See Also: - Hey, DJ! Q&A with Tyler "Danger" Jacobson - Photos: Mile High Soul Club at the Meadowlark - Denver's ten best dance clubs
The soul mavens behind Mile High Soul Club grew up on a diet of Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves and Motown 45s played by their parents. "My parents listened to '60s Motown when I was younger, so I was naturally drawn to it," says Mile High Soul Club co-founder Tim Wieser (aka DJ DogBoy). "But it was 'Heat Wave' that hooked me." Many years later, he and his cohorts continue the tradition of Northern Soul music once a month at the Meadowlark with a funky, feel-good dance party.
Before Mile High Soul Club formed, Tyler Jacobson, one of the founders of Lipgloss, used to work soul songs into his sets. Wieser, meanwhile, had made '50s rock and roll, rockabilly and soul the main focus of his DJ repertoire. The crew's third member, Steve "Creeper" Cervantes, joined up a year ago after many years in the swing scene that became so popular in the '90s.
Almost five years ago when the group came together, it took Jacobson and Wieser a few tries to find the perfect medium for Mile High Soul Club's vision, and Rock Bar was the site of the first experiment. "The draw was okay," says Jacobson, "but it didn't take us long to realize that Tuesdays at Rock Bar were tough. We even brought DJs like Andy Smith from Portishead and Fast Freddie to build the scene. After that came Shag, and Shag wasn't a good fit either. When we moved to Paris Wine Bar, the Saturday crowd was better, but not enough people knew about it."
When the opportunity came to host the night at Meadowlark, Soul Club's current home, it seemed like a perfect fit. A small, sweaty basement is ideal for people to dance, drink, let go and feel good -- while listening to soul music. At the next edition of Mile High Soul Club this Friday night, you can expect to hear classic, funky Motown and soul with surprise rare cuts and great tracks that may not have made it onto the charts. Rumor has it they might even try to bring the party outside to the patio.
"Soul music on a patio? Just as good as in a sweaty basement," says Wieser. "It won't detract from the experience, and we want everyone to feel the true experience of this music, the way it moves through you."
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