Lindy exchanges local or national DJ's

[main_stem]

That would be fine if they had played allot of Blues, they did not. Last year there were allot people upset because they did not play that much Blues. The people going expecting to hear good danceable blues were let down. The people who really enjoyed this exchange were those who just wanted to dance and did not come for the Blues in the advertising. If your going to advertise something like that then do it. Bring in DJ's who know what Blues music is.

The thing is there is much more to blues than just slow mournful music. It is a musical form that has been an invaluable part of jazz since it's inception, be it slow testemant or an uptempo stomp. Would Basie be Basie without the blues? Too often people, DJs and dancers, just seem to think of it in one dimentional terms of tempo and never try to understand the idiom fully.

I can forgive dancers though. They are there to have fun. If they like something they'll ask. But, I'll alos try to tweak their thinking a little and play some uptempo blues at a "blues night".

However when DJs don't understand the depth I just find it sad.

Funny thing about the Seattle exchange is I heard complaints about the late night music here in Chicago. If those DJ's cleared the dance floor then if they were any good they would have changed the tempo of what they were playing if the tempo was the only reason the dance floor was clear.

We've had this debate in Seattle and I'm going to leave it there. I will say this though there were defnitely people who were just interested in grinding on each other all night. I recomend that they just go play spin the bottle. They'll probably have more fun.

-Kevin

[mark0tz]

That would be fine if they had played allot of Blues, they did not. Last year there were allot people upset because they did not play that much Blues. The people going expecting to hear good danceable blues were let down.

I just wanted to state that that is complete crap. A small contingent of dancers from Chicago left disappointed and let their feelings known via Chicago's messageboard. On the whole, those who went to the exchange from all across the country thought the music was perfectly geared towards their advertising, and had a great time! Stop spreading false rumors that a lot of blues wasn't played at STLBX and that "the people going" were let down. Did you go? ... and did you read any other messageboard threads from the exchange besides Chicago's?

[Shanabanana]

I think that if you've got enough skilled local DJs to put them into the mix, it's a great idea. At many exchanges, a majority of the attendees will be from the city that it's in, and the local DJs will be the most experienced at playing to that crowd. It's also the best way to avoid homogenizing your exchange.

That said, if you don't think the DJs in your scene will be good at playing for a much more diverse crowd, don't schedule them. There's nothing worse than traveling hundreds of miles to dance only to have a DJ that's completely unresponsive to the crowd.

As a dancer, I don't want to hear the same top 40 swing songs at every event, but I do want to dance to a DJ that creates a great energy in the room, however she/he accomplishes it. If the crowd wants all 200+ all the time, go for it. If they want all 80 BPM blues, go for it. But as a DJ scheduler, I think it's your responsibility to find DJs that will respond to the dancers that are in the room, no matter what. The rest is up to them.

[Roy]

That would be fine if they had played allot of Blues, they did not. Last year there were allot people upset because they did not play that much Blues. The people going expecting to hear good danceable blues were let down.

I just wanted to state that that is complete crap. A small contingent of dancers from Chicago left disappointed and let their feelings known via Chicago's messageboard. On the whole, those who went to the exchange from all across the country thought the music was perfectly geared towards their advertising, and had a great time! Stop spreading false rumors that a lot of blues wasn't played at STLBX and that "the people going" were let down. Did you go? ... and did you read any other messageboard threads from the exchange besides Chicago's?

Yes I did go, and I said there were allot of people who had fun there but not people who went for the Blues. I went I was let down. There was a group of Chicago dancers who went who also were let down. There were people from Cleveland, champaign, and Kansas City who complained but never expressed it on public message boards. I love the comment from one of them when they left early due to the music, "I could have done a better job DJing, blues music by grabbing a few CD's out of my car". If you are going to advertise "Blues" you have to expect that some hardcore blues listeners are going to show up. These were the people who were let down.

I said it before I will say it again. Everyone I know who went for good Blues music left disapointed and this was just a handful of Chicago dancers. People who went for reasons other then blues music had a great time. Many people did have a great time there. I am not debating that.

Here's my issue. The DJ's did not play anymore blues then any other exchange. In fact the DJ's played less. Some DJ's played little or no Blues, some DJ's played funk rythym blues and modern eletronic guitar blues. Funk Rhythm Blues is currently a big debate in blues musician circles today whether this is an acceptable form of Blues. In my mind it is hard to dance any form of traditonal blues dancing to modern funk rhythm blues. and when it came to kansas City blues only count Baise was played, nothing beyond that.

Their band on Saturday was Jump Blues, the band on Friday played over 50% funk rythym Blues. Personally I liked the Friday band who was lead by legendary blues man Oliver Sain. While it didn't make me want to dance I enjoyed the great musicians on stage.

