By Rory Flynn, Jayplay writer
Photos by Rory Flynn
From Left: Lawrence DJs Cheo and Los spin Latin tunes at the Eighth Street Taproom; KJHK DJ Connor Moore, Tulsa senior, cues up a record for his Friday night show, "When the Funk Hits the Fans"; Kansas City DJ Joc Max hosts a James Brown tribute at the Gaslight Tavern; A DJ's-eye view at the Eighth Street Taproom. Below: Moore tends to the turntables in the KJHK studio.
Enter our home-sweet-home of Lawrence: a Midwestern, live-music oasis
So what kind of music are you feeling this evening? Soul, funk, hip-hop, '80's pop, Latin, maybe some disco or afro-beat perhaps? Maybe a bit of everything mixed into one diverse set will suit your musical desires for the evening. It might be the Midwest, but most nights in Lawrence you have the option of getting down to some of the best music from all over the world in addition to the hottest domestic grooves provided by area DJ's.
What makes Lawrence's DJ scene so unique is the diversity of its record slinging music junkies. In many cities, it's not difficult for one to stumble upon a club and find the same cookie-cutter, "hip-hop" DJ spinning the same 50 Cent track we've all heard a countless number of times. While these Top 40 DJ's do exist in Lawrence, there are certainly other types as well.
Lawrence generally has three main outlets for DJ's wishing to reach the ears of listeners: bars and music venues, house parties and radio, specifically KJHK, 90.7 FM, which first aired in 1975 and became the first college station to broadcast via the Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the early '80s College Music Journal and New York Rocker named KJHK one of the top seven college radio stations in the country.
There is no limit to the talent that local and touring DJ's have graced Lawrence with over the years. This town's plethora of talented DJ's fill venues around town with music from all genres.
for decades. For a town that has hosted some of the best musicians from all over the United States, as well as much of the world, it only makes sense that its inhabitants would have a cultured, educated and unique taste in music. Therefore, the Lawrence community is enriched by the presence of avid music listeners who have the willingness and passion for sharing the music that has made such an impact on their lives.
The quality that makes a good DJ is the passion for music. What does not make a good DJ is someone simply collecting a check for playing wedding requests off an iPod (i.e. Brown Eyed Girl on repeat).
Long-time Lawrence spinner, DJ Curtis
McCoy recalls when he was one of the few people in Lawrence with his own turntables. He has lived here for nine years and has DJ-ed for most of them. "It is great to see so many more people DJ-ing around downtown Lawrence. It brings so many different styles of music to the community." McCoy says. He says he sees DJ's as gatekeepers of introducing people to new kinds of music and cultures they otherwise may never have experienced. "People can spin anything on turntables these days, the Gaslight (Tavern) has punk DJ's as well as '50s swing sets, I think that kind of diversity in DJ's and music really accelerates the scene," McCoy says.
There are typically two types of DJ's:
one's who scratch and ones who simply mix. Of course, some are a combination of both. The skills of DJ-ing extend far beyond the obvious technical scratching abilities of turntable virtuosos such as Mix Master Mike, Q-Bert or Cut Chemist. Often, some of the most enjoyable DJs are those who strictly mix their tracks. The main skill that makes a great mixing DJ is the ability to make transitions between tracks seamlessly by matching beats and adjusting the pitch between tracks with different beats per minute.
Lawrence DJ Joe McGuire, a.k.a. Cheo, has been spinning Latin-flavored beats and rhythms in Lawrence since he began a weekly show on KJHK titled Latin Lab, in 2001. He frequently spins at various venues around Lawrence as well as in Kansas City. He says he enjoys the support the community has shown him over the years. "People in Lawrence always seem to welcome new types of music in the community. I am constantly amazed by the positive feedback I receive many of the nights I DJ." McGuire says.
Many venues around town have weekly DJs, including the Eighth Street Taproom, the Gaslight Tavern, EightOneFive and Fatso's. The standard price is typically between $1 and $2, which is usually more affordable than most concerts in Lawrence. So next time you're looking to hear some unique tunes, check out flyers around town, as well as the Jayplay's concert calendar, for events in the local DJ scene and you'll be pleasantly surprised at the quality of Lawrence's DJ's.
09.08.05 Jayplay
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