DJ Passé is high class phonograph entertainment
DJ Passé, French for “gone by” or “past”, is the alter ego of local musician Lon Eldridge. As a man self-described as a “ragtime raconteur, gramophone guru, and mustachioed marauder of the moth-eaten,” DJ Passé is someone to look forward to seeing and hearing.
Taking a break from his namesake fingerstyle, guitar blues, Eldridge shifts into the persona of DJ Passé to bring you the sounds of the early 20th century on a 1905 Victor V-2 external horn gramophone and a circa 1925-30 HMV Model 103.
Yes, this Edisonian undertaking is much older than your parents’ record player. As an object of the past, Eldridge wears the appropriate period piece attire (1898-1959) while sporting a classy set of curled whiskers just above his ascot. Equally as vintage as his outfit, is his choice of venue, Chattanooga’s American Draft.
Located at 1400 Market St., this speakeasy (of sorts), provides an elegant atmosphere for DJ Passé’s high-class charm and talent. Inside a train car, American Draft, with its pour your own brew style, suits the laid-back environment necessary for Passé’s antique 78 rpm record to capture that roaring twenties ambiance.
This event starts Wednesday at 7 p.m. For more information, visit loneldridge.com.