All Request Radio
Created by The Velvet Duke
Produced by Velvet Duke Productions (Ottawa, Canada)
50M |
Content Notes: ASL Interpretation, Described Performance, Masking Performance, Audience Participation
By Sam Woods
With All Request Radio, Velvet Wells continues to prove why they are one to watch. Literally. Velvet is just. so. Watchable.
All Request Radio is Ottawa’s hottest new radio station playing songs you won’t hear anywhere else—songs so incredibly unique, even the DJ themself hasn’t heard them yet. So make sure you get to the Atelier early, because you won’t want to miss your chance to submit your made-up song title that will (if you’re lucky) be masterfully interpreted by DJ Velvet Painting live on air as they count down the top 10 hits of the night in various musical styles.
All Request Radio’s improvised nature will keep you on the edge of your seat, asking yourself questions like “How did they come up with that?”, “Are you sure this is improv?” and even “What’s Velvet doing after this? Can we hang out!?”
Having seen All Request Radio at the 2022 Fresh Meat Fest, and again tonight, I am in awe of Velvet’s talent both as a musician and as an improviser. With a voice like… something really smooth… Velvet effortlessly strings together hilarious lyrics and clever rhymes to create songs that blend topical social commentary with the wit of Weird Al. Last night’s performance featured instant classics such as “Chaos on Bank Street”, “Fuzzy Peaches in my Basket” and, of course, “Cocaine Bear Theme Song”. Velvet has the ability to create a hit out of thin air, and left the audience wanting more at the end of each song.
Velvet’s unwavering commitment to accessibility is on full display during All Request Radio. Not only is there an ASL interpreter present at each performance (who was almost as watchable as Velvet), but the show also features on-screen open captions generated by AI (to varying—and hilarious—degrees of success). Both elements added something special to the show, and Velvet’s care and respect for their audience is deeply admirable.
Although a few would-have-been hilarious commercial breaks were skipped for time near the end (skipping commercials? HOT89.9 could never…) and there were some slight technical misfires, Velvet kept the audience in the palm of their hand from the moment the first track played until the roaring applause that closed out the show. All Request Radio is a delightful and impressive tour-de-force that showcases exactly what makes Velvet such a unique and exciting performer. If you’re looking for a laugh, or you just love a good tune, then Velvet Painting is the DJ for you.
And, if you see Velvet around the Fringe, don’t forget to put your fuzzy peach in their basket. 🍑🧺
All Request Radio is playing at BYOV-Atelier until June 24, 2023. Visit ottawafringe.com/fringe/ for the schedule and box office info. Read more reviews at https://apt613.ca/category/festival/fringe/.
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