Make Sure You Have Fun™ Presents

Crash the Decks: Drummer vs DJ Battle - Pittsburgh, PA

Wednesday November 22nd 2023

Spirit Hall

242 51st Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15201

21+ with valid ID

Doors at 9 PM

$10 Presale

$20 Day of Show

Tickets on sale 10/6: https://posh.vip/e/crash-the-decks-drummer-vs-dj-battle-pittsburgh-pa-2

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Don't miss the ultimate showdown of rhythm and beats at Crash the Decks: Drummer vs. DJ Battle. Witness four teams of DJs and drummers going head-to-head in pairs, engaging in an epic battle-style competition that fuses the excitement of a club DJ with the energy of a live drummer. Each team will be challenged to craft a fresh performance routine, showcasing a minimum of three distinct musical genres, highlighting their individual DJ and drummer skills, all the while demonstrating team chemistry and ability to keep the crowd engaged.

Our panel of expert drummers and DJs, in conjunction with feedback from the live audience, will assess each team's performance to decide the winners who will secure the coveted championship belts, a $400 cash prize, bragging rights, and the esteemed title of Crash the Decks: Drummer vs. DJ Champions in Pittsburgh, PA.

After a successful return in May of 2023, please join us for this last Crash the Decks Exhibition round in Pittsburgh, PA, as we gear up for the full 2024 Crash the Decks Tournament, set to kick off at the start of the new year in Pittsburgh, PA, New Haven, CT & Fargo, ND.

Mark your calendars for the night before Thanksgiving and bring your best energy this November, Pittsburgh!

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🥁Battling Teams 💿

DJ QRX + Marv Stixx

Senseishun + Jordan Bosland

KHAN KUMA + Patrick Sites

NOCASINO + Clay McLeod

📝Judges

DJ Nate Da Barber

Jimi Julz

DJ Yamez

Giuseppe Capolupo

🎤Hosted by Gabbi Gabbi

Curated by Dominique Brock

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Do you want to compete? Help? Sponsor a future battle? Host a battle in your city? Visit us online at https://crashthedecks.com for more information.

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What is "Drummer vs DJ?"

“Drummer vs DJ” is a niche performance style that fuses the excitement of a club DJ with the energy of a live drummer for a mind-blowing and one-of-a-kind experience.

The "Drummer vs DJ" performance style has its roots in various musical genres, including hip-hop, rock, and electronic dance music (EDM). The concept of live drumming and electronic music production coming together in a performance is not new, but it gained widespread popularity in the mid-2000s with the emergence of a few key performers.

One of the earliest and most influential "Drummer vs DJ" pairs was DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) and Travis Barker of Blink-182. The two began performing together in the early 2000s, blending hip-hop beats with live drumming in a high-energy performance that quickly gained a following. They performed at clubs, award shows, and music festivals worldwide and were known for their innovative mashups and remixes.

Another notable "Drummer vs DJ" pair is DJ Jazzy Jeff and Questlove of The Roots. The two hip-hop DJs have been known to perform together in a variety of formats and are recognized for their virtuosic skills and improvisational style.

In addition to these pairs, there have been many other musicians and performers who have embraced the "Drummer vs DJ" concept, often in one-off duos that play sold-out shows at local clubs and events.

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Event History

In March 2016, farESH Brand and Loyal Order co-hosted the first-ever Drummer vs DJ showcase at Spirit Lodge in Pittsburgh, PA. This event became the first in Spirit's early history to reach capacity on a Sunday. Over the next two years, farESH Brand hosted this event 12 more times in Pittsburgh, while transforming it into a battle and expanding Drummer vs DJ into a year-long tournament that took place over four dates across 2018. DJ ADMC and Dylan Wood successfully defended their reign as champions (4x) and won the first-ever Drummer vs DJ Tournament in Spirit Hall. They decided to take a break hosting the battles in 2019 to regroup, revamp, and prepare for a 2020 return, which was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between 2018 and 2023, farESH Brand ceased operations and closed its online shop. Co-founder Ryan "RB" Brown founded Make Sure You Have Fun™ in 2017, which absorbed the event concept, rebranded it and repackaged it. As the concept evolved into its entity, it deserved its own name beyond the widely recognized "Drummer vs DJ" moniker and adopted "Crash the Decks."

In May 2023, Make Sure You Have Fun™ hosted the inaugural Crash the Decks: Drummer vs DJ Battles in Pittsburgh, PA, and New Haven, CT, under its new name. This November 2023, we're taking the show even further west, landing in Fargo, ND, for our very first exhibition match in that region.

Join us at Crash the Decks to experience an event you have missed dearly or a brand-new event that will leave you awestruck and convert you into a Crash the Decks enthusiast.

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THANK YOUS

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of the talented individuals who have participated in and contributed to shaping Crash the Decks: Drummer vs DJ Battle into the event that it is today. This includes some of Pittsburgh's finest DJs and drummers, and we would like to give a special shout out to those who have made significant contributions, such as DJ Nugget, DJ Bamboo, Benji., Christo, Josh Williams, Shawn Klocek, Selecta, DJ Alex Rivera, Julz "Jimi Julz" Powell, Professor Asap, Preslav, Pete Butta, Throck, Loran Mann, Evan Meindl, Giuseppe Capolupo, DJ Red, EYEJAY, Jx4, Big Bacon, KEEB$, Cam Mariotti, Maestro, Carvis Fisher, Dennis Snyder, Gianni, Arie Cole, Ron Worthy, DJ Spillz, NateKodi, DJ Petey C, Dylan Wood, DJ ADMC, Slim Tha DJ, Seams, DJ SMI, Paul Keys, Joe Garner III, Blakk Steel, Kevin Munnerlyn, DJ Cake, Kole Brown, J-Spin, Neal Yakopin, Deesus, Make It Nasty, Dr. Drummond, Allen-Mychael Jackson and all of the talented musicians and MCs that graced the stage.

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to Spirit and their amazing staff for hosting this event over the years, with a special shout out to Warren Pryde. Additionally, we would like to express our appreciation to Carvis Fisher and N Stuff Music for assisting with the backline over several shows and to Sarah Kochin, Brian Tolbert, DeVaughn Robinson and Josh Snider for their support with logistics, strategy and merchandising. Thank you for helping if you weren't mentioned above. All of the contributions small and large have helped get us here.

Finally, we would like to thank the city of Pittsburgh for believing in this concept and supporting it over the years. Crash the Decks has been our highest requested event and we are thrilled to bring it back. Once again, thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this event a success!