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ON THE ROAD 2005
(THE D:FUSE BLOG)
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January 1, 2005
Spundae at Mezzanine, San Francisco, CA
Alright, my biggest
New Years resolution is to keep up with this diary. It's a bit of a
pain in the ass but it helps me to make sense of these insanely fun
nights I share with you people on the road. So I'm writing this a
bit after the fact, but had probably one of the best NYE in a
decade. New Years has always been a bit off for me. The shows have
been okay but in the past they've been in cities where I don't know
a lot of people. NYE should be with friends, so this year San
Francisco was it! Peter and Guiv from Spundae brought me into
Mezzanine for a show with Derrick Carter. Went into the studio and
custom made this killer high-tech countdown kinda thing and of
course played my remix of New Years Day. Played until 3am. Great
crowd and energy. Everyone was moving. Then went to a small, vibey,
family sort of show at Ponzu. Shouts out to Sen-Sei, Josh, Scott
Card, Raj, Kramer, and all the others I'm forgetting to name for a
fun little after hours set 40 minutes or so. Kicked it well into the
sunrise hours and did it all again the next day. So much fun we
should all be arrested. Handcuffs can be fun anyway. Big shouts out
to the SF crew, Andrea for getting my stuff together at the
Mezzanine show. Raj and Scott Card for taking care of the
merchandising and poster hanging. Deb, Hugo, Shannon, Katherine,
Camilla, Tim, Sandra, and all the usual suspects along the way.
Can't wait for the next one.
January 22, 2005
Sky, Austin, TX
Had a Saturday night free so took
full advantage of it in my hometown of Austin to throw down a little
old school-meets-new-school kind of night. Lots of funky house and
breaks classics mixed in with some new funk. Great crowd turned up
and turned on. Laura, Dr Mike, Christine on the dance floor all
night. Alma and John aren't bringing their A-game, and retire
seconds after I start. The new Killer's "Somebody Told Me" (Mylo
Remix) takes the house down as well as Miss Kitten's "Requiem for a
Hit". Can you say lots o' jager and a late night? I kneeeew ya
could.
February 03, 2005
Los Angeles,
CA
It's a bit of a last
minute booking for the LA Weekly newspaper at the hotel Figuereo in
LA. A sort of theme party titled "Sex and Hedonism" or something
like that, so I'm thinking this is going to be some kind of crazy LA
show with lots of live sex acts and free spankings or something like
that. What it turns out to be is just a dressed up trade show, quite
tame, with lots of vendor booths giving out information on clothing
stores, tanning salons, breast augmentation, whatever. But all in
all, it's a really nice set up, lots of bars set up serving good
drinks, a good buffet, all by the poolside. The hotel is quite
unusual. The lobby and pool at the Figuereo are amazing, like
walking into some interior Mexico mansion. Lots of heavy oak
furniture and candles. The walls have beautiful hand paintings and
mozaics all over them. The hotel amenities, however, are the
shabbiest I've ever seen. Dingy rooms, no room service, no coffee
maker, no iron, no alarm clock for christ's sake! The only
restaurant in the hotel serves- get this- only Hamburger, Sirloin
Steak, or Fried Chicken. That it!!! In the middle of LA?!
Helloooooo? Plus the owner was a complete asshole as well to top
everything off, as we got into a shouting match when the promotion
team was not permitted to put up posters (after the staff said it
was okay). I recommend going to the hotel, checking out the lobby
and pool, and walking straight back out. Okay. Enough of the rant. I
go down to the ballroom to start my set, and realize the owner has
not allowed LA Weekly to put in a sound system! There are two little
monitors and a DJ set up, barely enough to power a living room, much
less a ballroom. I graciously apologize and tell them no to
spinning, and offer up my services putting in some previously
recorded D:Fuse mixes which works out okay. Mirabella, Michael,
Penny, Eve Falcon, and Jason from Deepsky all show up and we down
some tequila shots and catch up. Nice. People are mostly mingling
anyway. No dancers in the house. Marques Wyatt arrives and braves
the little sound system and plays some excellent house to close the
night and actually gets a some of the crowd to shake it. A big
thanks to LA weekly for bringing me out and who were understanding
in why I didn't play. I know the sound wasn't their
fault!
February 05, 2005
John Moon's
Birthday Event, Reno, NV
Now I'm really looking forward to this show. I
haven't seen my good friends Scott, Shannon, Deb, & Hugo from SF
since NYE and I'm going through withdraws. We meet up in Reno on
Friday and I don't have a show until Saturday. Sweet! A night off in
a gambling city! This is my first time in Reno and I really like it.
Kind of the Las Vegas vibe but not so huge and pretentious. A bit on
the white trash side of things. Lots of cheap buffets and cheap
drinks. I walk by a bar on the way to meet everybody and have to
stop in. A band is playing Styx "Blue Collar Man". Now, if that
isn't an example of the white trash thing, I just don't know what
is. We hear about a new underground club that's open and some local
house guys are spinning, so we decide to try it out. We get to the
club and begin to party. We sipping drinks and looking around. Quite
an interesting vibe, the entire place looks like it was just
converted from a clothing store minutes ago, complete with white
walls with the rack slots still in place. But the music is groovy
enough so we're having fun. Only thing is, after an hour or so we
realize the DJ is stuck in that vibe like.... "I only play house.
That's it. Straight up house. Only the pure house stuff, and deep.
See, I'm a house purist, so if it even thinks about going anywhere,
and I mean anywhere, outside the boundaries of pure house. I ain't
gonna play it. And I'll probably make fun of other DJs that do.
Deep. House. Yeah duuuuuuude." Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but
after two hours (and moving into the peak hours of the night) the
music hadn't changed an iota so we had to get out. We spend the rest
of the night checking out Scott Card's sweet set up of tunes on his
laptop system, and gambling in the casino. Had a blast! Now on to
the next night. I've met John Moon before at Burning Man and he
asked me to come play his party. Nice guy, but I'll be honest, the
flyer looked extremely ravey-gravy, complete with an
all-ages-allowed policy. I'm thinking it's gonna be one of those
gigs that ya just have to grin, bear it, and do your best. So when
we get to the venue at 10:30pm I'm pleasantly surprised and equally
impressed to find that the place is sold out. The venue has a cozy
barn kind of feel and the crowd is quality. Like one of those
old-old school raves where people from all walks of life are there
and the median age is 25. No candy wrappers here, there are some
youngun's but everyone dressed individually, not in the "I'm
expressing my individuality by dressing exactly like everyone else"
vibe. There's lots of people swillin' drinks and smiling. They've
even got a killer artist area back stage complete with a deluxe
buffet and kegs o' beer. Me and the crew mingle and check out the
different DJs, it seems everyone is on tonight, I truly enjoy the
sets in the two rooms. I'm chilling out waiting for Micro to go on
because I'm playing right after him, but it seems he's taken the
long way to get here, detoured through a casino and got stuck. I
take the decks early and proceed to TEAR TH' FREAKIN' ROOF OFF THE
PLACE. Okay, I'm tootin' my own horn here, but hey sometimes that
horn needs to be tooted, so I'm doin' it. I feel good, jump around
like a madman, bang the drum, and just feel the positive energy
coming off the crowd and do my best to give it right back to them.
Old school memories of the old rave days!!!! They have returned
tonight and I have an amazing time. Hats off to John Moon and all
who made the party happen! Can't wait to get back to Reno for
another one!
