FFWD Weekly
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Beat Boutique by FFWD Staff And in the wake of Bones, Oakie and Sanchez, Calgary returns to a more docile state. Hardly. All is not quiet on this western front as there is still more to do than money to do it with. Sign on late night Friday at The Warehouse as Mac Zimms will guest until dawn with residents Phunk and Vinnie. House is on the menu. Doors open at 3 a.m. Saturday, two parties happen at places yet to be disclosed: Tron and Throwdown. Tron will feature the full-on breakbeat stylings of the UK’s Laidback. Also on the ticket, out-of-towners Scotty Oh and Geoffrey J, each playing their blend of progressive house, techno and breaks. Local support comes via Mista Levi, Size Small, Bazooka Joe, Mike Ellis and MC Black Rose. Tickets are available at Feroshus or Grass Roots. Information? Call 263-7428. Throwdown comes in on a drum ’n’ bass tip and features Tryptomene, Crunchee, Fanatyk and Mickey. House and trance will be supplied by Epoc, Dubious and Pressure. Organizers guarantee a fresh vibe with a location to match. Information can be had by calling 508-8262. Late night Saturday, Anthem and Pauly Dee will trance you up one side and down the other at The Warehouse. Doors open at 3 a.m. Sunday the festivities continue down at The Palace where you’ll find the finals of the Canadian DMC Competition. For the first time Calgary can put the national dog on as we play host to 12 DJs from all over this frozen land, with a finalist then being chosen to represent Canada in the fall at the world finals in London. More than just a showcase for the scratch fanatic, this is an opportunity to share in an experience that has influenced everyone from Van Helden through to the Beastie Boys. "(The scratch technique) is popping up everywhere – artists, not traditionally associated with beat music, will include a sample into their music," says PJ L’Heureux of Flava Productions. "You look at a guy like Craze, and though he’s a drum ’n’ bass DJ, he’s combining the technique into his sets – not exclusively doing a set piece, but taking bits and pieces into his spinning. You have to learn how to spin and then you have bring this technique into the set. "This is something for everyone to appreciate...." Whoever selected Calgary as home to the Canadian finals must be aware that, while still in its infancy, we’re developing a unique and impressive DJ culture. Local b-boys and b-girls have showcased strongly, most notably Pump, who last year caught the eye of New York promoters while performing in the ’99 national finals. Though he didn’t win the competition, Pump went on to perform in front of some of the world’s more well-heeled beat masters. "It really puts the city and a DJ on the map," PJ says. "Locally, a particular DJ may not get the same recognition from this contest as he or she may get from international promoters. It sets a DJ apart." This year the contest will include a performance from the ’97 DMC world champ A Trak who, since winning, has found a residency in Montreal and played everywhere from Malaysia to New York. The list of competitors includes: DJ Blast (Montreal), DJ G-Nius (Vancouver), DJ Grass Hopper (Winnipeg), DJ J-Tec (Kitchener), DJ Rerun (Edmonton), DJ Verse (Victoria), DJ Wurlwind (Thunder Bay), DJ Kid-sl (Ottawa), DJ Dopey (Toronto), DJ Pump (Calgary) and last year’s defending champ DJ Wax. "It’s really an opportunity to support something that just doesn’t happen every week," PJ reiterates. "Anyone who’s into music can come out and find something for themselves." Tickets are available at Feroshus, Aluminum Planet, The Source, Mission, To the Point, Skaters, Hemporium, Boarders, Chikko, Freewheelin’ and TicketMaster. Got a thing? E-mail Cunga66@home.com.

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