United by Sound
We honor a San Francisco House pioneer today—and always.
I didn’t know Curry Brooks Jr. (fka DJ Blackstone). But Doc Martin did.
When Blackstone hosted iconic hip-hop nights at San Francisco’s DNA Lounge, Martin ran the door. Blackstone, co-founder of Tarantic Records, would dazzle people throughout San Francisco nightlife for more than three decades. He spun marathon sets at parties like Club Universe at The Townsend in the 1990s and Club Faith, a Thursday night party geared toward queer dancers where at one point he hosted iconic House vocalist, Inaya Day.
Martin soon became Blackstone’s first protege, eventually touring the world to become a modern House icon in his own right.
Here’s how Martin commemorated the death of his friend in 2021 on Instagram:
Where do I even start,
We met before I was even a DJ.
You were a mobile DJ, Dancer, and a Performance artist.
You were the one who lent me your turntables to learn the craft.
We had some great nights in the 80’s together(Firehouse/DNA/ECT.).
You were always there as a Roommate, My Best Man, but most of all a Real Friend.
You always told it like it was, and would help anybody at a drop of a dime.
You will be missed more than I think most people realize.
I have so many great memories of you!!!
Our trips to England, Amsterdam, New York, Miami and Vegas together.
I will always be thankful to have had such a friend!!!
After I shared my love for 2010s pop and electronic throwbacks with a crowd of young dancers at DNA Lounge, it dawned on me that I played on the same stage as Blackstone and so many other local pioneers throughout the years.
I didn’t grow up in San Francisco. But whenever I mention DNA Lounge to other Bay Area natives, I see the nostalgia wash over them as they talk about how, as young ravers, they went to parties there. During my decade raving in San Francisco, I didn’t get to see Blackstone in action. In the years since his death, I’ve managed to meet artists like David Harness who keep me grounded in the historic influence the House scene in San Francisco has had beyond the Bay.
Robert Brown, one of the co-founders of the Music Connects Foundation, described an encyclopedic memory of grooves, beats, and chord progressions that I could only dream of. It would have been incredible to hear this master at work.
“His family knew him as CJ, but Curry Brooks Jr made a name for himself as DJ Blackstone,” Brown told 48 Hills. “He chose the name after watching a magician on TV called Harry Blackstone. It was an apt moniker because when he was DJing, Stone performed feats of magic.”
But after his death, a new nonprofit emerged in his honor: the Music Connects Foundation, which “fosters belonging and inclusive excellence for BIPOC and LGBTQ artists through programs and opportunities in the global electronic music community.” They launched a grant in DJ Blackstone’s honor that “offers up to $3,000 to support an artist’s continuing education, skills development, or vocational resources to advance their DJ or artist career.”
“Our foundation is a necessary measure for the immediate need for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging across the electronic music industry,” Music Connects’ founders Homero Espinosa, Joshua Smith, and Robert Brown told 48 Hills. “Just look at the DJMag top 100 DJs and see how many BIPOC or LGTBQ artists are on that list—very few. Black and Latinx artists built our industry, yet few artists are touring and making a living from music. Our vision for the foundation is to help the next generation of aspiring artists with access and opportunity to the industry.”
So, when John Glass asked me whether I’d want to play a fundraiser on Juneteenth aimed at raising money for the Blackstone grant, I didn’t hesitate. I wanted to honor our predecessors with the music that Blackstone and others in the San Francisco house scene loved. I wanted to learn about their pasts just as I have about the Black, brown, and queer ancestors in Chicago, Detroit, and New York. Their sound influences my sound. Their dreams become my aspirations. Their visions for a more inclusive future are my own.
Just as Doc Martin, David Harness, DJ M3, and Steve Fabus honored their friend in 2022 with Club Blackstone, Glass, Tiana Terese, Phoon, and I will carry on that love tonight at Madrone Art Bar. If you’re in the area, come by. It’ll be a beautiful night of music, just as Blackstone would’ve wanted.
A quick aside: I’d love for you to subscribe to this little meditative experience called a newsletter. If you’ve been to my shows as Black Panda, you know I love to stay connected to the people around me. And if you’re free tonight, come to Madrone, and let’s raise money for the DJ Blackstone grant. Much love.
What am I bumping?
Doc Martin, of course.
What’s Next?
In light of the June bloom, I released two tracks on the same day—one for my dear teacher Justin Jay's Fantastic Voyage label and another with my college homie collaborator, Almost All Purpose.
They couldn’t be any different from one another. Gimme Dat Jersey Groove (Fantastic Voyage) is an experiment in Hardgroove house mixed with Jersey Club, with a hint of Acid House. Meanwhile, Up and At ‘Em (Bread Box Records) is a cinematic exploration of minimalism.
You can stream Gimme Dat Jersey Groove wherever you listen to tunes, and buy the entire Workshop Trax. Vol. 5 compilation on Bandcamp. Same with Up and At ‘Em (Spotify) and (Bandcamp)!
Here’s what I’ve got cooking for the rest of June.
June 19: Local 500 SF Presents: Unity Sound, a fundraiser for the Music Connects Foundation at Madrone Art Bar (San Francisco): I’ll be playing from 11:30 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. Come through! $5 door suggested donation at the door.
June 21: Solarpunk Solstick - An Un-Masquerade at Seaport Studios in Richmond, CA: I’m joining another fundraiser initiative for the local arts collective, Airpusher, that will feature a predominantly BIPOC and LGBTQ+ lineup. I’ll be playing B2B early with my homie, Cptn Jay, who has been uplifting BIPOC artists in the Burning Man community for years. We’re on from 2:30 p.m. to 3:55 p.m. Get your tickets here.
June 27-29: San Francisco Pride Weekend. I’ll be experiencing but I’ll have a special announcement incoming about Electroluxx Pride (June 27). You might want to grab tickets to that. If you need guest list, hit me up! But between Polyglamorous’s Pink Block Party, Tedd Patterson, Inaya Day, Crystal Waters, David Harness, Horse Meat Disco, Heidi Lawden, among so many others—what else could I possibly ask for?
Let’s Not Forget
As a treat for making it to the end, here’s a (blurry) pic of Nano.
Edwin “Eddie” Rios is a Brooklyn-born, Oakland-based freelance writer and DJ/producer (Black Panda). You can find his writing life here. You can follow his musical journey here. Here’s his SoundCloud and Spotify. Share this with your friends.