As I ride my bike on my way to interview Calgary DJ Don Davidson, a.k.a. Djewel Davidson, I imagine him somewhere out there in the urban jungle, combing the aisles of his favorite record store, looking for as much vinyl as he can stuff into a milk crate. But like so many myths that exist about performers, I soon discover that the truth is often surprisingly different than the image born out of colorful speculation. “I haven’t really bought vinyl in at least ten or fifteen years,” admits Davidson as I set up my tape recorder in his living room amidst a very large collection of records and CDs. “It’s very odd that I’ll buy vinyl anymore.”
I first became aware of Djewel Davidson in the late nineties while working in the caffeine infused hang out, The Planet Coffee Roasters. On cold winter days I would see his slim figure walking by, his distinct stride recognizable even through the sweaty windows of the shop. Davidson was on his way to the Night Gallery back then, the place where his DJ life took shape. He underwent an almost overnight conversion from record owner to record spinner. “I had always made mixed tapes and I just got the phone call from the Night Gallery to give it a whirl,” he says. “I had no idea how to work a mixer or anything.”
He somehow turned his lack of technical knowledge into a ten-year DJing stint (1994 –2005) at the Night Gallery with a resident slot known early on as The Doppler Effect and later called Djewel’s Funhouse. The conclusion of Funhouse at the Night Gallery in February of 2005 had more to do with the crumbling infrastructure of a nightclub than it had to do with Djewel Davidson’s performance. If the Gallery were still around today, Funhouse would likely still be a part of it, however Davidson admits that it was probably time for a change anyway. I ask him if he was sad when his extensive tenure at the Night Gallery was finally over and he answers frankly: “Yes and no.”
It’s important to clarify here, for anyone not familiar with Djewel Davidson, that he does not fit into that polished image of the post 80s DJ, the sort of modern turntablist with one hand scratching a record and the other rapidly toggling a switch on the mixer. “I don’t fuck with the records, I just play them,” he says, adding, “I just try and pick good music rather than improve bad music.” When you think of it that way, it makes a lot of sense. Davidson is what you would call a ‘Rock DJ’ whose style is more in keeping with a classic sense of the Disc Jockey. The Rock DJ’s obligation is to play records, not manipulate them. In fact, he’s much more like a radio DJ in that sense, playing complete songs and often exposing his audience to new music.
If you’re feeling doubtful about the skills necessary to pull that off, think again. Sure, the DJ who mixes sounds in order to make a danceable and exciting set is technically very skilled, however what the Rock DJ lacks in beat mixing abilities, he makes up in his sensitivity towards songs and his extensive knowledge of music. In an article published in International DJ Magazine recently, UK Rock DJ Ian Berriman is quoted as saying that he’s confused to some extent by the modern DJ phenomenon; “Yeah, mixing is a skill,” he says, “but it’s not rocket science…mostly the whole concept of big name DJs seems a bit ludicrous.”
Djewel Davidson happily admits that DJ culture is not his thing. “I like reggae, I like dance music. But it’s still coming from a rock and roll base rather than a hip hop base,” he points out. For him, DJing is about the songs and the artists rather than about who’s moving on the dance floor. When he plays a set you can expect to hear the beginnings and endings to songs rather than just a musical onslaught in the form of a forty-five minute medley.
In talking with Davidson, what’s strikes me is how removed he is from most influences in popular culture. A self-proclaimed computer dummy, he also shies away from watching television, listening to the radio or taking in other forms of modern media so much to the point that he seems almost bewildered when I ask him how he knows all of the things he knows about music. I “just know” is his answer. And though he does spend time reading magazines like Mojo and Uncut and admits to liking to a new band every now and then, he feels there are enough people out there dealing with popular music and is content to concentrate on his own small musical spot on the map. As for what that ‘spot’ represents within the Calgary musical community, he seems even less interested. He prefers to play the music he likes and not concern himself with how his role is viewed by others. “I don’t know that I have a reputation,” he laughs, “I don’t know that I ever got good at it, but I’m allowed to keep doing it which is good enough.” “Why do you think that is?” I ask. “My handsome good looks,” he replies.
Davidson’s favorite song to spin these days is one by Robert Crumb (which he is certain most people aren’t hearing on the radio) and you’re likely to hear some Stooges or Rolling Stones in a Djewel Davidson set as well. His gear requirements are minimal: two CD players, two turntables and a mixer. Then there’s the music and yes he does bring some vinyl with him but contrary to the myth that all DJs are vinyl snobs, Davidson also totes along a full case of CDs. In a club situation, the sonic difference between CDs and vinyl is negligible he says. Beyond that, Davidson thinks there’s just too much emphasis placed on how something ‘sounds’ and he prefers to emphasize what’s actually there in the content of the song. Still, he cherishes his extensive vinyl collection including the first record he ever bought, Laugh-In ’69 (yes the comedy show), but as far as going after new vinyl today, he says: “There’s really no point in buying it.”
A few things you can expect from Djewel Davidson in the near future are as follows: he won’t have a website, he won’t return your emails (or receive them) and he won’t play any of your requests. But you can expect to see him DJing for a long while yet. When I ask him what keeps him going, he replies: “What else are you going to do?” and chuckles only to add: “It beats working!” But I know there’s more to this gig than a blasé sentence or two. It comes down to his unadulterated love for music. It’s what gets him out of bed in the morning (that and his newborn son of course). DJing is an extension of this passion, a way of sharing his excitement for an artist, hoping that you might get into it as much as he does. And as the needle hits the record there’s one thing you can be sure of; you’ll get to hear the whole song.