.



Also joining the line-up is Orchard Lounge, a DJ collective formed in Chicago over a decade ago. Orchard Lounge is the trio of Ben Silver, Spencer Lokken, and Bethany Lokken, whose open-minded approach to DJ sets keep audiences on their toes, while their experience and skill keeps their mix coherent. Never ones to focus on a single genre, they will mix downtempo, tech house, intelligent dance music and other electronic subgenres. They'll also throw anything else that inspires them into the mix, be it hip-hop, rock, funk, soul or anything else. Their set should appeal to music fans with diverse taste. Have four hours to kill? Check out this Orchard Lounge mix.




To get the night started, Boulder-based DJ Rootz will lay down a set of his own. A music fanatic, DJ Rootz' list of influences are too numerous to name. He got his start making a plethora of reggae and hip-hop remixes, but later began to let funk and rock influences seep into the mix as well. Then about seven years ago he started producing his own tracks. What he may mix on this night is up in the air, but I would expect something along the lines of tropical disco plus trip-hop and downtempo.

The show is at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom on Thursday, May 24. The doors open at 8:00PM and the music starts at 8:30. The show is 16+ and tickets are $20. RSVP for the event on Facebook and get more information and purchase tickets online here.

If last night was any indication of what immense funkiness will take place tonight on New Year's Eve, then funk lovers heading to Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom to ring in the new year are in for a treat. Friday night's portion of the two-night New Year's Eve weekend run of shows delivered the way it needed to, and I can only imagine that Saturday night's show will be just that much better thanks to an extra air of celebration. As for last night, the funk started early and went late into the night, really testing the dancing legs of the packed in crowd.

DJ Loadie Loaded

The night began with a DJ set from Denver local DJ Loadie Loaded. Armed with two decks, a mixer and a healthy supply of vintage and nu-funk, disco, jazz, and a little hip-hop and rock, he got the speakers blaring and the early crowd in the dancing mood. He exhibited the ability to steadily build intensity by utilizing wise song selection - not trying to do anything too intense right away but definitely setting his mix apart from just being background music. He kept the music going until the bands arrived and were ready to go - just as the dance floor became nice and crowded.

Dumpstaphunk

As the first show in this two-night run, the bands decided to switch it up a little bit. Although tonight Orgone will play first followed by Dumpstaphunk, the order was reversed Friday night. Dumpstaphunk took the stage first to kick off the live portion of the funk, and immediately ratcheted the party to the next level. New Orleans based funk stalwarts Dumpstaphunk featured Ivan Neville on organ/keyboard/vocals/guitar, Tony Hall on bass/guitar/vocals, Nick Daniels III on bass/vocals, Nikki Glaspie on drums/vocals, and Ian Neville on guitar. Together they brought a southern style New Orleans jazz infused brand of funk with modern sensibilities but a throwback influence from the '70s and '80s. It made for a genuine funk listening experience that instantly commanded the crowd into a dancing frenzy.

Dumpstaphunk

Dumpstaphunk played a commanding set of music featuring many of their funk originals from their album Everybody Want Sum. They showed no signs of fatigue despite having just flown in to town after performing a show in New York the night before, tearing immediately into the title track "Everybody Want Sum" to get the dancing started. From there it was slightly stretched out renditions of "Gasman Chronicles", "Deeper", "Liar", proving the band was having a great time as they added subtle extra instrumentalism that lengthened the songs and thus lengthened the dancing experience.

Dumpstaphunk

Of course, Dumpstaphunk had to include a live show favorite, "Put It In The Dumpsta". This time the song had extra meaning, as Ivan Neville explained everyone needed to get rid of all the bad from the previous to approach the new one clean. After a rendition of "My Freedom", Dumpstaphunk called some ladies up to the stage to help incite even more dancing when they performed "Standin' In Your Stuff". "Do Ya" and "Sheez Music" came next, followed by a cover of Graham Central Station's "Water". The set ended beautifully with the performance of "Meanwhile..." from Dumpstaphunk's Listen Hear album. Their set was quite the ride, and although it was just over an hour and a half, it was so much fun it didn't feel like nearly 1 o'clock in the morning when they left the stage.

