Family Night at U Street Music Hall (July 2, 10pm)
Family Night at U Street Music Hall (July 2, 10pm)

FEATURE | Family Night at U Street Music Hall (July 1, 10pm)

Learn more about Billy the Gent, Proper Villains, Spinser Tracy and more before their show tonight at U Street Music Hall. RSVP on Facebook and purchase tickets.

After developing respectable solo careers as DJs and producers, long-time friends Billy the Gent and Long Jawns officially banded together as Gent & Jawns becoming an unstoppable force in the world of club music. The release of their now classic Moombahton anthem “Vibrate” catapulted them to the top of everyone’s list of producers to work with and landed them remixes for Datsik, Bare, and Muffler, as well as collaborations with Nadastrom, Torro Torro and JWLS. Billy The Gent began DJing with support from his friend Dave Nada (Nadastrom, creator of Moombahton) in Washington, DC and quickly became a staple at the famous U Street Music Hall. Together, Gent & Jawns have gone on to share the stage with top notch acts like Diplo, Dillon Francis, Nadastrom, Caspa, Craze, Die Antwoord, and more.

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Jonathan Shulman, aka Proper Villains, has been blowing up dance floors with his unique take on bass music since the days of lugging crates of vinyl to raves & loft parties in the Guiliani era late 90′s/early 2000′s. His name is synonymous with a distinctly New York sensibility, aggressive yet accessible. He seamlessly blends elements of underground sounds like dubstep, electro-house & moombahton with hip-hop & just a smattering of pop music, giving his DJ sets a “Holy @#$%, did he really just do that?!?!?” quality that keeps him in high demand. Seemingly on every artist’s & EDM fan’s radar, Proper Villains’ star is on the rise—No matter what new sounds emerge from the electronic underground next, he will be the guy making them, and the guy making them pop at the party.

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A relative newcomer to DC’s club scene, Spinser Tracy made his entrée in 2010, and has quickly evolved from an untested neophyte into one of the city’s most sought after and respected DJ’s. His passion and musical history inspire a fluid blend of a breadth of genres, from Top 40, to Hip Hop, Soulful House, Afrobeat, and Funk. Armed with a Jazz musician’s understanding of cadence and tempo, a drummer’s ambidexterity, and a lifelong appreciation of music, Spinser Tracy has set Washington, DC afire. A definite party-rocking favorite, he was recruited by the booming DC-based entertainment venture, the Rock Creek Social Club, to anchor its nationally recognized Goodlife series at Recess Lounge, where he remains in residence. Also, he is the resident DJ at Policy Restaurant and Lounge, Indulj Restaurant and Lounge, and Fujimar Restaurant in DC. In 2011, he was chosen by acclaimed songstress Alison Carney as the official DJ on her “Alison Wonderland” tour. In 2012, he spun at Drake’s Official Concert After Party and LeBron James’ White Party, both at the prestigious Howard Theatre in DC. Spinser Tracy has anchored BET’s Rising Icons and the Grey Goose Mansion program in DC, and has played with B.o.B., Solange Knowles, Miguel, and J. Cole. 

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When a man is born in Minnesota – a state known for having 10,000 lakes – it’s entirely possible that he could excel at making that many styles of music, as done by DC producer Basscamp. Priding himself on creating both a, “auditory and physical interaction” with his music, Basscamp’s rare style has matched him alongside artists like The Bloody Beetroots, Crookers, Flosstradamus, The M Machine, Savant, and Ryan Hemsworth. His popularity is deeply tied to an ear for mixing familiarity in ways unexpected. Support for his work comes from all over including Tiesto, Bro Safari, Manila Killa, Big Dope P, Viceroy, and Infuze.

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Washington, DC based producer and performer Rex Riot is a passionate intellectual at the progressive edge of electronic dance music. Known primarily for his work in house, dubstep, moombahton and trap, Rex’s ability to find a fruitful creative space all his own within EDM has become his trademark expectation. As a producer, Rex Riot’s tracks have gained favor from a diverse spectrum of top DJs and producers including Dada Life, BT, Diplo, Flinch and Boys Noize. This has allowed him the opportunity to maintain an incredibly busy schedule of releases for a plethora of top labels, including but not limited to So Much Dada, Play Me Records, Heavy Artillery Recordings, T&A Records, El Cuco Recordings, Moveltraxx, and Herd Killing Records. Rex’s boundless creativity reached a higher level in September of 2013 with the release of his artist album Fake the Magic. Its unique creative vision spawned a remix project that saw five other producers remix tracks with the same open-minded take on electronic dance music. In an era where true creativity in electronic dance music has become harder-to-find than ever before, Rex Riot’s ability to find a unique edge that blends pop and dance allows him to excel. 

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DJ Ayes Cold is a selector currently based in DC. Two years into the craft, she has steadily developed a unique presence in the District’s electronic and hip hop music scenes, spinning at major venues like the 930 Club, U Street Music Hall, Tropicalia, The Howard Theatre, Merriweather Pavilion, Flash, and The Hamilton.  Ayes Cold has built a reputation around her eclectic selections and her innovative style of mixing, which seamlessly blends very disparate styles of music. Ayes Cold has opened for artists like Tokimonsta (w/ Anderson Paak and Two Fresh),  and DJ’d at festivals like Trillectro, Broccoli City, Funk Parade, and the National Cannabis Festival. She also recently went on tour with an up and coming electro-feminist band called Madame Gandhi, spinning at two official SXSW showcases at the Speakeasy (Austin), the Bowery Ballroom (NYC), The Sinclair (Cambridge), and the Ardmore (Philly).  In 2015, Ayes Cold joined a major electronic label as its first DJ, Fête Records.

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Jacq Jill is on the rise as a DJ in the underground music scene in Washington, DC. By day, a studio sound engineer, by night, a producer/DJ, Jacq is creating her own sound. Known for her contagious energy and deep appreciation for electronic music, she has made a lane for herself that focuses on positive vibes and advocating for women in the underground scene.  An accomplished sound engineer turned producer/DJ, Jacq has featured at venues like DC’s historic Howard Theatre, Flash Nightclub, and The Black Cat as well as music publications including Blisspop and On Tap Magazine.  Currently curating two monthly residences at Rock and Roll Hotel, Jacq celebrates the unconventional and brings the finest of the underground District pulse to light.

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