WQSV Profile:
Steve the Painter
How did you come to be involved with WQSV? And how long have you been involved?
I became involved with WQSV in October 2018 after being invited to do a show.
When did you start DJing? Are there any DJs who influenced you? Or something/someone else who influenced you?
I bought my first mixing board in 1986 and became the “mix tape guy” to my friends. I was asked to DJ some parties in college and then was asked to DJ at the clubs on campus at ODU. Then, I moved to Washington DC and started with turntables because I wanted to learn how to mix beat to beat. I then made the transition from playing mainstream and moved to House and Acid Jazz. There were many DJs that influenced me from friends to Frankie Knuckles.
Talk about your connection to music/the role music plays in your life.
I have a very simple connection with music…..I just like good stuff. I have never been the guy that spent time learning about who I was listening to and that is reflective in my show. I was never the “talker” DJ in the clubs…..I just wanted to play good music. Music is my go to escape when I need to clear my head or relax.
Describe your show.
My show is a reflection of a Friday night at 18th St Lounge off of Dupont Circle in Washington DC. This club is Thievery Corporation’s club and a number of my friends either did vocals for them or were in the band. On the first floor the DJs would start off kinda chill as people rolled in after a long week of work and the tempo would build slowly till everyone was dancing to House by 10pm.
Who are some of your favorite musicians and why?
While there are many from the past, these are some of my current favorites: Gramatik, St Germain, Quantic, The Deadbeats, Nightmares on Wax, FKJ, The Roots, Jurassic 5, Hot Since 92, Purple Disco Machine, Nicolas Jaar…..it is endless because I always want to find something new! Why do I like all of these artists? Cause they have some amazing music!
What is your first memory involving music?
At 4 years old I remember singing “Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head” while my mother played the organ. She taped it and used it to embarrass me for decades to come.
What was the first concert you attended?
My first concert was The Police with Flock of Seagulls opening.
How do you go about building your show?
I build my show by going through the thousands of tracks I already have cause I often literally forget what I have by name and title. Sometimes I search different charts globally or go on the internet and find artists similar to ones I already like. I try to have at least 50% of my show be something I have not played before. Sometimes it’s almost all new. 2800 different tracks played on my show in the first 102 weeks. I strive to play things you will not hear on any other radio station including ours, but sometimes you might recognize some old school hip hop.