February 11, 2005
Sky, Austin,
TX
Now, this night has
become legendary. Lots of good friends, familiars faces, and people
throwing it down. Tonight, something's a miss. Someone told all the
ladies to stay home and informed all the guys that the theme tonight
was "swordfest". Loads of dudes. Buckets of 'em. A venerable log jam
in the making. It does get adequately busy later on however and we
have a pretty good time. Dr. Mike has his hands full cock blocking
the guys from Laura and Christine. He's doing a pretty good job but
eventually has to retreat with the ladies to a table near the booth
at the end of the night. I get a little persnickety with a girl who
comes up at the end of the night complementing my set, saying that
she's a HUGE DnB fan and still liked the set. I tell her very cool
and that I'm really info LTJ Bukem. She goes, "who is that?" WHAT!
I'll just leave it at that. I'm taking March off from this event.
Let's hope that gets Austin hungry for more when I return in April.
February 24, 2005
Sullivan Room, New York, NY
Groovnauts and (my
personal favorite) Groovefire are promoting and DJing this night.
Even Andreamico's gotten on board and sent out a lil' email blast
early on. Apparently EVERYONE's coming! We arrive to the venue to a
solid crowd, and within an hour the place is filled to capacity.
Todd and Phil from Groovefire throw down a solid set, venturing
further into Progressive than I've seen in a while. A Groovenaut
resident then takes the decks, his set is funky enough, but it's
just a bit too much of the brash throwback 80's thing for me. The
Sullivan room is a small basement club that holds about 300 people,
so I start and keep the night housey and funky until the end when I
have to throw in some trancey favs. I even throw in the classic "Is
Anybody Out there" (easily 10 years old) to find Andreamico
squealing with such delight that she’s just about to shatter glass.
End up going to Erik's house for some late night debauchery with the
Groovefire lushes in tow. Liquor!? I hardly know her! I make it just
after sun up, and as I’m nursing a bit of the flu (taking lethal
doses of Dayquil) I bow out and crash. I have the rest of the
weekend off and have an amazing time in the big apple.
February 24, 2005
Red Carpet, St. Cloud, MN
The first time I
visited the Red Carpet was with Richard “Humpty” Vission. The night
was packed with lots of drunk college chicks and I’m the kind of guy
that appreciates that kind of thing. Scott got me waaaaaay too
wasted feeding me Rumplemintz and Goldshlager at the end of the
night. But hey, these things happen. Had an amazing time so I’m
looking forward to being back. This is Minnesota, it’s covered with
snow and cold as hell, but I swear everyone’s like, “wow, it’s great
having this heatwave come through in winter” and wearing t-shirts.
Crazy yanks. DJ Tink and friends set up the night nice and housey,
and always deftly tease the crowd on the floor. Nothing like playing
a town where the opening DJs don’t bang the hell out of it to an
empty floor; but play down and groovey to pull people on it. Much
appreciated and enjoyed. Now generally we don’t sell a lot of
merchandise at shows, maybe 4 or 5 CDs. But lately we’ve been doing
double that and tonight is no exception. Shannon works the shot bar
peddling my Begin CD and Vinyl while Tink is on the mic announcing
the CDs for sale. Before 11pm we’ve sold out of all of the
merchandise I brought for the entire weekend. Amazing. The place is
packed and though it’s a bit of a guy-heavy log jam tonight, the
place is still moving pretty well. I work up a pretty good sweat,
the Killers remix once again steals the night, and retire at the end
of the night going to a few after parties. I take it easy on the
shots tonight and thankful the next day. Hell, I even get up early
and get a few minutes on the stair master. I then completely undo
this by downing a black bean burger, two orders of fries, and 2
large Sam Adams at the airport Chili’s.
February 25, 2005
Montage, San Diego, CA
Mirabella joins me in
sunny, beautiful, San Diego. Now generally San Diego is a bit of a
cheesey meat market scene, with most people more concerned about how
good they look rather than the music. But tonight was completely
different. Brad has brought in a Avalon sound system and it is
COMPLETELY dialed in. Crystal clear sound that hits you in the
chest, yet you can still have a conversation on the dance floor. We
get to the club early and have amazing sushi in the rooftop deck
overlooking the skyline and proceed ta git ta drankin'. Opening sets
by Brad and residents are funky and perfect for the vibe. The
dancefloor is filling nicely. They've moved the DJ booth from the
skybox to the raised seating area, which is the perfect vantage
point. The set up is solid as well, great monitors, CD players and
mixer. I feel comfortable and proceed to play with much abandon.
Gloriously bathing in the sound of precariously pumpin music awash
in liquid thunder sound. Alllllllright. Enough with the poetry. I do
play a pretty impressive set and have the time of my life. Unlike
other nights in SD, people here tonight are here for the music, all
smiling, mingling, dancing, and generally partying their little
toned asses off. I close my set at around 4am and head to a little
swaree at a place simply known as "Nathalie's castle" with Mira,
Carol, Mike, and a host of other new friends. Nathalie is originally
from Brazil, so she's no stranger to taking things to the next
level. She proceeds to pull a gallon jug of Jack Daniels out of the
freezer and pour shots. The night gets hazy from there. I'm pretty
sure I had the time of my life, however, and met some amazing new
people. Can't wait to get back! Dirty!
March 04, 2005
Club Ibiza, San Antonio, TX
Okay, so I've
officially turned into some sort of West Coast girly man wuss hippie
type. I've decided to do this clense where for 10 days you eat
nothing and all you can drink is a concoction made with water, fresh
squeezed lemons, cayenne pepper, molasses, and maple syrup. No
alcohol either!!! I'm dying of hunger as I arrive in SA, only being
on the diet 2 1/2 days. I'm dreaming of flour tortillas and
enchiladas while sipping a margarita on the river walk. Oh the
humanity! Anyway, back to the show. After two solid shows playing in
SA with Oakey, it's good to be back as the headliner. This was my
first time at Club Ibiza so I didn't know what to expect. C.I. is a
small club, about 300 capacity which makes it the perfect size.
Winston and crew took really good care of me. The venue is the
perfect size, just about 300 capacity with a smokin' sound system.
The DJ booth ranks up there as one of the most difficult booths to
function in- everthing in the wrong place and incredibly cramped,
plus it's way up in the sky so the crowd interaction thing is at a
minimum. Dr Mike, Laura, Terra, Jaquilin, arrive and are escorted to
a vip table right near the dancefloor where all the latin hotties in
VIP are shooting them dirty looks as their boyfriends gawk. Lets
face it, the girls are lookin' maybe a bit too hot tonight. The
thing is, the Latin chickas are good lookin' girls so why they gotta
front? I begin my set to a bit of an off vibe. The resident DJ is
playing a solid opening set and I'm digging it. The dance floor is
thin and people are acting skittish to dance. It's probably because
my stomach is growling so bad it's drowning out the music. But I bob
my head, put a smile on my face and crank the tunes. The vibe
finally turns around and I have a good time and the floor fills.
Club Ibiza wins the award for the most f__ked up people I've seen in
a while, and that's no small order. Of course, it could be my state
of soberness. Probably so. All in all a great night.
