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posted  June 11th, 2009 I’ve been to many dance parties, clubs, shows and festivals so far and how people react in mass tends to very by location, genre of music and level of intoxication. There’s no doubt everyone reacts differently to music but I’ll say no matter who you are, there’s gonna be some tune out there that gets your foot tapin, head nodding or body rocking. Not everyone though has rhythm but that should never stop you from feeling the beat and moving to it. I’ve danced by myself many times, typically when I go to hear good djs/bands, playing at douche bag venues where the look, style or vip of the scene is more important than the company you keep and the music that’s bumpin through the speakers. I’ve never let a bad scene deter me from getting down and I’ve certainly been the first on a dance floor early on in the night when the music encourages me. Here’s a great vid of one guy, feelin it at the Sasquatch festival in OR and with a tipping point of 3 dancers, this becomes a field dance party: Just Dance! posted June 7th, 2009 Today 20th century Fox has taken over the neighborhood and set up for their shoot on W. Broadway of Date Night with Tina Fey and Steve Carell. I walked by one of the food tents and chatted up a set hand… my impression is that this is a truly boring job. posted May 17th, 2009
Is it the banging sound of tracks not to be released for weeks even months on the best sound systems, the continuous crowds contributing to a positive vibe weekend after weekends, the sunshine terraces with hot sweaty dancers, clubland holds the night owl draw for many of us. It’s DJ Mag produced on March 25th, their “definitive” list of Top Clubs of the World for 2009, but I just saw this about a month ago and wanted to comment. There’s not much listed as to how this list is compiled except that it’s voted on by readers of the magazine. I’ve always questioned these voter polls legitimacy, because there’s no criteria except for attendee (or listener, in the case of DJ polls) preference and rightly so at times. No surprise that clubbing meccas Ibiza, Berlin and London are at the top and I’ve had the pleasure to experience at least 4 of them (bold):
Unfortunately as of press time, The End has reached its end so 11 moving up would be: Cocoon - Frankfurt, Germany. Of the 100 list, the following are the top American clubs:
There’s some interesting tells of this top US clubs list from the global Mag offering. First, Denver is the top US Club? What? I didn’t see that coming. Not NY, LA, Miami or even Chicago… but Denver. I’m still curious to know what’s the voting criteria here. I understand the DJs and mag subs voted on this but really, what are the standards? Club layout? Sound? Crowd? Lighting? Set up? Back stage perks? I’m ecstatic to see my home hood of SF represented here, and somewhat malcontent that Ruby Skye is the top club still of the city. I would have thought someone else would have stepped up in the scene and created a contender. The usual suspects from LA, SF, NY and Miami are represented, I’ve been to all of them except those in Denver, and they all seem to have a repeatable formula in layout, sound and dance music styles that don’t venture too far clubbing mainstream. Space for it’s terrace and Cielo for it’s sound and minimalism are unique in separating from the formula. Conspicuously missing are any venues from Chicago or Las Vegas (the self proclaimed mega club venue of the US). One thing is clear, America’s club scene is well behind that of the global community according to DJ Mag with Germany, UK, Spain, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, Holland, and Argentina all topping the list; most with multiple clubs representing. These are all countries where electronic, dance and house music are just as popular as other genres and even more so in some areas as you hear it saturated in every aspect of life: stores, radio, internet and even elevator musak. At least we still have an auto industry and their commercials to help support the scene… posted May 15th, 2009 French house and electro pop has always been associated (to me) with new disco and filtered funk 4/4 beats. I think my first French house track I bought and loved was Daft Punk’s “Da Funk” - which I still love and would play today. Later their Homework album opened the door to a short disco house era blown up by Stardust’s “Music sounds better without you”. Today, my French house bag holds more of the deep house, trip hop and laid back tunes coming from artists like St. Germain, Laurent Garnier, Modjo, Air and Stéphane Pompougnac, but I still keep in rotation tracks from Dimitri from Paris, Sébastien Léger, Bob Sinclar, Justice, and Rinôçérôse. I just watched the video for “Baby Baby Baby” by Make The Girl Dance, a new French Pop group sure to break out this year with at least attention paid from the male audiences. Since I don’t read French (and have the time to dig-translate-report), the best I can understand from them is that they like to “make music to make the girls dance”. I and many men (and women) can get behind that: The video is more entertaining than the track (check the lyrics below), but it has potential to cross over to the US clubs and I hope there’s some good remixes that come out from this (Justice?).