Orgone

DJ Loadie Loaded went back on the decks to make sure people's dancing legs wouldn't tighten up between the set change as Orgone readied themselves to keep the funk flowing. Shortly after, it was time to take the party back into live gear, and this Los Angeles based funk band knew exactly how to do it. Orgone performed as an eight-piece band; Sergio Rios on guitar/vocals, Dan Hastie on keyboards/organ/vocals, Stewart Killen on percussion/vocals, Sam Halterman on drums, Ethan Phillips on bass, Darren Cardoza on trombone, Devin Williams on trumpet, and Nikki J. Crawford on vocals. They approach funk with a little more '60s and '70s influence while also infusing a lot of soul, afrobeat and a touch of rock 'n' roll into their sound.

Orgone

Orgone began with an instrumental funk tune, "Melting" to get things started. It was a good, slightly mysterious way to begin their set - the lights were dimmed down a bit and the song built up slowly before exploding into a dancey funk tune, snatching up any crowd attention that might have been lost during the set change interlude. They followed the opening song with a couple more instrumentals, "Cali Fever" and "Prison Break". Then Nikki J. Crawford took the microphone and thanks got much, much funkier and quite a bit more sexy as Orgone tore into a cover of Lyn Collin's "Rock Me Again".

Orgone

Nikki J. Crawford added more sultry vocal work to "Give It Up" and the breathtaking song "Who Knows Who". Orgone then continued to lay down more incredible funk with "Sophisticated Honky", "Serious" and some funky soul with "Reasons To Love You". The afrobeat infusion kicked into high gear when Orgone performed "Funky Nassau", getting the crowd to join in and sing along. Orgone showed off their instrumental prowess with their last couple songs - "Strike" and "Ain't No Use" had ridiculously awesome and intense instrumental runs balanced out with short vocal sections.

Orgone

Orgone finished their regular set at 2:15AM, and the crowd, unsure if Orgone would be allowed to play on despite it being past the time shows normally end, called for an encore anyway. Orgone was happy to oblige, in fact Sergio Rios came out on stage and hit the microphone, explaining the band was wiping the immense beads of sweat off of their brows and wanted to make sure Denver wanted to hear more music before they returned to the stage. The crowds response? Absolutely. So Orgone returned to the stage and blew the crowd away with a fifteen minute long encore rendition of Black Merda's "Cynthy-Ruth" - and my oh my was it incredible.

So what can you expect if you are going to check out tonight's New Year's Eve show? An absolute funk spectacular that will sap every last bit of energy out of you with incredible, high-quality and high-energy beautiful music. If funk is your thing you absolutely need to be at this show, as it will probably exceed what you'd expect out of a funk show. It will be a spectacularly fun way to bring in the new year! The doors open tonight at 8:00PM and tickets are $40 for this all ages show! Happy new year!

See more pictures from this show in the Facebook photo album. Like the Concerted Effort page to stay up to date!

Although this blog only existed for half of this past year so far, it was a great year in music. At this point there have been countless amounts of 'best of' lists put out there, and now it's my turn to add mine to the mix. There is so much I want to talk about, but I'm narrowing it down to the top concert experience and band performances that I saw. I will also include a separate list that includes shows that I did see over the year but did not write about because either they were before I started this blog or for some other reason. I saw a ton of shows over the year, so narrowing them down was extremely tough, but without much further ado, here is the first part:

It's been a good year but like all goods things they must come to an end, and we now stand before the final weekend of 2011. There are many different ways to celebrate the coming of the new year and bid farewell to to the old one with music events in Denver, and tonight I'll be checking out what's going on at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom. I am a big fan of funk music, and over the past year, Cervantes' has kept me coming back by bringing in big names in the funk/funk revival scene, and this weekend they be closing out the year with some of the best funk out there right now. It'll be a two-day event, both tonight and New Year's Eve - so if you love funk you can check out either or both nights. Although I've seen these acts before and know it should be a good time, I'll be checking out tonight's show and giving a report for funk lovers still contemplating what to do on New Year's Eve tomorrow.


