Legendary turntablist Mix Master Mike brought the party to Dew Tour on Saturday night, performing in between the Women’s Snowboard Super Streetstyle and Men’s Ski Super Streetstyle events. In the green room after the set, he said he’d been inspired by the energy of the women in the snowboarding contest – and the massive crowd cheering them on – and wanted to help set the stage for the men’s ski contest.
“The vibe was electric, just incredible,” he said of his view from behind the turntables. “Everyone was bouncing, a lot of hands in the air, there were a couple mosh pit moments and some crowd surfing, people almost crashing through the fence at one point: just everything you need in a party, the apex of the turn-up. It’s a rage.”
The former Beastie Boys DJ played snippets of some of the group’s hits in his high-energy sound collage, including “Intergalactic,” one of the singles he’s most associated with, and some classics that pre-date his stint with the group, including “Sabotage,” “Girls,” and “So Whatcha Want.”
Fans with stacks of Beastie Boys vinyl for him to sign after the show made him feel loved, as did soon-to-be U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Famers Tina Basich Haller and Shannon Dunn Downing dancing on stage during the set: the women’s snowboarding pioneers and Boarding For Breast Cancer co-founders first partnered with Beastie Boys in 1996 at the non-profit organization’s very first snowboarding event.
Mix Master Mike’s set ranged from rap and rock to reggae and even metal – Run DMC’s “It’s Tricky” one moment, Drowning Pool’s “Let The Bodies Hit The Floor” the next, then House of Pain’s “Jump Around” – all mixed with his innovative scratching techniques, samples, and futuristic energy. Bits of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” made it into the set, and he even included some of Elton John’s “Benny and the Jets” near the end, noting on the mic that it was his grandma’s favorite song.
“I know what they want and I know what they need,” he said of the Dew Tour crowd and the eclectic set he served up for them. “I’m just here to liven up all the dead space on earth.”
Sound off in the comments below!