Remember the “cornchip” days? Recall those halcyon times of the ’80s when goth, new wave, synth pop, indie pop and other outlier music mixed with outsider status, skinny ties, funky haircuts, long coats and lots and lots of black? You wore black on the outside because black is how you felt on the inside, and life was as heavy as your thoughts you scrawled in your specially designed journal.

And, if you lived in and around the Quad-Cities, you hung out at a little spot called Stage 2.

If you still recall those days, you’re going to want to check out DJ Shane Brown’s latest megamix, dedicated to cornchip culture and the Stage 2 days, and featuring acts like Nine Inch Nails, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Jane’s Addiction, KMFDM, Depeche Mode and more.

Shane is obviously STOKED about the mix, as this is what he posted on his Facebook:

“I’ve gotten a ton of requests for mixes over the years, but never more so than folks wanting a Stage 2 flashback mix. I’ve been promising it for years, and since I’m stuck at home, it was high time to dust off some vinyl and take a trip back in time. My first DJ gig ever was at Checkpoint in Galesburg (which later became a Stage 2,) and when I first moved to the QC, you could find me every Friday at Stage 2 in Bettendorf wishing I was their DJ. Fridays at Stage 2 was a place we could be ourselves and be accepted. It filled my life with friends and my heart with music. I went thru my stacks and found some records that haven’t gotten much love since that era — hope you have as much fun listening as I did making it. And yes, it’s 3 hours long, because that’s how corn chips do things.

“Let’s turn the clock back to 1989, open a bag of corn chips, and see who runs crying to the bathroom when we play “Somebody.” This is a salute to the Friday nights that shaped us and the songs you may have forgotten. Long live Stage 2.”

And here, my friends, is the magnum opus:

Return To The Cornchip Days With DJ Shane Brown's Stage 2 Mix!
Sean Leary is an author, director, artist, musician, producer and entrepreneur who has been writing professionally since debuting at age 11 in the pages of the Comics Buyers Guide. An honors graduate of the University of Southern California masters program, he has written over 50 books including the best-sellers The Arimathean, Every Number is Lucky to Someone and We Are All Characters.
Return To The Cornchip Days With DJ Shane Brown's Stage 2 Mix!

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