A-Trak started things off right. Too often, DJ live sets involve people hunched over computers, leaving you with the fear that the whole set might already be on the DJ’s hard drive, and the only thing happening live is that he’s updating his Facebook status.
Instead, A-Trak started his show at the House of Blues last night with a quick display of his skills at the turntables – appropriate for someone who won his first major turntablism title at age 15. From there, he segued into a night of sleek house music, occasionally pausing for moments to change direction or to briefly engage the crowd. He first performed in New Orleans in 1998, he said, when he came to town at age 16 to DJ a rave. He came with his mother.
Thursday night, he came with Kid Sister and the Gaslamp Killer, and the three were a study in how to make DJ and electronica music engaging in a concert setting. A-Trak had the now-obligatory light rig and turntable desk built in the shape of a stylized “A,” and he did speak occasionally, though less as the night went on. Los Angeles’ Gaslamp Killer opened with an eccentric set that incorporated music from all over the map – including late ’60s Japanese garage psychedelia – into a mix that he responded to physically, whipping his long, kinky hair around at times, then vibrating theatrically in response to a strobed moment.
Photo by Joshua Brasted
Chicago’s Kid Sister was even more theatrical. She rode onstage on a glammed-out scooter cooler, and throughout her brief set, reinforced the image of the woman down the block who’s one of the boys until she wants to be your girl. With her DJ Willy Joy, she whipped through a set of electronic dance music, taking more time with songs from her Kiss Kiss Kiss mixtape – particularly “Gucci Rag Top,” with the great couplet: “You like my rear / It likes you too.” If you were there for her, the way she hustled through a verse and chorus of “Right Hand Hi” and “Pro Nails” would be disappointing, but there’s no denying her charisma, energy or willingness to work the audience.
