DJ Swamp

DJ Swamp's showmanship sets him apart from his peers, to say the very least. Known as the Sid Vicious of hip-hop DJs, when the L.A.-based turntablist isn't breathing fire or setting his hands ablaze while mixing, he's breaking his own records and carving up his chest with the shards 'til he's a bloody mess. Theatrics aside, it's easy to forget that Swamp -- who spent four years touring with Beck as a member of his band -- is a rock-solid jock. Far from your run-of-the-mill spinner, Swamp (due at the Aztlan Theater this Saturday, January 28) looks more like a homeless junkie than a renowned world-class DJ. Even so, his eccentric persona and take on hip-hop and drum-and-bass have allowed him to become one of the few who've managed to transcend the scene.