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The Rebel DJ Alliance has been laying down beats in Tahlequah for the past several months.
Shawn Pendleton, also known as DJ Shawn Solo, said he was hosting a DJ night at Dewain’s Place earlier this year, when Michael Linney and Lucas McCain started to perform alongside him.
“We had a great night. The energy was fantastic,” Pendleton said. “The crowd was loving it, and I just made the joke, ‘I got my little rebel DJ alliance,’ obviously because of the ‘Star Wars’ connection. They all giggled at it, and I was like, ‘Wait. This could be a thing, actually.’”
Linney said that back when Pendleton moved to Tahlequah a few years ago, the duo thought about forming a similar group, but it never came to fruition until this year.
Around June or July, Pendleton said the group decided to hold their first summer bash, which featured all three of the DJs on stage and was promoted as a club night. The group has since held a similar bash each month since its formation.
During the Rebel DJ Alliance’s performances, some sets will be done individually every 15 to 20 minutes, but others are done with all three on stage.
“One of the guys could be feeling something and going for three or four songs, and then the other goes, ‘I got something, too,’ and then just piggybacks off that,” Pendleton said. “So we’re all just bouncing off that.”
Linney said getting to bounce off of one another’s energy is one of the most fun parts of performing with the Rebel DJ Alliance.
“It can kind of get tricky, because what happens as you are DJ’ing, you get in a rhythm and into a vibe, so you really have to be feeding off of each other,” Linney said.
McCain said performing with the group has been a learning experience, as Linney and Pendleton have been a part of the DJ world longer. While McCain finds getting up on stage to be a little “nerve-racking,” he said preparing for gigs is his favorite aspect.
“I get to explore new genres and see what songs work together that I’ve never tried to put together,” McCain said.
All three members have different genres they lean into while performing, with some playing music from the ‘80s and others bringing in electronic dance music.
Pendleton said he hopes the audience just gets introduced to new styles.
“It’s exposing Tahlequah to some different music, and [we’re] just having fun while we are doing it,” McCain said.
Linney said people have been receptive to the new music, with several saying they enjoy getting to listen to a new sound.
What’s next
While the group will be taking part in the Rave from the Grave at Dewain’s Place Oct. 28 at 9 p.m., the Rebel DJ Alliance is looking at having a New Year’s Eve gig, but nothing is confirmed yet.
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