Stones Throw Showcase
Speakeasy Kabaret, Wednesday, March 17Some find it hard to justify spending a night listening to an all-DJ lineup with literally a thousand live bands playing across town. An all-star cast of Stones Throw affiliates, however, is a treat to treasure. DJ Amir hollered amid a break of Latin, funk, and disco platters: “We’re playing all 45s tonight!” The mantra proved a good one as a stellar lineup of selectors threw out an endless stream of 7-inch wax worthy of the “re:Discovered” column found at the front of every issue of sponsor Wax Poetics, essential reading for any serious soul head. Guest DJ Rhettmatic got the party jumping with the Vibrettes’ “Humpty Dump” and the Soul Searchers’ “Blow Your Whistle,” while fellow Beat Junkie J Rocc married Foster Sylvers’ “Misdemeanor” with Barrington Levy’s “Broader Than Broadway” before dropping a where-the-hell-did-he-get-that 7-inch of Public Enemy’s “Don’t Believe the Hype.” With a thick crowd packing every cranny of the lounge, Peanut Butter Wolf stepped behind the decks to howl as the Stones Throw pack leader opened with golden era classics from Boogie Down Productions and Rakim. The house-party vibe glorified grooves from JB to MJ. “You are cool, so I don’t have to play bullshit,” Wolf barked. “Thank you.”
This article appears in March 19 • 2010.
