It’s the beginning of a new week and Kulture Klash 4 has come and passed. Kulture Klash this time around was a total blast. (Even if it did feel like a blur to me.) Our projections blew our minds away and more importantly blew the minds of all the people standing in line for beer and port-o-potties. I shouldn’t say it like that. In fact we had a huge number of people outside partying with us.
The numbers I really couldn’t say, but just taking a guess I’d say there was close to 800 at any given time. However, the best thing was everyone was getting down to the classics. Scruchyface Flatbroke took a commanding presence on the decks, and totally melted the crowds faces. It surprised me when he dropped William DeVaughn’s “Just Be Thankful For What You Got.” And the whole crowd was just grooving and grinding. Even though I was running video and fixing the technical stuff, (like plugging projectors back in after jerks unplugged them.) I got the crowd going with a side to side arm wave during Leon Haywood’s “I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You.” Which I think made both Scrunchyface Flatbroke and Birdflu get into the groove some more.
Speaking of that I forgot to mention Birdflu from the Bubbleguts Brothers was there with us cutting it up. If you ever get a chance you need to check him and his boy JectWon out. Strictly vinyl, crazy ass cutting, straight dope. It was great to have him up there to add his vinyl manipulation expertise. I’m sure you will see more of both crews preforming together in the near future.
I did not get a chance to check out much of the artwork. Okay, i didn’t get a chance to check out any of the artwork or see anything else that was going on besides what we were doing. But from what I have been reading and seeing, it looks like Kulture Klash 4 was a success.
Big thanks goes out to everyone who invited the Spaced Invaders out there, Gus, Scott, Ambergre, Suite Sole, (I heard we were getting paid in shoes this time around.) Big Hair and the rest of the Dub Island Crew, (Lord knows if it weren’t for you there would not have been any show at all.) To all the party goers that got down to the groove, especially to that kid who took a handful of stickers and said he’d put them up all over downtown.
All I can say is that it will take some work for the Spaced Invaders to out do themselves this time around. But hey we have already done that…just wait for the concert at the Customs House during Spoletto 09.
The Spaced Invaders were invited to perform at the Charleston City Paper’s Best of Charleston event. It was an awesome gig! For those of you who don’t know about the event. (Myself included) The event is held at the Joe Riley Stadium. The City Paper brings in all the “Best Of” winners to showcase their food, goods, etc., Bring in the alcohol vendors, and hand out 1500 free tickets to the City Paper’s closest friends, family, etc. And let me you, those tickets go fast. In fact they started handing the tickets out on the Friday before the event. And by Saturday morning they were gone. (Thanks to Blair the advertising director for allowing me to make a list to allow friends in.)
The event really kicked ass. Flatbroke and I dropped music in between each bands set, and they gave us like a 3-story video screen to project on. Check out the video to see some of the madness of the party.
In lighter note, the Spaced Invaders didn’t make the “Best DJs in Charleston.” But we did somehow make the “Best Graffiti Artists.” Which we’re pretty confused about thinking that I haven’t touched a spray paint can since my teenage years and Flatbroke has not touched a spray paint can since his early 20’s. We couldn’t help to make jokes the whole time we were up on stage about being the, “Best Graff’ers” in Charleston, when we know we’re DJs, we’ve always sent press releases out stating that, and there are so many good artists here that could definitely own that title. Anyway, I hope that after Wednesday the local press has a better grasp of what we do.
All in all, can’t thank them enough for having us out there and hope that we all continue having a blast together and we can elevate the scene and get something real going on in this city.
One last thing, I have to shout out to Bad Jon Photography. I still haven’t met the fellow, but he took that wicked photo of Flatbroke on the decks.
I waited to drop this because of both Flatbroke’s and BirdFlu’s love themed casts and I didn’t want to switch the groove up to much. Anyway, here are some dirty, dirty funk breaks that I pulled together for everyone to get down to. Overall, I’m really feeling this podcast and had to dig through a lot of stuff to put it together. Leave some comments and let me know what you think.
I’m going to get kind of nostalgic with this post but it’s the New Year once again. Time for everyone to start their resolutions for the year only to forget them in about three weeks. Time for everyone to reflect on the last year and see how they can make themselves better in 2009. Well in retrospect, I’d say 2008 was a great year for the Spaced Invaders and me as a DJ.
