Instead of aggregating every track on every piece of vinyl I laid down during my two recent dj sets at the Beachland, I’m going to do something a little different. The playlist below is a best of, or a sampling of what I’ve been toting around in my dj crate during the past week as I manned the dj booth during the Walk Off the Earth pre-show/after-show event on Thursday night and, again, during the Waterloo Arts Fest on Saturday afternoon.
The big takeaway from Thursday night was that “Whoooo!” girls will dance to Death Grips. Who knew? Also, I found out Flipper’s “Sex Bomb” will transition nicely into LCD Sounsystem’s “All My Friends.” Just don’t expect anyone to know what to do when “Sex Bomb” is blaring over the club’s speakers.
Saturday provided similar teachable moments for aspiring djs. For one, make sure the treble isn’t kicked up before you put on that Husker Du record. Think Bob Mould’s guitar is shrill? Think how much more shill it can be with extra treble. The answer is so shrill that people will leave A/C for the outside heat on a 90 degree day. And, while Sonic Youth’s version of “Personality Crisis,” is played at a different tempo than the original, it is not meant to be played at 45. No one wants to hear twee Kim Gordon, especially those who know their Sonic Youth from their Reagan Youth.
Enjoy.