A night at the movies – with a difference. John Scott checks out DJ Yoda’s Tarantino AV Show.
I spent the ‘90s raising a family so the live aspect of the dance music/rave scene totally passed me by. I didn’t really know what to expect from this show although I had gathered that Yoda was a highly-respected and skilled DJ.
While I wasn’t expecting a full-blown rave, I was a bit surprised to discover that this was a seated show; not what I had expected at all. I blagged myself a seat in the front row just in front of Yoda’s twin turntables. I was still making myself comfortable when the guy sitting beside me leaned in and whispered:” He hasn’t got any needles on his decks”. 
I took a closer look. He was right. There were no carts on the decks. No vinyl on the turntable either and no sign of any. How was Yoda going to mix on his turntables with no needles and no vinyl? Were we about to be duped? Questions would be asked afterwards, my new friend assured me.
As for the sitting down, the reason for that was in the title of the show: DJ Yoda’s Tarantino AV Show; this is as much about the visuals as the audio, hence the big screen stretched across the stage. As the screen bursts into life, DJ Yoda takes his place behind the decks. We watch intently. We won’t be fooled by your fakery, Yoda. By your fakery, fooled not will we be.
Soon enough, the penny drops. Yoda’s not pretending to work the turntables, he is working the turntables and the movement of the platters is sending a signal to manipulate not only the samples on his laptop but also the visuals on the screen. We can relax and get on with enjoying the show.
Music has always been a vital ingredient in Tarantino’s films, Stuck In The Middle With You is now almost inextricably linked with Reservoir Dogs. While the screen serves up a feast of Iconic Tarantino moments from across his career: Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Inglorious Basterds et al, Yoda mixes in associated musical highlights along with other beats and samples, for example, one section features a series of foot-related clips along with Fats Waller’s Your Feets Too Big.
I’m a casual Tarantino fan but there are evidently a few people in the audience who are steeped in his work; quite a few in-jokes are appreciated by the audience but go over my head. You don’t need to be a film geek to enjoy this show though. It may be more of a Tarantino hommage than a showcase for DJ Yoda’s skills but it is great fun and a very clever concoction.
John Scott
