Crash the Decks: National Drummer vs DJ Tournament 2025 | Championship Round - New Haven, CT

Schedule

Sat, 27 Sep, 2025 at 08:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Stella Blues LLC | New Haven, CT

Advertisement
Make Sure You Have Fun™ Presents: Crash the Decks: National Drummer vs DJ Tournament 2025
—————
After eight high-energy rounds across the United States this past spring, only 16 of the original 32 teams remain in the inaugural 2025 Crash the Decks: National Drummer vs DJ Tournament. Four teams remain in New Haven's 2025 bracket to claim the city’s top spot as New Haven's reigning Crash the Decks: Drummer vs DJ Champions. The winning team with the highest overall score will advance to the final round of the 2025 Crash the Decks season to determine which drummer and DJ duo is the best in the country.
Teams of 1 drummer and 1 DJ will compete against each other, judged on six key areas: DJ Performance, DJ Creativity, Drummer Performance, Drum Solo, Crowd Participation, and most importantly, Team Chemistry. Make sure you’re front row for the showdown as the city’s top talent competes for New Haven's crown, belts, and ultimate bragging rights to make history as the first ever Crash the Decks: National Drummer vs. DJ Champions!
—————
Crash the Decks: National Drummer vs DJ Tournament 2025 | Championship Round - New Haven, CT
Saturday, September 27th, 2025
Stella Blues
204 Crown St
New Haven, CT 06510
21+
Doors at 8:00 PM
Battle at 8:30 PM
$10 Presale
$20 Day of Show
—————
Tickets on sale 8/1/25 @ 11AM: https://posh.vip/e/crash-the-decks-national-drummer-vs-dj-tournament-2025-championship-round-new-haven-ct
—————
What is Crash the Decks?
Crash the Decks stands as the world's premier and first-ever Drummer vs DJ Battle League. CTD combines DJs with live drummers to deliver an unforgettable competitive musical experience with the goal of finding the best Drummer vs DJ Duo in the world.
What to expect this season?
The 2025 CTD Season is our largest yet, featuring 32 teams from across the United States, all competing for the top spot in a high-stakes tournament and musical showdown. Expect to see carefully paired teams of DJs and drummers showcasing their unique spin on this performance style as they explore musical genres and drumming techniques while also trying to find the perfect spot for a standout drum solo—all with the goal of wowing the judges and keeping their fans dancing. This competition is as much a battle as it is a party.
—————
Battling Teams
🥁Jonathan Alexander + DPHR💿
🥁Trent + Durso💿
🥁Babafemi + Napoleon💿
🥁K3nta + Koob
Judges

