Thursday, January 14, 2010

RJD2 at The Social


RJD2 is a turntablist, setting up at least three at a time when he performs live. The man born Ramble John Krohn can mix beats with the best of them. He is also so much more than just another dj, and last night's performance proved this. Trying to pigeonhole him in a particular genre is an impossible task, and why bother? The music and performance speak for themslves. RJ opened behind the decks, performing several songs before moving to the front of the stage to greet the crowd and play guitar with a live band that consisted of a keyboardist, drummer, and bassist.
Some of the songs he played and sang with the band are arrangements that are traditionally known on his albums as sampled and mixed. It was a welcome change to hear them arranged for a full live band.
Highlights included "1976" and "Good Times Roll Part 2".
RJ played several songs from his first three albums, intermingled with tracks from his new album The Colossus, set to be released this Tuesday.
The mood of the show would change from silly to serious, bouncing between a costumed RJ playing with electronic toys to plainly dressed RJ singing songs and playing guitar. It was lighthearted and passionate all at once, and everyone in the crowd kept up with the energy, singing back to him and dancing to the beats. The cheering was infectious, with one person on the floor starting a series of "woos" that would spread throughout the club.
The show never dragged, the set flowed nicely and th epacing was perfect.
The encore was just one song, the one my friend Luci and I had been waiting to hear all night: "Making Days Longer". We stood leaning on the stage looking upward as RJ brought out his acoustic guitar and played with sweetness and sincerity.
Overall, this was a fantastic show. We traveled from Fort Lauderale to Orlando and back in one night, and I wouldn't change a thing!

No comments:

Post a Comment