Soul on Snow brings in Ne-Yo, Mix Master Mike and DJ Logic to Vail
Concert at Golden Peak celebrates National Brotherhood of Skiers 50th Anniversary
The National Brotherhood of Skiers is in Vail this week for its annual summit and to celebrate 50 years of Soul on the Slopes. The nonprofit organization, which was started by Ben Finley and Art Clay, hosted their first summit in 1973 and have grown to include ski clubs from all over who descend upon different ski areas each winter. Vail has played host to the National Brotherhood of skiers in the past, including one of the largest gatherings in 1993 with around 6,000 members in attendance.
The mission of the National Brotherhood of Skiers is to identify, develop and support athletes of color who will win International and Olympic winter sports competitions representing the United States and to increase participation in winter sports. The spirited group also likes to party with a purpose, so come out for the big Soul on Snow party on Tuesday night featuring DJ Logic, Mix Master Mike and Ne-Yo.
Ne-Yo will be headlining the event and we tried to reach him for an interview, but he just got back into the country after traveling all over, including Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia and he’ll be going to Japan later this year. He’s also one of the hosts on the new Netflix show, “Dance Monsters” and was just featured on the 50th Anniversary of School House Rock on ABC.
The singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and record producer will hit the stage at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and it will be great to have time back in Colorado. The multiple Grammy Award-winner was in Denver in October.
DJ Logic/Courtesy photo
We did get to speak with opening act, DJ Logic and rounding out the event will be Mix Master Mike. Both turntablists are no stranger to the Vail Valley, having played multiple shows here throughout the years, and DJ Logic christened Chasing Rabbits by performing at the newest nightclub in Vail when it opened in December. Here’s what they have been up to.
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DJ Logic just wrapped up playing a four-night residency at the Blue Note in New York City. “It was my third residency at the Blue Note, a lot of different, specials guests from Paul Shaffer to John Popper, Fred Wesley, the list goes on, it’s been an amazing residency and I’m looking forward to doing more stuff at the Blue Note,” DJ Logic said.
DJ Logic was also featured on the “Philadelphia Experiment” which was recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival.
Mix Master Mike/Courtesy photo
Mix Master Mike just got off of a tour virtually opening up for Godsmack.
“I wasn’t there physically but I was there in virtual, holographic form, which is pretty groundbreaking. We figured out a way for the first time in music history to open up for a live band through a virtual performance,” Mix Master Mike said.
He’s also working on a new Mix Master Mike album called “Opus X” and also getting ready to score the “Comedy Hall of Fame,” for Netflix. He’s also been doing some remixes of songs like, “World is a Ghetto” from the band, War, for Rhino Records.
Whew, I was lucky to even get some time with these guys with their busy schedules! They hopped on an interview with me during the Vail Valley Live show and it was fun to catch up and for the two of them to “see” each other on the screen. We talked about their starts back in the 1990s and how long ago that seems.
“I’ve been a big fan of Mike’s, I’ve been watching him in the hip-hop community, it’s a small community but a big community. I think it was one of the first DMC contests in New York City and later we hooked up in Colorado. It’s always good to see Mike and it is always a pleasure sharing the stage with him,” DJ Logic said.
“Yeah, likewise, and that’s what hip hop is, it’s a community. It’s everything in one realm of the culture. It’s a melting pot. And at this point, it’s anything you want it to be. Which is the beauty of it,” Mix Master Mike said.
Mix Master Mike said his influences were Jimi Hendrix, John Bonham and Led Zeppelin.
“And then hooking up with the Beastie Boys and forming the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, it’s all just been this opus of excitement and I’ve definitely been blessed to have been doing it from then until now and still doing it on this level, it’s very exciting,” Mix Master Mike said.
DJ Logic has more of a jazz background and also credits his upbringing for what’s influenced him.
“I’m from the Bronx, the home of hip hop, so I had the whole hip hop genre around me but I was also drawn to all the different sounds and I was watching DJs from the Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambaataa and Red Alert and all those cats and Jazzy Jay, all these guys were in my neighborhood,” DJ Logic said.
“That’s the beauty of this, this art of hip hop is universal and I’d like to give a shout-out to hip hop, this is the 50th anniversary of hip hop. If there wasn’t hip hop, there wouldn’t be me, there wouldn’t be us,” Mix Master Mike said.
Mix Master Mike/Courtesy photo
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Brotherhood of Skiers the public is invited to the Soul on Snow concert at Golden Peak on Tuesday, and these two are ready to come back.
“The crowd can expect a good show, an eclectic show,” DJ Logic said. “I’m just going to be bringing a lot of funk and soul and a little hip hop as well, just a little bit of everything, it’s going to be a celebration and a great party for a great cause, too, so I’m excited to be there and enjoying it all.”
“Rip-roaring excitement, you know what I mean? Just up there, just going to give the crowd what they came for,” Mix Master Mike said. “As far as music goes we’ll just play some fun stuff and make people go crazy and have a good time and share the experience together.
Gates open at 5 p.m. with house music and DJ Logic will play from 6 to 7 p.m., Mix Master Mike from 7 to 8 p.m. and Ne-Yo from 8 to 9 p.m. All times are approximate. Drinks and concessions will be on sale at the outdoor venue. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at EventBrite. After the concert at Golden Peak there will be official after parties featuring the artists from the Soul on the Snow concerts at Chasing Rabbits and Deca + Bol in Solaris. Tickets available at those night clubs.