March 05, 2005
Club Fusion, Indianapolis, IN
DJ Geoff Gulley makes
the trek from Cincinatti. Of course I'm still on my clense so I'm
absolutely salivating watching Geoff polish off ice-cold Samuel
Adams in the hotel bar while we catch up. We turn up at the venue
which is a cool space. Kind of a warehouse feel while still being
nice and vibey. The place is only about half full and the music in
the main room is -how can I say this- jump up party ass irritable to
the umpteenth degree? Yeah, that's it. It would be understandable of
the crowd were dancing and into it, but EVERYONE except 2 or 3
people are just standing around while this 140 bpm
not-quite-fast-enough-to-be happy-hardcore-but-still-sounds-the same
music is blasting. I've never had so many people in my life come up
and beg me to come on early. Two girlfriends walk up asking me the
same question, and when they find out I'm recently divorced begin
hinting (in not very hinting terms) that they love three-somes with
each other. Sorry ladies, I'm on the clense, not really feeling it
tonight -the hunger at a high pitched scream in my stomach now- I
could just see it, two chicks going at it and I have to excuse
myself to make yet another lemon drink and sip on some herbal tea to
quell the pains. I'm such a pussy. Plus- the chicks are cute enough
but are lookin' a bit sweaty and not in a good way. I start my set
to big cheers, cool. The only problem is that half the floor are
chicks dancing and the other half are a bunch of guys who are
standing there in place cheering. Odd. The guys are enthusiastic
enough, cheering at anything I'm doing. But they're just STANDING
there, screaming, not dancing. Like some kind of metal show or
something. Like I said, odd. Combine this with the fact that the
3-some duo have now made their way to the front of the stage and to
really emphasize their point, have begun macking out- rather
sweatily mind you- with each other. This continues the rest of the
set with this look they keep giving me like- see? We told you! We
really like three-somes!!! See! We'll do it again! Did you see
that!? And how about this?! Once more??? All in all I have a good
time though. I finish my set and head back to the hotel to be
hungry. A special thanks to the three-some duo for giving it the ol'
college try. And to the cutie in the front row with the long black
curly hair (named Jenni? Dammit!) oh, how I wish for a swift return
to Indi in a not hungry mode!
March 11, 2005
Rise, Boston, MA
Oh another night in Boston baby! Rise is a
small club, holds maybe 300 and is a members-only after hours joint.
Plus I'm playing with the Groovefire crew who always play great sets
and show me a great time. We're maybe planning to check out Avalon
where Dave Ralph (booking rep for Boston Avalon) is most certainly
laying down a good set, but then I remember his comment to my agent,
"Oh, we might book D:Fuse some time, like, if we open the side room
or something. But he's just not big enough to play in the main
room." What?! Hello!?! Last time I played Avalon 2 years ago as the
headliner it was a sellout. Am I missing something here?! Hey Dave,
why don't you look at your ranking as compared to mine on the BPM
top 100 and we'll do lunch. Besides, rise is at capacity tonight,
and from what I hear, that's considerably more than you bring in
Boston. Bitch! Okay, I'm being mean. I luv ya Dave. Just venting a
little. Back to the story- We do some drinks beforehand then get to
the club. Groovefire plays an excellent set, I take the decks, throw
it into high gear and have a blast. Rise has one of the best sound
systems and lighting people in the nation. The crowd always comes
out for the music, and tonight is no different. I shut the place
down with an encore at 6:30am, go out for drinks afterward with
Phil, Todd, Carla and crew, and later paint captain morgan's
moustaches with a magic marker on Phil and Todd's faces before I
make a hasty exit to my hotel. That'll teach ya to pass out! The
D:Fuse was here bitches!!! He came to Boston ta do two things, to
kick ass and chew bubblegum, and he's fresh outa gum!!! I'm out.
March 12, 2005
Spundae @ Circus, Los Angeles, CA
Alllllllright. My
favorite SF friends Scott, Deb, and Hugo are flying in for this one.
Add in the fact that Mike Hiratzka, Mirabella, Jeffrey Dean,
Christina,Eve, and Jason from Deepsky and, Stacy are coming. Plus
Bern, Natalie, and Michael from San Diego are coming out and you've
got the recipe for a night just waiting to explode like an M-80 on
the fourth. We do some pre drinking and get to the club. DJ Vibe is
slated for the 11-2am slot, and though he's playing some workable
tribal prog, after 3 hours of the same the dance floor looks like
they just might not hang in there. No offense, I know the headz are
digging Vibe, but this is LA and these people like it varied with a
bit of energy thrown in there. I take the decks and launch into some
progressve funk with touch of techno and trance, and though
admittedly, I don't bring the crowd back around 100%, I do my
damnedest and have a good time. I do an encore at 4am and then it's
off to the races. First stop is Mirabella's room at the Hollywood
Orchid Suites. The Orchid is a small little hotel right at Hollywood
and Highland. It's truly old school, some of my fuzziest memories
are at the Orchid, so when someone tells ya the after party is
there, ya know it's gettin' dirty. Mira's brought loads of beer and
a jambox, and we all love her for that. After a few hours we venture
to my hotel, the Wyndom West Hollywood, where Spundae has splurged
on a nice big suite complete with balcony. Just as I know it, Hugo
being the Mexican he is, steals my watch. Natalie once again has
brought a bottle of Jack Daniels, and even though I have a stash of
it on my own, we clean out all the whiskey in the place and move on
to the mini bar. Never a good thing. 2 pairs of sunglasses get
hurled over the balcony. Mike Hiratka's in rare for tonight, the
lil' half breed. In a sunrise stupor we convice the ladies of SD Nat
and Bern to skip going back and we convince Scott Card to call in
sick the next day. Checkout is not pretty at the hotel as there is a
wedding reception going on in the hotel. Champagne anyone? "Oh yes-
friends of the bride of course. But all she wanted was sex from me
so I had to break it " We proceed to go to Barny's Beanery, a staple
LA pub food joint and proceed to scarf down wheelbarrow portions of
pizza burgers, cheesesticks and cheesefries while swilling beer.
Somehow it's now nighttime on Sunday and Jeffrey picks our stumbling
asses up for a loft party at his place where a teetering Hiratzka
plays some of his newest gems. Excellent. Scott Card and I proceed
to get into a high-stakes wrestling match in the middle of the
living room. Hiratzka and I begin a remix project the next day,
thank God he's the bigger man and took control of the studio session
while I lay licking my wounds on the couch. Big shouts out to the
Ladies of SD Nat and Bern, ya bring it positive and your endurance
is staggering. To Scott Card- next time your mine on the wrestling
mat. And to Hiratzka- nice work on the remix, bitch! (We completed a
new remix of "Music is About You" that you guys are gonna freak
over!)
March 18, 2005
Speaking Rock, El Paso, TX
A big hats off to Jose
and the Glow dreams crew for bringing me in. They took good care of
me, had a good venue with a good sound system and DJ set up. But
just cuz ya build it doesn't necessarily mean they're gonna come,
and tonight was no exception. A venue that could easily hold 2,000
had about 100 people in attendance. It turns out just across the
border in party town Juarez, Junkie XL, Infusion, and Jimmy Van M.
Were playing. Ain't no way yer gonna go head to head with that kind
of fire power and come out alive. Hell, if I could have figured out
a way to clone myself I would have been at that show myself. Ouch.
DJs Vampyro from El Paso and Gabriel from Los Angeles were good to
meet as well.
March 19, 2005
Kabal, Kansas City, KS
Now, ya know everytime
I pull into the ol' KC shits gonna get broke, and tonight was no
exception. Kabal has officially become one of my absolute favorite
places to play. Any of you out there who want to catch a flight to a
night to remember, I suggest coming here. Siamack, Bill, and Oliver
will certainly show you a good time. The restaurant at Kabal is
excellent, the sound is solid, the decor top notch. The place only
holds about 350 people which makes it the perfect size, and KC is
full of just plain ol' good people. A full crowd turned up and
brought their dancing shoes. Resident Paul De Matteo played a funky
set that warmed the room up nicely. (Paul let me in on a little
secret, he's in the process of developing a turntable with a
"whammy" bar attached, but don't tell anyone I told ya) My spunky
party partner in crime Lisa is in Philly tonight and I'm feeling
like something is missing, but I still have a great time. Siamack
sells 20 CDs and some vinyl behind the bar. Quite impressive. End up
hitting up a great after hours party. Upon sun up I venture back to
my hotel (had a smokin' room at the Westin with a killer view) and
get some sleep. Can't wait to get back.
