ON THE ROAD 2004 (THE D:FUSE BLOG)

2009 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002   

January 02, 2004
Official John Digweed After Party @ Seven(2am-4:30am), Dallas, TX

The off-again on-again opening set. I'm booked open for Digweed at Liquid. But then the agency in NY says no. Flyers have already been printed which is a bit of a mess. So promoters Patrick and Brooke arrange an official after party at Club Seven for me to play which is just fine, and Patrick is scheduled to open for Digweed. There's only one problem, on the night of the show Digweed's plane is running really late out of L.A. We're talking hours late. I'm having dinner with the Austin crew at my hotel when I get a frantic phone call. Digweed is barely gonna make it before the club closes, and though Patrick is doing a fine job opening up, he's worried the sold out club is gonna be a security nightmare when they find out that the 3 hour Digweed set promised is gonna be more like 45 minutes if at all. They're wondering if I can come immediately and play. The NY agency has a problem with me playing with Digweed, but no problem with me coming in when they're asses are on the line. No problem, We rush to the club and I take the decks to cheers. The place is going nuts and I'm trying to keep the crowd into it while not going to hard with the music. Only problem is that I packed a crate of mostly high-energy records in preparation for my after-hours set at club Seven. It's stressful to say the least, and every time I think it's my last record Patrick comes up saying, "just one more!" I'm having a great time playing but I know this crowd's ready to see the main act, I'm thankful when Digweed hits the stage. Later, I play club Seven and have a great time. The booth is cramped,
dark, and the crowd is blocking my view of the dancefloor. But the place goes
mad until I drop the last record. Digweed shows up to hang out and check out the set. I've met John a few times but this is the first time we've had a chance to chat. And from someone who's respected and followed him for years, I can say he's just as nice as you hear about.

January 10, 2004
Spundae @ Vision, Chicago, IL

The last show I did for Spundae Chicago was around the same time a year ago and it was dead, so I'm a little worried about this one. I get to the club early to have some drinks with the Grayarea crew and expect the worse. You can imagine how excited I am when the place fills up. Not packed, mind you, but definitely full enough for a good night. Vision has that old school big room feel and the place with rockin'. Finish my set and spend the rest of the night getting more than tipsy with old friends and new. Now that's a night!

January 15, 2004
The Church, Denver, CO

I've just had a great week snowboarding with the wifey and two good friends Kurt and Kate. Amazing weather, could have had better snow, but the beer was cold and the food in Brekenridge was awsome. We walk into a club, a massive cathedral-style church. As I've said before, probably one of the nicest and most beautiful clubs in the world. Even though it's a Thursday night, the place is packed. The booth is high up above the floor, WAY too high. So the crowd can see, I end up lifting up the drum at times when I'm playing it and holding it up over the rail, ya know "metal rocker style", which seems to get the crowd excited, but even with my binoculars it's hard to see way down there. Luckily my oxygen supply lasts me through the set. Still have a solid set and sign autographs for 30 minutes after the set. My head gets so big it barely fits through them big church double doors. I'm off to the hotel to drink moonshine with Kurt and the ladies 'till we pass out. Denver I luv ya!

January 22, 2004
Risque @ The Paris, Las Vegas, NV

One thing that's cool is that they get me a killer room with a view of the
Eifeel tower and the fountain show at the Belagio. We have dinner and drinks and head to the club. Only problem is that the club holds about 350 and only 60 are there. Damn. I get on the decks and luckily everyone stays. The floor's a bit thin but people manage to dance to the last record. Special thanks to Jen
Stiling, Dave Marchette, Botown and DJ Scott Stubbs for coing and joining me. I understand that this night eventually closes in Vegas, apparently Hip Hop is the reigning champion everywhere in Vegas these days and underground music is taking a bit of a hit. But not to worry! The underground will rise in sin city again!!!

January 30, 2004
Freedom, Tempe, AZ

Nikki Solgot brings me in for the night and I'm much appreciative. It turns out
to be one of the best turnouts Freedom has seen in months and the crowd is up for it. Friends Kurt and Kate bring out a big posse of professional types who
dance the night away among the young'uns, which makes a nice little mix. My
banner gets stolen, but still a solid night in AZ.

March 05, 2004
Big Shot Party @ MAZE(11pm-12am), Miami, FL

Just arrived in South Beach a few hours earlier, got supplies vital to the
ensuing battle (loads of Power Bars, cases of Red Bull, Vodka, and assorted
other goodies) unpacked at our gorgeous condo on the Beach at the Roney Palace. The balcony's are closed for renovation which is a big bummer but if ya open the windows and hang your head out you can kind of get the same vibe. Plus you can spy on other spring breakers gettin' busy in condo 43-C, but I digress.... We haven't seen or heard a peep about this show. It hasn't even been listed on the M3 master email listing, which is basically THE bible for goings-on at the WMC, so I'm a little worried. My worries are confirmed. NO-ONE is there. The place holds close to 3,000 and there are about 100 people in the entire place, including the D n' B room upstairs where Goldie is spinning and the main room where Reid Speed is playing a special progressive set. Plus the place is cold enough to hang dead cows. Jenni and Laura have dressed S.B. style which means they're looking hot, but feelin' really cold. I take the decks to an empty floor -but wait- someone gets on the floor on my first record! - but alas, I soon discover it's just a staff member picking up a napkin. After an hour Dave Ralph mercilously shows up to relieve me of my duties. We're off to Tantra!

