DJ DUS at the Speakeasy

My first night at SXSW was pretty exciting...I just kept darting into clubs, hearing great bands, darting into more clubs, over and over. I discovered during the course of the night that I really like Shiner Bock, an amazing factoid considering I lost my taste for beer a few years ago. Too bad the Bud Light Girls showed up at the Speakeasy and tried to take my Shiner away and replace it with their swill. They were hot, but not that hot.

I settled into the Speakeasy for a few hours because I wanted to see DJ DUS perform a set. I went all the way to Corpus Christi last month to attend the opening of PRODUCE, his retail space/gallery/DJ academy,  but he was acting as host and didn't really perform.

Thanks to Dus, I really like cumbia (or, as he says, CUMBIA!), and I found myself hypnotized for the entire hour he was mixing. Every few minutes I'd unleash a goofy smile because I was constantly surprised by his musical choices. He was also backed up by live percussion via members of the Peligrosa All-Stars, who followed after Dus left the stage.

After Dusty's set, I managed to finally meet Jason Gross, founder and editor of Perfect Sound Forever. I've been writing for Jason since 1998, and this is the first time we met in person. Hell, it was the first time we even spoke on the phone!  He'd just seen Smokey Robinson and was still in a daze. After all these years, Smokey can still put on a great show.

Jason and I are meeting for breakfast Sunday morning...maybe there won't be a line for blueberry pancakes at the Counter Cafe.