Archive for the ‘clubs’ Category

08
Jun
2011

Promoter flashbacks

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I had a dream last night that I was promoting a party in 2003.  It’s a month and a half away and I’m getting a late start.  After I go back and forth between a hard to reach artist on the flier design, I’m down a week.  I rush to Pronto Printing, a run down, bustling office filled with posters screaming parties with tons of throwback DJs, reggae booties and general visual overload.  I beg the exasperatingly slow receptionist to please have my fliers ready in no more than 3 days?  I’ll pay the extra cost.  It’s a small party, so I’m torn between getting 5000 or 10,000 fliers.  Can I hustle my butt and get rid of all that paper in under 5 weeks with my schedule?

 

FLIERS!

After multiple phone calls with dismissive “call back laters”, I end up with the fliers and a stack of posters 2 days late.  I’m down to a little over 4 weeks to promote and I’m panicking.  I drive around for the next 3 hours to different record stores, coffee shops, salons and any kind of place that will allow me to dump my fliers.  Posters are taped, stapled and push pinned into any available surface, finding company amongst rock shows and fun runs.

 

LICK THE STAMPS

I run to the office supply store before they close.  Armed with 100 envelopes and stamps, I start the laborious task of writing down my friends’ addresses.  I’m hoping nobody moved in the last year.  Stick the flier in and seal. There’s just no time to include a personal note. My right hand has cramped into a permanent claw.

 

HIT THE STREETS!

It’s Wednesday evening and there are 2 small House nights I can hit up.  One ends at 2am, the other at 4am.  I head out to the 2am spot and proceed to hit up the cars all up and down the surrounding streets.  I wait for the crowd to start trickling out at 1:45 and take my place alongside 2 other promoters to hand out fliers.  Did I mention it’s January and I’m freezing my ass off?

At 2am I drive on over to the 4am spot and start hitting up the cars around there too.  I can barely feel my fingers.  I go inside, have a drink, mingle and politic.  I tell everyone about the event.  (And no I don’t hand out any fliers inside the club unless I’m speaking to someone one on one.)  It’s 3:40, I stake out a spot outside and repeat the process.  People are full blown wasted at this point, so there’s a lot more zombies that walk past my outstretched hand, stumbling boozers and dropped fliers.  I hate this part of promoting.

I repeat this every damn day until the party.  And when it’s this awesomely cold, the last thing you want to do is head out your house at 1am to stick fliers in cars.  But you gotta do it.  On the weekends I hit up all the major areas that have parties, and not just House music.  Wicker Park, Slicks, the whole North Avenue/Sheffield area with its cluster of bars and clubs, boystown, then the southside…I’m just a numb, automatic leaflet dispenser.  Some of these cars have so many fliers in them I try to find sneaky and creative places to put mine on so they won’t be tossed out in one fell swoop.

 

PICK UP THAT PHONE

I’m down to 4 days before the party and it’s time to hit the phone book.  I call the appropriate party friends that live in Chicago and personally invite them.  “How’ve you been?  Really?  That’s great!  Listen I’m having this party…” and so on and so forth.  If I’m lucky I get their voicemail or a person with a life.  If I’m not so lucky, then I get the long-winded-let-me-tell-you-a-story ones that will bend your ear.  Because this process takes so long I  break it up into 2 days.  

 

WILL THEY SHOW UP?

I have no idea who will be coming.  I have no gauge, no Facebook attending numbers, nothing.  Only people’s word.

 

PARTY TIME!

There’s a dog licking my face and I realize I’d just been having a bad dream. That seriously gave me an anxiety attack.  That’s a lot of work to throw a party.

Why bother when I can just create a Facebook event page and call it a day.

Right?

 

 


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24
May
2011

Where are all the Women House Producers?

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In one of many long and contemplative conversations I had with my business partner, I asked “Where the hell are all the female House producers??” I mean the big, HOUSEHOLD names? And no not singers that get the occasional songwriting credit, not the ‘so-and-so producer featuring’ (insert female singer/songwriter name here). I mean one name, HER NAME, doing complete production work with no male saddled to the project?

My partner says that the reason is because soulful House music is extremely male-dominated, way more than politics, corporate boardrooms or pop music. Women are often reduced to mere songbirds.

JUST DANCE AND LOOK PRETTY
Another reason offered was that women have no role model, an archetype to embody and aspire to be like one day. Women love House music, yet how many of us while listening to our favorite dancefloor tunes think to ourselves: “One day I want to be like Louie Vega, Grant Nelson or Dennis Ferrer?” Now I can’t speak for every woman obviously, but based on my conversations with hundreds of them I know that is not a thought that enters our cognizance. For the majority the thought is just to sit back and enjoy the beautiful music that men make.

I know they are out there. I’m just wondering why there aren’t at least one or two that have elevated to household names in the House community? One on the level of a Frankie, Black Coffee or a Cajmere?

NO SHE DIDN’T…
For most of you who know me I hate getting into the whole female/male debate. It’s a necessary evil and I quietly go my way without doing too much of the Z snapping “I’m a woman and proud” bs. As an upcoming DJ I’ve had tons of challenges, setbacks and behind-the-back eyerolls and snickers to deal with which I’ve cheerfully resigned myself to. When I put out my first mix CD everyone thought my boyfriend did it.

But at least when I played out, people could see that it was ME playing. Guaranteed, if a woman were to put out some banging ass tracks, people would be looking over her shoulder trying to see who *really* made the track. And since most female DJs and producers were often mentored by their male counterparts, the prevailing thought whether unspoken or not will be that it was their Pygmalion who shouldered the load.

(And may I add, I can’t always blame them. I know of a handful of female DJs that pay male producers to make their songs for them and call it their own. So they definitely don’t count in this equation. If Dennis Ferrer offered to make a track for me and slap my name on it I’d still pass. But the whole argument of ghostwriting is a whole creature in itself so let’s save that for another day.)

CAN WE CHANGE THIS?
Right now I can think of one woman that is making serious waves: Maya Jane Coles. She has had 17 releases from 2009-2011 and the best part is that she is only 22 years old. Is she the household name I wish we had more of? No. But who knows if she keeps this up she may be in a few more years.

SINGERS WHERE YOU AT?
I honestly think our hope lies in the singers. I’m pretty sure they’re already adept at making their own tracks, but for whatever reason the producer moniker is still given to another. I think it would be dope if I saw full on productions by Barbara Tucker, Ultra Nate, Stephanie Cooke and Dajae. SOLO.

A bigger wish would be that for those women that do go into making House music, that they stray from the insta-sample-edit-track-laptop-ramen rubble we are inundated with. Ladies if we love this music so much, then surely we can create new and original work? For those that have the talent and the drive for it, I champion you to create a new archetype for us.

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23
May
2011

Tragedies don’t just disappear…Chicago aids Japan this Thursday

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It’s been over 2 months since a catastrophic earthquake recorded at 9.0 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Japan, creating a tsunami of such massive proportions that it swept over cities and farmland. Hundreds of thousands were killed, thousands missing and the devastation has yet to stop. There were explosions and leaks of radioactive gas at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and numerous fires ignited releasing radioactive material into the atmosphere. Traces of radiation were found in Tokyo’s water. Nuclear officials say that this crisis is on the same level as the Chernobyl disaster.

The official death toll has been quoted as 14,133 and more than 13,346 people are said to be missing. More than 130,000 people are in temporary shelters and tens of thousands more have had to evacuate their homes.

This is not a tragedy that will go away in one month, one year, not even 20 years. The rebuilding process has not even begun because the after effects are continuing to spiral out of their control.

Watch this video, one of so many chronicling the epic proportions this earthquake has cost:

***Click here to see pictures of the after effects***

Let us show our support by giving a donation, volunteering with relief efforts, educating ourselves on what can be done to help the people whose lives will never be the same again. Chip E and his lovely wife Liliko will be throwing a benefit to aid the victims of Japan.

WHEN: Thursday, May 26th
WHERE: Zentra (923 W. Weed Street, Chicago)
HOURS: 10pm-4am
DJS:
CHIP E
MAURICE JOSHUA
TERRY HUNTER
CZBOOGIE/CZARINA
PHIL LEE
and a special guest DJ from Japan: DJ UCHIKAWA

COVER: $10 (Absolutely no guest list!)
*All the money goes to an NPO – Nihon Univa Counter Crisis Team in Japan.

*Special thanks to Chip E and Liliko for throwing this event!


Jack4House Benefit at Zentra (5/14/11)

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21
Feb
2011

HELP SAVE WNUR!

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Who doesn’t remember driving down Lakeshore Drive and jamming to the underground sounds of their nightly Streetbeat Show on 89.3FM? In my college years at Northwestern University, WNUR was my lifeline to everything electronica, and it has a team of DJs committed to playing the best in underground and underrepresented music on the radio.

WNUR needs your help! Tonight (Monday, February 21st) they are having a benefit to help keep non-commercial underground radio on the airwaves for another year. DJ Sangre and D-VO will be hosting and broadcasting live from the always awesome Chicago institution Smartbar with an impressive lineup that includes DJ Heather, Chris Santiago, Karl & Mark Almaria, Frankie J and DJ Sangre.

1) Can you introduce yourself to us and tell us a little bit about your Monday night shows on WNUR?

My name’s John but I go by the moniker of DJ Sangre (usually with a ridiculously long rolled ‘r’). I’ve hosted “The Fringe” every Monday night on 89.3 WNUR Streetbeat for the last six and a half years. My show is dedicated to the underground house music scene in Chicago, so I spin live house sets and play host to house DJs from around the city.

2) This benefit is to help keep WNUR going for another year. Do you mean just the dance music programming or is the actual station in danger?

The money goes to the whole station. WNUR is a non-commercial completely-volunteer underground-music-only radio station. As such we get some money from corporate sponsors, some from Northwestern University which owns the station, and most of it from listener donations. But unlike PBS or NPR, we only ask for donations one week out of the entire year. The night at Smartbar is part of our week-long annual fundraising drive. And, as an aside, the more money we raise for dance programming, the better we look when it comes time to divy up programming time for the next year…

3) What do you see are the listening interests of your audience at WNUR in general? What is the demographic of your listeners?

EVERYTHING. The funny part is most of the DJs I know who are from the area grew up listening to Streetbeat. And it was as true then as it is now that it seems like listeners are just happy to have underground dance on the radiowaves. Whether it’s house music on Mondays, dubstep on Thursdays, or techno on Fridays, people love to flip it on in their car and jam out.

4) Tell us a little bit about the party! The DJs, what each of their styles are like and what you hope to achieve by the end of the night? What is your monetary goal?

This year’s party is the culmination of four years producing what we’ve dubbed the “Chicago Jack Summit.” The first one was just an hour an a half, and it was just The Sound Republic (Frankie J and John Mork) doing a guest set in the radio studio. The next year we expanded it to include Santiago & Bushido, Chris Grant, Karl Almaria, and Bryan Jones. And the madness has just grown from there. Last year we had 11 DJs and broadcast the show for 5 hours! They all came by and donated their time to talk about what the radio station has meant to them and spun a kickass set in the process.

This year we wanted to take it to the next level, so we worked with Smartbar to organize a live broadcast from the club. It’s the first time I’ve ever attempted something like this, and I’m super terrified/excited. Our goal is double that of previous years ($2000), but now we can add to our listeners’ pledges with the $5 donations we’re collecting at the door. And we’ll have t-shirts available and are even raffling off an iPad! So I’m crossing my fingers we’ll be able to pull it off.

As far as the DJs go, we scaled back the number in favor of giving the DJs a little more set time since it’s a live gig–and they are all doing it completely pro-bono. Heather is back from last year and needs no introduction. She’s a veteran on the Smartbar decks, and we’re honored to have her. Santiago and his producing partner Bushido are well-known for their releases on Potty Mouth Music and tracks they’ve produced with folks like Green Velvet and Colette. Previously a resident at spots like Zentra and Smartbar, Santiago brings a throbbing, ass-kicking sound that will leave you wanting a change of pants. Karl & Mark Almaria are a legendary Chicago DJ duo. They’ve been on the scene for a couple of decades now. Mark, best known for headlining raves in the area and producing technically mindboggling mixtapes, has recently returned to the decks after a hiatus of several years. He and his brother are tagging for a meeting of two great house music minds. And finally, Frankie J is the one the started it all. He’s never missed a Jack Summit and even ponied up his own funds when we were short on donations. His dedication to this scene is unmatched, and his labels Spatula City and Flapjack Records consistently pump out chart-topping jackin’ and funky house hits.

5) Wanna say a little personal message to our readers out there?

Boom Boom Room is and always will be the best spot for house music on Mondays. But if you can tear yourself away for a couple of hours just this one Monday, I think you will be pleasantly surprised… and you’ll be supporting a good cause. :)

Tonight’s party is just a $5 donation to get in, and the entire show will be broadcast LIVE on 89.3 WNUR-FM and online at www.wnur.org. If you can’t make it in person, you can call in your donation while listening and get free stuff! Check out a list of 2011 WNUR premiums soon at www.wnur.org.

And as a special bonus, they will be raffling off an iPad to one of the lucky Smartbar guests.

Smartbar (3730 N. Clark, Chicago, IL)
10pm-4am
$5

Facebook link with info for tonight’s party

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12
Jan
2011

A message to DJs and producers who have been in this game a little too long…

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You know that awkward kid who greets you with indefatigable enthusiasm and hopes for even a nod of recognition? The one who knows your achievements, who can recite every song in your discography, who sweats you a little too much? He treats you like a God and you can only shake your head in dismissal at what a lame he is. Well that kid is our future. And he’s going to kick your ass one day and leave you in the dust.

Many times you get inundated by lots of budding producers with plentiful material, some not quite ready for the masses and yet they push on hoping for a review, a well-named DJ to play it or even for a handful of positive comments on their Soundcloud page. As an editor it can get a little overwhelming and tiresome dealing with these extras in the midst of a heavy workload of interviews, meetings and the general running of day to day life. Personal emails and multiple Facebook inbox messages implore you to critique their new track, and lord knows how many god-awful promos sit in your inbox!

But in the past week something changed the way I look at things. I was in the presence of a number of well-known DJs, producers and artists of yesteryear who are still living in the glory of their past. They were old (in spirit), bitter and still expecting the same accolades and treatment as if we were inhabiting a time machine. Well I have news for you. In the past 15 years that you have masturbated to your past, the world of House music has moved on every single second-minute-hour-day-week in all those years that you have sat on that ass that you’re expecting everybody to kiss!

Do we respect you? Yes. Do we recognize all the hard word you had put in and the groundwork you have laid out for future generations? Absolutely!

But like grandpa in the rocking chair remembering the good old days, belittling the new generation is not very becoming. These talents are just as hungry as you were, made the same mistakes you did and are carving out a path towards unique artistry for their future generations to look upon.

And you know what? These kids are on their shit. They handle their business like true professionals and take nothing for granted. Guaranteed, a lot of them are going to be moving up in the game, getting charted, getting gigs overseas, getting distribution and making a name for themselves.

There are too many entitled people that have been in the game for too long, and the number of years you’ve been in it doesn’t guarantee you SHIT. So stop knocking the new guys down and lift them up instead. Encourage them, help them, say something nice. For 2011 let’s friggin’ help one another so we can all move up. Otherwise you can sit back down in your rocking chair and watch the kids pass you by.

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