DJ Shadow
8 out of 10 - Great. Good show.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Webster Hall, New York City
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Photos by Leslie Torre
“Does anyone remember an album called Endtroducing?” DJ Shadow said as the crowd roared back at him with applause. After that, he took everyone at Webster Hall on a journey through much of his back catalogue of material, spanning the last 15 years. He played old hits, favorites, mash-ups, remixes and all the good stuff he built his audience on and what made him so accessible. In good spirits on day two of his two-day stint in NYC and his last date in the U.S. before heading overseas, Shadow spoke much between songs, explaining why he did what he did on his new album The Outsider (note: for an in-depth explanation from DJ Shadow himself, see my interview with him here on kevchino.com). Joking around with the audience, he said he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday’s show due to the cameramen filming the performance for a future DVD, and he didn’t want to mess things up. Getting the audience on his side may have been his goal but it was not necessary as it shaped up to be one of the stellar DJ Shadow shows I have heard so much about from friends who have seen him perform.
DJ Shadow scratched and blended much of his own material, in ways he had not done before, making the songs sound more interesting, if you can believe that. Since recently learning how to use Pro Tools a few years ago he has noticeably incorporated new ways of putting his music together into his show and it shows as the songs sound fresher and have more flexibility. As you listen to the progression of the music he played, going from one album to another, it’s not hard to tell that DJ Shadow is a man of chances, taking them, stealing them, and doing whatever he feels necessary to evolve as an artist.
Visually, it was another story. Two levels of screens on stage featured a variety of images including those of war, his past music videos, and designs too crazy to describe, filling the audience’s thoughts full of DJ Shadow’s thoughts. DJ Shadow, his turntables, and computer equipment were perched up on the second floor between screens doing what he does best. Adding to his moniker was the sly fact that he was mostly in shadow, at the helm of the ones and twos, while his music infected everyone’s feet below.
Special guests included Chris James from the Brit band Stateless on two songs: “Erase You” and “You Made It.” Lateef the Truth Speaker joined Shadow to help pump up the crowd and performed “Enuff” off The Outsider along with “Mashin’ on the Motorway” off The Private Press.
While The Outsider might not be getting rave reviews from the media, it was interesting to hear him speak on it. “While some on the internet had hate for my new album, the weirdest thing happened. I started getting calls from my peers. People came out of the woodwork, like Danger Mouse and Madlib, telling me not to listen to them and to keep doing what I’m doing. But the truth is, I don’t care what people on the internet are saying. I’ve got all of you holding me down.” As DJ Shadow put down the mic and went to the turntables, the crowd erupted in applause. By the sound of it, he was doing something right, and he cracked a smile, letting the music speak for itself.
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