Rapper/actor Ice-T will host the 16th annual DMC/Technics U.S. turntablist finals Aug. 24 at San Francisco’s Club Townsend. The competition features 17 regional winners from qualifying competitions across America battling for the U.S. title. The winner will then represent America in the DMC/Technics World DJ Championships, to be held Sept. 22-23 at the Apollo Theater in London.
The regional winners already qualifying for the U.S. competition include Presyce (New York), DJ Abstru (Atlanta), Rocky Rock (Seattle), Vadjra (Denver), Precysion (Boston), Kico (Cleveland), Kid Dragon (Los Angeles), Golden Chyld (San Francisco), DJ Solution (Hawaii), DJ Perseus (Chicago), DJ Abilities (Minneapolis), DJ Imperial (Puerto Rico), and DJ Infamous (Miami). Three more regional champions — from competitions in Phoenix, Houston, and Washington D.C. — are yet to be determined.
Past winners of the U.S. finals include Cash Money, Q-Bert, and Mixmaster Mike.
— Troy Carpenter, N.Y.
Veteran jam band moe. has drafted Cracker, Soulive, the Wailers, and the Radiators for the second-annual moe.down festival, running Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at the Snow Ridge Ski Mountain in Turin, N.Y., about 80 miles northeast of Syracuse. Other acts in the bill include the Lo Faber Band, Melissa Ferrick, Project Object with Ike Willis, Donna the Buffalo, Ulu, Gibb Droll, Joe Bonamassa,.and Maggie Pierce and E.J.Following moe.down, the group will begin a North American tour Sept. 14-15 in Boston. For more information, visit moe.’s official Web site.
— Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Three out of four of the original members of classic psychedelic rock act Vanilla Fudge will hit the road next month for a handful of U.S. tour dates. Drummer Carmine Appice, bassist Tim Bogert, and guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell will kick off a tour Aug. 19 with Bill Pascali filling in for original Fudge keyboardist/vocalist Mark Stein.Here are Vanilla Fudge tour dates:
Aug. 19: Phoenix (Anderson’s)
Aug. 21: Los Angeles (House of Blues)
Aug. 25: Deseret Peak, Utah (Rockstock)
Aug. 26: Chicago (House of Blues)
Aug. 28: Detroit (Barnstormer’s)
Aug. 3l: Hampton Place, N.Y. (CPI)
Sept. 1: Alexandria, Va. (JAXX’s)
Sept. 2 New York (B.B. Kings Blues Club)
Sept. 7: Asbury Park, N.J. (Stone Pony)
— Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.