How DJ Erin Stereo Salvaged Her First Gig

Karl Christian Krumpholz

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“I played a pre-recorded set, and when it ended, I dropped my first tune. What I didn’t know was that my DJ mentor had changed a setting, locking any spinning turntable from loading a new song until you hit ‘stop’ on the deck. As a new DJ, I didn’t even know this option existed, let alone how to disengage it. I tried frantically to load the next track, to no avail. I abandoned the turntables to seek out my fellow DJ, but within seconds, the music died completely. A confused and angry audience glared at the empty DJ booth.

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Karl Christian Krumpholz

“Alerted by awkward silence, another DJ came to my rescue and explained what happened. Flustered, I mixed into a techno tune and the disaffected dance floor began to move again. I tried to pump up the party, but I was shaken and the crowd was sour. Finally, a drunk girl stumbled over to the booth and shouted, “Play some hip-hop!” — and so I did. The party perked up and the dance floor packed out. I ended up spinning until sunrise and was the recipient of innumerable high fives.”

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Karl Christian Krumpholz

Erin Stereo’s new monthly DJ night, “Vinyl Jeopardy,” starts May 17 and continues the third Thursday of every month at Syntax Physic Opera.

Editor's Note: The Denver Bootleg is a series chronicling the history of local music venues by longtime Denver cartoonist Karl Christian Krumpholz. Visit Krumpholz's website to see more of his work.