DJs Are Not Rock Stars (Unless They Are)

For years, it's been all the rage to have musicians from synth/electro/dance-punk bands to DJ at concert afterparties: Ladytron, CSS, the Brazilian Girls, the DFA crew, even VHS or Beta or Stellastarr* have graced the decks at venues from the Rock and Roll Hotel to random art galleries. Sometimes it's unbelievably fun, and sometimes it sounds more like your drunk uncle trying to DJ your cousin's wedding with borrowed indie records.

Bands from Arcade Fire to Arab Strap have taken to the DJ booth at Cafe Saint-Ex over the years, and they've always had one advantage: The low-key basement bar doesn't usually rely on a dance floor to keep things hopping, so the musicians can just play whatever they want, and fans can listen along and maybe discover something new in the bargain.

Next Wednesday, the monthly Fuzz psychedelia night at Saint-Ex is welcoming very special guest Geologist of Animal Collective. "He's sat in with us before," says Fuzz founding DJ Neal Becton, "and played a mix of psychedelia, weird electronic stuff, folk and rock." Given the experimental, thickly textured nature of the band's recent "Merriweather Post Pavilion album, Fuzz sounds like a natural fit for the D.C.-based Geologist.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we've received word that the celebrity DJs for this year's Shamrock Fest at RFK Stadium on St. Patrick's Day weekend will be Waldorf boys-made-good Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. We imagine that playing records for a parking lot full of drunk Flogging Molly and Mister Greengenes fans lovers isn't the same as performing for an arena of fans. But we have to wonder who's behind the DJ bookings for Shamrock Fest. Our money's on Joel's baby mama, Nicole Richie -- her former beau, DJ AM, headlined the concert a few years ago.

-- Fritz