Nine DJs. Five Davie St bars. Five charities supported by your buying a $10 pass. Bitch, please. If you are doing anything tonight, it’s this:
Now this is the first part of a two-month competition that culminates in a Vancouver Pride weekend battle on August 2. Up for stakes: a two-year management contract, a cross-country promotional tour and the kind of exposure a newbie DJ famewhore could only dream of. This is another Terry Costa/Mirateca production (the boys who brought you Gay Top Model) so entertainment of some form or another is guaranteed.
Tonight, you find the nine contenders taking shifts at Oasis, 1181, Celebrities, J-Lounge and Score. You can find a complete schedule for who is playing here. If you want to do some homework before you go, you can find sample mixes from all nine DJs here.
I’m doing double duty this week and covering the event for Xtra Vancouver. I’m interviewing the nine candidates and they had until Friday to respond to me. As of last night, only six responded in time for me to write this blog, so as far as I’m concerned, here are the six to watch, in the order they got back to me:
DJ Marc Tattoo
Describe your sound in three words: “happy upbeat hiNRG”
Personal connection: None, though this guy sent me seven emails in two days. In three words: too many emails.
DJ Marty Funkhauser
Describe your sound in three words: “funk fuelled mayhem”
Personal connection: I’ve known this guy since I moved to Vancouver. Sure, he’s a total piece of shit, but rumour has it he’s going to be wearing the same silver lamé Elvis suit tonight that I once saw him in at Shambhala a few years ago. Oh yeah. He spins vinyl and is damn good at it. Excited to see him in a large venue.
DJ Jeffery Michael
Describe your sound in three words: “hard and dirty”
Personal connection: Celebrities Nightclub’s wunderkind is a young risk taker and knows how to move an audience. You gotta appreciate that. He’s also been subjected to a community-wide slanderous online campaign by someone desperate for attention, something I can personally relate to quite well.
DJ Christoker
Describe your sound in three words: “vocals baseline disco”
Personal connection: His preinterview was the funniest of the six. DJ-stylist, yes, DJ-deadbeat, totally…but I haven’t met any DJ-comedians yet. Eh? EH?
DJ Lisa Delux
Describe your sound in three words: “multi-genred undeniable dancing”
Personal connection: DJ Delux has put in her time at venues across Vancouver and knows her way around a DJ booth. She’s got name recognition and has the cred to deserve. Excited to have a chance to hear her do her shit.
DJ Mitchell Bederman
Describe your sound in three words: “dancy fancy unicorn”
Personal connection: I went on a weird date with this guy last year. When he told me he was in a rock-style band but produced electronic music and DJ’ed on the side, I instantly thought he fell into the I’m a photographer-DJ-promoter, “I’m-full-of-bullshit-and-wear-striped-tank-tops” category of gay guy. Whoopsie! It turns out he was serious!
Remember: with a $10 pass, you will be able to vote for your favourite DJ and won’t have to wait in line at any of these venues (not that there are lineups at four of the five anyway). More importantly, you’ll be supporting Friends for Life Society, HIM (Health Initiative for Men), Qmunity (BC’s Queer Resource Centre), Team Vancouver and the Vancouver Pride Society with your purchase, so get out and get judging.
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