📝7roubl3
📝Gian
📝Showrock
📝Air For Effect

🎤Hosted by Manny Gonzito
🎧DJ sets from David Wright
🎤Live Performance from Showrock
—————
Curated by Ryan "RB" Brown, Crash the Decks Commissioner.
—————
If you'd like to compete in a future battle, watch previous battle rounds, see the officla scores or sponsor one of our battles, visit us online at https://crashthedecks.com to inquire, register, or for more information.
—————
What is Drummer vs DJ?
“Drummer vs DJ” is a niche performance style that fuses the excitement of a club DJ with the energy of a live drummer for a mind-blowing and one-of-a-kind experience.
The "Drummer vs DJ" performance style has its roots in various musical genres, including hip-hop, rock, and electronic dance music (EDM). The concept of live drumming and electronic music production coming together in performance is not new, but it gained widespread popularity in the mid-2000s with the emergence of a few key performers.
One of the earliest and most influential "Drummer vs DJ" pairs was DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) and Travis Barker of Blink-182, known together as TRV$DJAM. The two began performing together in the early 2000s, blending hip-hop beats, rock anthems, house, and other dance music genres with live drumming in a high-energy performance that quickly gained a following. They performed at clubs, award shows, and music festivals worldwide drawing thousands, and were known for their innovative mashups and remixes.
Another noteworthy "Drummer vs DJ" duo is the combonation of DJ Jazzy Jeff and Questlove of The Roots. These two hip-hop DJs have also played many venues togehter around the country, showcasing their combined expertise in turntablism, drumming, and musical taste. If you've ever had the opportunity to witness these two live, consider yourself lucky.
In addition to these established pairs, numerous other musicians and performers have adopted and continue to showcase the "Drummer vs DJ" performance style, often collaborating in one-off duos that perform at local clubs and events worldwide. Although this performance style is not new, our battle league brings a fresh and exciting twist to the scene, offering a unique competitive platform for these talented artists to showcase their skills.
—————
History of Crash the Decks
The concept of Crash the Decks, formerly known as Drummer vs DJ, originated in March 2016 when farESH Brand and Loyal Order co-hosted the inaugural showcase at Spirit Lodge in Pittsburgh, PA. This event marked a milestone in Spirit's history, reaching full capacity on a Sunday for the first time. Over the next two years, farESH Brand organized the event 12 more times in Pittsburgh, transforming it into a battle seeing Giuseppe Capolupo and DJ Red becoming our first ever Drummer vs DJ Champions. We then expanded the battle into a year-long tournament across four dates in 2018. The duo DJ ADMC and Dylan Wood successfully defended their champion title four times and emerged as the winners of the first-ever Drummer vs DJ Tournament held at Spirit Hall.
After a hiatus in 2019 and a planned return in 2020 that was unfortunately halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, farESH Brand ceased operations between 2018 and 2023, leading to the closure of its online shop. However, co-founder Ryan "RB" Brown had established Make Sure You Have Fun™ in 2017, which absorbed the event concept, underwent a rebranding, and repackaged it. As the concept evolved, it adopted the name "Crash the Decks."
In 2023, Make Sure You Have Fun™ hosted the first Crash the Decks: Drummer vs DJ Battle Exhibitions in Pittsburgh, PA; Fargo, ND; and New Haven, CT, under its new name, drawing hundreds of curious and excited fans across the country. In 2024, the quest to find the world's best Drummer vs DJ duo expanded, with battles held again in the original cities, but also adding in Hartford, CT, and Washington, D.C., setting the stage for the inaugural Crash the Decks National Tournament in 2025.
This year, we are hosting the largest tournament in our league's history. Thirty-two teams across four cities - Pittsburgh, PA; New Haven, CT; Hartford, CT; and Fargo, ND - will face off in their local tournament brackets throughout the year, advancing to compete in their city's Crash the Decks Championship Round in September 2025.
See you in November 2025 for the National Championship Round!
Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the battle league , our events promise to convert you into a Crash the Decks enthusiast. Don't miss out on the excitement - be a part of the largest tournament in our history and witness the world's best Drummer vs DJ duos in action.
—————
Who’s the best?
—————
Follow Crash the Decks
∞ https://crashthedecks.com
∞ https://twitter.com/crashthedecks
∞ https://instagram.com/crashthedecks
∞ https://twitch.tv/crashthedecks
∞ https://facebook.com/crashthedecks
∞ https://youtube.com/@crashthedecks
—————
Follow MSYH.FM
» https://MSYH.FM
» https://www.patreon.com/msyhfm
» https://twitter.com/MSYHFM
» https://instagram.com/MSYH.FM
» https://mixcloud.com/MSYHFM
» https://facebook.com/MSYH.FM
—————
Follow Make Sure You Have Fun™
∞ https://MakeSureYouHaveFun.com
∞ https://twitter.com/MakeSureYouHave
∞ https://instagram.com/MakeSureYouHaveFun
∞ https://facebook.com/MakeSureYouHaveFun
DISCLAIMER: By attending this event, you grant Make Sure You Have Fun™, Crash the Decks and its affiliated parties the right to capture and utilize your image and/or likeness in any photography or videography taken during the event. You agree that Make Sure You Have Fun™ owns the rights to these images and can distribute them globally, without limitation, in perpetuity. Additionally, all ticket sales are final and non-refundable. By RSVPing or purchasing a ticket, you also consent to receive communications and promotional materials from Make Sure You Have Fun™.
Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Stella Blues LLC, 208 Crown St, New Haven, CT 06510-2702, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Crash the Decks

