pop music for a new, more strange world, and we should all be thankful for Evans’ guiding presence in it. EEEEE Roqy Tyraid twitter.com/roqytyraid Local rapper Jacob Railford fights for so- cial justice and civil rights in the streets and behind the mic. As an activist and community organizer, he’s wielded a megaphone while participating in dozens of protests since the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and is a founding member of anti-police-brutality organization W.E. Rising Project. As rapper Roqy Tyraid, he dexterously spits lyrically complex flows in weekly Twitter videos calling out local cops for brutal tactics and politicians for misrepresenting his group and Black Lives Matter protesters as criminal gangs. (Sam- ple cut: ”Most BLM protests were people / Predatorily arrested / Felonies for yelling in the street / Instead of misdemeanors.”) Railford, who’s been performing since 2005, told the Arizona Republic in July his rap career helped him segue into being an activist, and both pursuits ultimately have FAIRYDVST Phoenix’s rave scene has been a breeding ground for dynamic DJs for decades. One of its more recent standouts is Srija Ser- ineni, who has worked her magic on the mixers as FAIRYDVST at desert parties, warehouse ragers, and forest campouts since debuting in 2016. What separates Serineni from other local DJs, other than being a south Asian woman performing in a scene largely white and male, are her for- ward-thinking mixes that weave new mu- sic from undiscovered bass house, U.K. garage, and future house artists with darker and weirder grooves. She was drop- ping producers like Qlank, Nostalgix, and Moksi on underground crowds well before they became staples of EDM playlists. Ser- ineni still gigs at raves, including her own, but has crossed over to more mainstream events, bringing her outsider mentality and Danny Zelisko dzplive.com Renowned Phoenix concert promoter Danny Zelisko has done and seen it all — and he’s the first to tell you about it. In his 2020 memoir, All Exce$$: Occupation: Con- cert Promoter, he spins unforgettable (and often wild) yarns from 45-plus years of producing more than 10,000 gigs since the mid-’70s for a who’s-who of music legends in the Valley and elsewhere. Like helping Pink Floyd sell out back-to-back nights at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 1988. Or booking Paul McCartney at Sun Devil Sta- dium in 1990, or smoking weed with Perry Farrell when the now-defunct Compton Terrace hosted the first Lollapalooza show in 1991. As enthralling as this behind-the- scenes glimpse was to read, it told us what the same goal: working to inform others about social ills like police brutality and systemic racism. For Railford, there’s more work to be done and he’ll continue spread- ing the word with both microphone and megaphone. EEEEE early adopter savvy to clubs and festivals. Local EDM promoter Relentless Beats be- gan tapping her for events after she placed highly in a 2019 DJ battle. She’s also lit up house music nights at Bar Smith, Hi Score Club, and Zuma Grill, putting clubgoers on the dance floor at each spot under her sonic spell. EEEEE we already knew: Zelisko has profoundly shaped and influenced the local concert scene for decades, from mentoring Cres- cent Ballroom/Valley Bar co-owner Char- lie Levy early in his career to advising the current proprietors of Celebrity Theatre after longtime owner Rich Hazelwood died in March. And he keeps bringing icons like Styx, Cheap Trick, and George Thorogood to town for fans of a certain age to enjoy and younger fans to discover. Keep going, Danny — we aren’t ready for you to hang up that backstage pass yet. 220 BEST OF PHOENIX 2021 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2021.C0M | SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 ni ghtlif e B ES T P RO MO T E R B E ST D J B ES T R A PP E R
