Demencha Magazine Release Party Review! (10-21-09)

photo credit: Heather McConegal

This past Saturday, November 21st, we had the pleasure of hosting our latest cover dude, Murderbot, who came down from Chicago to spin at the launch party for the fall/winter 2009 issue of Demencha Magazine at Balanca’s Pyro Room at 18th and Grand, downtown. Murderbot, who’s originally from KC, bolted up to Chicago about two years ago to broaden the possibilities of his two record labels, Dead Homies and Sleazetone, which is going pretty well for him to say the least. I’m not sure when the last time was that he played a DJ set in front of a KC crowd, but I know that it was probably some time ago.

Hip hop artist, Dirty D, went on first at about 10:30 or so, along with a colleague or two of his. Negro Scoe did MC stuff as well, over Z-Sonic’s bass-laden originals. (Shout out to DJ Z-Sonic, who’s birthday party was on the same night). Galactic Soul Tribe warmed things up before Murderbot went on, with a foray of house and techno.

Leading up to the event, Z-Sonic and I were a bit worried that we wouldn’t have much of a pull because of the Bassnectar show in Lawrence on the same night. Murderbot went on at a little after 1 a.m., I believe. Most of his set was reggae-influenced music, everything from dancehall to reggae to dub to dubstep to UK Funky, even some ghetto Chicago tunes got dropped. I meant to have lunch with M-Bot before he leaves in a couple days to go back to the Chi, so I could pick his brain more about this UK Funky stuff. But throughout his set, the majority of the crowd on the floor seemed somewhat enthralled and highly interested in what he was playing. This was not a typical set you’d hear at Balanca’s, where house music typically rules.

I also have to give a BIG thanks to Les Izmore for coming out to that show. He was basically the only local hip hop head who made the concerted decision to come out to this. Speaking of which, another thing that I knew was going to throw some of our hip hop base for a loop was the venue we had this party at. Someone I highly admire in the local hip hop circle (I won’t name names) said to me when I gave him a flyer the week before the party at Balanca’s, “Is this still a lesbian bar?” Now, I’m not gonna lie, we all know that Balanca’s is where the freaks come out, but I now think that others in the hip hop scene might not be as open-minded about the venues and crowds they associate themselves with as I had once given them credit for. Real talk.

Murderbot’s last 30 minutes on the decks were his best, and everyone was into it. Considering the huge event out in Lawrence that same night, and half of my readers apparently taking a discriminatory attitude towards even coming out, the turnout was dope. I even did pretty much all my Christmas shopping the next day with some cash made from the door! It’s such a nice feeling to get Xmas shopping done before Thanksgiving, because we all know it’s going to be nuts out there from now until mid-January.

Anyhoo. Murderbot straight killed it. Z-Sonic even said he should’ve passed out toe-tags to people on the dancefloor at the end of the night. Sam Blam, I know for a fact was raving mad about this party for a couple days afterwards, and hopefully still is. After that, M-Bot went home, I believe, to hang out with his family. Z-Sonic, Spliff and I went to a house party of sorts and just kicked it.

All in all, it was a good event. But to get as many people out for the next release party as possible, which should be mid-February, I think I’ll need to find another venue (no disrespect to Balanca’s).

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