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Show Preview - An Evening with Daniel Johnston
Wednesday, April 30
The Mohawk (912 Red River)
10 p.m. | $11
[info]
How is Kid Koala’s work relevant to the music scene today?
Rae Davis: Koala is just Koala, always fresh and taking what he does further, just like (DJ) Shadow. He let everyone know that a turntable can do more then just play a record, it could be used as an instrument. Boundaries don't exist for him.
DJ Jester the Filipino Fist: He's a straight-up visionary. He thinks outside the box like no other DJ. He uses vinyl while not using headphones and usually rocks on at least three turntables at a time. His scratching is up there with the BEST and knows when to keep it loud and when to keep it soft. He is a performer. You can see on his face how much fun he's having. Most DHs don't look like they are having any fun up there, like they are about to shit their pants because they think they left the oven on or something. So maybe he is not that relevant since every other DJ, including me, seems so lazy compared to him. It's about the live experience for him and I bet he'll be one of the only cats doing this until he's past sixty.
How did you first get involved with Kid Koala; are you supporting him on
the entire tour?
RD: Mikey (DJ Jester) hooked me up with Koala, but Mikey is gonna be on the road with 'em I believe. Unfortunately I won't, I have other shows coming up back home, but I'll be on the road in July with my boys HOBO D and Ernest Gonzales throughout the east coast!
DJ J: It's a funny story that I've told ten hundred times, but let's see. It was the year 2001 and I was driving the Boca Burger Mobile (this is probably the best article on it). Anyway, on this Boca Burger Tour I was on, my goal was to get my CD, River Walk Riots, into as many hands as possible. Keep in mind, this is years before MySpace, Facebook, Friendster...any of that. . .So, it was much more about having your ear to the street. So, yeah, I physically took River Walk Riots to every independent record store, radio station, concert I went to, etc. on this Boca Burger Tour. I even waited around at the Berklee College of Music for Dr. Stephen Webber to get out of class so I could talk to him. So, yeah...I was in Boston giving out burgers at the Boston Marathon. On my day off, I stumbled into this store called Biscuithead and saw this flyer for a Kid Koala show. I got so excited because I'd never seen the Kid live. I brought my CD with me, of course. It didn't hurt that a few months before a cover story in the San Antonio Current had compared the two of us, so I brought that, too. Turns out, he knew my cousin, Gene Starship (an artist from the Heavyweights), so we had an instant bond. We kept in touch and for awhile, strangely, I had Boca Burger events in some of the same cities he would have shows (a similar thing happened to me in 2005 when I was driving an ice cream truck and Diplo was on tour). The biggest show we happened to be in the same cities for, however, was when he opened for Radiohead in Chicago. So, yeah, one thing led to another...I was done with the burger tour and was crashing in San Antonio again just doing my thing again. He played in Austin in late 2002. He did an in-store at 33 Degrees. We went to dinner that night. He asked me to tour with him and join his turntable band. So, in 2003, we went on a worldwide tour. This current tour is just a last-minute thing. For me, it starts in Phoenix. I am DJing his sister-in-laws' wedding in Florida so Koala planned a tour around it and we're pretty much making an excuse for a road-trip across America to catch up with each other.
As for yourself, what are you working on currently?
RD: I just finished my record that'll be out May 27th on Exponential Records! It's called Positive Thinking!, and you can stream the entire record at www.antipop.net. After this is all done I want to start working with some Emcees and maybe get a full on jazz quintet going. I kinda want to work with a marching band too from Houston or New Orleans, they just got so much flavor.
DJ J: I am preparing a big art show in San Antonio for July with Ernest Gonzales (label owner / DJ who owns Exponential). It's gonna be nuts. Details are kind of hush hush right now. I just finished a mix for a play that is touring high schools for Zachary Scott Theatre in Austin. Really looking forward to the MFA stuff happening in Houston this year. Other than that, I really can't wait to eat lunch! And oh yeah, GO SPURS GO!
What do you have in store for us at the show at The Mohawk on Wednesday?
RD: Since I don't know how to DJ, I’m going to play a live set. Fender Rhodes, some keyboards, maybe a bass player (haven't decided), two laptops, some banging beats and maybe some visuals as well. It's all done live.
DJ J: You'll just have to come see! It's a tough spot to be sandwiched between Rae Davis and Kid Koala. Both are uber-talented individuals!
And finally, your current favorite record?
RD: Clipse - We Got It For Cheap Vol.3 hands down! I can't help but to bump this in my ride!
DJ J: My favorite song right now is an oldie, but a goodie. It's "Gimme the Finga" by Black Sheep. It's my theme song right now. The attitude of this song is off the hook. You know how Kanye (West) is all "I would even show up to this fake shit. . .?" Well, this is similar territory, but more innocent and smarter. I just ran around Town Lake listening to the new Del The Funky Homosapien (11th Hour). He has the best diss line: "You need to go and read a book!"
[Kid Koala MySpace]
[DJ Jester the Filipino Fist MySpace]
[Rae Davis MySpace]
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