Five Whats with Mike Davis

Hi ya'll, Chad here (wonting's hubby), I'm introducing this weeks Five Whats. I have known Mike Davis for quite a while now, oddly enough, never in our shared hometown of Nashville. Under his moniker, Mike 2600, he is a super talented dj and graphic designer/artist with his crew Burlesque in Minneapolis. He is also a major record head (one of our continuing friendship builders), a great photographer, and one of the best amateur comedians I know.
Please to enjoy...
What items do you always carry in your bag?
It changes on a regular basis, so let me check for the five most interesting things in there right now...
Laptop computer + cables + emergency startup disk which I've had to use too many times
Digital camera
Map / brochure from the Milwaukee Art Museum
Spa menu from the Standard Hotel in Miami
Terrible rap lyrics I found written on a sheet of paper at a club where I was DJing last weekend
What is your favorite thing that you have ever designed?
Either the "Got to Get it Right" 12" for DJ Day or the Alphabet poster I designed for my niece Hailey.What are your inspirations?
Toys, cartoons, album and magazine artwork, posters, food and product packaging and other commercial graphics from the 1960s-1970s, travel, weird stuff from Japan, good music, art museums.

What were your favorite TV shows growing up?
Thundarr the Barbarian, Spiderman (the 1967 cartoon version (I actually left my own 5 year old birthday party to walk downstairs and watch it)), Saturday Night's Main Event (WWF special that would come on every now and then), Yo! MTV Raps, Rap City, and Out of Control.

I know that you DJ quite a lot at clubs across the country, what kind of music do you spin? What are you listening to these days?
I started off spinning hip hop and then got really interested in the music where hip hop came from - funk, disco, funky rock, soul, etc. Since then I've been expanding off of that idea as well as getting into some of more action-packed electronic and club music coming out lately. Here are some recent things and artists I've listened to...
SebastiAn "Motor" EP, Lil' Wayne & Juelz Santana, DJ Blaqstarr, DJ Guilty Pleasures, Top Billin', White Girl Lust, James Brown, Eddie Kendricks, P.O.S

bonus What: What are you working on right now?
Just finished the label design for a new EP on Melting Pot Music for a group called Circle Research and I'll be doing the 12" jacket artwork probably tomorrow. Today I'm gonna finish wrapping up the cover of issue 51 of Mass Appeal magazine and then continuing to work to promote the giant dance party our crew (Burlesque of North America) is promoting called Do it To it!images: Mike Davis, thanks!