The headliner is Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk from New Orleans. As I mentioned before, Ivan Neville has music in his blood, being the son of R&B singer Aaron Neville and related to The Neville Brothers. That gave Ivan the benefit of being involved with music for much of his life, and he used those experiences to create a group of his own called Dumpstaphunk in 2003. Dumpstaphunk plays music with a '70s influence and southern swagger, making hard-hitting funk music that has a dose of New Orleans jazz. Their stage presence is so infectious you won't want to leave the dance floor. Check out "Meanwhile..."
Meanwhile... by Dumpstaphunk



Orgone will join the lineup, a phenomenal funk revival group from Los Angeles. Orgone started out as backing band for hip-hop musicians but became their own standalone band in 1999. They began mostly as an instrumental band and most of their released material features instrumental tracks. However, the band recruited singer Nikki J. Crawford and she ended becoming a permanent member of the band. For the live experience, the combination of Orgone's '60s & '70s inspired funk-meets-soul-meets-afrobeat instrumentals with  Nikki J. Crawford 's extremely powerful voice and presence make for an astounding funk music experience. There are much more vocals featured in the live show, and  Nikki J. Crawford 's voice is unforgettable. Check out "Who Knows Who".
Orgone Who Knows Who by Orgone

DJ Loadie Loaded is a local DJ that spins classic and nu funk. He's got a lot delicious funk in his crates wherever he goes, and he should do well to get everyone in the funky mood with an opening funk music set. He will also keep the party going during set changes, making for a non-stop music experience.

That party at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom is a two-night, all ages affair. The doors open at 8:00PM and the music starts at 9:00PM on both Friday and Saturday night. Tickets are $25 day of show for Friday and $30 advance/$40 day of show for New Years Eve. Two night passes are also available tonight if you want to go to both shows and save.

I've mentioned before that I like checking out shows at Cervantes' because the venue is always hosting a wide variety of music styles. Tonight, I find myself heading back to the Other Side to view music from genres not often featured elsewhere. Cervantes' Other Side will host three bands - one national and two local - that perform ska and funk; high-energy musical entertainment. Tonight is unique, because the headlining band will also screen their new documentary and will host a question and answer session as well. If you are a fan of Fishbone, this will be a rare opportunity to get to know the band better than just in a concert setting alone.


Fishbone was formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Over the past three decades, they have established themselves as a very unique and eclectic musical force that fuses together ska, punk, funk, hard rock and soul. Over the years they have had many lineup changes but presently perform as a seven-piece band. Two of the original members, John Norwood Fisher and Angelo Moore are still with the band, and the current iteration also includes past Suicidal Tendencies lead guitarist Rocky George. Fishbone is known to deliver high-energy shows laced with both humor and social commentary, and they will be performing selections from their new album Crazy Glue. Check out "Party With Saddam" from Live In Bordeaux.
Party With Saddam by FishboneMusic


The Dendrites is a local ska band that brings back the excitement, energy and sound of vintage instrumental ska. Most of their songs are upbeat and uptempo ska songs that get people skankin' like crazy, but they also mix in a little reggae and dub as well. They create their authentic sound using a large band, with nearly a dozen band members on stage playing a mix of instruments; guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, trumpet, trombone, and saxophones. Check out the music on their BandCamp page.


Bop Skizzum is a local funk-rock band also known for very high-energy live performances. They combine elements of funk, pop and punk rock to make music that is incredibly infectious and fun to listen to. Tonight they will be debuting a new lead singer, Julie Almeria. I'll be able to see how the new lineup compares to before - hopefully the new singer can meet or exceed the presence and quality of past singer Erin Jo Harris. I do know the rest of the band is very solid, so I expect it to be a great show. Check out "Punk", it'll give you an idea of their sound but this recording features the old singer.
PUSH by Bop Skizzum

The doors open at 7:00PM at Cervantes' Other Side. The documentary begins at 7:30PM, followed by a Q&A session, then the night of music begins. The show is all ages, and tickets are $20.

