Ok, prepare yourself – Seattle is ramping up to host another VJ Battle! Yep, you heard me; I am, in fact, talking about a competitive battle between video jockeys. For me, discovering that Seattle hosts a VJ Battle or “OptiClash” was on par with discovering that Roller Derby was alive and skating through the warehouses of Seattle – simply incredible.
I’ll paint a little picture, last year some friends and I wandered into the Capital Hill Arts Center and ran smack-dab into a full-out competitive event. I was amazed to see a full panel of judges studiously watching the increasingly competitive rounds of VJs, two at a time, using their laptops to spin images onto two large projector screens whilst a DJ spun the music that they had to match beat and tone-wise, all on the fly. I’ve never seen the like. If you like hearing DJ’s spinning and have ever wondered how VJ’s do their thing, this is definitely something to see. I’ll tell you that last year the competition was fierce and the winner, who, by the by, carried an ax on all of his rounds, upon winning, smashed a video monitor à la MTV. I’m not sure what I was expecting but this event exceeded anything I had imagined.
So, consider yourself on notice: This year’s “OptiClash” is on its way! A little birdie told me that the target date is June 13th and I, for one, am marking a big ol’ star on my calendar to make room for the Battle for Seattle!
