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Saturday, Dec. 27: DJ Donald Glaude

Jazzbones

Donald Glaude / photo courtesy of Facebook

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Few DJs can claim to be pioneers in a genre the way Donald Glaude can. House music owes much of its place in the electronic music scene to the man who continues to stun the crowd and push the music to the next level. Donald Glaude never disappoints, and he never stops challenging himself.

For more than 25 years, Donald Glaude has created vibrant musical landscapes for audiences up and down the West Coast, as well as the world. Born in Lakewood, Glaude grew up listening to George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic and R&B radio. His musical instrument of choice was the upright base and he spent four years studying classical music. Any aspirations Glaude had to be a classical bassist vanished when he heard his first house record.

Before he began mixing, Glaude amassed a large record collection. His desire to share the music he loved with the rest of us motivated him to learn how to DJ. Living in Tacoma, which lacked a club scene at the time, Glaude taught himself to mix with a pair of mismatched turntables and a Radio Shack mixer. He began to DJ anywhere he could in the Seattle and Tacoma area, working the same clubs as another up-and-coming DJ by the name of Dan. Together DJ Dan and Donald sparked the rave scene in Seattle and have developed large underground followings. Before Glaude, few DJs had attempted to spin using house records. Glaude pioneered this technique and his profound ability and mechanics set new standards and gave birth to a new style.

A big reason Glaude's fans are so devoted is his signature vibrant style. His beats are precise and his breaks clean. In addition to his technical mastery, Glaude enjoys his music as much as his audience does. In the midst of a jam, Glaude joins the crowd, jumping up and down while waving his arms in the air. His facial expressions reflect the complete outpouring of emotion in his music.

If you've never seen Donald live, now is the time. He makes you believe in the power of house music and his sets are always clean and invigorating. He challenges the crowd not to dance. Do you accept?

DONALD GLAUDE, w/DJ Omar, DJ Flave, 10 p.m., Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, $10, $8 before 11 p.m., 253.396.9169

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