Spinning a different tune at the Lab

Young Chang

They’re meant to be passed by, but not ignored. Heard, but not

fretted over.

Their spinning and creative grooving fits the Lab/Anti-Mall’s

personality in that you can’t really put your finger on what the

styles are or how the entertainment is supposed to serve people,

especially because it’s quite expected that not everyone will notice.

But the performers for Audio Wednesdays, all deejays, are used to

being behind the scenes, behind the dancing and partying and

everything else that’s done to music.

“People are sort of like drones -- they don’t even know what’s

going on. It’s just people walking back and forth like robots,” said

Mike Boyle, assistant event coordinator and engineer for the

Anti-Mall, of the center’s patrons. “The whole thing was it was

supposed to be in the background for people to walk by.”

DJ L’aperitivo launched the short series almost two weeks ago

with an evening of ‘60s bossa nova and “international grooves.”

“It’s like Brazilian music. It’s like jazz,” Boyle said, of the

bossa nova genre.

Dirdy Birdy, a two-man act, also performed that first Wednesday

with a heavily electronic program.

Female DJ Soluz, known for a reggae style, performed this week.

And next week’s two-hour performance will round out the series

with repeat appearances by L’aperitivo and Dirdy Birdy.

The shows are meant to make the experience of hanging out at the

Anti-Mall a more “auditory and complete” one, said Tessa Koch,

developer’s assistant there.

“Wednesday is a good night because there’s not too much going on,”

she said. And DJ music “just has a lot more energy, and it’s the same

vibe as the Lab.”

Between the stores and restaurants and open middle area where

people can really just enjoy sitting, the overall vibe at the Lab is

sort of offbeat and funky.

“They mainly wanted to bring some live music to the Lab just to

give people, when they go in there, a chance to see a performer,”

Boyle said. “This time around, it wasn’t tailored to focus on the

artist. It was there almost as a novelty.”