March 21, 2005
WMC Nikki Beach Club, Miami, FL
This show was added
just a bit last minute at the WMC, but Nikki Beach is always a good
time so I was looking forward to the show. We arrive on our flight a
little after 9pm so there's very little time to get our stuff
settled in before embarking to the gig. When we arrive it seems a
little dead. The have hip hop downstairs so they've moved the house
DJs to the upstairs restaurant bar. The place is really nice. Good
sound system, all-white decor tables and beds. The only problem is
that the place is a bit dead. I have a few drinks and take to the
decks. The DJ booth is set up on a stage behind the bar which makes
the interaction with the DJ distant. The place fills up a little bit
but it's not a dancing vibe. Most people are industry types just
mingling on the first night of the arrival. All in all an easy show
though for the first night.
March 22, 2005
WMC Wilderness Research @ Harrisons, Miami,
FL
I was a little
worried about this one. The Wilderness Research Crew are good guys
but new to the Conference. Add in the fact that the lineup is
looking thin. There are some good DJs including Dennis Zelakowski
www.digitalgoodtime.com and on the the bill, but the only
international type is yours truly. I've warned Dennis that this
could make for a tough turnout but he seems to be confident. Before
the show we head to an impromptu show at a place called Automatic
Slim's to see Danny Howells and Lee Burridge do a special 80s set.
The place is packed. It's a small divey place and everybody's
mingling. I've got to be honest. I was expecting some underground,
obscure type 80s stuff but what's being played is more of the
obvious "tainted love" stuff. Oh well, it's still fun and I get to
catch up with Danny and Lee for a while. We head out for my gig and
show up at the room with a solid crew of 20. If you add in all of
the people who are there in the club that would take the total count
to around 40 people. Not good. Todd and Phil from Groovefire get on
the phone and within 30 minutes 80 more people show up. It's a small
place so that makes it just enough for a good vibe. I get on for my
set and soon the place is hopping. People are on chairs, tables,
ordering lots of drinks and having a great time. Toddy B, Steve
Porter and Eli Wilkie stay on the dance floor all night. After my
set DJ Kares www.digitalgoodtime.com takes the decks and plays the
sickest breaks set I've heard in a long time. Funky, slick, with
just a touch of trance thrown in. I join the floor and dance the
rest of the night. Despite the attendance, Dennis and the Wilderness
crew saw a good party. Afterwards Dr. Mike, Laura, Christine and I
venture to the beach to watch the sunrise, complete with my record
crate and battery operated turntable. Nice.
March 23, 2005
Club Awards Big Shot Party, Miami, FL
The ladies are looking
hot, and I mean HOT tonight as we venture to the Delano hotel to
catch the Ice party bus to the awards show downtown at a club called
Pure. I'm feeling quite dapper myself, as Christine and I did a
little shopping jaunt on Washington Ave the day before. It was
probably the best shopping experience I've ever had. If your in
South Beach Miami ya gotta go to South Beach Couture. They were
friendly, down-t-earth, and I didn't pay an arm and a leg. Plus
-check this out- they've got a full bar and couches in the back!!!!!
Woooooo Hooooooo! Something about trying on clothes while sipping a
Pinot Grigio just feels right. Anyway, back to the night. We all
venture into the Ice Party Bus and are joined by Christopher
Lawrence and Sarah who bring in a some vodka and proceed to pour
shots. DJ Irene joins us and proceeds to give me one hell of a
buckin' bronco ride. The girl's crazy, crazy I say! Jason from
Deepsky and Eve Falcon are with us as well, so it's great catching
up with everyone on the way. We get to the awards show which is set
up nicely, Sandra Collins and I present the best sound system award,
I catch up with some peeps backstage, then it's back to the hotel to
get ready for the show.
Now, the Big Shot
party was a total flop last year and I've been promised this year is
going to be different. Unfortunately things aren't good as the venue
it was supposed to be in decided to go all hip hop (like so many
venues this year at the last minute) so they move the party to the
pool hall next door. The sound system and DJ booth are good, and
about 40 or so good friends show up. It's like a solid house party,
except at a pool hall. Believe it or not it's fun. But for Big Shot,
not a strong showing again this year. We later head for sunrise at
the Marlin hotel, they've got DJs playing all night and day in the
lobby. Unfortunately this day the music is terrible. Deep, boring,
evil, satan prog is playing and depressing everyone. No-one is
dancing, but fortunately a good crowd is mingling and chilling on
the outdoor deck. We chill out with some drinks then head over to a
cafe down the street where the music is perfect. Eli Wilkie is on
the decks and throwing down some serious analogue funky house.
Everyone is smiling and dancing. I decide to by a round of shots for
Steve Porter, Chris Fortier, Barrett, and crew. The jagers are laid
out and the bartender tells me they don't take credit cards. Can you
say embarrassed? I'm tapped outa cash! Luckily Barrett from DC
throws down some green and saves the day. Many thanks! Kevin from
Infusion is there and I decide to do the ol' 20 bucks routine. I've
never met him in my life, but I walk up to him and ask, "Hey, you
got my 20 bucks?" he looks at me with that "deer in the headlights"
look. I continue, "Kevin, right? Yeah, I hope you brought the 20
bucks you owe me, it's been long enough." I can't hold out any
longer and introduce myself. Luckily he's a nice guy and played
along with it. The rest of the WMC we traded off who owed who what
twenty. Okay, I'll admit it, it looks like a lame joke when you're
reading it here. But trust me, when you're drunk and on very few
hours of sleep it's a crack up. Trust me. Christine and I stumble
back to the hotel to make it to bed by 11am. Oh South Beach I luv
ya!
March 25, 2005
WMC Tsunami Benefit @ Macarenas &
InGrooves/Playboy @ Mynt Lounge, Miami, FL
I’m feeling pretty
pimp today because jewelry designer and producer Alex Vasquez has
finally sent me one of his custom dog tags. I just received it at
the hotel so I’m feeling aAfter some much needed rest I head over to
Mynt Lounge to do a sound check. I’m really excited about this show.
I’ve heard Mynt is a really nice club, plus I’m doing a live show in
the basement with Jes, Sen-Sei, and percussionist Drumfire, and
Michael Anthony (who together form “Late Night Sneaky”). Things are
a bit disappointing upon arrival. The basement is really small, so
small in fact that I have no idea where Jes is going to sing, and
setting up both drums and keyboards is impossible. The talk around
the place is that tonight is going to be sold out, and that the guys
at the door can be really tough. I recheck my guestlist, and begin
calling everyone to show up early. I race to the hotel to grab the
crew and get back up there, all the way my cell phone is blowing up
with people talking about a mob scene outside and no-one getting in.