Ah yes. Perfect for the NY Club scene girls at Cain Luxe, Eldridge, or Oak 1. Stardust (Still getting reworked 10 years later) - Music Sounds Better With You (2009 Dirty Bergeon Remix) posted May 12th, 2009
Like a Wal-mart, the entire front entrance management strategically placed greeters and ushers for the fans to find their way in to the new concrete playground. Once inside the park, it’s like you’re 12 again, going to the ball park for the first time: less concerned about where your seats are first, just looking around and taking it all in. As we’ve all heard, there’s much more dedication to corporate and VIP seating but with that comes exceptional food stands from tacos, to lobster rolls, sushi and a Shake Shack. There’s definitely more viewable areas in the walk areas to catch the action. The stadium is built up, rather than out, so there’s really no bad seat, just a higher vantage point to watch the game. Our seats were up in the 500s first base side, close enough to touch the air traffic coming over from La Guardia. Both the Mets and the stadium food services have up’ed their game this year - me enjoying the steak tacos and micro brews behind the center field screen. Added with the new Shea experience are much more fan participation actives, as every inning a camera crew with corporate shill in tow, create a game, give-away, trivia or contest (pizza box relay) for a free sample from the represented sponsor. The food sellers in the seats are few and far between, but the beer guy is everywhere, this time with Brooklyn lager along with the prerequisite American piss beer. On the field the battle was intense as Pirates took the lead early and not until the 8th inning when the Met’s “erupted” with a Delgado HR and 2 additional runs, taking the game in fantastic baseball sportsmanship. With not a bad seat in the house, and preferable to me at times, I might purchase the cheapest seats, and spend most of my time at the “beer garden” areas behind the outfield this summer. The full set is in the gallery pics I took are here but here are a few highlights:
posted May 9th, 2009
Look at this fucking hipster is a photo blog of the “best” of the worst of hipster gear. Check the gear! The term hipster has become synonymous with with ridiculous clashing 80’s style. Skinny jeans that make your butt look saggy, clash colored checkered button up, sweater vest 2 sizes too small, and any other fashion attire promotes laziness including unkempt facial hair. I just chilled in LES and you can’t go 5 minutes with out spotting the looks snapped up from the site. posted May 8th, 2009
After 9/11, the “smart” people of President George W. Bush’s Department of the Interior, declared under the guise of the fire, building and safety codes the narrow, 12-story spiral staircase with a low guardrail walk up to the crown off limits mostly for fear of more terrorists looking to deface, blow up or desecrate this national symbol. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar formally announced a reversal of this decision at a news conference this week on Ellis Island. “On July 4, we are giving America a special gift,†Mr. Salazar said. They are re-opening up the crown. No more than 10 people will be allowed in the crown at a time, he said, and officials anticipate that will allow for 30 visitors an hour. He estimated that 50,000 people would be able to visit the crown in the first year and that the number would be increased later to 100,000 a year. We can all thank Representative Anthony D. Weiner, a Queens Democrat who has been one of the most vocal proponents of giving the public back access to the crown. In January of this year, Mr. Salazar climbed the 146 steps to the crown himself, joined by Mr. Weiner, Representative Albio Sires of New Jersey and Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey. When Mr. Salazar came down, he said of the experience: “One word: Awesome.†posted May 4th, 2009