Last Wednesday, I went to see a show featuring psychedelic rock known for its ability to set the scene. Cervantes' Other Side hosted four bands with music so atmospheric at times I felt like I was on the set a movie rather than the heart of Five Points. The venue itself was a good setting on its own, but coupled with these bands' western rock style it gave the place a new aura entirely. For those in the know, it was a night of rock that inspired the imagination by taking the audience on a journey through psychedelic sound.

Dark Seas

The journey began when Salt Lake City band Dark Seas took the stage. Dark Seas performed as a five-piece band; Kyle Wilcox on vocals, Diego Mijares on guitar, Rhett Hansen on drums, Irvin Martinez on bass, and a fifth touring member who also played guitar. They got the night started with their blend of western/surf rock injected with psychedelia, as if the band too much time soaking in the mystique of the Utah badlands. Dressed in a trench coat and hat, lead singer Kyle Wilcox delivered dark-tinged vocals in a scruffy, low register over the mid-tempo cymbal heavy rhythms and twangy guitars that made-up the band's instrumental footprint, almost giving the band the feel of twisted psychedelic blues. They did well to start the show and introduce the crowd to the psych-rock sound. They are worth checking out and will have an EP released soon.

Max Pain & The Groovies

Next up was fellow Salt Lake City psych-rockers Max Pain & The Groovies. Max Pain & The Groovies also used a five member setup; David on vocals, Jake on bass, Dallin on guitar, Shane on guitar, and Tcoy on drums. This experimental group took the spirit of rock 'n' roll and put it in the oven, regularly basting that sound with juices of near sludge-like psychedelic rock. The vocals were delivered with a careful balance of force and dark mood that gave the music a garage rock feel with a more trippy and spaced out attitude. The end product was psychedelia with a kick - music that will daze you as much as it will get you dancing. Their live set craftily increased its intensity until it peaked with full rock force at the end. This band is indeed groovy, but with an added layer of punkish awesome.

Colfax Speed Queen

Local heroes Colfax Speed Queen went up on stage next. This four-piece band had Rob Halgren on keyboard, Matt Loui on vocals/guitar, Reed McKinny on drums and Gabriel Tafoya on bass. Together, this band created good ol' fashioned garage rock 'n' roll with impeccable authenticity. The bass, guitar and drum combo have the vintage feel of sixties punk garage while the addition of keyboard adds an extra layer to the sound. The organ tone of the keyboard adds the element of quirky psychedelia to the sound, setting the overall sound apart from just straight garage rock.

Colfax Speed Queen

Colfax Speed Queen's stage presence is centered around lead singer Matt Loui. He doesn't just stand up on stage and spit out vocals as he plays guitar - the music exudes from his pores as he moves about the stage like a true rock star. That energy transfers to the rest of the band and in turn, to the crowd, enhancing the live experience. "In Your Blood" and "My Nemesis Me" stood out, as those songs' uptempo pace and psychedelic keyboard created a very poignant yet atmospheric sound. "Fiends In The Night" was my favorite song of the set - short but intense with a catchy riff that grabs a hold of the listener and never lets go. Fans of rock 'n' roll should not hesitate to check out a Colfax Speed Queen show - they will bring it.

Spindrift

Finally it was time for the main attraction on this psychedelic musical ride - Spindrift. Spindrift also performed as a five-piece; Kirpatrick Thomas on guitar/vocals, Henry Evans on bass/baritone guitar, James Acton on drums/autoharp, Sasha Vallely on keyboards/vocals/flute, and Lucas Dawson on pedal steel/guitar. Those were the musical ingredients they needed to produce their psychedelic spaghetti western sound.

Spindrift

Kirkpatrick Thomas guitar had that familiar western twang, and he was no slouch on the fret board when it came to faster paced songs. He also sang in an impressive falsetto voice at times. Henry Evans had a double-necked guitar, switching from baritone guitar or bass depending on the situation. James Acton mostly held down a steady rhythm with the drum set, but added atmosphere on occasion with the autoharp. Sasha Valley's keyboard work added a deeper psychedelic layer to the sound, her vocals added a seductive element to the music, and her flute work definitely seemed surreal every time it emerged. Lucas Dawson was great on guitar, but was most impressive on the pedal steel, making some of the most psychedelic sounds I've ever heard created in a live environment.

