This Thursday evening I had the pleasure of seeing DJ Adam Westing Smith perform at BTB Cantina’s weekly Thursday electronic music event, “A2 Level Up”. Adam is a senior at the University of Michigan who produces and DJs electronic music in his free time, collaborating with other students to label his own work and create an aesthetic for his performances. Adam’s performance was impressive for a local amateur DJ in its own right, no qualifications that he is currently a full time student are necessary. I would also like to emphasize that BTB Cantina has been burgeoning into a fine night club of its own, a venue that adds a new and unique night life experience to Ann Arbor worth pursuing for those that enjoy loud music and life-affirming dancing.
Adam’s musical influences are manifold, to say the least. It is apparent he’s influenced by local Detroit Techno DJ’s such as Golf Clap and Erno the Inferno, and he remixes EDM heavyweights such as Bassnectar into his act as well, however the most impressive aspect of his musical influences, in my opinion, is that they spread far beyond the scope of EDM alone. Amongst his other sounds, listeners will hear references to metal and rock songs. This multifaceted, open-minded approach to electronic music helps differentiate Adam’s music. DJing is a magical, alchemical art – their equipment is a cauldron into which they can stir the various sounds they enjoy. This unprecendented artistic freedom is what challenges many DJs – how does one create a unique and coherent blend from a practically infinite number of possible ingredients?
As Adam’s performance demonstrates, a good DJ does not make this final decision alone. A DJ ought to read the audience and channel their energy into their own performance, take the dance floor’s vibes into account to refine your performance. Adam did a solid job of reading the dance floor, building excitement, and tearing the house down with well placed drops throughout the night.
I’d also like to give it up to BTB Cantina. They have, in the last 2 years, been able to increase their attendance on Thursday nights significantly. Their dance floor is open and accessible, and the venue provides lights and dancers to enhance the in-house DJ’s performance. The Cantina also does a great job of keeping their acoustics just loud enough to hype the crowd up without compromising sound quality. No matter how good a DJ is, if the venue they’re playing at doesn’t draw a good crowd, doesn’t have a chill vibe, and doesn’t do the performance justice, the night will not live up to the hype. So great job, Adam Westing Smith, and great job, BTB Cantina for providing a fun, accessible venue to promote local student talent.
Here’s a link to Adam Westing Smith’s soundcloud if you want to check out his music: http://soundcloud.com/adamwesting
