Macon Magazine

toothpicks, and I'm like, when is something just gonna crash and then it's all over?" Blount said in a pre-pandemic interview. "I'm always trying to progress the DJ lifestyle. I want DJs in the industry to be paid what they deserve. If you're an artist, you shouldn't have to expect to struggle." "COVID messed up everything for me," Blount said recently. "I was about to be financially OK for a little while – then everything got cancelled." He started exploring his skills in fixing electronics, learning circuitry, sautering, picking up odd jobs when he could. Livestreaming also became an important tool. "It kicked everybody's ass to start learning livestreaming," Blount laughed, "but once you understand the basics, it's easier, and it's now the industry standard." He hosted streams out of a "secret location" (spoiler alert: a corner of his house, done up to look like a studio), for various audiences, among them the Quarantine Concert Series and Middle Georgia State University, and opened up his space for other musicians to use. Repping his adopted hometown and promoting positivity is important for Blount. He'll be DJing a Macon Dog Park Yappy Hour on Oct. 15 and an Open Streets Macon event on Oct. 18. Pre-pandemic, he hosted "Oh Yes! Macon" on Wednesdays at downtown's new music venue JBA. As people are becoming hesitantly social once again, Wednesday nights have been rebranded as Type-R: e Macon Rave Project, and feature dance music, local DJs and artists and outdoor speakers so patrons can safely space out and enjoy the vibes. DIXON CASSARA AND RYAN WALTERS met almost seven years ago, and the Mercer University students and Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers felt a kinship immediately. "Within the first hour of us hanging out, we already had our first song in the works," said Walters. Both were lifetime music fans. Cassara liked acoustic and jam music, while Walters was more of a metal/punk fan, and that combination helped to inform the genre- blurring aesthetic of the music they make as Bootz & Katz (@bzkzmusic). At its core, the band is made up of Cassara and Walters, but over the years various musicians have stepped in. eir current drummer, omas Reid, has been with them for two and a half years. "Livetronica" is the name for the high-energy fusion of rock and electronic music that Bootz & Katz bring to the stage. Inspired by bands like the Disco Biscuits and Lotus, Bootz & Katz make each show a unique experience by going with what moves them at the time, whether it's blending metal with dubstep or funk with house music. Walters has been DJing for nine years now and taught Cassara the ropes a few years ago. e two have enjoyed playing lots of DJ-only gigs at weddings, private events and clubs, but the band remains their favorite musical pursuit. DJ skills factor heavily into their sound. When they first started out, they used a Numark controller and DJed the tracks on stage. Now, they use an Ableton APC controller to sequence tracks or sections of a jam onstage. "It really gives us a lot of creative freedom on stage and with how we play live," Walters said. "We like to call the computer our fourth band member." e band has a solid following in Middle Georgia, which they're working to grow in Atlanta and beyond. ey started out playing gigs at Roasted, where they met DJ B3. "Khalil is one of those rare gems in the music industry who truly supports his fellow musicians and takes active measures to enrich his community," said Walters. Bootz & Katz had already planned on taking the spring and summer off to work on their first full-length album, and they both D "I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO PROGRESS THE DJ LIFESTYLE. I WANT DJS IN THE INDUSTRY TO BE PAID WHAT THEY DESERVE. IF YOU'RE AN ARTIST, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO EXPECT TO STRUGGLE." - KHALIL BLOUNT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 | maconmagazine.com 39

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