Spindrift

Spindrift played an exhilarating set that transformed the Cervantes' Other Side venue into a place in the wild west. Their whole set was wrapped around the psychedelic aspect of their music, and they used that mood to drive both fast and slow paced western style songs. From the very first song that included the "Japexico" flute intro, they had grasped a hold of the crowd. They played on a dimly lit stage with a projection screen behind them. The projection screen added more out-of-this world ambiance to the performance with its vivid trance-inducing colors, and the stage production was enhanced by green slow moving laser lights that speckled the band like stars.

Spindrift

Songs like "Hellbound" and "Theme From Ghost Patrol" instantly evoked the feeling of the wild west. As the songs were performed I half expected cowboys to burst into the room with six-shooters out of their holsters. As much as I loved the fast paced country-western style songs, my favorite had to be when they performed the succession of songs; "Speak To The Wind", "Space Vixens" and the epic "Theme From Drifter's Pass". For these songs, the psychedelia was turned to the absolute maximum - slow and entrancing but captivating with an immense forceful feeling. "Theme From Drifter's Pass" was ten minutes of sheer psych-rock bliss. "Indian Run" was incredible with the added instrumental breakdown, including a blistering guitar solo from Kirkpatrick Thomas. "Showdown" was the perfect way to end the set, sending off the crowd to music as if there had just been a standoff between a hero and villain - without a glittery happy ending of course.

Spindrift

Spindrift was an amazing experience. It may not be music that frequents my rotation, and it may not be music that typically gets a lot of attention, especially since it usually finds its place in the background of films, but seeing it performed live was a wondrous experience in itself. It turned out there is a lot of talent involved in creating this particular sound, and once you see it live, its hard not to get caught up in the moment. If you are a fan of psych-rock, Spindrift is the real deal.

See more pictures from this show in the Facebook photo album. Like the Concerted Effort page to stay up to date.

There's a show coming up featuring music that'll not only rock your socks off, it just might transport you to a different space and time completely. This is music for people of action. People who've ever found themselves in an abandoned warehouse trying to figure out if they've been setup after a planned diamond heist goes wrong. People who've ever been paid to throw a boxing match but bet the pay-off money on themselves, won the fight anyway, and accepted the fact they'll have to flee from gangsters. People who've fled to Mexico after committing a bank robbery, only to find themselves in a vampire den masquerading as a strip club. People whose wedding was brutally attacked, got shot in the head and left for dead, then came back from a coma years later and used their assassin skills to exact some revenge. Or, people who have seen events like these play out in film and have wondered what kind of kick ass music was playing in the background to drive these crazy plot lines.

This Wednesday night at Cervantes' Other Side, Tone Dynamix will be presenting four bands that create music that sounds like it belongs in any one of those scenes. Each band has gritty, loud, psychedelic rock 'n' roll that adds an epic atmosphere wherever it is played. If you know what films I was referencing above and remember the sweet music that graced each one of those soundtracks, you will not want to miss this show.


The headliner is Delware formed, California based psychedelic rock outfit Spindrift. Even if the name doesn't sound familiar, if you are a film buff there is a good chance you've heard their songs and didn't even know it. These guys make music that sounds fit for fantastical films, and their sound is highly influenced and inspired by spaghetti westerns. Their music has been featured on a long list of soundtracks, most notably in Quentin Tarantino's Hell Ride. Their rock music is both crazy and cool, and when you hear it it'll get your imagination going. Check out "Theme From Confusion Range".
Theme from Confusion Range, Spindrift by popantipop


Colfax Speed Queen is a rock 'n' roll band from Denver. This four-piece band uses loud riff heavy guitar, deep and fluid bass guitar, pounding drums, and crashing keyboards to deliver the very essence of rock 'n' roll right to the listener's ear drum. Their raw high-energy vintage punk garage sound will definitely please rock fans. Check out "Fiends In The Night".
Colfax Speed Queen - Fiends in the Night by HotCongressRecords