March 05, 2004
Tantra w/ Groovefire (2:30am - 5am), Miami, FL

Now Boston's Groovefire Boys threw this little shindig last year at Tantra
that was vibey as hell. So I asked 'em if I could join up. Tantra has a really
warm and friendly atmosphere with tables everywhere and wood floors so nights there feel a bit like a solid house party. The entire Groovefire crew (Todd Hanna, Phil Jakob, & Mike Hoska www.groovefire.com) throw down some of the best tag team sets in the nation. Funky, fun, house, a taste of progressive, and always a kickn' bassline for the floor. We walk in and the place is packed and jumping. People are already getting up on chairs. The crew promptly shows us to a table and starts things off planting a bottle of vodka on the table. Everyone from Austin, SF (Dirty Ruth, Raj, Scott & Shannon, Deb & Hugo), Boston, and everywhere in between are there. You can tell people are just happy as hell to be with one another. The music is perfect and after a hour or so I jump on. There really isn't a dancefloor per se, but an isle in front of the booth (which is tiny, not even enough room for my drum) serves the purpose making it really intimate. I throw down a set of mainly funky house. Austin's Producer/engineer and sometimes studio-partner-in-crime Claude 9 shows up so I gotta throw on his new single with Chris Specht "Surrender". His wife Peachy-Jane is barley hanging on after too-many apple martinis but this one wakes her up enough to be propped up on the floor singing. By the end of the night anyone who is not on a table or chair are standing on the ledges separating the dining areas. One for the record books. Ray Kang of DC fame takes over the decks and works it nicely to close the night. Song of the night/a toss up: Perfect Sense "Niamey" (Orig Sax Mix)and Guy Gerber "Electric Mistress" (Mike Hiratzka Remix).

March 06, 2004
ULTRA Music Festival - Main Stage, Miami, FL

This is my first time to appear at Ultra. They've got me on early (1-2pm),
But they've moved me from the Progressive Tent to one of the main stages in the center of it all. The weather's nice but it's still 85 degrees and the sun is
beaming down on the floor (and the turntables on stage). Very few people are
around. Within a few minutes, the floor begins to fill up with sweaty bodies.
I'm keeping a close eye on my records on the turntables it's so hot they could
warp any second but thank God do not. I play a set of positive melodic
progressive house, bang the drum a bit, and get the place going. the vibe is
great, despite being early and hot the area fills with around 400 dancing people. Electric Skychurch are missing a keyboard so I end up playing and extra 45 minutes. We chat a bit and work out a little impromptu collaboration for their first number. I perform with them playing percussion and gracefully bow out as they begin they're second song. One of the first raves I ever attended was seeing Electric Skychurch, so it was quite an honor to jam with them. Me and the crew head to the front and dance to the rest of their tribal percussive set as singer Roxanne Morgenstern belts out some amazing vocals. Song of the set: Dark Suite "Dark Sweet Piano" (Wally Lopez Remix) We spend the rest of the day on a quest for free drinks in the VIP, and generally stumbling around. Lots of slightly average sets heard, but a few stand
out as solid: Deepsky, Junkie XL, Sander Kleinenberg. Seeing thousands of people all in tune with the music was amazing. A solid festival all around.

March 07, 2004
Breakfast in BED-Thump Radio Party 7am-12n (set 8:30-9:30a), Miami, FL

