CRASH THE DECKS MAKES ITS WAY TO CT
DRUMMER VS DJ? YES PLEASE
Photo by Frank Brady
Ryan Brown (RB) turned his passion for music and event production into a unique competition in 2016 - a battle between live drummers and DJs. The result was the birth of "Crash the Decks", an event showcasing the best Drummer vs DJ duos in Pittsburgh, PA. Now, Crash the Decks is expanding its reach beyond Pittsburgh, aiming to unite the global "Drummer vs DJ" community. In this interview, Brown shares the origins of Crash the Decks, what it takes to win, and the ultimate goal of this one-of-a-kind competition.
Photo by Frank Brady
ANGEL DAHFAY: How did you come up with the concept for "Crash the Decks," and what inspired you to expand on the traditional "Drummer vs DJ" showcase?
RB: The idea for Crash the Decks came to me after producing "Drummer vs DJ" events in Pittsburgh for two years. The idea was planted in my head when I was at a training for Citizens Bank in 2015 when I stumbled upon some Drummer vs DJ videos on YouTube with my colleagues, which sparked the idea. In 2016, we hosted four showcases that were super popular with our audience back in my hometown of Pittsburgh,PA.
ANGEL DAHFAY: Can you tell us more about the 2023 Crash the Decks Tournament, and how you put it together?
RB: After attending battles like the DMC and RedBull's 3style, and producing four showcases, I decided to turn our event into a quarterly competition with a cash prize. We hosted four one off battles in 2017 for the first time. To make it more exciting, we invited special guest judges and even made Championship Belts the trophy, inspired by my love for WWF as a kid. The demand from both competitors and customers was overwhelming for this format, so we scaled up the next year to a year-long event called the "2018 Drummer vs DJ Tournament," presented by farESH Brand, which ran from March to December 2016. We crowned DJ ADMC and Dylan Wood the first "Drummer vs DJ Tournament Champions”. Think March Madness but with turntables and drumsticks instead of basketball. And a whole lot of dancing.
ANGEL DAHFAY: What qualities do you look for in a successful "Drummer vs DJ" pair, and how do you determine which acts to feature in your events?
RB: We look for DJs who know and love many styles of music and can mix seamlessly across genres. Audience engagement is a crucial factor, so a DJ who can entertain and blend well with the crowd's energy usually does best. Drummers who can improvise, entertain, and put on a killer drum solo while maintaining high energy stand out. Well-practiced teams who look like they're having fun on stage tend to win over the crowd and judges.
ANGEL DAHFAY: What sets Crash the Decks apart from other music events, and what do you hope attendees will take away from the experience?
RB: Crash the Decks stands out from other music events because it showcases two often-overlooked performance styles - DJs and live drummers - in a highly engaging and energizing way. The fusion of a live drummer's tangible rhythm and a DJ's unpredictability and excitement creates a unique and unforgettable experience that can only be experienced in battle form. The fact that we turned this niche performance style into a battle is the X factor.
ANGEL DAHFAY: What impact do you hope "Crash the Decks" will have on the music industry, and how do you see the "Drummer vs DJ" performance style evolving in the future?
RB: Our goal is to expand and unite the "Drummer vs DJ" community globally through a highly entertaining and positively competitive event while highlighting some of the best DJs and drummers that we can find. We believe this battle can work well in any city with a sizable DJ and drummer population, and we want to activate this tournament in as many cities as possible. If anyone is interested in the concept, whether they are an organizer, promoter, venue, DJ, or drummer, they should reach out to us at info@makesureyouhavefun.com. Ultimately, we aim to find out who the best Drummer vs DJ duo in the world is through Crash the Decks: Drummer vs DJ Battle.
