Even though McDaniels, famously known by his stage name, D.M.C., hasn’t released new music since his solo debut “Checks Thugs and Rock n Roll” in 2006, his upcoming stop in Bloomington is a significant occasion, Mitchell Schoeneman of concert presentation service MES Presents said.
He’ll perform a 21-plus show at 10 p.m. Friday at Kilroy’s Dunnkirk.
“We do a lot of shows at Dunnkirk ... Very seldomly are we able to deliver a legend at a $5 or $10 price point,” Schoeneman, 25, said. “If you appreciate music, it’s one of those things you’re not going to miss.”
McDaniels founded Run-D.M.C. in Queens, New York, in 1982 with rapper Joseph “DJ Run” Simmons, now known as Rev Run, and disc jockey Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell. Their 1984 self-titled debut album was the first rap album to be certified gold by the RIAA, and their third album, 1986’s “Raising Hell,” became rap’s first platinum-selling album.
Though D.M.C. hasn’t released an album in almost a decade — and though his group was scoring most of its hits 30 years ago — organizers said they think his position as a hip-hop icon will draw a young crowd.
“I wouldn’t compare him to someone like the Beatles, but you have a group that was pretty legendary,” said Matt Molewyk, the senior resident disc jockey at Dunnkirk. “Even kids not born when they were around know who Run-D.M.C. is.”
Molewyk said most of the shows at Kilroys’ locations draw crowds overwhelmingly comprised of college students.
For an act with the name recognition that D.M.C. has, however, he said he can’t be sure who will show up, and out-of-towners might even attend the show.
Still, Schoenman said a college town like Bloomington is an advantageous stop for D.M.C., who is touring for the first time in years.
“He’s looking to regain a little bit younger of an audience,” Schoeneman said. “His songs are timeless, and a lot of people are going to know his songs but may not realize it’s Run-D.M.C.”
And even though some young people may not immediately connect the songs to the name, he said, D.M.C.’s legacy still goes back to the boundaries he broke and the genre he helped define.
“He’s a pioneer of hip-hop,” Schoeneman said. “Him and Rev kind of created part of a genre. Most of the rappers today are stems of Run-D.M.C.”
Or, as Molewyk put it: “The guy’s a legend.”