Now after Ultra I was a good boy and put myself to bed for a few hours to get
ready for this one. Last year's BIB was one of the best vibes I've ever
witnessed, so I wanna make sure I'm ready once again. You'd think this would be a haven of partied-out zombies at this hour. But this is not the case, it has
become an event where people actually go to bed early and start their day off
here. We arrive and there's a crowd already fighting to get in. Once inside we
line up at the bar for a South Beach Coffee (Red Bull and Vodka) and work the
room. Due to a new sound ordinance the music has to be quiet, which you'd think would kill the vibe. Here it only subdues it because opening DJ Scott Quick's deep house is setting the mood perfect. A live vocalist joins him to complete a well done set perfectly. I take the decks and am joined by SF keyboardist and performer extroidinaire Sen-Sei. As he's playing live keyboard licks I'm throwing in percussion and the place is moving. The bar is three deep and the energy in the room looks like a Saturday night at 1am. The Austin crew has taken the bed next to the booth and are moving into their 2nd bottle of liquid refreshment (Lance Cashion & Katherine, Anthony, Alma & John, Dr. Mike & Laura, Ananda & Christine, Alex V, Shawn). The dancefloor and surounding beds are a vitual who's who with Groovefire, Ray Kang, Donald Glaude, and Shell Robinson and Michael shaking it while Srewdriver cocktails splash those nearby . The music is still really low which is frustrating, but at 10am the ordinance is lifted and in a big ceremonial fashion, the amps are cranked and I slam the mixer volume full throttle. The place erupts into a mayhem of jumping bodies and smiling faces. Last year's show was one to top but this one did it. Hats off to Thump Radio for doing such an amazing job. Didje Kelli takes the decks next and does a great job keeping the flow. Song of the morning: Mathew Dekay Band "Higher Thoughts"

March 08, 2004
Mixed Elements @ Opium Garden, Miami, FL

Opium Garden is once again packed tonight. Last year's mixed elements party
was at a location a bit off the beaten path with an underground warehouse vibe. I did the surprise guest slot and sat in with the Late Night Sneaky Crew.
Being able to mix records and play percussion with Michael Anthony, Coleman,
Sen-Sei on keys, and a live drummer and guitarist was something I won't forget. That night the capacity crowd was giving off energy like no other show that year. I signed on immediately for another go this year when I heard the Mixed Elements party was happening again. It was a bit of a bummer when I show up and the Late Night Sneaky Crew is AWOL. Some sort of scheduling mix-up. Michael Anthony and percussionist JSN (Drumfire) are the only ones there and though they are tight at what they do, it's just not gonna be the same. Not to mention we've been relegated to a side VIP room that has an odd booth set up and no room. Oh well, lots of friends are in attendance and the room is crowded. I throw down a quick 45 minutes while JSN plays some wicked percussion, have a pretty good time, gather the crew and make my way to the next destination.

March 08, 2004
WinterOasis @ Space (set time 5-6am), Miami, FL

A lot of people say that Space is an incredibly cold venue with a staff that
treats people like badly. I won't comment on that, I'll only tell you what
happened to me and my friends this night and let you decide. We show up and get in with not much of a problem. After that it was mayhem. The acts upstairs on the Terrace are running hours late. Scheduling is a mess. I volunteer to do a quick 40 minutes so Grayarea who cut their set to 45 minutes (and do an excellent job) will have time to play. Max Graham plays all of 2 records when they boot him off the decks. Out of nowhere, the club has decided to cut all the rest of the artists playing that night and put their residents back on and make it a VIP event upstairs. I go to get my records to leave and am told I will not be allowed back in the booth which is now "VIP" and only after a yelling session with the room manager am I able to retrieve them. Meanwhile, Grayarea are breaking down their extensive equipment set up when a security guard informs them to move faster or their equipment will be thrown down the stairs. Hyper tells me that he is in the main room 15 minutes into his set when the security guard walks in, tells him he's done, turns his volume down and puts a mix CD on. When Hyper turns the mix CD off the owner enters the booth and grabs him by the throat, throwing him against a wall. My good friend Dr. Mike closes his credit card only to find his bill is $75.00 for two small waters and is not allowed to dispute it. We leave. End of story.

March 10, 2004
Thump Radio - The Palms Hotel Poolside (2pm-3pm), Miami, FL

t's been a really hectic schedule thus far so I'm happy that this will be
the last gig, and I'll be able to relax by the pool. Once again, Sen-Sei is
joining me with live keys. The line-up today is impressive. Tendroid is playing
when I arrive, and after I spin Jody from Way Out West, and Hyper (who shows me the bruise marks on his neck from the night before) will be taking the decks. The Palm has one of the most plush pools around, with a massive lawn, palm trees, hammocks, and well poured drinks at the nearby palapa bar. For the set I play deep jazzy house and move into melodic progressive. Vocalist Jes drops by so I throw in "Living the Dream" from the upcoming album. All the DJs are spot-on throughout the day, as Luis Baro from XM80 and Mason from Thump Radio do live interviews between sets. Everything is being broadcast live on XM80, and Luis tells me over 145,000 people have tuned in today- over 10% of the entire XM audience which is a big success for the The Move. Afterwards, Brian and the rest of the Thump crew decide Sen-Sei has been a bit too cocky and needs a throw in the pool and enlist my help. I advise a plan telling Sen-Sei that a photographer wants a shot of us near the pool, and with a little nudge from me he's in. Only problem is that we got his cell phone away, but didn't realize his digital camera is still in his pocket. Thump and I later buy him a new camera. I get mine later as Sen-Sei throws my ass in the pool. Song of the set: D:Fuse "Living the Dream" (what can I say?).