Louie Vega

While his peers from NYC's Eighties garage/house explosion are busy trying to re-up their ecstasy-drained serotonin levels in rehab centers, Masters of Work superstar DJ Louie Vega is still behind the decks and rallying the faithful at clubs across America. He may have lost the "Little" prefix over the past twenty years, but he retains the impeccable sense of rhythm and balance of entertainment and innovation that have endeared him to dance music fans since his days at Studio 51. Last year's The Elements of LifeCD, surprisingly Vega's first solo outing — found the DJ/producer enlisting the help of salsa legend Hector Lavoe to reconnect with his Latin roots. But this Friday at Nocturnal, the living legend will be all by his lonesome. Expect a sublime solus.