I think if they were going to satisfy the hard core blues listeners they needed to expand beyond Count Basie, funk blues, jump blues, and modern electronic guitar blues, and Wade in the Water. One of their organizers asked me prior if I was ineteresting in DJing, I asked them what kind of Blues are they going to be playing, I could mix in some danceable Delta blues along with some KC blues, and he gave me a blank stare, he had know idea what I was talking about. And right then I should have known. I also did not DJ because I didn't feel they had a grip on what they were doing in regards to Blues music.

With that said I don't want to argue about it anymore. My point is if you are going to advertise Blues you better be ready for some hard core blues listeners to show up. They were not ready for this and hence these people left disapointed.

[mark0tz]

I'll respond in a private message.

[yedancer]

Everyone I know who went for good Blues music left disapointed and this was just a handful of Chicago dancers.

Um, okay. It seems like you just confirmed the main point of Mark's post above.

Here's my issue. The DJ's did not play anymore blues then any other exchange. In fact the DJ's played less. Some DJ's played little or no Blues, some DJ's played funk rythym blues and modern eletronic guitar blues. Funk Rhythm Blues is currently a big debate in blues musician circles today whether this is an acceptable form of Blues. In my mind it is hard to dance any form of traditonal blues dancing to modern funk rhythm blues. and when it came to kansas City blues only count Baise was played, nothing beyond that.

Their band on Saturday was Jump Blues, the band on Friday played over 50% funk rythym Blues. Personally I liked the Friday band who was lead by legendary blues man Oliver Sain. While it didn't make me want to dance I enjoyed the great musicians on stage.

I think if they were going to satisfy the hard core blues listeners they needed to expand beyond Count Basie, funk blues, jump blues, and modern electronic guitar blues, and Wade in the Water. One of their organizers asked me prior if I was ineteresting in DJing, I asked them what kind of Blues are they going to be playing, I could mix in some danceable Delta blues along with some KC blues, and he gave me a blank stare, he had know idea what I was talking about. And right then I should have known. I also did not DJ because I didn't feel they had a grip on what they were doing in regards to Blues music.

With that said I don't want to argue about it anymore. My point is if you are going to advertise Blues you better be ready for some hard core blues listeners to show up. They were not ready for this and hence these people left disapointed.

It seems like the issue isn't so much that "they didn't play enough blues," but they didn't play enough of the blues you wanted to hear. But, maybe I'm just misreading your post.

[falty411]

its kinda sad that you have to have a "lindy room" at a lindy exchange.

[funkyfreak]

It's even worse when the "Blues Room" plays more swinging music than the "Lindy Room"...

-FF

[GirlieGirl]

I don't consider it offensive of the "Blues" dancers establishing another impromptu room; if anything, it manifests how non-responsive the organizers and the DJs were. But it really is not a huge deal.

Frankly, part of the reason I did not go to Seattle this year was because of all the fast music at after hours two years ago. It was the classic example of certain DJs ruining the Exchange by fulfilling their own agenda instead of playing to the crowd. Larry Kang single-handedly saved the Exchange by playing slower music that fit the "after hours" mood. The dance floor filled up for the first time at after hours and the vibe changed remarkably. But that's just my opinion.

As one of the organizers of the Seattle Exchange, I can tell you that we weren't consulted about setting the area up as a groove/blues room. What was used was designated a lounge area that was meant to be used to get away from the dancing, to have a snack, visit, etc. Those that took over the room missed out on great music in the main room. Really, they did. Lucy and Travis played awesome sets.

As for your view of the Seattle Exchange two years ago, Lawrence, that's just what it is... your view. I won't go into all the details, but I can definitely say that I disagree with your assertion that Larry saved the exchange. And that's all I will say about that.

[Lawrence]

its kinda sad that you have to have a "lindy room" at a lindy exchange.

Somebody please nudge the record player. It sounds like the record is skipping.

[Roy]

Everyone I know who went for good Blues music left disapointed and this was just a handful of Chicago dancers.

Um, okay. It seems like you just confirmed the main point of Mark's post above.

Here's my issue. The DJ's did not play anymore blues then any other exchange. In fact the DJ's played less. Some DJ's played little or no Blues, some DJ's played funk rythym blues and modern eletronic guitar blues. Funk Rhythm Blues is currently a big debate in blues musician circles today whether this is an acceptable form of Blues. In my mind it is hard to dance any form of traditonal blues dancing to modern funk rhythm blues. and when it came to kansas City blues only count Baise was played, nothing beyond that.

Their band on Saturday was Jump Blues, the band on Friday played over 50% funk rythym Blues. Personally I liked the Friday band who was lead by legendary blues man Oliver Sain. While it didn't make me want to dance I enjoyed the great musicians on stage.