That was Hilly Kristal’s primary rule for CBGB’s on Bowery and Bleeker in New York City. Replacing Hilly’s on the Bowery, CBGB & OMFUG (Country, Bluegrass, and Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers) stood at 315 Bowery from its opening in December 1973 until it was closed on October 15, 2006. It was built as a venue for new and upcoming bands to the new york music scene, and ended up becoming the birth of American punk rock scene and was a jump off point for the careers of some of music history’s greatest bands and singers: Patti Smith Group, The Stillettoes (featuring Blondie’s Debbie Harrry), Blondie (under their original name of Angels & the Snakes) The Ramones, Mink DeVille, Talking Heads, Tuff Darts, The Shirts, The Heartbreakers, The Fleshtones and even the Police played here. The Gorilla Biscuits, the Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, Reagan Youth, Warzone, and Youth of Today were all part of New York’s underground hardcore scene started at CBGB’s and kept the bar a float through the 80’s. In 2005, however, the Bowery Resident’s Committee had enough of Hilly and the CB’s crowd and worked to get them removed from the property without compromise. Succeeding in closing the venue for good on October 15, 2006. I moved to NYC in 05, and never got a chance to experience a show in CBGB’s but I did participate in the ralleys and free shows in Washington Sq to help spread awareness and get support for keeping the venue open. I went last week to the Tribeca Film Festival and watched the only movie of the fest (for me): a documentary called ‘Burning Down the House” The Story of CBGB‘. The show was April 30th, and I had the opportunity after the show to hear a Q&A hosted by Matt Pinfield, with the director (Mandy Stein), Chris Frantz of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, Jesse Malin of Heart Attack and DGeneration, and Tommy Ramone of well… The Ramones. Mandy Stein is the daughter of Seymour Stein, president and co-founder of Sire Records, who launched the recording careers of the Ramones, Talking Heads, and The Pretenders, among many others so it made sense she get access to all the people featured in the making of this film. I sat solo in the theater surrounded by guests, friends and participants of many of the two dimensional people portrayed or interviewed in the film. It was a good film, not great, by film standards, however, the heart of watching the progression of CBGBs from hole in the wall nothing to, punk glory, to hole in the wall franchise and finally demise was a roller coaster of intense laughs and tears from an audience that was there and lived again vicariously through the digital frames.
posted May 1st, 2009 Business is slow, yet my work is intensely busy; mostly trying to generate new business and convince customers it’s the right time to part them from their cash hords. E and I made an appointment at Lilly and Raul for some Qi Gong Tui Na body work. Ah such relief. It’s a great ladies and couples only shop on the 15th floor of an office building. We got a full hour in for $50 each. Afterward, we headed to the basement of the same building for some Izakaya. If your not familiar with Izakayas, they are traditional Japanese after work drinking establishments, with excellent food. In this building, there’s Sakagura, one of the best establishments in New York City for this fare. I’ve been here several times and will typically will recommend it to people looking for good Japanese food (non sushi) and it’s a go to spot to take out of town guests. From their website:
I’ve had the majority of the menu and there hasn’t been one item I wouldn’t order again. There’s definately unique options but it does help to like foods like Beef Tongue and Raw Squid to experience the entire menu. After a great massage and meal, the weekend was set for what ever happens. Great times.  posted April 30th, 2009 
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I had an opportunity to check out “Citi Field”, one of two new stadiums in New York, this weekend. Per the normal game day migration, we took the 7 train out to Shea (some fist pumping fans immortalize their love via plaques in front of the stadium 
I remember when I was 1989, I came to NYC with my parents and there were only a few memories I remember still to this day. One was driving from the airport through Harlem to my great grandparents house in Jersey and my parents yelling at me to keep my head in the window of the taxi, and not to bother the dealers on the street corners (they actually said don’t look at them). The other was the walk up the Statue of Liberty to the crown, and looking out over the rivers to Manhattan just before sun down. It was one of the most beautiful sites I still remember to this day. 
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