Corey Baker, aka Kill Paris, the keytar-wielding funk master, rocked out a packed U Street Music Hall on 8/27…a Wednesday night!  The scene inside Inthemix’s “number 6 club in North America that DJs rave about” was an absolute funk fest.  Filled to the walls with fans and still with enough room to get funky, the crowd was non-stop energy; making the club so hot and sweaty that Baker even mentioned it on Twitter.  It was hard to tell at the time this show was occurring on a weeknight–we can hardly imagine how many people would have come out for a weekend show!

It’s hot in here @washingtondc

— Kill Paris (@KillParis) August 27, 2014

Baker who describes his music as “Future Funk” took us back to the good old school days by jumping up on the booth and jamming oh-so-hard on his signature keytar.  Seeing an artist who can play an older and essentially out-dated instrument and make it his own highlights the musical talents that Baker possesses, and allows him to create a unique experience for every show.  Shredding riffs live over the beats coming from the decks made the show all that more energizing, especially in the more intimate setting of U Street Music Hall.

Aside from melting everyone’s faces with the keytar, Baker also pulled off what has got to be one of the funkiest “Rick Roll” of all time.  It was hard not to be dancing your ass off with a big smile on your face as Rick Astley’s infamous “Never Gonna Give You Up” blasted from the speakers.  We were even taken back into the 90s as “Bill Nye The Science Guy” was remixed for our enjoyment–and we were even given very saxy farewell thanks to George Michael’s “Careless Whisper.”

Everyone in attendance got treated to the best of both worlds–future funk blasting from the decks which were spinning timeless music from the past.  A truly entertaining show, we hope that Kill Paris will be back to melt our faces again here in the District.

article by Matt Shlonsky