I think if they were going to satisfy the hard core blues listeners they needed to expand beyond Count Basie, funk blues, jump blues, and modern electronic guitar blues, and Wade in the Water. One of their organizers asked me prior if I was ineteresting in DJing, I asked them what kind of Blues are they going to be playing, I could mix in some danceable Delta blues along with some KC blues, and he gave me a blank stare, he had know idea what I was talking about. And right then I should have known. I also did not DJ because I didn't feel they had a grip on what they were doing in regards to Blues music.

With that said I don't want to argue about it anymore. My point is if you are going to advertise Blues you better be ready for some hard core blues listeners to show up. They were not ready for this and hence these people left disapointed.

It seems like the issue isn't so much that "they didn't play enough blues," but they didn't play enough of the blues you wanted to hear. But, maybe I'm just misreading your post.

Oops my bad that should be "not" just a handful of Chicago dancers

[yedancer]

Oops my bad that should be "not" just a handful of Chicago dancers

LOL! Yeah, that makes more sense.

[Roy]

Sure let's do this. We'll advertise Blues like were doing something special but instead we turn around and play the exact same music everyone else is playing in fact we will play all the overplayed songs like Wade in the Water that people have been playing for several years. We will add contreversiol Funk blues and modern day electronic guitar blues, no one likes dancing blues dancing to Funk blues or modern guitar blues but we'll play it anyway. We're in St.Louis and we won't even play St. Louis blues artists. Further more we will play allot of slow jazz since most dancers don't know the difference they thing slow means blues. We'll fool them into thinking they are dancing to more Blues then they actually are. That sounds like a good plan to me. Lets piss off a bunch of dancers who think that we are doing something different.

[Lawrence]

As one of the organizers of the Seattle Exchange, I can tell you that we weren't consulted about setting the area up as a groove/blues room. What was used was designated a lounge area that was meant to be used to get away from the dancing, to have a snack, visit, etc. Those that took over the room missed out on great music in the main room. Really, they did. Lucy and Travis played awesome sets.

I wasn't there, and setting up the alternate room might have been ruder than it seems to be to me. And I don't want to offend you as an organizer because I know how frustrating it can be when people Monday-morning quarterback an event and not apreciate how much effort goes into planning and such and how odd it can be to have that planning go awry.

But it does seem as if somebody still is not getting the hint that people were trying to give: that the music was not all that great as you think it was, or that it might have been great but not appropriate for after hours. Enough people disagreed to set up an impromptu alternative room, whether it was in subtle protest or just innocently to have an alternative that the organizers did not provide.... which, again, I don't see as all that huge a problem because then everyone can be happy.

There is definitely a disharmony between the two styles of late-night music such that playing them both could ruin it for everyone. So why object to siphoning off those who want something different, unless you are just tiffed that more people (or enough people) disagree with your preferences than agree?

That is why this sounded familiar to what happened two years ago. I don't know if you organized that Exchange, and I don't mean to offend you, personally, if you did. Nonetheless, although a few dancers were happy with the after hours music, I wonder whether your preferences are so strong that you did not notice the majority who disagreed? If you didn't notice how many people were thrilled by Larry's set two years ago, and how (if I recall correctly) he was the only one to receive ANY applause, no less enthusiastic cheers in between songs, then perhaps that is happening again, now. The cheers happened because they were starving for music they liked and Larry was the first to give it to them all weekend.

[GirlieGirl]

The couple of times I ventured into the back room the music that was being played was not swing, nor was it good.

I was one of the organizers of the exchange the year that you were here. And contrary to what you might think, I do have very diverse musical tastes. I like faster, and slower. But to maintain an impartial view when choosingand placing DJs, I (along with main_stem) came up with the schedule of DJs for this exchange based on their typical sets. We worked together. Both he and I are quite familiar with the DJs that were chosen to represent the Northwest at our exchange. We didn't choose all one kind of DJ. There was something to please everyone. We were thrown a couple of curve balls at the exchange, as has been mentioned. A few of the DJs decided to not play their typical set. One of them did it to prove a point (in my view), and I wasn't really okay with that. But it was that DJs decision to do that. The reaction to that set will be considered when scheduling the next exchange. Another DJ played quite the opposite of what would be a typical set for them, and it kicked serious ass. It wasn't what I expected, but it worked. That set was one that was missed by the groovies. If they'd hung around long enough to hear what was being played, they would have loved it. But they didn't.

I think the point that you're missing, Lawrence, is that Seattle has very diverse taste in music. We don't dance to one tempo, or one era. All of it gets played here. Sure, it's not enough for any one camp to be completely happy, but we deal. My understanding of what an exchange is about is to show the best that the host city has; to get a taste of what it is like to dance in that city. For us to change the music that is played here just for the exchange does a disservice to our scene.