It's a turbulent time in the international office of Tankboy, LTD., so it's a good thing I have tonight off from DJing at Liar's Club. My absence doesn't mean that the party won't be raging though! Bomb Squad resident Amber Waves anchors the night and will be aided by Rudy Tuesday and Josh from La Scala. (SIDE NOTE: Please don't get Josh too drunk, I need him in decent shape to play the show I have going on at Hideout tomorrow.)
Tonight wraps up our first month since we officially took over Thursdays at Liar's, and things are going great. I want to see it keep growing, though. I no longer DJ every week myself, and I know some in my own personal following don't make it out to see me or my friends spin as often anymore because we sort of get taken for granted. Hey, that's going t0 happen to anyone that has been spinning as long as I have. The Bomb Squad is the first time, though, that I've aligned myself with a single collective, and I did it because I really believe in our mission statement; play music that's fun. You'd be surprised how many people claim that as their DJ mantra, but actually spend more time trying to insure that their evening's selections resonate within a certain hipster segment of their crowd. You won't see that happen with The Bomb Squad.What you will see happen is a core trio, augmented by many talented friends, intent on playing tunes that they enjoy. And when a DJ plays tunes they are really into, and can't help but dance too (even if they (and by "they" I mean "I") look like goofs doing so), that enthusiasm proves infectious. So yeah, you're going to hit a few of tomorrow's hits any time we're spinning, but you're more likely to hear a bunch of shoulda-been hits you forgot you loved. or better yet, didn't know you loved.
I notice recently I've written a fair share on what my philosophy on DJing is, and why I do it, and what I enjoy in other DJs, and I think the reason behind all of this internal reflection has to do with the number of folks claiming to be DJs nowadays. And the fact that some folks mistakenly lump me into to group of relative newbies because I primarily use two iPods when I spin (and I can beat-match with them, thank you, it's no different than it was when DJs started using CDs but CD players didn't have pitch control) probably sparks a slightly self-defensive stance. But the main reason I think I've revisited this topic so often lately is because I don't know how many folks view DJing as something other than a fashion statement or social stance.In my opinion it's neither. A DJ is a selector whose job it is to pick music that will make people feel. It's that simple. And it's that simplicity that informs Bomb Squad Thursdays and helps set us apart from the crowd. You'll literally hear a little bit of everything when we spin, and we're sure you'll enjoy the ride.
In a world where DJs and blogs and radio stations and (seemingly) everything around us are all becoming frighteningly homogeneous, we're not afraid to take a stance, take a few risks, and risk making fools of ourselves for your sake. And we've found a club that lets us run wild without worrying that what we do won't mesh with its "image." In my opinion, that adds up to all kinds of awesome.
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