Q&A: Keith Wilson

Promoter and DJ Keith Wilson, better known as Keith 2.0, has been a pioneer in the Hollywood indie dance scene. Long before other promoters started jocking his style, he was creating club nights that merged electro clash DJs with underground rock bands. He's still throwing some of the best parties in town — but he's no longer the only one. How does he feel about the scenesters who've taken his lead? Not all that pumped. Read on for the behind-the-scenes drama.

Why'd you become a club promoter?
I never really wanted to be a club promoter, but all the clubs I worked for were crap […] Your two options were either '80s music or Top 40 Hip-Hop. At the same time a lot of electro music was just hitting mainstream; indie rock was being produced by bands like The Faint and I thought this music needed to be brought to the forefront at dance clubs. I saw a demand for it but there was no supply. I didn't have a guideline to follow and I didn't have a mentor. When I started Club 82 it exploded and people were like, "What the hell is he doing over there?" Other clubs then began to follow my system and now they all sound like my clubs because they followed the next big thing.

How do you feel about other indie promoters in the scene?
There is occasional tension if you think of something original and it ends up somewhere else. We all work hand-in-hand; you can't be the only club on the block.

What about Franki Chan?
[Chan's company] IHEARTCOMIX is based on bringing in big acts. [His party at The Echo] Check Yo' Ponytail is like, 'Let's bring big acts that will bring people,' but Moscow [every Wednesday at Boardner's] doesn't need big acts to bring people. Not to talk s--t, but Check Yo' Ponytail depends on what act you got. I hate that. I respect what Franki Chan does over there, but it isn't my thing. I want to support new bands; I don't have my heart where he does.

Is there anyone you do look up to?
I love Steve Aoki. He really has an ear for music and he really loves it. He is one of the more inventive people. He gets a bad rap from people but he is someone I respect and love working with. He has a good heart and he really does his best to provide something new.

What distinguishes your parties other than they're 18+?
Moscow is based on my philosophy of having a revolutionary rock 'n roll club. I didn't want this club to be built on cliché ideas. I want three bands a night that no one has heard of and that sound different from one another. I don't care about fan base; the club itself provides the people, not the bands. LeDisko [on Sundays at Spider Club] has the same philosophy but with DJs. I want to move music forward, [to move past] trance or techno and use rock 'n roll in a new way. Club 82 [monthly at Avalon] merges elements of Moscow and Le Disko in one place.

How would you describe the crowd?
I believe I do have one of the hipper looking crowds. You have kids with a gothic-scene look, girls with a "I pay attention to fashion look," people with a Klaxons neon rave look, kids in suits. At other clubs people all look the same –It's cooler to look different.

Your parties have a young crowd, yet I always see at least one old man dancing with girls.
Ha. That guy's the Disko Sailor.

Do you have to be on the list?
It can be hard to get in; you have to have the right vibe. We have denied arrogant celebrities, but we really don't get selective until later on in the night. My VIP is not a celebrity. [I'd rather] some 18-year-old kid who is dressed nice and wants to dance all night, someone who can make my club solid. Those kids come in before 11 p.m. because they are smart.