DJs can do a lot of great things. They can turn a desolate dance floor into a cheering mob scene. They can expose listeners to new sounds and artists they wouldn’t otherwise discover. They can make your night by spinning the perfect song at the perfect moment.
It’s not often, however, that anyone can truly say, in the words of ’80s group Indeep, “Last night a DJ saved my life.” Unless they’ve crossed paths with DJ Miss Lisa.
Miss Lisa works weekdays as an emergency room nurse in San Diego. When the weekend comes, though, it’s off with the scrubs and on with the sexy club-wear.
“Right now DJing is more of a priority,” she says. “(But) I work one or two shifts a week and I have my weekends off to travel and DJ.”
Her next traveling gig brings her to Denver on Saturday, when she’s the featured DJ at an all-night fiesta at Spa Audio Therapy (1800 Glenarm Place). Spa will open its doors early, at 9 p.m., kicking off a virtual dance marathon that runs until 5 a.m. Sunday. And since Spa – usually an after-hours club – doesn’t serve alcohol, the show is open to dance-music maniacs age 16 and up.
The lack of booze doesn’t faze Miss Lisa, who’s been honing her DJ skills for eight years.
“A lot of the non-21-and-over clubs don’t have alcohol,” she says. “It’s different in the fact the crowd is usually much younger. Having alcohol or not usually doesn’t affect the energy level in a club.”
Lisa keeps that energy moving during her sets with a mix of progressive and electro house, or hip-hop and party rock, depending on the crowd’s mood. She’s got a few recent jams in her crates, too, that promise to shake things up.
“Trent Cantrelle’s ‘Big Love,’ Filo & Peri’s ‘Triple Crown’ and Becker’s ‘Colour Me Blind,’ to name a few,” Miss Lisa says.
Ladies, be forewarned: This nurse looks like a cross between Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani – with a body to match – so don’t be surprised when your male companions suddenly develop a keen interest in Lisa’s skills with the crossfader or want to “make a request.” Or, for that matter, fake a seizure.
You may not see them again until her set’s over, so round up a gang of like-minded pals and hit the floor. Miss Lisa will take care of the rest.
Rave redux
When the word “rave” hits the ear, visions of late-’80s Manchester dance in one’s head: goofy, drug-addled grins and even goofier clothing.
It was a strange, whimsical time, and its reverberations are still felt today. Many DJs discovered their true calling while wearing said goofy clothing and heading out to dance all night at “secret” parties that managed to attract thousands.
Chris Duckenfield was one of those kids in his hometown of Sheffield, England. Then he made his debut as a DJ in 1989, and followed it with a career as a producer. As part of producing duo Swag, with Richard Brown, Duckenfield helped remix tunes by artists such as Bjork – then he started running record labels.
He’s got three under his belt right now – Version, Primitive and Odori – but it hasn’t stopped Duckenfield from touring the world and spinning his beloved house music.
Duckenfield visits The Shelter (1037 Broadway) at 9 tonight; Tickets are $10 and are available through groovetickets.com.
House-music giant
Thousands of miles from the U.K., DJ Dan got his start in Los Angeles, spinning at raves back in the day.
Now he’s one of the world’s most famous DJs – according to his Web site, djdan.com, he logged 135,000 miles in 2005 – and he’s making a stop at The Church (1160 Lincoln St.) on April 12.
Advance tickets to see this house-music giant are $10 and are available at groovetickets.com. The show is for ages 18 and older.
Kathleen St. John is writing about night life in 7Days while Kat Valentine is on maternity leave. Reach her at kathleenstjohn@gmail.com or at 303-954-1568.
