Buzz Watch: DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist at the Hollywood Bowl

Authored by Jay Baage on June 25, 2007 - 2:06pm.

No guitars, drums or keyboards, just two consoles with turntables, a mixing module and stacks of vinyl. That was the recipe when the Hollywood Bowl opened for the summer season with an almost sold out show featuring DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. But, I’m sorry to say, the show didn’t fully live up to the hype.

“Isn’t it just two guys playing records?” The question was posed in an introductory video shown on the large screens above Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow that ran prior to their 90-minute musical collage.

The video then attempted to answer that question by explaining how these two star DJs only play original 45’s (vinyl) and the stripped-down greatness of having no guitars, drums, keyboards or vocals involved.

Well, first of all, if you need a video to explain what you are doing, then that should be your first hint that there is something fundamentally wrong. Shouldn’t the music and the show speak for itself?

Josh Davis — which is DJ Shadow’s real name — has hands down turned sampling, the bedrock of rap’s musical backbone, into a new art form.

I have been a fan of his work for a long time and perhaps I had too high of expectations walking into this concert. But with all due respect, it was just two guys playing records.

No matter how much appreciation I have of progressive independent artistry, when I go to a concert in a sizzling Hollywood Bowl filled to the limit with hipsters and music-lovers, I just expect more fun.

Perhaps these guys are beyond playing records that people actually recognize or bringing out cool supporting vocalists, but I think that something like this is needed to get people up out of their seats dancing.

So, don’t get me wrong here, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist are amazing artists and the set was fine, what bothers me is that they came so close to making the place go crazy but they didn’t. Except for these two girls, most people, including me, just sat down and listened. And isn’t it a DJ’s first priority to get people up on their feet?

Joakim Baage