Max Pain and the Groovies are a rock band from Salt Lake City. These guys combine the psychedelic sounds of the desert with the attitude of rock 'n' roll to make hard-hitting music from their five-piece band. They quickly became favorites for their style in their hometown and are coming to Denver to share their infectious sound. Check out "Piano".
Piano by Max Pain and the Groovies


Dark Seas is also a rock band from Salt Lake City, and they admit that they owe their existence to the band just mentioned above. With a slightly more atmospheric and experimental psychedelic approach, this band also delivers energetic throwback punk-garage styled rock 'n' roll. Check out "Wilted Spirit".
Dark Seas - Wilted Spirit by Concerted Effort


The show takes place on Wednesday, November 9 at 8:00PM. Doors are open at 7:00PM. The show is all ages and tickets are ridiculously cheap at $5.

Every time I check out Cervantes' I'm impressed with what they've got going on and the talent they bring in. This venue is doing great things to both support local music and bring underrepresented genres to town. So far I've seen shows there that have featured nothing but local talent and shows that featured big names in the funk scene. Thursday, I had the chance to check out another vibrant music scene that is hard to find elsewhere but seems to have found a home at Cervantes' - hip-hop shows. Cervantes' has been bringing in big names on a consistent basis, and Thursday night's show featured a great mix of both new and established names.

Hoot + Morbidly-O-Beats

The show began with Chicago transplants Hoot + Morbidly-O-Beats. These now Denver based producers create beats reminiscent of early hip-hop but with a modern downtempo meets electro touch. Unfortunately, due to a mix up with set times, I did not get a chance to see the majority of this duo's set. I was able to hear them lay down a couple of their beats, and Hoot finished their set with a freestyle rhyme. Without having seen most of their set I can't really say much else, so hopefully I'll get a chance to see them again soon.

AshTreJinkins

Next up was AshTreJinkins, a young producer from California. AshTreJinkins has a very unique abstract experimentalist style of beat production, and he presented a flowing mix of his original beat work using a Roland SP-404 sampler. His beat production style to me was like a mix of Flying Lotus and Fat Jon - abstract enough to be intriguingly different, but familiar and laid-back enough to be accessible. I liked the bulk of his beats, although most songs clocked in around 90 seconds or so. It was like listening to a person play out their beat tape demo rather than a polished performance. I think it'd be better if he turned the best of the short beats into full length songs and/or teamed up with an MC who would pair well with AshTreJinkin's unique beat style, but his futuristic approach to hip-hop beats is definitely promising.

DNAE Beats

Next on the bill was Mr. Lif featuring DNAE Beats. Before the two shared the stage, I was very curious to see how it would play out because it seemed like a very interesting pairing. DNAE Beats came out onto stage first, doing a solo DJ set to warm up the crowd. What made me mostly curious was how Mr. Lif would match with DNAE Beats' production style - he produces bass heavy slow and low dubstep sometimes with a sort of dirty south hip-hop influence. His solo mix had a lot of heavy wompy dubstep bangers featuring some original work and dubstep remixes, like the standout mix of Eurythmic's "Sweet Dreams". After a short set, Mr. Lif came out of the shadows to join DNAE Beats and let the madness begin.

Mr. Lif

From the moment Mr. Lif grabbed the microphone, he hit the Cervantes' crowd with the energy, presence and enthusiasm of a bundle of explosives. He started with an earlier song off of his Emergency Rations EP, "Phantom", hitting the crowd immediately with his signature social/political commentary rapping style. Then, DNAE Beats started dropping a few beat tracks for Mr. Lif to freestyle over, showcasing Mr. Lif's ability to rhyme on the fly. DNAE Beats kept his cuts more along the lines of hip-hop than the dubstep he was mixing before, but his beats still had a strong electronic feel.

Mr. Lif featuring DNAE Beats

The combination of Mr. Lif and DNAE Beats wasn't as off the wall as I expected, but it was still outside of the norm and worked very well. For the most part, the duo played smoothly off of each other and Mr. Lif was able to deliver rhymes and be incredibly dynamic on stage at the same time. Mr. Lif was exactly the wake-up call the audience in the venue needed, because once he took command of the stage the energy level of the crowd went way up and never went down for the rest of the night. I liked how Mr. Lif kept it fun, free and loose, but still performed some of his songs as well, like closing with one of his latest projects, "Culture of Fear" off Thievery Corporation's album of the same name. Mr. Lif proved he is still a force in the hip-hop world, and I hope he keeps creating more hip-hop music with an important message.

