Bootleg Beats Celebrates Black Friday at the Thaxton Speakeasy

Sarah Paradoski

The Thaxton Speakeasy's main floor during its April 2008 opening

Bootleg Beats is a relatively new local monthly at the Thaxton Speakeasy (1009 Olive Street). The Friday, November 26 ("Black Friday") edition is a special expanded version: Besides the below-ground bar venue, the night will be using the Thaxton's main floor and the across-the-street venue Jade Lounge. Eleven acts in all will be playing from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.; a $15 ticket ($20 for V.I.P.) gets you into all three venues, and it's 21-plus. (More info on the Facebook event page.)

Justin Wood, founder/promoter of Bootleg Beats, took time to answer some email questions about the night. Wood is also the creator of the electronic-music Internet radio entity Electrolouis. They'll be streaming a live broadcast of DJ Keoki from his studio tonight, November 23, at 9 p.m.

Annie Zaleski: What exactly is Bootleg Beats? What is your aim with the night?
Justin Wood: The Bootleg Beats is a monthly event at the Thaxton Building (one of Saint Louis' premier event spaces) down in the speakeasy. The speakeasy is modeled after a classic time period speakeasy with a door guy and password. [The] aim with the night would be to showcase as many different genres of electronic music [as possible], by way of many different producers and DJs.

Why is the Thaxton Speakeasy the best place to hold the event?
That's an easy question! The venue is great; it is nice and quaint there are a few little nooks for you to catch up with friends or chat with new ones. The whole bar is beautifully built with great lighting accents and friendly staff. Best of all, your feet don't stick to the floors.

How is Bootleg Beats different from other nights in St. Louis?
Well, it's a Friday night that features local talent, and we don't really serve any particular genre of electronic music. We like to have all the different styles join us in the Speakeasy.

What local artists are you digging lately? In other words, who should we be looking out for in 2011?
Thats a really tough question, especially in Saint Louis, a city inspired by music through the years. Some guys I have been working with lately are doing great things on a production level are called Alphastatic, [a group] made up of Vinnie Saletto and Bill Smith. These two guys are the primary members of the Alphastatic, and they feature many different local vocalists in their productions and live shows.

On another note, a DJ to check out is David Fields; his style of hard banging electro house will really get you moving your feet. Both of these will be playing the Bootleg Beats Black Friday Edition with DJ MLe from Denver.