First off 2008 had a lot of great shows for the Spaced Invaders. The College of Charleston Red Event (Which started it all), Kulture Klash 2, The Future Sound of Breaks World Tour Stop in Charleston, The Side Show Fashion Show, Dr. King’s Skinful Halloween and certainly last but not least, our Stone Groove events. All the shows that we did last year just totally blow my mind away. Already in the first year that the Spaced Invaders formed we have performed in front of thousands. I can’t be more thankful than that.
In addition to the shows we made a lot of good friends along the way and have met some really great people as well. People who are really helping us out and believe in what we do. Mad thanks to the folks at Camel and Redbull for hooking us up with shows and calling us back for more. Same thing to CofC Radio. Also, another thanks to Torch for letting me have a weekly gig at your place, and most of all letting me be free to play what I feel. There’s just so many people to thank that I’ll have to spend all day writing. So please don’t be upset that I don’t get to you in this. (After all this is just a blog post)
I also am going to market the Stone Groove podcast and live show very hard this year. Flatbroke and I moved the party to the Daily Dose on James Island and the party within two months have become a huge hit. Most of all, it became very Charlestonian in doing this. Somehow moving the party out of downtown into this very chill, vibey spot just seems right. Our friends are out there and each show we make new ones. It’s really just turned into this great time. I think this year the Stone Groove will be so huge in when the weather warms up and more people spread the word. Duffy, you have been great about helping us out in that way.
Lastly, this brings up the Stone Groove as a whole. I just can’t believe this. In November the podcast had over 8000 listens. Speaking of that, the Spaced Invaders are still the only DJs in Charleston with mixtapes on iTunes. (At least at the time of this posting. And that I know of.) The Stone Groove and the ideas behind it have really brought out a new aspect of DJing in me. I’m back to digging again. You know trying to find those tunes that are just great. I’m back to practicing on the decks. I’m back to producing music and beats once again. And I’m back to sticking to my guns and not selling out to the Top 40 BS. And I owe a great deal of this to Flatbroke, he just keeps upping his skills and just his keeps digging and digging and digging. Throughout day one he’s been a sort of mentor in all of this just sort of fine tuning the direction of the Stone Groove and making sure it never loses steam. I couldn’t ask for somebody better to work with on this Stone Groove funk mothership.
Anyway, I have to run and make it look like I do something for a living. I leave you with this parting shot from the last Stone Groove event. It is a picture of Duffy’s son Boogie Down (Yep that’s his real name) as our guest DJ at the Stone Groove.
I complete forgot about this one. This album actually has some pretty cool tech break remixes of some Dizzie Gillespie, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly, and Curtis Fuller tracks. I never have played these outside the music room, but they are pretty cool. These tracks would definitely go over the heads of the normies. And the only people who might recognize the remixed tracks are my grand parents. But it’s cool none-of-the less.
Bruce Springsteen – Born In the USA
What can I say, it’s the boss. And it has my karaoke jam on there, “Dancing in the Dark.” If you look real hard on the internet there is video of me belting this one out. This album though reminds me of the tunes my parents would crank during Sunday morning chore day when I was a wee one. However, I don’t know if I should keep the album or not. I have this as high quality mp3s and can listen to it whenever and it was a very popular album so finding another one would be easy. I think I should give it to my mom for Christmas, she might like it.
Bob & Doug McKenzie
I actually found this digging through a thrift store and thought how funny it would be to listen to two dudes doing Canadian Stereotypes. I don’t remember to well if it was funny or not. After all it does have Rick Moranis on it. The odd thing is, many years later after listening to the album and it being buried in the stacks of records that I own, I actually dated a Canadian and she ended up buying me Strange Brew as a gift once. Was it coincidence or fate? You decide.
Green Velvet – La La Land
I used to play the $h!+out of this song. This was during the pill popping rave days of the early 2000’s. The chorus is still catchy to this day and anyone who was into electronic music back in those days knows this track. However, I think I’m going to let this one go out to pasture. I don’t play it anymore, nor do I think I will…erg. Maybe one more time at Torch for nostalgia’s sake.
3LW – Feelin You
I never listened to this nor did I play it out anywhere. I could tell because the paper sleeve is still turned inward and everything is pristine and clean. I think my little sister used to listen to them back in like 7th grade. Not sure though, but it’s going.
