DJ Shadow

DJ Shadow plays Mission Ballroom on Thursday, October 15, with DJ D-Sharp joining him on the bill. For those who don't know the name, DJ Shadow is the stage name of Josh Davis, and he's widely called the godfather of instrumental hip-hop.

Davis got his start in Davis, California, where he worked as a DJ at the community radio station KDVS and helped shape the experimental instrumental hip-hop sound of the Solesides label. His 1996 debut, Endtroducing...., earned huge critical acclaim and landed in the Guinness World Records in 2001 as the first completely sampled album. That record is the one most people associate with him—a whole album built from samples, no singing, just beats and textures.

Beyond his own records, he's worked behind the scenes on some pretty recognizable projects. He was a shadow producer on Rage Against the Machine's Evil Empire, and his work influenced the solo on "Bulls On Parade." He also produced UNKLE's debut album, Psyence Fiction. In 1999 he formed Quannum Projects and has collaborated extensively with Cut Chemist on albums like Brainfreeze and Product Placement.

It's a long run that stretches from early 90s radio to some of the biggest names in rock and electronic music. The show is at Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St, Denver, CO 80261. It starts at 8 PM, with doors opening around 7 PM.