DJ Cam

Next up was a set from long time veteran DJ Cam. His production style involves a lot of laid-back jazz influenced turntabilist hip-hop beats, so I was expecting his DJ set to consist mostly of downtempo grooves. But DJ Cam exhibited his experience and versatility, cutting in a variety of classic hip-hop tracks to keep a steady dance party going. His ability to meld his song selection fluidly created a mix that maintained a steady, classy groove but had so much energy it never felt loungey.

DJ Cam

DJ Cam started with some of his own classic tracks, ones from way back that I've been rocking for years; "Dieu Reconnaitra Les Siens" and "Gangsta Shit" off his 1994 debut album Underground Vibes. after a steady stream of more DJ Cam jazzy trip-hop tracks, he started to blend in classics from hip-hop greats like Gang Starr and A Tribe Called Quest. He kept the jazz theme going with other jazz influenced instrumentals and even threw in some jazz-like randomness like Marlena Shaw's "California Soul" and The Wiseguys' "Ooh La La". DJ Cam's set was everything I had hoped for - a throwback mix that sounded completely fresh - and I loved every minute of it.

Blockhead

Blockhead followed up with a headlining DJ set that also featured the combination of laid-back downtempo beats but raw hip-hop energy. Blockhead achieved this by mixing through an Ableton control surface, allowing him to remix and mash-up his songs live right before the audience. Rather than just playing out his massive collection of original instrumental beats on their own one after the other, he shook things up by chopping up some of his own beats and splicing in other songs, giving the feel of both a straight performance and a DJ set - the best of both worlds.

Blockhead

The set began with a beat Blockhead made for Aesop Rock's Daylight EP, "Forest Crunk", but then about thirty seconds into the mix Blockhead threw in a twist. He spliced his beat with vocals from Dead Prez' "Hip Hop", giving a brand new feel to both songs. It was one surprise after another, as Blockhead did other delicious crazy mashes over his beats, like sprinkling in a little of Boney M.'s "Sunny", Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby", Simon & Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence", Ludacris' "Stand Up" and much, much more. He mixed everything so well with his own beats that he kept a steady flow throughout his whole set, despite the incredibly eclectic mix of songs he used.

Blockhead

Blockhead showed that his production genius stems from his ability to dig up great songs. Much of his music is audio collage work, taking bits and pieces from other songs and reconstructing them into something entirely new. His DJ set showed off just how diverse the music is he listens to, and his mixing style really appealed to someone like me who is always listening to a wide variety of songs from across genres. It may not have been a hip-hop mix in the traditional sense, but it maintained that hip-hop feel from start to finish. I was very impressed with Blockhead's set and wouldn't hesitate to see him again to hear what crazy things he'd mix up next.

Ill-Esha

Ill-Esha came on stage last to close out the night. Compared to the two sets that occurred before hers, she was a definite change of pace. She used a mixing controller to lay down some of her original and remixed songs that ranged from glitch-hop to dubstep. Her set featured a lot more high energy music compared to the more laid-back and downtempo style of the previous acts, igniting a dance party even more insane than what'd been going on before. On top of her beats, she would impressively sing into a microphone in an R&B style, something a little different and much more refreshing than just playing a straight heavy dubstep mix.

Ill-Esha

Ill-Esha had incredible energy and presence, and her singing really set her apart. Not only would she sing her own songs, but she would enhance her remixes of other people's songs by laying her own vocal harmonies on top of the mix. My favorite remix was her rendition of The Weeknd's "The Morning", which featured an awesome 2-step beat and Ill-Esha's smooth live vocals. Whether or not you are a dubstep fan, Ill-Esha does enough things different that it never sounds like any of the other dubstep out there, so it should please fans and non-fans of that genre alike. Ill-Esha exhibited talent beyond that of just a DJ, and I highly recommend seeing what she does live.

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