Brent Crampton is a man about Omaha, literally, and figuratively. The 25 year old can be found any night of the week on the town, either DJ-ing, or supporting Omaha music and musicians by making the scene, and by giving artists a handshake and a smile. He is an event planner, and event executor. I say executor, because many plan, few execute. At least to the extent that BC does. He will go to any lengths to make an event happen. With promotion fresh from his Mac and his ever fruitful creative graphics brain, and a blog that doubles as a party diary, Brent is truly in the heyday of his Omaha “thing.”
He and his business partner Jay Kline have a huge summer planned, with seven loom events coming your way. If you have not experienced loom, you simply must. These well attended, diverse events are not your typical dance parties. Brent and company set a stage that allows guests to transcend dancing, or even interacting. loom takes each themed party to heights which many call ‘spiritual.’ Brent himself considers loom go-ers ‘family,’ and addresses them as such in his frequent emails. When you are at loom, you are swept into a frenzy of rhythm and love; or at least directly into a smacking beat with many beautiful people surrounding you.
The 2002 Westside High School graduate has been spinning deep house and house music, with an influence of jazz, soul and funk, for almost nine years. “House music is synonymous with spirituality,” Crampton said. “There is a healing power in music, and I like to be able to communicate that to people.” Brent is a multi-award winning DJ, including Best DJ in 2006, 2007 & 2008 for the Omaha Entertainment Awards, named Scion Breakthru Emerging Artist in 2006, titled a “Deep House Pioneer” by The Reader and recognized as a NextAid.org artist.
I met Brent a couple years ago while running a weekly event in Benson at The P.S. Collective, SHOW with Shiver Shiver. We found that our birthdays were one day apart, and so planned a dual birthday event then, which, due to sickness, I sadly missed. I remember receiving a text message that night from BC: “O Mary, how we miss thee.” Brent is nothing if not sweet. He cares for people, and for Omaha. If he’s in your corner, you are a lucky person, indeed.
I asked Brent five questions, and he answered in a stream of consciousness, typical of Brent.
Here’s the communication:
hey there brent~
i’m reporting for the examiner.com now on indie music, and would like to do a piece on you and what’s up for the summer/future of the bc experience…
at your leisure, will you answer these questions?
1) how’s the music career going?
2) what’s happening this summer for you?
3) what’s been the most exciting thing to happen to you in the past 6 months?
4) tell me about any new recording(s/new mixes you may have in the works?
5) personal life? got one?
Thanks!
If there’s anything that falls outside these questions that would be interesting…just let it loose!
maryxo
Brent Crampton
June 17 at 10:13pm
Hey – thanks for hitting me up.
While the economy has been going down, the DJ economy in Omaha has been expanding, so I’ve actually been doing financially better these days than ever in Omaha. Places like Nomad Lounge, Sake Bombers, España and whatever random gigs line up have been keeping things afloat. And now summer’s the busy season. About to DJ in an airport hanger for a private party, having a few guys from The Rapture come in for a DJ set, doing the collab with Shiver Shiver, etc. I have a whole tour for loom lined up this summer. Totaling 7 events throughout the summer at venues such as the Joslyn Museum, Omaha Healing Arts Center and Love’s Jazz and Art Center for Native Omaha Days.
Basically we’re branching out doing different concepts and different venues across the city to continue to grow the eclectic make-up of our party. loom was always about bringing different types of people together through music and dance, and that means going out of your way to connect to them by going to where they are.
So Omaha is coming along nice. And there’s lots of new faces in the DJ scene that are doing some credible stuff – Masaris, Spence, Kobrakyle, 1/Fourth and Kethro.
Omaha’s proved to be a quality city to live in. The key is diversity. You have to be able to get out a salsa event one night, head to Benson to catch an indie show the next and then some obscure house party that has some name ending in “manor” or “estate” to check some banging DJ rocking a dance party in the basement. That’s how I stay entertained around here. If you’re into the singular sub-culture thing – you’ll run out of ideas fast.
Best thing to happen to me in the past 5 months? Took a month off and went to Europe to travel with three others in a small camper van – started out in Northern UK and worked our way down to Rome. Ate more baguette and cheese than I ever wanna see again. Was pulled over by Italian border cops, drug searched with a dog and then falsely accused of carrying hash only to be let go with no charges after an interrogation. Oh, and got stuck one night in Venice and had to bang on a hotel door at 2 in the morning to get a place to sleep.
First published on examiner.com July 1, 2009
.jpg)
maryxo 