When I arrive at 10:45pm I see why. Everyone is crowded around the
velvet ropes blagging like hell to get in, there must be 300 people
fighting for space. I’m finally able to grab everyone I know waiting
outside and usher them in. The only problem is that from the time
it’s taken to get from the ropes to the front door (a space of 8
feet) the owner has taken the guest list (half checked in) and
thrown it out. The guy at the door tells me that I can go in, but my
crew (all of them!) have to pay the $40 cover. Period. I’m furious,
I’ve never in my life heard of anything like this. They end up
holding all of us at the door like a bunch of cattle while I try to
talk to people in charge to work something out. No luck. I’m just
about to simply walk out of the place and forfeit playing when
everyone walks in. Did they get in free? No. Dr. Mike has paid
everyone’s cover. (Nice guy, but come on! Give these arrogant freaks
your hard earned cash!? Not sure about that.) We decide to make the
best of it, procure a few drink tix & gather round the bar.
Steve Porter is playing an inspired and well placed set of smooth
yet funky house. The big supriser is Bad Boy Bill who goes on and
doesn’t bang it out but carries on Steve’s vibe with just a bit more
energy. Excellent. I say my goodbyes and make my way out of the club
to jet over to the Tsunami Benefit to throw down my 1am-2am set. I
don’t dare take anyone with me for fear of them not getting back in.
I arrive at the Tsunami event to a pretty full house, Second Sun is
on doing a live PA and are rocking it. Their music is a bit on the
commercial dance side of things, but the guys are bobbing their
heads and putting on a hell of a show. Very impressive and the crowd
is going crazy. For a finale they bring the singer Tiffany (yes- the
“I Think We’re Alone Now” Tiffany) and her and the lead singer sing
this dancey duet thing. Yes- a bit cheesey but they’ve got loads of
energy, they sound great together and they totally pull it off. The
place goes mad. Now how am I gonna follow that up? The booth is
tucked at the corner of the stage- you can barely see it- and some
dude just spinning some records (I left my drum at Mynt) doesn’t
seem to take it to the next level. But, I play my funkiest tracks
and do my best. The DC crew Bo, Spushor, Robin, John, and Barbara
are there stirring it up. The floor gets going pretty good and I
duck out as a hip hop act takes the stage next. What I didn’t know
was that I would be getting my cardio in on the way back to Mynt. In
a hurry to get over there, I tell my good SF friends Deb and Hugo to
take my records and hail a cab. What Hugo must have heard was “Take
my records to the club for me” cuz when I get outside they are
nowhere to be found, no cab waiting for me anywhere. With only 15
minutes until I’m due to play at Mynt, there’s no time to get a
taxi, it’s 2:15am in South Beach anyway, the chances of getting a
cab are slim. Luckily I’m a bit of a runner, because I huff it 15
blocks to make it to Mynt just as Deb and Hugo arrive in the cab. A
bit sweaty and out of breath but ready to play, I head in. Security
is much nicer this time and usher us through the basement straight
into the downstairs room I’m scheduled to play in. The door guy
swings open the door and the scene before us is completely
unexpected. A packed basement of sweaty model-and-bottle service
types are going crazy….to what you ask? ACDC’s “Highway to Hell”.
I’m looking over at the DJ booth and it’s definitely not Michael
Anthony as displayed by the DJ’s dexterous mix straight into Snoop
Doggy Dog. Something’s just a bit amiss in the house room tonight! I
finally track one of the promoters down and he tells me the lowdown.
Apparently the basement manager decided he wasn’t in the mood for
house and pulled the lineup from the basement and put in the
resident hip hop guy. Not only that -P-Diddy, the king of
“how-much-money-ya-got” clubbing decided to walk in with Felix the
Housecat (who was originally going to play Mynt on this night but
flat-out turned it down to play new club Nocturnal –only Nockturnal
didn’t open in time for the WMC). Anyway- P-Diddy announces that he
wants Felix to play and boots Chris Fortier and the rest of the
lineup off the decks. Proper clubbing? Maybe if ya just don’t
understand what the f*ck clubbing is supposed to be about. Mynt?
Yeah, right.
March 26, 2005
WMC TKK Remixed/Red Ant @ Empire (early set),
Miami, FL
We show
up early to an absolute empty house. The opening DJ is playing some
classics by Orbital and the like so I forfeit playing just to have a
few drinks and soak up the vibe. Hiratzka and I were gonna do a tag
team set and with him not being there it’s just not as exciting for
me. But we have a good time chilling on the couch and talking to
Ebon about Sheep on Drugs. Ebon are the only people I’ve ever heard
mention this group! Sheep on Drugs are old school early 90’s techno
with an arrogant attitude and ya just gotta hear ‘em to understand
what I’m saying. As I’m leaving the club the door girl (who I didn’t
know was the owner) starts telling me I’ve got a lot of nerve to
leave the club without playing. (Believe me, I never stand up a gig
but when I say no-one was there I mean NO ONE was there!) I tell her
I’ve got another gig at Tantra in a few minutes which incites her
even more. ‘’You’re in breach of contract! You ripped the promoter
off, you need to pay him back!” I casually mention that he’s a
friend of mine and it would be a bit difficult to refund it since I
did the show for free. This sends her even further into anger, and
we begin a spirited yelling match as I walk down the street. You
meet some miserable people. But this chick just might have taken the
cake.
March 26, 2005
WMC Begin at the End, Miami, FL
Now, finally, the
perfect WMC show. Groovefire always do a great job promoting this
party. Tantra has the feel of a house party. Very small and cozy.
The place is packed and going crazy as the Groovefire boys are
funking it up on the decks. Jes arrives and after a few minutes
panicking on where we will find her a mic to sing on (a big thanks
to Marteen for bringing one last minute). We start our live PA. It
takes us a bit to warm up on “Everything With You” but as we move
into “Living the Dream” I fall into a groove on the drum and Jes is
wailing sweetly. After the PA I keep it really housey funky and a
live percussionist who is a resident of Tantra joins me. The guy is
good! We trade off drum licks the rest of the night while people are
dancing on chairs and tables. Old friend Andreamico hogs the podium
all night and Dr. Mike, Christine, and Laura all commandeer chairs
next to it. Nothing but smiling (if not a little f’cked up) faces
and everyone is shaking it like mad. Kim, Roxanne, and Vicki are on
a ledge dancing with and humping an inflatable sheep literally ALL
NIGHT - I’m talking like 4 hours here. After my set Kai from NYC
takes the decks (1/2 of the Chris & Kai duo) and absolutely
rocks it. Funky and slick. One of my favorite sets of the WMC. Once
again, Groovefire put together a party like no-one can. My hats off
to them!
April 08, 2005
WMC Fused @
Sky, Austin, TX
I’ve been excited about this one for a while.
Jes is flying in for her first time in Austin. I pick her up, show
her about the town for a bit. Austin rocks, I’ve got to show her the
sites! We start out with a last lunch at Iguana grill overlooking
miles of beautiful lake Travis. Killer Tex Mex! We later hit Sarah's
Dry Creek Saloon, a rickety dive situated in the middle of
million-dollar mansions in the Northwest Hills. The weather is
perfect this time of year and Sarah's is packed. We later head to
the club and do a 2 hour sound check to get everything perfect. I’ve
brought the handsonic as well as a live kit and the set is sounding
good! We get done just in time to check out Dr. Mike’s Bday shindig
at The Yellow Rose. Now what’s a visit to Texas if ya don’t show
someone one of those famous Texas Strip Joints?- and the Rose is one
of the best. We get there just in time to see Dr. Mike getting
spanked in the cage. Graphic. Laura has gone all out for the Bday
and we close things down at the Rose and head to the club in a
Hummer Limo. Fancy! We arrive at Sky to a full club- not packed, but
full, and Jes and I start the live show. We open up with “Into Me”
which we are performing for the first time tonight. We then go into
“Everything With You” and “Living the Dream”- which definitely sets
the place in motion. Jes is on point and her voice is cutting
through the music perfectly. Next, MC Flint joins me onstage for a
new track we’ve done together. It’s a remake of the track I wrote
with Scanners called “Music is About You”. The track has a 1Ú2 time
breakdown featuring MC Flint doing his thing. This is one of the
first times I’ve played it and the first time we’ve performed it
live- it goes over well and Flint is on it tonight as well. I then
take the decks and throw down some funk. The crowd is a little guy
heavy tonight, but the vibe works out pretty well. The sound system
is crackin’ and Justin’ is really good on the lights. I have just
enough time after the show to go home and pack, head to Dr. Mike
& Laura’s for a lil’ late night shenanigans before I leave for
my plane bright and early at 6am for San Francisco.
