Ahmir Khalib Thompson, better known by his stage name Questlove, will play a DJ set at the Howard Theatre on Jan. 16.
Many fans know Questlove the drummer and joint frontman for The Roots, the house band for “The Tonight Show for Jimmy Fallon,” but his talents have led him to work with music industry icons including Elvis Costello, D’Angelo and Amy Winehouse.
Questlove’s career began in the early 1990s with The Roots and quickly branched out into different types of music including jazz, pop and rap. His most recent release, “Wise Up Ghost,” a collaboration with Elvis Costello and The Roots, was produced in his dressing room on “Fallon.” DJ’ing is his latest endeavor, and Questlove has played sets with artists ranging from Justin Timberlake to Jessica Biel and has even appeared at one lucky kid’s Bar Mitzvah.
Pop music fans and jazz fans alike should find something to get them moving on Friday. Questlove is known to incorporate a unique mix of music in his performances and has said that he aims to educate people with his sets. He focuses on the psychological elements of music and uses that to evoke feelings from his audiences.
Friday’s show promises to be be another testament to Questlove’s infinite talent. Already established in his own right as a drummer, having been named as one of Rolling Stone’s Readers’ Pick for Best Drummers of All Time, he has something to prove – or teach you – with his DJ sets. Fort Knox Five, a Washington, D.C. based group that’s been around for almost as long as Questlove, will perform an opening set.
Doors at 9 p.m. and tickets are available on Ticketmaster.