Host or Publisher Crash the Decks

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends

Discover More Events in New Haven

Jhumpa Lahiri | Quiver and Fixity: On Rereading \u201cJude the Obscure\u201d
Mon, 29 Sep at 04:30 pm Jhumpa Lahiri | Quiver and Fixity: On Rereading “Jude the Obscure”

320 York St, New Haven, CT 06511-3627, United States

ART LITERARY-ART
OPEN MIC NIGHT
Mon, 29 Sep at 05:30 pm OPEN MIC NIGHT

285 Nicoll St. Suite 103, New Haven, CT, United States, Connecticut 06511

OPEN-MIC
First-Time Homebuyer Workshop With BNT & Santander Bank
Mon, 29 Sep at 05:30 pm First-Time Homebuyer Workshop With BNT & Santander Bank

133 Elm St

WORKSHOPS
Learn to dance in New Haven - Intro to Salsa & Bachata
Mon, 29 Sep at 07:00 pm Learn to dance in New Haven - Intro to Salsa & Bachata

57 Olive st, New Haven, CT, United States, Connecticut 06511

WORKSHOPS DANCE
Edgewood Park Volunteer Day
Tue, 30 Sep at 09:00 am Edgewood Park Volunteer Day

Edgewood Park, New Haven

VOLUNTEERING
Flu and COVID vaccine clinic @ CHSC
Tue, 30 Sep at 09:30 am Flu and COVID vaccine clinic @ CHSC

1040 Whalley Ave, New Haven, CT, United States, Connecticut 06515

New Haven job Fair
Tue, 30 Sep at 11:30 am New Haven job Fair

35 Regina Way

JOB-FAIRS
Greater New Haven Mentoring Collaborative Meeting
Tue, 30 Sep at 12:00 pm Greater New Haven Mentoring Collaborative Meeting

Connecticut Violence Intervention Program, Inc.

WORKSHOPS HEALTH-WELLNESS
Fri, 17 Oct at 09:00 pm BEATS, BITS AND BYTES

Stella Blues

MUSIC SPORTS
Stonehill Skyhawks at Yale Bulldogs Football
Sat, 18 Oct at 07:30 am Stonehill Skyhawks at Yale Bulldogs Football

Yale Bowl

SPORTS
Penn Quakers at Yale Bulldogs Football
Sat, 25 Oct Penn Quakers at Yale Bulldogs Football

Yale Bowl

SPORTS FOOTBALL
Parking Columbia Lions at Yale Bulldogs Football
Sat, 01 Nov at 07:30 am Parking Columbia Lions at Yale Bulldogs Football

Yale Bowl

SPORTS FOOTBALL
Columbia Lions at Yale Bulldogs Football
Sat, 01 Nov at 07:30 am Columbia Lions at Yale Bulldogs Football

Yale Bowl

SPORTS FOOTBALL
Yale IV 2025
Sat, 01 Nov at 08:00 am Yale IV 2025

Yale University

SPORTS TOURNAMENTS
Columbia Lions at Yale Bulldogs Football at Yale Bowl
Sat, 01 Nov at 12:00 pm Columbia Lions at Yale Bulldogs Football at Yale Bowl

Yale Bowl

SPORTS FOOTBALL
Parking Quinnipiac Bobcats at Yale Bulldogs Mens Hockey
Sat, 08 Nov at 12:00 am Parking Quinnipiac Bobcats at Yale Bulldogs Mens Hockey

Ingalls Rink

SPORTS TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Harvard Crimson at Yale Bulldogs Football
Sat, 22 Nov Harvard Crimson at Yale Bulldogs Football

Yale Bowl

SPORTS TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Parking Harvard Crimson at Yale Bulldogs Football
Sat, 22 Nov at 08:30 am Parking Harvard Crimson at Yale Bulldogs Football

Yale Bowl

SPORTS
Harvard Crimson at Yale Bulldogs Football at Yale Bowl
Sat, 22 Nov Harvard Crimson at Yale Bulldogs Football at Yale Bowl

Yale Bowl

SPORTS FOOTBALL

What's Happening Next in New Haven?

Discover New Haven Events