RJD2 – January 30th – Bluebird Theater

Photo by Benny Mistak

The Scene:  The Bluebird Theater was already filling up by 9pm on Friday with patrons quick enough to have scored entrance; the two night event was sold-out.  Showing up in animal costumes and animal ear headbands, hootin’ and hollerin’, all were thankful for the week to be over and we’re ready to have a great time.  It was a safari theme for the evening, TNertle band members showing up in their greatest safari khaki’s and hats. Filling in quickly, the crowd tripled in size within an hour and the Friday night party was itchin’ to get started.  The mix of artists on the bill was impressive giving Colorado bands a chance to share the stage with a legend in the business.

Opener: Lily Fangz. Lily Fangz, real name Lileana Krenza, has been a Colorado resident for the past year and she has grown steadily since being part of Souls in Action booking agency.  She has had the opportunity to open for some of the hottest rap stars in the game such as NAS and Schoolboy Q this past summer at Red Rocks, at festivals Sonic Bloom and Westword Music Showcase and for Redman and Method Man at this year’s 4:20 show at Cervantes’ Ballroom.  Being a Hip-Hop fan and pseudo feminist, I was pretty amped to see a female on stage slaying verses.  She had the crowd’s attention and she continued to grow on me during her 45 minute opening set.  Soul-Hop beats backed her sturdy sonnets which gave us an earful outlining her ability for word play and storytelling.  Her singing voice is fetching and she gave us her best during her hit “Breathe.”   Look for the video on YouTube that was just released in January.  She exudes confidence and has an easy going stage presence with an infectious dance style.  Her poetic dialect was clear and rhythmic, quick and crisp.  Though it wouldn’t be the last we hear Lily for the night, she exited the stage energetic and proud.

Opener: TNertle. Fresh to the TNertle sound, I was eager to hear from this local Denver band that has many wrapped around their fingers.  I wasn’t sure what I was in for but after hearing the magic I’m hooked!  While they call themselves an Electro Funk Hip-Hop group, they have meshed a variety of musical styles and span a panoramic space of genres.   The six person gang engage well together and are creating something original.  Getting a chance to talk to Leah Concialdi (Saxophone) she told me that Trent (Campbell-Midi control/bass) and Kyle (Ayervais-drums) had asked her and the rest of the horn players (Rob Gower-trumpet and Jon Keney– trombone) a year ago to join them in order to really shine.  Ray Salazar was added to the bill as MC most recently, lending his assorted lyrical senses.

The band had Salazar start the evening off with “A Beautiful Mind” which showcased the emcee’s style of Rap which intertwines gracefully with the bands hypnotic mixture.  There are dozens of Electro-Funk bands emerging right now but none have the bonafide talent and lyrical logic of Salazar.  “Mention” brought the energy to an all-time high with the performers thoroughly enjoying the magic they were making.  A head bobber and foot mover, the song incorporates Trip-Hop with live horns creating a trancey and worldly sound.  I thoroughly enjoyed their instrumental symphony and find myself listening to the song now while I write this article.  Lily returned to the stage for “Free Dem,” a dark and murky beat yet a powerful track with a catchy hook.   I won’t be surprised when this band starts headlining as the word spreads about their live experience.  Their set was fun, energetic and overall a fantastic showing from a band that has really started to pick up and catch everyone’s ear.

RJD2: After the whirlwind throwdown that Tnertle displayed, the main event had a slow start.  Making a dramatic entrance, the legend walked on stage outfitted in black vinyl and pleather, incognito in a welders mask; a 1980’s sound machine hooked to the front of his belt.  Speaking to the crowd in an alien like robotic voice, the Insane Warrior began to provide sound bites from his device, demonstrating a technical show and tell.  After which, the DJ dropped the mask, performed a quick change and raced behind his tables; four in all.  His entry was slow and what I could feel, brought the crowd down to about a six after being at an 8.  He continued to hold the first track longer than expected and didn’t build to a drop fast enough.  Granted, this isn’t what RJD2 is known for.  He’s not in the new Drum and Bass, Dub-Step club.  He’s old school. Beginning his craft around 1993 but not getting his big break until 2002 with his debut album Deadringer.  He’s a true A list DJ, making his mark for years;  his song “A Beautiful Mine” being used for the popular television show Mad Men.   The composer has a zest that has always been quick and steady with a gradual incline directed by haunting beats that stick to your eardrums.  Since 2002,  he has managed to put out seven more albums during which his sound shifting. But if you’re not changing you’re not growing.  Fluctuating throughout the years, 2013’s album More is Than Isn’t is standing out from the rest.  Proving this fact was when I caught sound bites from the crowd, “this is the D2 2.0.”  Bringing in newer sounds, the DJ showcases more of a relaxed dance trance, groove.

He lost the crowd at times and even fumbled through a vinyl change, letting the crowd know out loud that the record began to skip.  Recovering quickly he fed off the energy and managed to speed up the performance.  Animated, he would swing around to his stack of records angled in a milk crate, flipping the switches, piecing together his next move.  His mix was consistent but failed to make solid transitions.  Unable to firmly place a note, I failed to recognize any songs in the beginning gunning to hear the hits.  Around the second half of the presentation, the energy started to lift back up, wowing the crowd with Gang Starr’s  “DWYCK” and remixing Guru’s verse.  The journey continued and we were gifted with the songs that we wanted to hear all night.  “1976” was put on blast and remixed to the 5th degree.  No medley’s here, we got the full 2.0 versions of the more popular songs in his arsenal.  His Hip-Hop produced mixes are memorable and it is exciting to hear the songs done live.  “The Horror” was mixed effortlessly and was a crowd pleaser.  As the bouncing crowd began to thin, it seemed the rollercoaster ride of ups and downs was nearing an end but instead the seams were tightened and we were sprung into “Ghostwriter.”  Keeping the best for last, the mash-up hit was an appreciated outro for the multi- range DJ and producer.

Acknowledging your fans is in my opinion the best and most humble reaction an artist can have when performing live.  RJD2 appreciates his fans and when the lights went up, he graciously stuck around on stage, shook hands, chatted and took plenty of pictures.  Being a bystander and fan, I jumped in the line for the meet and greet, said my hellos and got a pretty good picture.  Showing your fans you have time and recognizing them makes you a relatable artist and it was pretty solid that the DJ made himself available.  The evening as a whole had its ups and downs but in the end it was enjoyable.

Energy: B
Musicianship: B-
Sound: B
Stage Presence: B-
Set/Light Show: C

Overall: B-