Scenes.

The other day I, a DJ friend of mine from the Bay Area was talking to a friend of his on FaceBook about how "sick" a certain track was.  They were laughing about the fact that music that they like is often described as sick, disgusting, ill, fucked up, rude, etc.

It's interesting.  Back in the day, I used to go clubbing quite a bit.  You'll note that I didn't say that I'd go dancing.  I'm not the most physically adept person.  And there are very few things in this world that will make me more self-conscious more quickly than attempting to dance.  I'd normally just go out and soak up the music.  Watch the people.  Sit to the side and nod my head to the beat.  Occasionally try to find a way to strike up a conversation above the din.  I originally got into listening to house music specifically because it was a very mellow scene.  Didn't matter who you were, as long as you were up for some good music and a good time.  Black, white, straight, gay, Asian, Mexican, whatever...  It was always about respecting the music and the people around you.

I really don't think I realised how far from the mainstream San Francisco is until I left.  As I've noted before, I'd heard more racist comments, more homophobic comments, and more Def Leppard in the first six months in Orange County than in the previous decade in San Fran.  I'm not in Oz anymore.

The bar behind the place where I work recently reopened as a gay bar.  The owner, Nicco, insists that he's running it as a mixed club.  He's pretty much full of shit.  (Edit - Someone has told me that this is a bit harsh.  I don't mean it to be.  I wouldn't be stopping in to see the club and Nicco if I didn't like him and the space.  And I don't think there's a single business I've seen since coming to HB that I would love to see succeed more. It's not meant to be harsh, just honest.)

I'll normally poke my head in for at least five minutes each night, just to catch what's going and see what the DJ is throwing down.

Their resident is a gay guy that normally plays a lot of HiNRG Pop shit to satisfy the owner and his friends. I went in the other night to find a straight friend of mine swapping tracks with the DJ. They were just going head to head. Chris would lay down a track. Mike would throw down a response.

They weren't playing to a crowd, because there was no one in the place. They were playing to each other. It was literally just two people dropping respect (insane fucking track, brother) and knowledge (but have you heard this shit?) on each other. I've not used words like "sick" or "fucking disgusting" to describe a set in about a decade. This was all of that and then some.

Normally Chris, the resident,throws down tracks for the crowd. That night the two of them built a groove for the first time I've seen since the place opened. It was just two people playing off of each other and not giving a damn about their supposed differences. They just sat and traded love (that shit is disgusting) and respect (fucking gnarly track, brother). They built something larger than either of themselves by playing off their love for the music.

Call. Response. Response. Call. You hear me? I'm listening. You feel me? I'm right here with you.

It was hilarious. It's the best set I've heard since the place opened (arguably, the best set I've heard in a decade), and there wasn't much of anyone in the place to hear it.

Rude is just about right. Fuck gay bars. Fuck straight bars. Fuck black people. Fuck white people. I don't want to hear any of that. You want to play me some love and build a groove, I'll be listening. I'll be right there with you.

That may be crazy, but I'll take it.

I told you I don't normally dance, but I moved that night.

I was moved that night.


If anyone wants to throw me a track and drop some knowledge on me, I'm always more than up for listening,