How did you get started and what should people expect out of a Gabe Mendoza DJ set?
I got started almost 20 years ago doing a 60s Pysch/Soul/Garage Night Lollipopshoppe with my bestie, bad ass musician and artist Patricia Rodriguez. It was very spur of the moment. Trish was like "we should do a psych night!" and I was like "hell yeah, let's do that". It wasn't some crazy plan we had; it was like let's just do it. Like when you use to start a punk band. Pick up and instrument and let the DIY ethos guide you on your musical journey. That was back in the day when the parties in Expo Park would go until 4am/5am on any given weekend. After that I started doing guest slots with like-minded friends like Mark Ridlen, Wanz Dover, Laureen Bennett (shout out to Mile End the best Britpop night Dallas ever had), DJ Wild In The Streets at Hailey's, and The Smoke crew.
Away From The Numbers came thru by sheer chance. Kel Kel, a mutual of friend of mine and Sam Ramirez, really was the glue that brought us together. She reached out to me about this night with her friend, introduced us. I was super stoked, because when Sam described his vision, it was all records and music I've had for years, so I was super excited to play with him. I was his guest for a night he had called Too Much Too Young, it went so well we decided to keep working together and AFTN started the very next month. When we first met in person, we both wanted this to be beyond another DJ night. We wanted it to be a collective based on equality, community, and from the start we wanted to avoid the idea of a headliner. Everyone plays all night; we are equally compensated. We have always and will always treat any guest DJ with respect. Equal pay for equal work. And for that night the guest DJ (or DJs) is the most important part of the event. A big portion of our guest had never DJ'd before and got their start with us. Which we are both very proud off. I would always prefer to have a person who has never DJ'd before but who is genuinely excited about the night than some popular asshole DJ, we don't care how good they are or who they know. Don't need or want that energy ever for AWTN.
As far as what to expect of a DJ set from me? People can expect to see a DJ who is grateful they chose to come to one of my events. I don't care if it's 2 or 200 people. If you came you will get 100% of me giving you the best Post Punk, Shoegaze, Italo, International Psych, Funk/Soul, Cumbias, New Wave, or whatever the vibe for the night (or afternoon sometimes) is. I will never phone it in.
Influences?
I have influences like favorite DJs (Andy Votel, Cut Chemist, Natsha Diggs, DJ Koco, Baris K) Local heroes (Sam Ramirez, Rick Simpson, Jonathan Graham, Wanz Dover, KT Mills, Ponyboy, Travis Box, Vinyl Bombshell, Joey Scandalous, Diskoteka de Brujas, Beverly Hills Cowboy, Frontale Club, , Kowboy, the Live Transmission homies. So much talent in DFW. What's really influential to me are the things that just happen by chance. There is one DJ set, that to this day, out of everyone that I've seen, that has the biggest impact on me. It was my friend Anthony (Tony) Pierce. He guest DJ'd Lollipopshoppe, maybe about 16 years ago, might have been longer. He starts out the night, super calm like he always was, and just floors me. He is seamlessly going from psych rock, to David Axelrod, to Lucious Jackson, to Broadcast, to Library Records, to hip hop instrumentals, to Broadcast, to Cal Tjader, to MF DOOM. Me and my homie Evan were standing against the wall and our jaws collectively dropped. It was a perfection. And he did that until dawn! To this day the best DJ set I have ever seen in my life and I am forever chasing to be that good. At the end of the night, I asked him if he planned out his set and he said no. He just picked out the records and just went with it. I don't think I'll ever reach that peak but the mind-blowing inspiration is always with me every time I pick up a record.
What are you listening to right now?
J Dilla, Riki, Andy Votel's Rapdominium mix on NTX Radio, Ladytron, anything and everything Italo Disco, Baris K edits, Carambolage, Malaria!, MF DOOM, Massive Attack, King Tubby, Fortunes DC, Goat Girl, Sun's Signature, Gal Costa (Rest in Power), and always funk, soul, cumbia, punk, any and every genre of 45s. The greatest format of all time.
Visit Gabe for his latest gigs.
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