DJ Vadim
Date: April 11, 2003 Raise Your Fist I bought DJ Vadim's Art of Listening album because I wanted to hear the contributions by Slug and Gift of Gab. As it turned out, the CD was very worthwhile, even apart from the work of those MCs. While some of the album's vocalists definitely appealed to me more than others, DJ Vadim's excellent production made for a fascinating listen. That said, though, I was still unsure how I would react to the live experience, since I'm not usually taken by pure DJ sets. However, when I heard that Vadim was travelling with a touring unit, including poetess Yarah Bravo, I made up my mind to see what they could do. I'm very glad that I did, since the combination of Vadim, Yarah, and DJ First Rate came through with a killer performance. The evening began with several DJ sets. Slamchild started, emphasizing groove with his record spinning. Next up, Sixtoo was given a long time to shine, and he came through with the most interesting slot of the openers. In typically anonymous fashion, Sixtoo went to work without touching the mic, his ballcap obscuring his face as he bent over the turntables. As usual, though, he impressed with an inspired selection of music; and it was unfortunate that few people turned up in time to appreciate his craftsmanship. The remainder of the lead-in time was consumed by DJ First Rate. Apart from some occasional scratching, his solo stint was rather boring, losing the momentum built by Sixtoo. I certainly had no expectations that he would dazzle later in the night. Finally, DJ Vadim took the stage, which he shared with First Rate. Although Vadim was fairly quiet, he was the first DJ in the night to engage the crowd; and those on the floor responded with enthusiasm. He and First Rate proved to be a solid team, trading scratching while keeping a strong pace to the show. As the performance was starting to become almost too comfortable, the lovely Yarah Bravo joined the duo, completing this incarnation of the Russian Percussion. Yarah revealed a very charming stage presence through an amusingly choreographed introduction; and the remainder of the set held a new dynamic. Vadim seemed content to operate as the musical backbone, allowing First Rate to perform the flashiest turntable work and Yarah to hold court as the prime focal point. The unspoken communication between the three, though, did seem to speak for the fact that Vadim held a guiding role, even without the spotlight. Yarah Bravo lent her poetic voice to The Art of Listening for two songs. I was happy to hear that her live abilities are every bit as strong as what she recorded for that album. She has a perfect voice for her style; and her lyrical strength was made evident in the fact that she was successful in generating a mood and an audience connection with song after song. As for stage presence, the diminutive vocalist held everyone's attention at will. Of course, that attention was shared when it was time for the DJs to shine, as they did on several occasions. The most notable segment came when DJ First Rate spent several minutes displaying his unbelievable skills. Every time that he seemed to be building to a peak, he shifted to a new angle, working through a stack of records at a frantic pace. The culmination finally came when he lifted one of his turntables in the air and astounded the crowd by scratching the record with the turntable held behind his head, working the cross-fader with his tongue. Craziness. Other such interludes (albeit not at that level) were interspersed throughout the night; and the variety added to the set. The heart of the performance, though, was witnessing the Russian Percussion function as a unit. While I still think that I was correct to believe that a pure DJ set would not have captivated me, the combination of Vadim's musical vision, First Rate's undeniable skills, and Yarah Bravo's flawless vocals added to a fantastic show. <--Prev (Dirty Three) | Next (Yo La Tengo)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |