From: Perfect Sound Forever <perfect-sound@furious.com>
quoted 3 lines Ideally, it should be the music that's the important thing for the
>Ideally, it should be the music that's the important thing for the
>live shows but you also go out to these things for the PRESENCE of
>these artists you like also.
Oh man, I studied literary theory at an east coast university and I
could bore everyone for days about this: Benjamin and aura, Lacan and
the symbolic, Derrida and iteration, but, er, I won't.
From: Christopher Fahey <chris@raremedium.com>
quoted 3 lines From: Che <zeus8@synthcom.com>
>>From: Che <zeus8@synthcom.com>
>>
>>My guess is that your experience was more a product of venue & a
"we're too
quoted 4 lines cool to dance" NYC audience.
>>cool to dance" NYC audience.
>
> Yes! Both!
>
[...]
quoted 1 line No, no, no! I was only pointing out two of the many differences
> No, no, no! I was only pointing out two of the many differences
between
quoted 1 line listening to records at home ad going out to a concert... One
>listening to records at home ad going out to a concert... One
difference is
quoted 1 line that the artist might do something spontaneous and improvisational
>that the artist might do something spontaneous and improvisational
live,
quoted 1 line something I would not ever be able to experience on a record. This
>something I would not ever be able to experience on a record. This
show
quoted 1 line strongly lacked that element, so I was (with tongue-in-cheek) hoping
>strongly lacked that element, so I was (with tongue-in-cheek) hoping
it
quoted 1 line would make up for it with Difference #2, which is all the other
>would make up for it with Difference #2, which is all the other
things that
quoted 2 lines happen at nightclubs except the music (people, architecture, freaks,
>happen at nightclubs except the music (people, architecture, freaks,
>drinks/drugs, visuals, food, clothes). The show didn't really even
offer
quoted 1 line that stuff to any great spectacular degree. The music is the most
>that stuff to any great spectacular degree. The music is the most
important
quoted 1 line thing, but I'd be a liar if I said #2 was a non-issue to me - if the
>thing, but I'd be a liar if I said #2 was a non-issue to me - if the
dance
quoted 1 line floor was full of flailing longhairs with tie dyed shirts, or fist
>floor was full of flailing longhairs with tie dyed shirts, or fist
pumping
quoted 1 line frat boys, or spastic first-time-jungle dancers, or all boys, I'd
>frat boys, or spastic first-time-jungle dancers, or all boys, I'd
probably
quoted 1 line sit it out too.
>sit it out too.
I think this (#2) is the reason most of us go to these things. To get
out of the house and see people and dance with other people around,
etc. For example, I actually got to meet Chris Fahey at this show,
bringing the total number of people from this list that I've met in
person up to one. And as far as the dancing goes, I don't think it
has much to with Giuliani. The Cooler has a cabaret license, but that
doesn't stop it from being anathema to dance. It's a club where
people go to hang out and be, you know, cutting edge. Just like this
drum'n'bass stuff I've been hearing about on MTV...
Chris, I don't know if you noticed, but when you and Paul and I were
talking in the back during the opening act, their MC gave up on trying
to get people to dance and just started doing d'n'b for dummies:
"This is what we call the hardstep," "This last one's what we call
darkside." I didn't take that as a good sign. Then, when I moved up
front for MMM I finally figured out why there was a one yard gap
between the first people and the stage: there were other people
*sitting down* in front of the stage. This so amused or bewildered
MMM that he took their picture after his set was over. They eventually
just got up and left during Amon Tobin's set, which was, I might add,
about 20 minutes too long. He just kept going with less and less
interesting stuff and it got boring. Judging from people I talked to
afterwards, I'm far from alone in this opinion. Then, it seemed like
he only got off the stage because the cart on the righthand deck
broke. Of course, Jonah Sharp had no way of knowing this until he
went on and was forced to desperately kick in his live stuff when the
last track that Tobin spun ended on the good deck. He then mixed
between his equipment (which I couldn't see since it was behind the
mixer from me) and one deck until the roadie guy (who was more than
ready to make sure the sound man had everything turned up to 11 for
Amon Tobin's set) liesurely got around to fixing the broken cart. The
fact that Jonah Sharp dealt with all this, kept everyone dancing (the
non-dancers left with Amon Tobin) and then swung it into a *very*
enjoyable set was live enough for me. It's too bad I had to leave
around 3:00 while he was still going strong, but maybe if those last,
boring 20 minutes had been cut from Amon Tobin's set...
Don't get me wrong all three sets were (except for, uh, about 20
minutes) terrific and Amon Tobin is a great musician and DJ. I guess
it just seemed like there was such a scene there trying to say "hey,
look at me, I'm hip to Amon Tobin" that I was put off when the other
artists didn't get the appreciation they deserved. Of course, this
isn't Amon Tobin's fault and I've learned to expect as much from New
York City and the Cooler, but it still gets me mad. So, like Chris, I
was disappointed with the crowd, but not with the show (except for the
aforementioned 20 minutes).
quoted 1 line Please, tell me which bars in NYC I can hear nothing but Amon Tobin
>>Please, tell me which bars in NYC I can hear nothing but Amon Tobin
& Funki
quoted 1 line Porcini at, loud and for hours on end, on a Monday night and better
>>Porcini at, loud and for hours on end, on a Monday night and better
yet for
quoted 1 line free. Next time I visit I'd like to visit one of these mythical
>>free. Next time I visit I'd like to visit one of these mythical
places.
quoted 3 lines Well, okay, maybe they won't play "nothing but Amon Tobin & Funki
>
> Well, okay, maybe they won't play "nothing but Amon Tobin & Funki
>Porcini"... they might actually mix in music from other artists,
maybe even
quoted 1 line from other genres! And okay, maybe you might have to also pay $5 to
>from other genres! And okay, maybe you might have to also pay $5 to
get in
quoted 1 line at some joints. But, yes, on any given night of the week there are
>at some joints. But, yes, on any given night of the week there are
probably
quoted 1 line a dozen different bars open for free in which you will be able to
>a dozen different bars open for free in which you will be able to
hear
quoted 1 line decent drum and bass for some portion of the evening. And over the
>decent drum and bass for some portion of the evening. And over the
course of
quoted 1 line one week you'll find probably forty places for $5 or less that will
>one week you'll find probably forty places for $5 or less that will
play
quoted 1 line nonstop drum and bass for a (illegal) dance floor.
>nonstop drum and bass for a (illegal) dance floor.
Seriously, there are *two* big drum'n'bass parties every week. Even
the damn Rivertown lounge has a drum'n'bass night! You can't bend
over to tie your shoes in New York these days without hitting your
head on a breakbeat. It's as ubiquitous as Thurston Moore was three
years ago. Which should remind us how spoiled we are in New York.
There are plenty of towns with no drum'n'bass nights anywhere ever
that the ninja tour couldn't afford to visit.
quoted 9 lines ' - . _ . - ' ^ ' - . _ . - ' ^ ' - . _ . -
>' - . _ . - ' ^ ' - . _ . - ' ^ ' - . _ . -
>
> c h r i s t ø p h e r f ª h e y
>
>. _ . - ' ^ ' - . _ . - ' ^ ' - . _ . - ' ^
> chris@raremedium.com
>2 1 2 - 6 3 4 - 6 9 5 0 x 2 5 8
> http://www.raremedium.com
>- ' ^ ' - . _ . - ' ^ ' - . _ . - ' ^ ' - .
-------------------------------------
Danny Wyatt
danny@arbitrary.com
http://www.arbitrary.com