Category: _LIVE

April 17th 2026 Downpoly opened the Rubber Room for iSOPOd and RobbieWabbieSabi in our second local showing this year! Rubber Gloves in Denton has been one of my personal bucket list items to play at- since the early 2000s. Clearly Downpoly isn't my first musical experience, I have spent many years doing a few different projects with various musicians both here in Texas as well as Florida for a while. 

From 2 man acts to full bands, we always would hear about the latest incoming touring bands playing the Rubber Room when 102.1/94.5 was KDGE (The Edge) and 97.1 KEGL (The Eagle). Seemed like this crazy magical place to hear about on the radio back then- but you knew the acts were good! It was only now, that I had started something new, different, unique that made it possible to meet the connections that lead to shows like this.

There are 3 spaces to play, including an outside area where some awesome thrash punk was happening when we played. The other two spaces were basically the same size now, large enough for big sound- but intimate enough for a good show to really engage with your audience.

As with Charlie's Star Lounge- the sound was fantastic- the FOH engineer worked to balance the sound at sound check and was extremely accommodating with the I/O. I did not have my 50ft optical HDMI to get our graphics to the main projector but thankfully, RobbieWabbieSabi had us all covered!

Here is a video of "_Gr$nd" live captured directly from my set before FOH. Probably one of the coolest live shows I have ever played. 

I recorded the mix pre FOH direct to the camera on stage- for a nice POV-like view. I hope you all enjoyed the show that came out, and if you missed this one no issue- I hope to see you at the next one. 

There’s a specific kind of magic that happens when a venue just gets it. Over the last couple of months, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing Charlie’s Star Lounge from both sides of the stage—first as a head in the crowd, and most recently, behind the deck as Downpoly.

_Vibe

My introduction to the venue’s monthly Caustic Beats night in February was exactly what I needed. There’s nothing like walking into a dimly lit, wood-paneled room, grabbing a perfectly chilled Guinness, and losing yourself in three back-to-back sets of experimental electronics. The atmosphere EV and the crew have cultivated is inclusive, gritty, and undeniably cool. It’s the kind of place where the bartenders are as much a part of the soul of the night as the music itself.

_Experience

When EV reached out to ask me to play the 3/17 Caustic Beats showcase, I was extremely excited. As a performer with classic fragile computers the logistics can make or break a night, but the process was seamless. EV and the team is incredibly easy to work with—professional, communicative, and clearly dedicated to the local scene.

Moving a bunch of 80s microcomputers with various musical gear isn't an easy process and can be time consuming sometimes. The load in times and sound checks gave me all the time I needed to get things setup for a fantastic show.

Then there’s the gear. For an electronic artist, sound is everything. Charlie’s runs a house system that is a total dream—clear, punchy highs and a low-end that actually moves air without muddying the mix. While I monitor with the cans, I was able to feel my mix from the floor, and it gave me a good experience monitoring even without wedges. 

_Visuals

I also have to give a massive shoutout to Jim!. He handled the visuals during the February show I attended and did a phenomenal job. When it came time for my set on 3/17, he was a total pro and super accommodating, letting me run my own custom visuals to pair with the sound of my new album. Having a tech team that is this awesome and flexible makes a world of difference in delivering a complete experience.

Whether I’m leaning against the bar with a cold drink checking out the sounds from yalk DX, DigiMechanoid, Doctors Vs. Cigarettes, Orgullo Primitivo and others or dialing in a set on that booming system, Charlie’s Star Lounge - Caustic Beats feels like a second home. The energy from the crowd and the quality of the production make it one of THE premier spots for underground music in Dallas right now.

I’m already looking forward to the next time I can get back on that floor and I hope to see you there too!

-Joel