Yehoodi Radio Show

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Nate Dogg · #181 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 8:28 am

Roy wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:

It is not that people are disrepecting live music when they book an all DJ Exchange or they bring in DJs. It is more about not losing your shirt by investing in a band.

Nathan
I think it's ridiculous to have a major exchange with no live music. There is no losing your shirt if you know you will bring in at least 200 out of town dancers because you did so last year and the year before. You make a budget knowing you minimal attendance and stick to it.

There are a certain amount of dancers out there who prefer DJ music over live music. I can understand that when you live in a city with mediocre bands, but it you don't then I don't get it.

Plenty of Exchanges have lost money, even some that had large attendance. It is not just band costs, but venues and other costs cause organizers to make tough choices. Add that the limited musical talent pool in which some cities have to choose (not every city is L.A. or New Orleans), you can see why DJ only weekends are becoming more common.

There are two big events next weekend (Lindyfest in Houston and the Denver Exchange), neither is currently advertising live music. I know that Houston ideally would like to have live music, they have spent a lot of money on bands in past years (George Gee, David Fathead Newman). But, I know there is no conspiracy or anti-live music bias implied by their decision.

mousethief · #182 Post by **mousethief** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 10:49 am

It's also not enough to find good musicians. You have to find good musicians who are willing to play for dancers. You have to educate dancers to appreciate live music and so on and so on.

The best thing you can do - in my opinion - is get dancers to venues with live bands. THis not only broadens your scene but exposes dancers to a variety of influences (scotch, bourbon, etc).

Bands are not cheap, as Nathan mentioned, and it's financially irresponsbile to go broke to provide a band. Even if you have retained earnings or just scads of cash, you cannot rob Peter to pay Paul forever.

Kalman

julius · #183 Post by **julius** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 11:24 am

I should let Mike speak for himself, but I'm not sure when the discussion became about live music at special events. (this is a rhetorical statement, feel free not to quote the exact post and moment it occurred.) I think Mike is visualizing something more along the lines of lindy hoppers choosing to go out weekly to a venue with live music. Most don't, which is a bummer.

At any rate, the current DJ-centric culture of lindy hop is an interesting phenomenon. I think economics plays a part, but I think history does too. When people discovered that the live music they were dancing to mostly kind of, well, sucked, they turned to DJs who played good music, not realizing that there is lots of good jazz out there (even in middle-sized cities, seriously). The problem is neo bands were handed to dancers on a silver platter. Everyone knew when one was playing. The rock-tour hype ensured it. Jazz bands are in essence a niche and they don't advertise much because they have a built-in core audience that seeks out the stuff. That's an obstacle for dancers.

All in my opinion of course.

yedancer · #184 Post by **yedancer** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 12:25 pm

Also, a lot of the places that do feature good music don't feature good dance floors. Or any dance floor, for that matter.

CafeSavoy · #185 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:24 am

julius wrote:I should let Mike speak for himself, but I'm not sure when the discussion became about live music at special events. (this is a rhetorical statement, feel free not to quote the exact post and moment it occurred.) I think Mike is visualizing something more along the lines of lindy hoppers choosing to go out weekly to a venue with live music. Most don't, which is a bummer.

i don't know if this is all true. maybe people from other parts of the country can talk about their scene, but in my travels it seems that most places have a mix of live and recorded music. Here in DC you can generally dance to live music at least 3 or 4 nights of every week. And the largest dances are all to live music. Although it is true that some people do choose not to support some of the live music venues.

Addict · #186 Post by **Addict** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:35 am

I can say with certainty, that while there is live music to dance to in Chicago(you could dance to live music 5 nights a week within the city limits if you wanted to), by far the most popular nights are DJ nights. I would say that the typical Chicago Lindy Hopper does not average one live show a week.

And it's not price. DJ dances range from $4 to $6(with one free college dance), live music is $6 to $8 depending on the venue. The most popular DJ night is $5, $6 gets you a Big Band. I don't consider that a significant difference, and yes, I've been in tight money situations for years at a time. $7 gets you Yoko Noge once a week, and that's a BYOP night for sure. Once very six weeks or so John Burnett plays, maybe 10 of our generation show up to dance with the old timers for $8. I've seen Barbara Morrison front the Burgess Gardner orchestra twice and the second time, less than ten lindy hoppers showed, which was a slight decline from the first time.

That's one city, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if it were representative of much of the country.

Lawrence · #187 Post by **Lawrence** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 10:15 am

Nando wrote:If we're all proponents for live music, maybe we should all stop DJing, take up some instruments and start a band.

There is a BIT of a difference between pressing a button on a fancy electronic gadget and magically having great music come out of it played by the best musicians ever and, instead, blowing into a twisted piece of hollow metal and having similarly great music come out of it. Indeed, lots of the problems with live music is that it is not that easy to do it, even for people who have played an instrument for 10-20 years.

But I think perhaps that was your point... "Easier said than done."

julius · #188 Post by **julius** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 12:09 pm

CafeSavoy wrote:
i don't know if this is all true. maybe people from other parts of the country can talk about their scene, but in my travels it seems that most places have a mix of live and recorded music. Here in DC you can generally dance to live music at least 3 or 4 nights of every week. And the largest dances are all to live music. Although it is true that some people do choose not to support some of the live music venues.

That sounds awesome.

mousethief · #189 Post by **mousethief** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:49 am

Dallas probably has live music 4-5 nights a week. The Bone, Keys Lounge, the Nana Bar, the Cavern (kinda live), Django's, Sambuca's....

Kalman

mousethief · #190 Post by **mousethief** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:52 am

Back on topic, it looks like I'm locked in for June. I promise the farthest out I'll go (heh) is "Diga Diga Doo" by Hot Club of Cowtown.

MAYBE "Until You Come Back To Me" by Hil St. Soul. That's a longshot, seeing as how I haven't even set up the program yet.

Kalman

Nate Dogg · #191 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:58 am

mousethief wrote:Back on topic, it looks like I'm locked in for June. I promise the farthest out I'll go (heh) is "Diga Diga Doo" by Hot Club of Cowtown.

MAYBE "Until You Come Back To Me" by Hil St. Soul. That's a longshot, seeing as how I haven't even set up the program yet.

Kalman

Cowtown's "Diga Diga Doo" has been getting some airplay in Austin. They are doing weekly Thursday happy hour sets at the Continental Club for a few months. You should come down for a field trip and catch them before a Fed dance.

gatorgal · #192 Post by **gatorgal** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:04 pm

mousethief wrote:Back on topic, it looks like I'm locked in for June.

Kalman

Congrats! Look forward to hearing it!

Tina

mousethief · #193 Post by **mousethief** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:10 pm

Nate Dogg wrote:You should come down for a field trip and catch them before a Fed dance.

You mean like the time Matt and I hit every club on 6th Street?
Maybe you mean the time we hit every Trudy's we could until they caught us?
Or the time Matt got "voted off the island" because of Lee Moore's party?
Or the time Matt and I lost scads of cash at the Rose?
Or the party we threw at J--'s house during the Un-exchange?
Or the time I did that comp drunk and fell down - ON BEAT - and still got to finals?

Hoo boy.

Kalman

mousethief · #194 Post by **mousethief** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:13 pm

gatorgal wrote:
mousethief wrote:Back on topic, it looks like I'm locked in for June.

Kalman
Congrats! Look forward to hearing it!

Tina

If you're lucky I might play "Palm Springs Jump" missie.

Kalman

sonofvu · #195 Post by **sonofvu** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 5:06 pm

Not that this is important or anything, but who is djing on yehoodi today and where can I find the set list?