ON THE ROAD 2007 (THE D:FUSE BLOG)

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June 12, 2007
Chicago, IL

NEW SINGLE RELEASED TODAY!!!!
D:Fuse & Hiratzka “In Suspence” (Club & Dub Mixes)
www.beatport.com/d:fuse

What an amazing night! I flew into Chicago early evening to play at Vision. A very cool venue. One of those old school big-room clubs with a 1,500+ capacity and they're expecting a capacity crowd tonight. I'm pumped! I got off the plane, hopped into the limo (nice) and got to my hotel as fast as I could. They put me up in The James Hotel. If you're in Chicago I highly recommend it. A very nice place and if you plan to club at Vision while you're in Chicago, it's only 2 blocks from the venue. Perfect for stumbling back to at the end of a good night of dancing.

I throw on my running shoes as fast as I can. The sun is setting and I want to catch the city as it's getting dark. Those of you who have read my diaries for a while know that I'm an avid runner. Tonight was one of those moments that reminded me of why I love it so much. I can't recommend it enough. It's one of the few sports that requires so little. All you need is a pair of shorts and some running shoes. Oh yeah- and an iPod full of wicked beats. In every city I go to, it's the first thing I do. You get a workout in and you completely feel the vibe of the city. There's always something amazing (or at least pretty cool) everywhere I go. Whether that be jogging in a gorgeous city like Geneva, Switzerland or a run-down warehouse district outside of Denver. It's also a very pure sport. It's only you against yourself, and in many ways I think that makes it one of the toughest and most exhilarating. If you ever consider picking it up, or even if you're a runner now, I highly recommend the Pose method of running www.posetech.com. My good friend Dr. Mike (If you're in Austin he teaches there) http://www.posetech.com/services/mikemaggio.html taught me the technique almost 5 years ago. It's one of the best gifts anyone has ever given me. At the time I had knee pain so bad from years of running that I frequently had to take Vicodin on long flights just to be able to make it through them. Running 3 _ miles caused my knees to hurt for hours after. Once I learned the Pose method (it's basically relearning how to run in a totally different way) I now average 7 to 10 mile runs at a faster pace and with almost no knee pain. Three years ago (I'm in my 30's) I ran a half marathon and averaged 7 minute 56 second miles. If you want to run the rest of your life, I strongly recommend it.

Back to Chicago- I darted out of my hotel and headed straight to the waterfront. As I started jogging along the lake I was amazed. The sky was that sort of electric deep blue just before the stars show themselves. It reflected in the water and made the lakefront the thickest color of blue I've ever seen. Beautiful. In the distance I spotted the giant ferris wheel from the navy pier and headed straight over. The lights of the wheel against the blue sky looked like something out of a movie. Children were everywhere, and though it's a challenge to handle them at the airport, I love seeing them in environments like this. They were laughing and having the times of their lives. There's something about seeing a child with his parents, holding a half-eaten cotton-candy and staring with amazement at a fair ride he's about to undertake that just brings you back. Very cute.

I then ran along one of the water inlets. People were walking their dogs. A wedding reception was being held through glass doors of a beautiful ballroom. People were heading into bars and having dinner at sidewalk café's. There is something cool about a city that goes through tough winters, because when the weather turns nice, they are out in full force. This was Saturday night and you could just feel the energy in the air! I jogged across the drawbridge on the Magnificent Mile and stopped for a second to see a cruise ship to pass under me. The DJ was playing Daft Punk “One More Time” on the outdoor deck and a floor filled with people of all ages danced like crazy. It felt so good to be in that moment in Chicago.

The show at Vision was amazing by the way. It was hands down the best vibe I've seen in Chicago in at least 3 years. Opening DJ Darrin Epsilon set up the room perfectly. The place was packed and floor did not leave until they absolutely had to. I played my last encore at 4:30 AM. The lights were full up and the crowd still danced like crazy. Hats off to Heather and the entire Vision crew. I can't wait to get back!

T4L=Thanks for Listening

-D:FUSE

www.djdfuse.com

May 4/5, 2007
Salt Lake City, Cancun & Vacationing Alone

Sometimes the perks in this business are screamingly good. This last weekend was an example of that. It started off with a solid show in Salt Lake City. Elevate at The Hotel turned out to be a quality club. Rod Corillo from Energy FM promoted the night and did a great job. (Plus his new track “Arizona Bump” is tha tits!!!) And it is obvious that Joe the owner is working to bring a quality night of underground music to SLC. The club has a great sound system, the staff is friendly and efficient, and the layout is good. I was a bit worried at first; the place is big and holds about 1,500 people comfortably. I arrived at 11:15 and the place had literally 75 people. Then- all of a sudden at 12:30 the place was stormed and pretty much capacity. Here's the kicker- they pull the drinks at 1am! So everyone that showed had a cozy 30 minutes to drink. Crazy. Either way the night turned out good, especially the eye candy (meaning dancer Amy). I've never seen a club dancer shake it so sexy without a break. I mean- she shook it for literally 3 hours straight! Look- I'm not a perv or anything, but seriously -and this is worth mentioning- Amy had a way of shaking her ass that was quite mesmerizing. Definitely “white” but with some soul mixed up in there. Simply put- the girl could shake it AND had a good attitude and I'm not afraid to say so. Also a big shout out to Julliann “Quarters” Holmes who shook it all night even though she had a bike race at 10am the next day. (and still came in 3rd!!!)

