Open Decks DJ Set, Sept. 2022

Friday, Sept. 2, 2022 at Square Root, Roslindale

I performed a DJ set on vinyl at the Square Root in Roslindale, MA on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. I haven’t performed any kind of DJ set in over a decade, and I actually don’t think I’ve ever performed an entire set wholly on vinyl; the large majority of my experience DJing is at radio stations with access to a library of digital downloads, CDs, vinyl, and Spotify or at events (usually sponsored by the radio station) on a laptop rig. So, possibly for the first time ever, I combed through my records to build a themed set, tossed them in a bag, and headed out to the Square Root (a local coffee shop that also hosts shows on weekends). Think of “open decks” as similar to an open mic: I signed up for a slot when I arrived and was offered a 30-min set on the turntables and DJ mixer already provided. It was incredibly fun, though a little nerve-racking (for some reason I couldn’t get the cue to work in the headphones, so I was largely setting my needles by sight under terrible lighting conditions instead of spinning the record up and then backing it to the start of the track). My friends said it sounded good. The organizer, a guy named Andres who runs a family coffee business, took pictures which totally capture my vibe. Setlist:

• The Bangles, “September Gurls” (Different Light, 1986)

• The Slits, “Typical Girls” (Cut, 1979)

• Gossip, “Jealous Girls” (Standing in the Way of Control, 2006)

• Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, “Keep on Looking” (100 Days, 100 Nights, 2007)

• Olivia Newton-John, “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (Grease film soundtrack, 1978)

• Wet Leg, “Chaise Longue” (s/t, 2022)

• Blondie, “Hanging on the Telephone” (Parallel Lines, 1978)

• Rainer Maria, “Spit and Fire” (A Better Version of Me, 2001)

• Sarge, “Fast Girls” (The Glass Intact, 1998)