Sundown Soul Club is a soul club out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Entering its 3rd year, SDSC consists of 6 DJs. Currently they play every month at The Griffin at 511 E Fremont St. I was able to interview them in April 2023.

Who is involved with putting on SSC and how long has it been going?

Current members are McNasty, Double Peas, Sin City Soul, DJ Harry A & DJ Ari. SDSC formed in the summer of 2021 after doing a UK live stream that a few of us had been a part of on past shows and the line up for that show being facilitated by Greg Belson. We have been building this thang for a little over 2 years.

When SSC started, were there any other regular soul nights in the Las Vegas area?

No there was not. The Get Back was the party to go to if you wanted to hear true funk & soul music, but that party has since ceased but pops up every once in a while for a reunion show. There would be some nights advertised as something like what we are currently doing but its level of authenticity was and is not on the level I feel we present.

How did you get into soul music?

I would say it is a combination of the music our parents would listen to too and discovering hip hop samples. After that, it is a self-driven, never-ending trip down the rabbit hole.

How did you get into the ‘Soul Club’ or ‘Northern Soul’ scene?

We honestly created something we wanted to see. We wanted to take it a step further and cover the spectrum of funk and soul and every lane we could possibly travel down. If it’s funky and has soul, we’ll play it!

Do you have any relationships with others putting on regular soul nights in North America?

Between the group, there are many connections all over but have not been involved in
orginizing other soul nights outside of Las Vegas. Big ups to everyone who is out there doing it. They do it for the same reasons. Celebrating the music we love and sharing that music with our city.

Are there any specific records where you can’t wait to unleash them on the crowd?

There are too many to list! As a collective, we just can’t wait to share everything we put in our boxes for the night.

Are you aware of any soul music that came out of the Las Vegas area in the ‘60s or ‘70s? If so, do you play much that came out of that scene?

There is some really good music that came out of Las Vegas during that time and we do try to make it a point to play those tunes and celebrate the ghost of funk past.

Have you had a chance to meet any of the artists whose records you spin? If so, what do they think about their music being played in clubs so many years later?

We actually had Mike Kirkland come out to our weekender to sign merch and do a meet & greet and he was absolutely thrilled that not only to we play his records and play this style of music but that his music was still being played and still has the same energy and impact on people as it did when it was released.

So much obscure or forgotten soul has been reissued by labels such as Numero, Kent, Soul Jazz, etc. in the past two decades. Do you feel like you’ve dug into everything that’s out there or are you still stumbling upon and discovering soul you were unfamiliar with?

It is never ending. There is always something that either you’re pretty sure no one has heard, or it is new to you and you’ve never heard and that thrill of playing it for your other record folks and then to see how the crowd will react to it. You just cannot stop digging. There is still so much of a forgotten world that has not been discovered.

Have you had any part in contributing to any resissues or compilations over the years?

As an individual in the group, I would say yes in different capacities.

Have you noticed any changes in the crowd that attends since SSC began?

Absolutely. I feel like the more we keep doing it, the more people want to dig on the sounds and support. I think for them it has a lot do with hearing something that is new to them where they can let themselves go and be vulnerable to enjoy the unknown and then show up next month excited to hear something different or the chance to hear something the really liked last time the came out. Where play and when we play, we are the only thing that is different on the block. Every other spot is either the typical EDM style music or top40 club music that is safe for the spot and the people. We appreciate the spots and our current home that has given us the trust and platform to do the damn thing!

Are you, or have you been, involved in anything else music-wise, besides SSC?

As a group, we all have diverse musical backgrounds from collecting, curating, djing, musicians in bands etc. Music is our passion and fuels us all.

Lastly, what are your goals for SSC in the future?

The goal is to continue to grow and make this a party for everyone to continue to celebrate and educate about his music as well as contribute to our community. We are already on our way with a successful weekender, record swap and a consistent monthly under our belt, we intend to build off of that.

Thank you for the interest in our soul club.
Follow us on IG @Sundownsoulclublv
http://www.sundown-soulclub-lasvegas.com

7/20/23: A previous version of this interview included mention of Heavy Steppin as one of the DJs. They have since left the project so I have updated the interview. The included picture has also been updated.