That must be quite the comfortable rock you’ve been living under if
you’ve somehow managed to remain ignorant of Broken Disco. In a
short 12 months, the night has grown from an ambitious concept to a
fixture in Seattle’s nightlife, placing a consistent spotlight on local
talent while hosting a diverse range of headliners.
The Voltron-esque club night combines the promotional efforts
of Decibel, Sensory Effect, Shameless, and
Fourthcity—transforming Chop Suey into a destination on second
Fridays. Instead of the usual lineup nitpicking, Broken Disco has
established itself as a trusted brand, inspiring attendance even with
artists who aren’t household names, quite the feat with Seattle’s
fickle audiences.
For Broken Disco’s anniversary, the promoters have opted for an
all-out party
assault, guaranteeing both a sweaty ceiling and
noise complaints from Chop Suey’s pesky neighbors. They’re going big,
bringing in a slew of out of towners instead of the usual single
headliner, representing a pretty wide swath of the all-inclusive Broken
Disco sound. Topping the bill is Tittsworth, the D.C.-area DJ
who drops a heavy dose of Baltimore club in his catch-all party-jam
sets. Former Laptop Battle champion Starkey comes from Philly,
roughed-up beats in tow. Portland’s Copy will illustrate the
unironic usage of keytar, while Kansas City duo Tactic will kick
things off with a set heavy on their own bouncy remixes.
In other anniversary (and blatant conflict of interest) news, at the
end of the month I’ll be celebrating my 30th birthday and in
honor of the occasion, I’ve put together a show at Neumo’s including
some of my favorite artists.
Both Truckasauras and Sleepy Eyes of Death have
rightfully earned their share of ink, but there’s an unfortunate
rift in their audiences, with Truckasauras’s 8-bit electro finding
favor mostly with technophiles, and Sleepy Eyes’ electro-gaze catering
more to the rock side of the fence. Truck’s got rock-star swagger and
beer-swilling approachability (who doesn’t like old Wrestlemania
footage?), while Sleepy Eyes of Death’s synths give them enough
electronic sheen to easily cross that genre barrier. Hopefully this
will get both groups’ fans mingling. Rounding out the bill is Randy
Jones, who is not only an excellent label curator (Orac Records),
acclaimed producer (as Caro), and visual artist, but is easily one of
the city’s top DJs, no genre qualifications necessary.
The show is free, so consider this your personal invitation.
Broken Disco’s one-year anniversary party is at Chop Suey on Fri
April 11, 9 pm, $12 adv/$15 DOS, 18+.
My “I Ain’t Dead Yet Mutha*%&#* Dirty 30 Extravaganza!” is at
Neumo’s on Wed April 16, 8 pm–2 am, free, 21+.