SwingDJs

I really try to sucker them in - I know, it's part of my agenda - with a slow/fast song or a powerful, shouting vocal. Usually, I use a version of "Roll 'Em Pete" to get them used to the tempo and then I scale it up for one or two songs.

Kalman

i guess you've never been to a dance where the unspoken cutoff point is 125...

I have. It was called a milonga. Oh you mean jazz dancing? I have. It was called LAME.

I can't even really swingout at 125!!!

Kalman

Yep, I've deleted this post because my friend said that I sound like Natch Version 1.0, Rayned said I was whining, and Jesse wants us to be polite.

sweet.

what does it matter what kind of music is being played as long as you can dance to it.

and you know what? a dj is an employee who's job is to make the patrons happy. there's nothing worse than people who complain about the music being played but don't say anything to the dj. open your mouths and let the dj know what you want. take your own cd with you, that way there's no excuse. if the dj refuses, then they're a prick and at least you tried.

i've been dj'ing in tampa for a long time now and i've been through the hate emails and name calling and all that other nonsense which sucks 'cause i just want to make people happy and i think abdel tries to do the same.

as far as me playing a lot of rockabilly. f&ck yeah !!!! i'd play a hell of a lot more if i could. that's my preference of tempo and music to dance to. i like the heavy sound of an upright bass slapping. i love dancing to rockabilly and jump blues tunes and i wish tampa had a big enough scene that everyone could have their own night, but we don't so we have to make do with what we have.

sometimes i think we're better off for it. most other cities don't have dance nights where lindy hoppers and greasers are in the same room. i like the fact that most of us are friends and that our different styles clash and mix and become a mish-mash of everything. that's the way life's supposed to be.

one more thing. there's no such thing as lindy music and there's no such thing as rockabilly dancing. there's lindy dancing and rockabilly music. most lindy i witness is done to jazz now and most people jive to rockabilly.

i love abdel for what he's done with his direction of dj'ing and support him 100%. good job man !!!!

let's drop the nonsense though and just be happy we have a "scene" however strange it may be.

peace and love,
paul mallett

You ever bring me a CD and I'll rochambeau ya.

Kalman

um, what abdel said.

I see this thread has hit a nerve with some members of the Tampa community. If you want to further this discussion, please keep it civil and constructive. Personal attacks are not welcome here on swingdjs, and some of the recent posts very well might have crossed that line.

Thank you.

Jesse Miner
SwingDJs Moderator

paul13 wrote:what does it matter what kind of music is being played as long as you can dance to it.

and you know what? a dj is an employee who's job is to make the patrons happy.

one more thing. there's no such thing as lindy music and there's no such thing as rockabilly dancing. there's lindy dancing and rockabilly music. most lindy i witness is done to jazz now and most people jive to rockabilly.

let's drop the nonsense though and just be happy we have a "scene" however strange it may be.

Paul, you rule. I couldn't agree more.

~Brendan

JesseMiner wrote:I see this thread has hit a nerve with some members of the Tampa community. If you want to further this discussion, please keep it civil and constructive. Personal attacks are not welcome here on swingdjs, and some of the recent posts very well might have crossed that line.

Thank you.

Jesse Miner
SwingDJs Moderator

I agree wholeheartedly. I would also like to point out that I am not making any personal attacks here, but am stating my opinion of my scene as a whole and am asking for advice from a group of people from outside the scene. In an effort to avoid consternation, I even began this thread by giving a disclaimer.

I would like to keep this thread, as Jesse wrote, "civil and constructive." If you would like to take issue with my opinion, by all means, do so. I'd like to hear what others think about the topic (my whole reason for starting this thread).

I think that personal attacks (in this thread and in other threads) are disgusting, and that those attacks should be removed. If you would like to discuss personal matters with me, please do so via private message.

Well, in deference to Jesse and the forum regs, I toned down my post, but I still stand by-

hypocrisy: n, The practice of professing beliefs or feelings that one does not possess

Matthew, the reason I refer to you as a hypocrite is because you fit that definition nicely- I see you dance, and I see that you don't get out and dance when the music you profess to feel is so important and exciting is the song being played. Nor do you ask for music that fits in that genre- but you do start threads comlaining about the lack of it. QED. Regardless of my feelings about the matter, you have shown yourself to be hypocritical.

asinine: adj, complacently foolish

The reason I refer to you as asinine is because you (repeatedly) express strong and/or blanket opinions about subject matter of which you have little or no knowledge. You often do this in spite of evidence or even outright fact which may differ markedly from your professed opinion. Your charecterization of "the grooviest SoFleX yet" as a place with a high concentration of non-groovy music is just one in a litany of such comments. Your (repeated) lack of motivation to assess a situation thouroughly indicates complacency; the opinions expressed in the face of evidence indicate foolishness. QED.


Now, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that starting a "rant about something thats been bothering you" in a public forum without ever addressing your opinions to the DJs involved privately comes from being asinine (which I have already demonstrated you are), rather than coming from maliciousness. This is why we can still be friends.

But if you DO have a problem with me, a public forum is not the place to fire an opening salvo; unless, that is, you are prepared for return fire.

PhysicsDan

On a more contructive note-

If you'd like to hear more of a prticular kind of music, ask for it. Make mix CDs for your friends and local DJs that have a lot of the kinds of songs you really enjoy.

When DJing, keep an ear out for "transitional" songs that merge or blend areas between genres; exposing local dancers to something they are familiar with, but that has new elements, eases them into the new genres.

PhysicsDan

In an effort to be more civil and diplomatic I am going to comment on this thread and hopefully put an end to it. It is possible that Matthew's definition of classic swing and groove music differs from mine and the majority of the djs on this board. It is also possible that he has a legitimate problem about the music in his scene and wants to see a change. Nonetheless, I would disagree with the way he went about solving the problem. I don't beleive he provided any evidence to support his case.

I've always consider Matthew to be a nice guy and I was shocked when I read his posts on this thread. He definitely seems to have a strong interest in the music and the dance. I would be more than happy to meet with him and discuss lindyhop and the music. More than anything else, I am really curious as to why he has never peronally talked about the music. I am definitely an approachable dj and I play requests wether I like it or not. Futhermore, I would be willing to have him come by sometimes when I am djing and spin a few tunes. A better idea is I can have him as a local dj for the LH411 party in August 6th - 8th. Matthew, your move?