Ryan ChartrandKCPR DJs began to filter into the bar nightlife during last quarter with Downtown Brewing Co.’s Bump Bump. The event offered them a stage once a month where they could bring a distinct and out-of-town sound to the local environment.
As the quarter ended, Downtown Brew began to become more of a larger entity and with packed schedules and higher operating costs, the event began to fade out.
Perhaps it’s for the best; this quarter KCPR DJs have put themselves to a much more difficult test. Mother’s Tavern started up a DJ contest where the winners would be decided based entirely off of crowd response. This contest provided KCPR DJs the ability to not only prove their skill, but also show the need for a different sound in San Luis Obispo.
Three KCPR DJs entered the contest during the initial four rounds. Both of the two who have gone have won their respective nights with the third scheduled for tonight.
The contest pits DJs from the community against each other with each one delivering a half-hour set until a winner is chosen and gets to DJ until last call.
Loco from KCPR’s house show Club 91 claimed victory the second week and Foniks from KCPR’s hip-hop show, Table Manners, took top honors the third week. Tomorrow night’s show will allow Velanche from Urban Landscapes to showcase his skills.
In past columns, I’ve given at least a little bit of frown to the state of the town’s club DJ supply.
Perhaps I should flesh out the difference a little bit. It seems that most of what is offered lacks any sort of sense of uniqueness. While we all love club bangers, it seems that the people who cobble them together lack more than the ability of my iTunes playlist and some recorded scratch sounds to play over it. What the town truly needs is DJs who contemplate builds and samples and audience reaction into something more than sequencing top 40 hits.
In no way can I do these things. But the people who can have been getting recognized for their creativity and skill. The DJ scene is one that is equally important as the local concert scene and if San Luis Obispo can provide both, it would be a well-rounded and unique town with an art scene that would attract more people of my age group.
That’s a rather large view of things though. What I really mean is, it’s just nice to know that someone whose mixing has led me to become incapacitated at multiple house parties may actually get paid for it.
Show tip: BARR and Marnie Stern will be playing at the Steynberg Gallery on Sunday at 8 p.m. Marnie Stern is a really hot girl who shreds guitar really well. Enough said.
Graham Culbertson is a journalism sophomore and general manager of KCPR.