46 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 18-24, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com MUSIC As one of the legendary Hardkiss brothers, DJ Gavin Hardkiss helped ignite the early-’90s San Francisco rave scene. He is anything but nostalgic, he simply has a lifelong passion for creating music. Hardkiss’ longtime residency at Compact Disco is a high point of his current gigs. “It’s the coolest bar or club that I play at,” he says. “It hits every note that I like.” Tucked into downtown Monterey, Compact Disco is small and easy to miss, more a listening room than a spectacle-driven nightclub—and that’s exactly the point. The venue runs on a simple but firm set of rules: no requests, long sets and no phones on the dance floor. For Hardkiss, that structure creates rare freedom. “As a DJ’s DJ, I’m not here to play your soundtrack,” he says. “I love the fact that there are no requests. I have my music, not theirs.” The intimacy of the space allows him to take his time. “I like to transport people to a different world. In five hours, I can take them to a lot of different places. It doesn’t have to be an amusement park ride.” Instead of quick hits or constant drops, his sets unfold gradually, with room for shifts in tone, tempo and mood. Over the course of a night, Hardkiss may move through newer Latin sounds, breakbeat, disco and other influences. “I’m pretty diverse when it comes to DJing,” he says. “I can flex that at Compact Disco. I can play different styles—not just house or EDM.” The format also gives Hardkiss a place to share music that rarely surfaces elsewhere. He produces a large volume of material, far more than he ever releases publicly. He prefers to introduce new music live. “It’s what I do,” he says. “I make songs.” At Compact Disco, Hardkiss can weave long stretches of unreleased material into a set, sometimes playing an hour or more of original music. He pays attention to how the room responds and uses that feedback to help decide what eventually gets released. New music comes out only a few times a year, shaped by real-world reaction rather than online metrics. Compact Disco attracts an attentive crowd that comes to experience a DJ. Subtle changes have space to land—a setup that suits Hardkiss quite well. DJ Gavin Hardkiss plays 9pm Friday, Dec. 19. Compact Disco, 420 Tyler St., Monterey. No cover. compactdisco. org. MATT MARIA-HOPKINS Solid Sound DJ Gavin Hardkiss keeps the underground alive at Monterey’s Compact Disco. By Tonia Eaton Although he has performed at many different venues over the years, DJ Gavin Hardkiss appreciates the intimacy—and the rules—at Compact Disco. Scan to Buy Tickets December 31, 2025 New Year’s Eve Casino • Live Band • Open Bars Grand Buffets • DJ & Dancing Home Goods & Clothing Gifts for Everyone! The Garden Song 510 Lighthouse Ave. #4, Pacific Grove [corner of Lighthouse & 14th] 831-656-9771 11:30 - 4:30pm Tuesday through Sunday OFF SALE [ d \ [ d \ [ d defghijklmnopqrstuyz1234567890-=[]\’;/.,` HOLIDAY 40% ace and Justice Center t Blvd., Seaside, CA 93955 herine Crockett (831) 915-7257 cm_crockett@sbcglobal.net 2.24 “ x 5.57 $171.00 (per paid contact for 12 Monterey Starlight Procession 12-31-25 , 2025 edition Wed, December 31, 5:30 pm Ring in the New Year with a message of peace. Walk with the Peace Coalition of Monterey County in this First Night Monterey Tradition. The procession begins at 5:30 pm and makes its way down Alvarado Street. to Pearl Street. First Night Monterey n of First Night Monterey Gather 4:30-5:25 pm near the intersection of Franklin St. and Calle Principal in Downtown Monterey. Please wear white to signify peace. Dove and peace signs will be provided. TWILIGHT PROCESSION
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==