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LIVE REVIEWS

Live Review: RJD2, Icebird, Philadelphia, PA, Dec. 29, 2012

RJD2

“There is nothing better in the world” than playing for his hometown crowd, shouted locally based electronic artist RJD2 into the microphone in the middle of his set of controlled chaos at the TLA in Philadelphia late Saturday night. Ramble John “RJ” Krohn, who has multiple albums, EPs, collaborations and the Mad Men theme song to his name, looks more like your company’s IT guy with his rumpled collared shirt and slight frame than one of the most prolific hip-hop producers of the last decade. Watching him live mixing and deftly swiveling records on his multiple turntables, however, you can see why he’s onstage and not in the cubicle down the hall.

The most recent incarnation of RJD2’s experimental spirit is Icebird, which features the smooth and passionate Ne-Yo vocals of singer Aaron Livingston and the instrumental alchemy of Krohn’s productions. Supported by a band that evening, Icebird opened with vigor, punctuated by the frenzied skill of “Chuck” the drummer.

Close to midnight, RJD2 emerged in a button-adorned robot costume and addressed the crowd through a voice scrambler, a play on his moniker’s R2D2 namesake. He then pulled off his costume and jumped behind the five turntables and multiple mixers and computers to kick off his mesmerizing performance. He glided among the various pieces of equipment, frantically switching discs, scratching actual records and adjusting dials and levels as Chuck’s hands flew over the drum set. “I could have put all of this stuff on a neat grid,” said Krohn. “But that would be fucking boring.” Playing fan favorites like “1976” and “Deadringer,” RJD2 put his skills front and center—he was truly a disc jockey this night.

—Maureen Coulter