djing the blues...our job

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mousethief · #76 Post by **mousethief** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 12:59 pm

I have officially tossed in my hat for ever DJing a Blues event again - unless a friend needs a hand. Not something I want to do. If I can't DJ swing music at a swing event, I don't want a hand in it.

There's a whole new crop of blues-focused DJs; let them at it.

Kalman

CafeSavoy · #77 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 1:04 pm

mousethief wrote:I have officially tossed in my hat for ever DJing a Blues event again - unless a friend needs a hand.
Kalman

You tossed in your hat?

LindyChef · #78 Post by **LindyChef** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 1:04 pm

That would generally mean stepping up to the challenge ... odd.

mousethief · #79 Post by **mousethief** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 1:26 pm

CafeSavoy wrote:
mousethief wrote:I have officially tossed in my hat for ever DJing a Blues event again - unless a friend needs a hand.
Kalman
You tossed in your hat?

Damn metaphors. I threw in the towel.

Bores me.

Kalman

Dr. Feelgood · #80 Post by **Dr. Feelgood** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 1:31 pm

So that means my lasting memory of you DJing Blues will be in Dallas:

You telling me that you aren't going to play Dr. Feelgood (Aretha Franklin)
and then when I turned my back to get my CD Book, you PLAYED it. (LOL)

Funny stuff.

mousethief · #81 Post by **mousethief** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 2:14 pm

Something like that. You'll have to settle for some kind of swing music from here on out, sucka.

Kalman

northbayclay · #82 Post by **northbayclay** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 2:20 pm

Kalman-

For someone who DJ's in a scene almost devoid of blues dancing, would you mind explaining exactly why you're fed up? I've read this entire thread, and have been exposed to "blues dancing", but I'm curious about your reasons for taking such a stance, and if it is a continuation of the sentiments you posted earlier on this thread.

Funny thing is- we have a weekly event that is affectionately referred to as "blues dancing"-the kids go try to lindy hop or just wiggle to the Sonoma County Blues Society jam session-and only about half of the music has any semblance of anything vintage or traditional (and by this I mean pre-electric guitar)- I guess the semantics in our area are different then elsewhere. Most of the kids here don't know that they really aren't blues dancing.

Which leads to my last question to the general public- I'd like more people to weigh in on the question of how "blues dancing" is defined and how that coincides with the music that is played. Some posters here have expressed the feeling that it is tempo related, others that it is blues based. Comments?

mousethief · #83 Post by **mousethief** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 2:33 pm

northbayclay wrote:Kalman-

For someone who DJ's in a scene almost devoid of blues dancing, would you mind explaining exactly why you're fed up? I've read this entire thread, and have been exposed to "blues dancing", but I'm curious about your reasons for taking such a stance, and if it is a continuation of the sentiments you posted earlier on this thread. Comments?

Sure. Guess I should re-read my earlier posts.

It's not really fun for me. I applaud the success Jerry and Kathy have enjoyed by helping to "legitimize" blues dancing. I think it's great.

However, it's not for me. My collection is built for DJing swing dances and even though I've had some success at a number of events spinning Blues, it bores the Hell out of me. As a dancer, I like to go out to local clubs like Keys Lounge, soak up some bourbon and soak in some Blues. I don't want to invest more time than that. If I'm going to start working on my dancing, it's going to Lindy or Bal or Charleston.

As a DJ, if I'm not serious about dancing to it or adding it to my collection, I have no business spinning it. That's a disservice to the public and a waste of my time.

On a socio-political note, I find that the crowd favoring slower rooms and Blues rooms aren't people I want to hang with as a general rule. The geek/can't get some factor seems even more pronounced there. When I go to Keys Lounge, I can see bikers, sh*tkickers, Mexicans, pool sharks, ol' Mumblin' Joe - all in the same place. For me, that's where it's at.

I'm glad some people have found a home in it. It's just not my home. Hell, I don't even like to visit very often.

Kalman

julius · #84 Post by **julius** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 2:55 pm

watch it bub, the geek/can't get some crowd loves classic, hot swing too.

mousethief · #85 Post by **mousethief** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 3:01 pm

julius wrote:watch it bub, the geek/can't get some crowd loves classic, hot swing too.

Is that you, Wolverine?

I'd say there's a dramatic difference in the people that go to blues clubs and the people that go blues dancing. I would also say that the geek factor is higher in the blues room than in the main room and it's becoming as elitist as the main room, which was a driver for going into the side rooms in the first place.

And what you really love are sidecars and lots of them. Lindygras in 60 days!

Kalman

Nando · #86 Post by **Nando** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 10:29 pm

mousethief wrote: On a socio-political note, I find that the crowd favoring slower rooms and Blues rooms aren't people I want to hang with as a general rule. The geek/can't get some factor seems even more pronounced there. When I go to Keys Lounge, I can see bikers, sh*tkickers, Mexicans, pool sharks, ol' Mumblin' Joe - all in the same place. For me, that's where it's at.

I can understand that.

On your other note about the music boring you, as much as I love blues and find myself spending more time in the blues bins at CD shops, I still feel sometimes that there needs to be a little more variety. Not that the music bores me, but listening to too much of anything in a given night can wear you down.

mousethief · #87 Post by **mousethief** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:06 am

I should clarify. Blues music does not bore me; I just don't get a rise out of DJing it. If I'm invited to DJ a swing event, I get excited and delve into my collection. I buy swing music to DJ, I buy blues to enjoy on a different level.

I also enjoy soul and disco, but I don't have an ambition to go DJ a 70's Preservation Society event. The disconnect is between my enjoyment of the music and my desire to DJ it.

Kalman

northbayclay · #88 Post by **northbayclay** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 11:04 am

Thanks for the clarification- I've always held that once you stop either stop having fun (or finding some other sort of fulfillment) with an activity, it's time to either quit or re-evaluate.

On the socio end- I can't prove it, but I think that blues dancing has been responsible for creep-ifying some leads- or so the follows tell me.

julius · #89 Post by **julius** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:32 pm

I'm DJing a blues set in the blues room at the New Year's event in San Diego. (Except it's actually a 'blues and rhythm' room at my suggestion since 'rhythm and blues' has a totally different connotation.)

mousethief · #90 Post by **mousethief** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 3:05 pm

julius wrote:I'm DJing a blues set in the blues room at the New Year's event in San Diego. (Except it's actually a 'blues and rhythm' room at my suggestion since 'rhythm and blues' has a totally different connotation.)

Ho Ho!

Lawrence wrote:This entire thread demonstrates why I got in a pissing match with someone who wrote "BLUES ROOM" on the sign for the Slow Blues room at the Austin Exchange last year instead of the very purposeful name we had given it: "SLOW BLUES ROOM." I asked them to re-write the sign, and they threw a fit because they didn't think there was a difference.

Ho Ho Ho!

Kalman