Sometimes Aaron Aquino can’t believe what passes for a live show from beatmakers. If it’s some guy fiddling half-heartedly behind a laptop for the whole set, the man better known by his DJ handle Squareweezy is not impressed.
“Is he checking his email, or performing for us?” Aquino says he has to ask himself.
Though he’s best known as part of the tight-knit San Jose crew the Bangerz, Aquino’s been mixing it up lately with quite a few solo gigs. And forget hiding behind a laptop, you’re just as likely to find him writhing on the edge of the stage, wrestling with some bizarre electrical instrument he’s pulled out of his bag of tricks.
Expect the same energy when Squareweezy performs at the Pagoda Thursday, as part of a “Night of Live Beat Performance” that will also feature B-Dot, Professor Panson, Sesshins and Dranal.
For Aquino, it’s all a lead up to the release of his upcoming EP, which he tentatively plans to drop in September.
“They’ve been constantly evolving,” he says of The Weezmatic EP’s bass-heavy songs. He’ll be playing several of the new tracks at the Pagoda show, and even those who’ve heard their earlier incarnations live are likely to be surprised.
As for the live sets, he just likes to practice what he preaches. “When I play, I can’t help myself. I try to bring the art of performance to the show,” he says. “When my name is on the bill, I want to keep it unpredictable.”
SQUAREWEEZY performs an 18-and-over show at the Pagoda in San Jose on Thursday, July 19, 9pm; $5.
.Squareweezy Preps EP, Headlines Night of Future Beats At Pagoda