Then it was off to Cancun. I was a mix of feelings for this show. First- I was excited. I love Mexico. To be honest- I love Mexico and South America dearly. I've traveled through Switzerland, Spain, Scotland, & England quite a bit, the pints of beer and the people are great- but quite frankly, the food is often poor, the service is sub-par, and the hotels (even the nice ones) leave a bit to be desired. I'm not saying the lodging in Mexico & South America is better- but there is something inherently more genuine about it, and the food absolutely rocks. So I was excited about returning to Mexico but not exactly excited about returning to Cancun. Cancun is tourist trap central. There are more American chain restaurants than Mexican ones, which is sad. This time around, however, I was pleasantly surprised. I decided to stay an extra day at the all-inclusive resort Barcelo' www.barcelo.com My entire stay was only 2 and a half days but it felt like a vacation longer than a week. The club gig was a bit disappointing (the club was amazing- it was suspended above the ocean with a floating dancefloor that had water jets that shot up from the floor- but it was poorly attended) Spundae did a good job promoting but the Cancun “scene” is a tough animal. But I have no doubt Pat and the entire Spundae Cancun team will get the party going.

Either way- I had an amazing experience. I vacationed alone. When I first got to the resort I was a bit like a fish out of water. I had this amazing room on the top floor with a view of the gorgeous pool and the ocean beyond. The balcony had a hammock (now that- ROCKS!!! I truly believe that if everyone on this planet had access to a hammock there would be no World Wars) But I had no-one to share all of this luxury with. I'm there at the beach bar and restaurant surrounded by people with significant others or groups of friends & I'm there alone. I'll be honest, at first I spent my time eyeing the ladies. There were two blondes from Canada that I was particularly fond of, but from the looks of their Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses and matching purses (and lack of drinks in their hands) I surmised that they were probably a bit bitchy and high maintenance. Call it a hunch. It was at that point I decided to stop looking. It was quite liberating. Not worrying about who you are going to spend your time with or talk to is instantly freeing. I suddenly relaxed. I spent my time reading a book which I highly recommend- Black Vinyl White Powder by Simon Napier-Bell. I want to thank Steve Coe from Involved for giving it to me at this year's WMC. It's a dirty account of the music business- the sex, drugs, and seedy goings-on of the pop music scene through the 50's to present and it is truly a page turner. I spent my time reading and listening to Reggae, Salsa, and Cuban Jazz. That's right. I swore off house music for the duration. Something just feels right when you're on the beach in a gentle alcohol induced haze listening to Reggae and Latin music. I don't understand a word of Spanish (sadly enough) but there's something about words you don't understand. The Spanish language makes this brilliantly narcotic rhythm in the sun; that and the fact that Latin and Reggae percussion remain my favorite. It's no wonder that people of the Caribbean love to dance so much. Their syncopations are a direct mainline of sun, surf and soul, and I'm hugely influenced by them every time I play. I also changed my drink of choice. When I'm surrounded by crystal blue waters my drink of choice has always been Appleton's Rum. But I've been reborn. The new drink is Victoria beer with a Tequila chaser (not necessarily in that order). Lying in the sun, listening to my ipod, with such a warm buzz in the glow of the sun was pure manna from heaven. I'm on the plane now and still smiling just thinking about it. (Literally- the person next to me keeps looking at me suspiciously- I mean- who would be smiling that much in coach class?

Being alone on vacation takes a lot of the subtle stress out of the equation. What type of food do you want to eat? When do you want to eat? Where? Are you drinking to much? Why aren't you drinking enough? Am I talking too much? Am I talking enough? You're working out? Why aren't you working out? You want to NAP??? Didn't you nap yesterday and sleep like- 9 hours last night? -------The answers to all of these questions are immediate and all are to your liking. There was a choice of four different restaurants and guess what- I ate at the same one every day and was happier than a pig in poop. They had this seafood soup that was so good it should be illegal. And don't even get me started about the stuffed Mahi Mahi. Plus they had this white wine that washed everything down so nicely. Oh Barcelo! Where for art thou!!!!!????? I spent my mornings jogging along the beach and working out in the well equipped gym. I spent my afternoons listening to music, lying in the sun, and swimming the ocean. I spent sunsets napping in my hammock, reading, and watching the boats roll into the harbor. I spent my evenings dining under the stars with the sounds of people cheering to impromptu karaoke singers in the distance. The staff was really friendly, efficient and a pleasure to be around. Like I said- vacationing alone was amazing. I highly recommend it.