Remember the theme to “Cheers” where ‘everybody knows your name’? Well, dance club Bootie LA is the place where everyone knows the song - but in a totally new and exciting way. Bootie LA is an all-mashup dance club, featuring the best of what’s known as ‘bastard pop’. Mashup makers from around the world take the vocals of one song and the music of another (and in some cases, many others), and create a completely new hybrid that keeps your brain guessing and your butt shaking. Club Bootie is the brainchild of San Francisco duo Adrian & The Mysterious D (aka A+D), and here in Los Angeles, they partnered up with DJ Paul V. to bring Bootie LA to the masses. On Saturday, June 6th, the club celebrates its 4th Anniversary with a pirate theme, and Smash Up Derby—the world’s first, live mashup rock band, and fronted by Adrian – playing live. DJ Paul V. chatted with A+D on MetroWize’s behalf to see what makes their mashup brains tick.

What were the first mashup tracks you ever heard?
A + D: The first mashups we ever heard were 2manyDJs' "Smells Like Booty" (Destiny’s Child vs. Nirvana) and Freelance Hellraiser's "Stroke of Genius" (Christina Aguilera vs. The Strokes), which were both on a CD we found called The Best Bootlegs In The World Ever. At the time, we had just started DJing, and mashups fit in perfectly with our very eclectic, all-over-the-map DJ style. It was love at first listen, and it was everything we loved, all rolled into one!

When did you start seriously seeking out mashup tracks?
A + D: After we heard those first few mashups, we immediately began searching around the Internet for more. This was in 2002, and the mashup concept was so new, it was quite the scavenger hunt. Of course, within a year, more and more starting appearing, and an international community of producers began developing.

How did the Bootie club concept come about?
A + D: Back in 2002, we were DJing a bar night called "Smashed," where we played pretty much whatever we wanted and we started playing a lot of mashups. Back then, we constantly had to explain mashups to people, like how these tracks got made, where to find them, and what this culture was all about, etc. So we thought doing an entire club night dedicated solely to this new kind of remixing would help establish a mashup scene. At the time, we had no idea we were probably the first DJs in the United States doing this. We just thought it was a great club concept. And we called it "Bootie," because at the time, mashups were more commonly known in the UK—where the scene started—as "bootlegs." The slang term for a mashup bootleg is "bootie"—so we appropriated that as the name for our party. Plus, it's a double-entendre. Most mashups are illegal, so it's like pirate booty—and when you come to our party, chances are you're going to shake your booty. So as a name, it works on lots of levels.

Tell us what people can expect at a Bootie club party?
A + D: Expect to hear old songs in new ways. Expect to find yourself loving songs you thought you hated. And expect to dance! And expect a Noah's Ark of Nightlife. There's a little bit of everybody there—straight and gay, mainstream and hipster, very unpretentious, and everyone totally "up for it." Bootie brings an open-minded audience who don't mind hearing their favorite song messed with! Mashup music naturally lends itself to diversity because of the genres and eras used. Indie, '80s, electro, hip-hop, classic rock, R&B, mainstream pop, soul, Goth/industrial—we spin ALL of it in the tracks. So our crowd is often as mashed up as the music.

When you first started Bootie, did you ever imagine you'd be doing mashup parties all over the world?
A + D: Not really! We knew we were on to something special, and that it had the potential to blow up into something bigger, but we also didn't know if it might just remain an underground, "cult audience"-type of thing. And while mashup culture is still largely an underground sensation, thanks to the Internet, it truly is a global movement. In fact, one could argue that the current mashup scene wouldn't exist without the Internet, so it makes sense that our parties would start multiplying around the globe.

Why do you give away the free Bootie CDs (aside from people loving free stuff)?
A + D: Since mashups are pretty much all created illegally without copyright clearances or artists' permission, they can't be legally sold, so Bootie has always given away the music for free. Call it "pirate's honor." We think these bootleg mixes are fantastic and we want to expose this art form to as many people as possible. Plus, it's nice to have a little souvenir from your night out at Bootie! And Bootie believes sharing is caring!

How many mashups have you guys created yourself, and do you have a favorite?
A + D: We've created about 50 mashups so far. The sad thing is that lately, we haven't made as many mashups as we'd like to, simply because we've been so busy running and operating Bootie. So many ideas, so little time...It seems like our favorite mashup is always our most recent one, which in this case, is "Stardust Kids," which mashes up MGMT's "Kids" with David Bowie's "Lady Stardust." It's indie glam! Of course, our "Don't Stop Believin' in Planet Rock" (Journey vs. Afrika Bambaataa) and "Beethoven's Fifth Gold Digger" (Kanye West vs. Walter Murphy vs. Beethoven) remain our two biggest mashup "hits."

What's the best thing about playing only mashups in a club?
A + D: The crowd knows what they're in for when they show up at a Bootie party. They know they're going to hear their favorite songs mashed up, and that they're going to get two (or more!) songs at once—they expect to be surprised and delighted. And we don't ever have to hear, "Can you guys just play the normal song?”

What are the best websites to find and download mashups?
A +D: The best place is the Bootie Top 10 list at BootieLA.com, where every month, we scour the Internet to find the ten best mashups, which we then make available for free download. Also, the Best of Bootie albums 2005-2008 that we’ve created remain online at BootieUSA.com. We consider those albums some of the best of the best over the last few years. Another popular site to find them is Mashuptown.com.

Adrian, how did Smash Up Derby come about?
A: I started DJing after my old band broke up, but soon after I started spinning mashups, I wondered, "Wouldn't it be fun to sing and play these mashups live?" So I put together a live mashup band called Smash-Up Derby, mostly just so we could have a house band at Bootie San Francisco. It may have started off as something we did just for shits and giggles, but we've ended up becoming quite popular and playing all over the country, and even did nine shows in Beijing, China, last March!

Tell us about R.A.I.D., Bootie LA's resident dance crew.
A + D: R.A.I.D. stands for Random Acts of Irreverent Dance, a collective started by Ramie Becker as a radically inclusive and absurdly ambitious dance project. We didn't really hire them so much as they just kind of adopted Bootie LA as their home base. Now, nearly every month, they don their shiny gold lamé suits and do an "impromptu" choreographed dance number on the stage at the Echoplex. And the crowd loves it!

So what’s planned for Bootie LA's big 4th Anniversary party on June 6th?
A + D: Expect to play a musical guessing game with not only the DJs, but also with the live mashup band Smash-Up Derby. In fact, Smash-Up Derby is probably the most original and interesting cover band you'll find. They're very different from your typical cover band—even though they're playing songs that everyone knows, they're doing it in ways you've never heard before. Expect the unexpected with the R.A.I.D. dance number. Expect to get a free 20-track Bootie LA Anniversary CD, which we're giving away to the first 300 people at the door. Expect to hear the hottest mashups from the past year, to dance your ass off and to sing at the top of your lungs. And expect to see people dressed up like pirates. Aaairgh, matey!

Bootie LA’s 4th Anniversary is Saturday June 6th at The Echoplex in Echo Park. Get more info at www.BootieLA.com. To download your own mashups, check the Bootie blog: www.bootieusa.com/blog. Special thanks to Bootie LA’s resident DJ Paul V. for giving MetroWize the inside scoop.