April 09, 2005
Gingerbread
House, San Francisco, CA
Andrew takes good care of us on this show and
hires a limo at my disposal for 24 hours. Me, Deb, Hugo, Scott,
Katherine, and Andrea tool around the city in style checking out
sites, sipping champagne. Very nice. I’m a little worried about this
show. The show was originally scheduled to be held at the Zebra
lounge but had to move it with less than a week to go. Andrew and
The Deep House Project work hard to get the word out but don’t quite
pull it out. A decent crowd shows up but could use easily 100 more.
The DHP DJ Carlos Gibbs starts out and does a solid job opening up
the room. Bali opens the slot before me and keeps a consistent flow
but plays a bit too dark for me. I take the decks and do my best,
but it’s just a little thin. But, the sound and stage set-up is good
and there are moments of SF glory that creep in now and then from
the floor. We later head to Bali’s place for an after party. Now
I’ve heard amazing things about Bali’s place, namely his basement,
which I heard is swanky to say the least. There’s something about
the bay area and party rooms. The best I’ve ever seen are there.
There is something to be said of someone that loves the music so
much that they spend their hard earned money and time to design a
space just to have people over to absorb music and be comfortable
doing it. Anyone can set some decks up on a living room on a card
table and do the after party thing. Someone that builds a room
specially made for this is taking it to the next level. Hugo and Deb
Cezares’s room is amazing. Big deco chairs and great fabrics and
killer sound, and the thing could hold easily 100 people. Scott
Card’s is much smaller, if you fit 10 in there the place is sold
out, but his custom designed DJ booth, amp rack, lighting, and sound
are enough to bring a tear to your eye, in fact the reason it only
holds 10 people is because there is so much freakin’ sound. Now, I
have to say, Bali holds the award for the nicest party room I’ve
ever seen. Hell, the place is nicer than most clubs in Miami. Great
sound, lots of lounging space, a beautiful bathroom. I’m talking
full-on sick. Hugo decided to take the decks while Scott Card combed
through Bali’s record collection and fed him tracks. I gotta say
this, Bali’s got some really good records. Andrea King was the
savior of the party bringing in mixers and ice when it was
desperately needed. A vodka cranberry just ain’t the same when its
piss warm and Deb makes it strong enough to ignite with a lighter.
The ice did the trick. Had a great time catching up with Andrew and
his girl and everyone else. God I love San Francisco. The only thing
I will say is that it’s a real bummer that someone stole tonight. A
high-end digital camera and a laptop where taken easily worth
$6,500. Who ever did this should be ashamed. How sad are you?!
Anyone who might know details about this should contact Bali. What’s
right is right. Hats off to Bali for having us over to his place, I
know the cleanup could not have been pretty.
April 15, 2005
Cloud 9,
Cleveland, OH
So
I’m just going to say it. I’ve played Cleveland almost 10 times. And
yes, there have been some good moments but a lot of times it’s just
a bit on the off side (aside from my show there with Oakenfold a
year or so ago) Detroit’s own Kenneth Thomas and Cleveland’s Michael
Mellon book me to play a new venue called Cloud 9. Now, I haven’t
heard anything about this venue so I have no idea what to expect.
All I know walking to it I’m taken aback with memories. It sits
right next to the adult video store where John Mazziotti, Alma,
Jenni, and Me went after the showNYE 2003 early one morning looking
for pie topping. I get a bit misty. Anyway, we walk in to do sound
check and I’m floored. This place is absolutely perfect. Owner Joy
walks up to greet us and all I can think is that a lot of club
owners could get tips from this guy. Not only is he nice and into
the music but his club has been designed perfectly. It only holds
about 250 people. The sound system is crisp and thick. There’s lots
of place to dance and lounge, the crowd flow is good, and the DJ
booth is right in the middle of the action, not a story above the
crowd. I know this night is going to be good. Kenneth takes me to a
killer dinner at Sushi Rock, then we head back to the club. We get
in and Saturday resident Anthony Atalla plays the perfect- and I
mean perfect – set of funky housey tunes to start the night and gets
the crowd going in the process. Friday resident Dan’s bday is
tonight and he’s brought his own crew 30 people strong. I take the
decks to a bit of an off vibe at first (not unlike other Cleveland
nights) and settle in to play. Only something happens, slowly but
surely, the crowd really starts to move. Ladies take the podiums to
work it, the drinks are flowing, and the energy gets just plain
rowdy. I play until they turn on the lights and still people refuse
to leave, yelling and screaming for one more. I play at least 3 more
tracks like this with the place having it. I get a bit rebellious
and refuse to stop, it’s only until Joy turns off the amps that I
surrender. We later go across the street to Dan’s loft to kick it
‘till dawn. This is the first time to really get to know some
Clevelanders and I have a great time. A couple of young ladies talk
about doing a 3-some, and I don’t mean golf. Now, that doesn’t mean
I necessarily did the 3-some, or did I? I’ve seriously
underestimated Cleveland, and can’t wait to get back. Hats off to
Michael Mellon and Kenneth Thomas for bringing me out.
April 16, 2005
Bleu,
Detroit, MI
This
one is another promoted event on the Michael Mellon and Kenneth
Thomas www.djkennethomas.com tour. Man, every time I play Detroit
I’m taken aback with the downtown. I don’t want to knock it, it’s
certainly got character. Character in that it’s not unlike a war
zone. I’ve never seen so many vacant, boarded up and deserted
buildings in my life. Detroit used to be one of the most affluent
cities in America. You wanna see the biggest example of what happens
when jobs get shipped wholesale overseas? Go to Detroit and you will
be amazed. For a little background on this, go rent “Roger and Me”
by Michael Moore. Easily one of the best documentaries made, whether
you’re conservative, liberal, or otherwise. Now I will say this,
they’ve got the Superbowl this year, and they’re working on big
public works projects downtown. When trying to get a bit to eat
downtown we went to three beautiful restaurants and couldn’t even
get a table because they were so busy, so things are improving. And
club Bleu is really nice, a full renovation of an old theater. Great
sound and Kenneth has done a good job of repositioning the booth.
Not quite enough I will say, because it’s still a story and a half
above the floor. The club draws on average 350 people a night, yet
it has a capacity of almost 800. So why doesn’t the club close down
some of the sections to make it more vibey and smaller? If they
moved the booth downstairs and closed off most of the 2nd floor
they’d have the perfect size of club, hopefully they’ll look into
this. I don’t care how nice of a club you’ve got. If it’s half full,
the only thing people are going to walk away talking about is how
slow it is and that ain’t good. Kenneth Thomas takes the decks and
plays an excellent opening set, the place gets about 1Ú2 full and
the dancefloor fills up a bit. I later get on and have a pretty good
time playing tonight. Though the turnout is a little thin the vibe
is pretty good. Club dancer Christine is whipping up a frenzy on the
dance podium. Her energy is infectious and keeps me going all night.
