DJ vs. Keyboard - Is there a reason?

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:23 am

So I went to a Steve Earl concert last night. Good show. He's in a very classic folkie phase and as part of this is incorporating some electronic beats into what is otherwise a solo acoustic guitar/mando/banjo/bouzouki act. (He justifies the beats and scratches as "homemade music" in the folk tradition.) Musically, I thought it worked well. The beats were for the most part very simple and spare, and I thought that it was well thought out.

Anyway, the guy triggering the beats is working a typical DJ station, and it got me thinking. Why is this guy in front of a turntable spending most of his time nodding his head instead of in front of a keyboard workstation triggering the same beats but playing keys as well? Isn't the biggest reason that the DJ setup is considered cool while the workstation says "cruise ship?" Why is one considered legit and the other phony?

BTW, best joke of the evening, "This instrument is a 'bouzouki' unless you are going through airport security, in which case it is an octave mandolin."

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:30 am

Nice joke...

Let me tell you about the last time I went through airport security with my horn!!! (They made me take it out and play it. Despite the fact that I "bombed" my excerpt that I played for them, I left comments like that out of the picture.)

The DJ is a far more "hip" approach as they're popping up in every facet of modern culture (did I mention I just saw one in Macy's the other day on a platform 6' above the perfume section???) It's almost as ubiquitous as bell-ringers at Christmas time. Even wedding DJs that I've seen lately are merely playing from two CD drawers, but somehow have a stereo set of turntables set up - looking as though they're going to "scratch."

It's purely an image thing! Pretty soon you'll see Yanni Live doing DJ booth selections versus the multi-keyboard setup...

I'm just curious to know what the "DJ" was doing to trigger the sounds at the concert you went to?? Probably a little 25 key midi controller keyboard hidden under the table.

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:21 am

I guess if you are spinning CD's instead of records, you're still technically a Disc Jockey. But anyone using the 2 turntables and a microphone look that isn't actually spinning vinyl is L A M E!!!

I know one guy who does weddings all from his Ipod. But he's got this big rig he brings out for the "show".

This topic sponsored by: