Peanut Butter Wolf’s 8 crazy nights

PBW deep in the video mix (Credit: Timothy Norris)

Back in the early ’80s, the Buggles proclaimed, “Video Killed the Radio Star.” In 2008, DJ Peanut Butter Wolf flips the script and kills crowds by spinning—wait for it—videos.

PBW, whose day job is overseeing the expansive hip-hop label Stones Throw, utilizes video-DJ technology and digs as deep into the endless archive of filmed musical performances as he would inside dusty crates of records. The end result is a mind-blowing spectacle.

Opening for electro revivalists Chromeo at a recent El Rey show, Wolf (aka Chris Manak) dazzled the crowd by mixing an incredibly wide range of music clips from the likes of Kriss Kross, Prince and A Tribe Called Quest into a visual pastiche that looked even cooler than it sounds. Incorporating unexpected sources such as Michael Jackson’s legendary debut of the moonwalk at the Motown 25th anniversary show and bits from shows like “Sesame Street,” the results feel like the logical evolution of DJ culture. PBW isn't content to simply press play on this multimedia assault—he “scratches” the visuals as readily as he would a record. He won over the Chromeo crowd with a routine in which he manipulated a clip of Dennis Edwards (of the Temptations) into a hilarious dance by scratching the video for “Don’t Look Any Further.”

Kicking off his VJ tour of L.A. on the first day of August and concluding on the eighth (hence the “888” tour moniker), PBW will tailor each set specifically to the date; he handpicked the parties from his eight favorite club nights around town. Just to make it even more interesting, no video will be played more than once over the course of the tour.

For those keeping score at home, here’s a rundown of what to expect at each stop along the way:

Aug. 1: Disco videos, Firecracker Block Party @ Grand Star, Chinatown
Aug. 2: Oldies videos, Funky Sole @ Jimmy's Lounge, Hollywood
Aug. 3: House videos, Do-Over @ Cranes, Hollywood
Aug. 4: Boogie videos, Funkmosphere @ Carbon, Culver City
Aug. 5: Party rock videos, Dim Mak Tuesdays @ Cinespace, Hollywood
Aug. 6: Reggae videos, Dub Club @ The Echoplex, Echo Park
Aug. 7: Hip Hop videos, Root Down @ Little Temple, East Hollywood
Aug. 8: Movie music videos, @ TBD

Scott T. Sterling is Music editor for Metromix Los Angeles.