I even squeeze an encore in. I later blow any progress I’ve made in
staying fit by gorging myself on fish, chips, and rootbeer. I’m
gonna have to put in some extra miles this week…
April 22, 2005
TKK Remix
Party @ Hard Rock Casino, Tampa, FL
Pete Bones worked on putting this show together
which I thought was going to be a show with TKK but as it turns out
isn’t. That’s quite okay because the place is NICE. It’s basically a
Hard Rock hotel and casino just like in Vegas, only it’s on an
Indian reservation. Yeah right. Indian reservation my ass. Now
looking besides the point this hotel/casino is really nice, this
whole “Indian reservation” thing is the biggest crock of sh*t I’ve
ever seen. Basically they’ll take any exit ramp off a busy freeway
these days, lobby the government with loads of cash, declare it an
Indian reservation, and build a big casino. Here’s what’s such a
joke, the investors are mainly from China or somewhere else besides
the U.S. so who is this really benefiting? What we did to the Native
Americans is wrong but is this really a solution? As far as I know
most “casino” ventures don’t actually yield the people from the
reservation any real money. There’s gotta be a better way!!! I will
tell ya this, what is actually making this reservation money is
their cigarette racket. They have this little drive-in store on the
casino property that my window had a view of, and I’m telling ya,
this place was lined with cars all day. I’m talking no less than 20
cars at any given time were lined up to buy smokes at this place!
It’s outlawed in clubs and restaurants everywhere, but I’m tellin’
ya. Good old fashioned cigarette smoking is alive and well in Tampa!
Anyway- back to the story. I check in, have a nice workout, get some
tasty room service, I even sit back on the balcony and listen to
some good blues-jazz piping up from the swimming pool house band-
very nice. I venture down to the club. It’s basically the casino’s
main restaurant- very big, high ceilings, beautiful. The sound is
good, the lighting top notch as well. I get a few drinks and check
out Pete Bones’ set which is pumping and funky, The turnout isn’t
like gangbusters tonight but it’s good and the dancefloor begins to
fill. I take the decks and do my thing to a pretty good time.
Everyone is super nice, this event is really well run, and I hope to
get back soon. I’ve said it before, Florida is just a weird state.
Period. So it’s good to see something good happening in
it.
April 23, 2005
Republik
Nightclub, Toronto, Ontario
Now if ya don’t know already, Toronto is simply
one of the best cities in this entire planet, so I’m always looking
forward to a return. But I swear to God, lately, every time I play
my flight is delayed and I barely have time to get to the show once
I land. Well, tonight is no damn different, my flight gets delayed 2
hours in Chicago and I’ve got just enough time to change into some
fresh skivvies (at the hotel Intercontinental- very swanky, baby)
before I head to the club. As I walk in the door I’m amazed. The
place is absolutely rammed with people, the sound is like pumpin’
perfection, the music is perfect (groovey slick house), the lighting
is like something customized from another planet. I’m talking a
truly great club. I have a few drinks and take the decks. Everyone
is really nice, I have a good time spinning (even though the DJ
booth is way too high above the dancefloor). Later I get a full tour
of the club and it’s many tucked away rooms- this place is sweet! I
get back to the hotel, get 4 hours of sleep then head to the airport
for that fun-filled experience of going through customs twice in 15
hours. I console myself with potato skins and beer (the only thing a
vegetarian can order at TGIFridays in this airport) until my flight
boards.
April 26, 2005
Studio 54 @
MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV
Now you know a good-timer like me always loves
another work excuse to get back to Vegas, so I boarded the plane
ready for some fun (honey Christine came along for her first time to
Vegas- dangerous!). Promoter Ray takes good care of us and we get
checked into a full-on suite complete with monster tub, change into
some swim gear, and head to the pool. After some sun it’s time for a
killer meal of sushi at Shabuya, which is impeccable (including even
the background music, which was perfectly loungey electronica).
After some catch up time with good friend Jen Stiling we head to the
club to meet up with Scott Stubbs and crew. Las Vegas has always
been a good market for me where you can expect a good turnout, but
every now and then it can still get a little dicey, so I’m hoping
for the best. As we walk in I’m amazed. The place is packed and
going crazy. Sure, the opening DJ is playing commercial stuff, but
this is Vegas. The crowd is always more touristy here so ya just
gotta do it. Slowly but surely he transitions the music a bit more
underground and does an excellent job. The club is set up well, with
a stage right in the center of the dancefloor with high ceilings and
a 2nd floor that overlooks the dancefloor. The sound and lighting
are both excellent. Right before I go on they do an intro type thing
where Cirque de Solei- type acrobats hang from the ceiling and
perform. To all of this they play the song “Sandstorm” which is a
bit tired but somehow works in this setting, I’m impressed and the
place is going crazy. Right at the end of this I take the decks to a
big intro by the announcer. It’s all very well orchestrated and
keeps the energy going. To the right of me is a percussionist
playing congas so the two of us work off each other. I start of with
a banging tribal feel and bring it into Trance from there. The crowd
is definitely the best I’ve seen in Vegas. They continue dancing
like mad until I leave the decks 3 hours later at 4:30am. The next
DJ comes on and does a good job of keeping the energy going. They
throw an after-hours party at another place in The MGM that they’ve
got a VIP table set up for us, but I’m just too damn drunk and
tired. Ray is already calling us from the club asking where we are.
Sorry about that Ray! We’ve opted out for late night dining, which
is never a good idea for me because what do I do? Blow it again with
another meal gorging myself on fish and chips. I must be part
English. I wake up 8 hours later and I swear to God I’m still
stuffed. I saw a DJ from England once with a gut so big it kept
hitting the crossfader. I’m not going to say his name, let’s just
say his name was Bcott Sond. The image still scars me today. It’ll
be another week of extending running sessions. Maybe I’ll just learn
how to throw up on command. My model friends tell me it’s a great
way to shed pounds.
May 13, 2005
D:Fuse vs Jerry Bonham old school Trance set @
Sky, Austin, TX
Now
I’m really looking forward to this. The years 1997-2001 were very
influencial for me. That’s when Trance was an amazing format. Before
the music split in two directions. Sure, there’s great Trance and
Progressive House out there today and I love spinning it. But I
guess I have a gripe with the way the scene is so split. Either you
play Progressive with absolutely no – and I me NO melody, or ya play
hard fluffy-ass circus Trance, very few people ride the line in
between and I personally think that’s a shame. Anyway, Jerry arrives
to stay in my guest room and after a killer meal of some dirty
Tex-Mex at El-Arroyo (Jerry’s gotta get his fix when he’s in town)
we spend the afternoon digging through my records. Jerry’s brought
his own records but we wanna cover all the angles. We’re playing a 3
1Ú2 hour set and want to transition the music from deep house to
trance to epic trance. Digging through the records we come up with
the perfect DJ-duo name. Forget about “Sasha and Digweed”, tonight
we are “The Cowboy and the Homosexual”. We are tearing through
tracks and are amazed at how little the music has changed in 5-7
years. Producers think they rock it today? Listen to some old
Starecase or Bill Hamel written 7 years ago when the gear wasn’t
half as user friendly and they’d be crying to mommy. We get to the
club to a thin night, which is suprising. Kieth from System-7 must
be falling asleep a little bit on the promotion thang. Come on- who
wouldn’t come out to see some old school from The Cowboy and the
Homosexual? We start at around 120 BPM and slowly bring the music
up. The place gets comfortably full and 80% of the people are
dancing. We slowly build it up until they are just twitching with
anticipation. I drop Jark Prongo’s “Shake It” which sets them off.
Jerry continues with some classic BT, then I throw in Bedrock’s
“Heaven Scent”. The peak happens when I throw in Angelli and
Nelson’s “El Nino”. You almost can’t hear the music from Jerry
Bonham’s groans. “This is sooooooooo tired,” he says. I tell him,
sure it got a bit overplayed but it was great when it came out.
“This song was tired the DAY it came out,” he quips. Alright you
little SF bitch. Don’t make me give ya one of those old fashioned
Texas slap downs. I love Jerry to death (after all- he did make THE
best mix CD of all time “Spundae Vol. 1) but he’s been sitting down
in the booth all night barely even snapping his fingers. I know he’s
mellow guy but I’m about to throw my drink on him to shake things
up. Besides, the crowd is going absolutely mental during “El Nino”
(which is Spanish for “The Nino”) and I’m getting chills from the
memories. We play the last record at 2:30am. Austin is a great city
-clubs are allowed to stay open all night if they wanted to- so why
does everyone in this town leave so damn early??? The latest I’ve
ever seen a good vibe happening for a while now is maybe 3am. We
head back to my place where Dr. Mike takes the decks downstairs in
the basement while Mamma Sue, Tera, Rocky, Aimee, Christine and I
hang out. Recently inspired by Bali’s basement, I got my party room
up and running again and the sound is kickn’ tonight. It doesn’t
sound like a lot of people but trust me, the basement is small and
about 8 is all it can handle. I’m digging the girl-to-guy ratio
tonight, if only more clubs were like this! I can hang for just a
while before Jerry and I leave for the airport at 6am for a flight
to SF. I gotta play there tonight and don’t cha know I love
it!
May 14, 2005
Spundae & Opel @ Paradise Lounge, San
Francisco, CA
I
arrive at 9:30am and head straight to the hotel for a much needed
disco nap. LatThe SF crew Scott, Hugo, Deb, Shell, and Michael join
me as we tool around the city, drinking pints and eating. As always,
loads of fun and I can’t help but always feel how lucky I am to have
such great friends in the bay area. But enough of being gushy, I
gotta get to the show! We head back to the hotel, change, and get to
the venue. This is the first time I’ve played at the Paradise
Lounge. It is pretty much the perfect venue layout. It’s got a big
club feel while still keeping the coziness of a modest size room.
The downstairs main room holds about 400 people, with an upstairs
balcony that overlooks the dancefloor. There’s lot’s of cubby-hole
type couch area to sit (and ya don’t even have to be “VIP” to grab
one) and the sound system is crisp. Promoter and opening DJ Syd is a
bit nervous about the turnout tonight for some reason, and as I get
on to play I can see why. It’s a bit slow tonight. Everyone is
thinking that it might be because Beta Breakers (I’m probably not
spelling this right) is tomorrow morning. It’s this huge race where
people dress up in crazy costumes, carry floats, and jog down
through the city to the waterfront while drinking loads of beer.
Tens of Thousands of people participate and watch. But besides this
the turnout is a bit odd, because just about everyone I know has
shown up tonight. Raj shows up to complete the “twin tower” dance
floor theme with partner Scott, even though he’s got to run in the
Beta Breakers tomorrow. Even Katherine the ghetto drink sneaker (she
always brings vodka drinks in a thermos to bars and clubs) is here
but her gig is finally up, she gets caught and promptly kicked out.
Get back to Texas with those white trash ways! Now that’s a shame
but no matter, I get on to a really good vibe, I’ve got lots of
fresh vinyl to play tonight, my mixing is solid, and I just got my
drum overhauled so it’s sounding tight. I play my heart out and the
dancefloor stays full until they signal me to stop at 4:30am. We
then head on over to Bali’s for another round of afterhours
nonsense. Scott Card keeps the vibe going by doing an impromptu
break dancing session in the middle of the dancefloor. Imagine a 6’4
person who has no idea how to break dance spinning hopelessly around
on the floor and you pretty much get the picture. I take the decks
and begin combing through Bali’s tight collection of classics. I
then discover the microphone and begin doing impromtu ‘Pet Tong”
style intros to everyone at the party while Michael Greeves joins
in. It’s all just a bit too much fun until I head for the airport. I
didn’t allow quite enough time to pack and get to my plane so I’m
rushing like crazy. I get to SFO to find it absolutely rammed. I
realize how irresponsible I’ve been as I almost miss getting one
last beer before I board my flight. Oh shame!
May 20, 2005
Halo, Salt Lake City, UT
Austin transplant
Jamille brings me in tonight, stirring things up in the Mormon
capitol of the world. All I keep thinking about is that South Park
episode and all my Mormon friends who swear they’re scarred for life
after enduring the religion through childhood. My flight is
incredibly delayed in Austin for over 4 hours. I catch up on emails
and phone calls and board the flight. I get in just in time to get
to the show for my set. I’m picked up by a group of true SLC
partiers (I’m terribly sorry I don’t remember any names) who are
full of enthusiasm about tonight. It helps that two of them are cute
ladies! (Hubba hubba) Only problem is that between two guys, two
ladies and myself, the car is max capacity. We struggle a while to
get the bags into a mid size sedan. The crew has set it up limo
style, though, and on each others laps we sip champagne. I arrive at
the venue which is a pool hall, but the vibe is workable and the
sound is good as well. They could definitely use with turning off
some lights, it’s way to bright and I think it’s subduing the
dancing vibe. I do a couple of jager shots and then take the decks.
The stage is a bit bouncey, you barely even breath on the decks and
the record skips, so I forgo the signature jumping and fist pumping
and generally just bob my head a bit. These are the times when you
thank God you’ve brought a plentiful CD selection, so I rely mostly
on that. I finish the show, say my goodbyes, and head to the hotel.
Now Sheraton’s are generally good hotels, but I’ve noticed a bit
that Starwood properties (the group that owns The W, Sheraton, and
Westin chain) have gone a bit downhill recently and this hotel
definitely proves it. The front desk guy takes forever making
sarcastic comments while he’s typing on the computer. I finally get
my key and head to the room. Imagine my eerie and freaked-out
surprise when I open the door and see a little girl sleeping on the
fold-out couch. I don’t know if you’ve ever walked into a hotel room
that hasn’t been made up or someone’s in the room, but it’s one of
THE most eerie, uncomfortable, uneasy, experiences you’ll have. It’s
just weird. I’m getting chills just thinking about it. I immediately
shudder and close the door and walk back toward the elevator. Then I
see a guy walking toward me heading in the room’s direction. “Is
your room at the end of the hall?” I ask. “Yeah, did they give you a
key to it?” I’m sure the guy is freaked out knowing some complete
stranger (stage sweaty and all) just walked in on his children. I
get back to the front desk and tell them that I just ruined
someone’s night by walking into their room, and I need another one.
The guy calls his manager out of the back, who is equally clueless,
as they begin swabbling about who’s gonna go up and talk to this
guy, who has just called the front desk irate (understandably). They
literally squabble about it for at least 2 more minutes in front of
me! I finally tell them, “Look. You just had a complete stranger
walk into a guys bedroom. One of you needs to go up there NOW!” (The
jager’s talking a bit still) This sends them further in a squabbling
panic! I swear these guys couldn’t have more than a G.E.D. between
them! Idiots! Somehow I get another key, get to my room, and get a
few hours sleep. The next day starts out much better. I awake and
drink coffee on my balcony with the view of the Mountains in the
distance. SLC is absolutely gorgeous and I look forward to getting
back for some much needed snowboarding in the fall!
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