Sleep Depravity in a Holidaze Reality

I owe a couple of reviews. Well, I owe one. Mike Marshall hooded up my good friend Covert with a +1, and that was me. Few things meke me happier than free stuff. Especially I'm happy when that freebie was something I already wanted.

Before I left Buffalo this last time (b4 The Great Turkey Massacre) El Cove tole me that 'my boy' Busdriver was comin to town (w/ Daedalus & Anti-MC). Nobody (including Eric) told me ECMC was the local opener MC (backed by DJ Mark Cloud). ECMC is one the first dudes I met in the lo, and probly the closest in that city to my personal hip hop aesthetic. I missed it, but i really like EC. Probly cuz he's considered a weirdo, much like my self. I also like Mark Cloud, ever tho we've never really hung out and he spins D&B (whcih i can listen to but it really bothers some to the purists and snobs). The bill only listed DJ Mark Cloud. I bet it would have enjoyed it.

I saw some of Anti-MC and thought the grooves were cool. I was not much impressed by the technique, instrumentation, or stage presence. But the backup musician was on it, and it was funky, electronic, and live at the same time.

Daedalus stole the show. The way dude plays his fancy piece of equipment (look it up yourself) makes it entertaining. Not many play their keyboards (or samplers in this case) faced toward the audience. Anyone who has seen it will know why it is both intriguing and so hard to describe. It does not suffice to say, but none the less I will, it was musically exciting, visually enticing, and technologically advanced (he also said it was open source, so go make your own). The beat maker that took me was...impressed.

Busdriver is one of my all time favorite musical performers. Not only do i consider him to be an incredible rhymer (both freestyle and written), but his style has always spoken to me (something ECMC and I share). He seems to always be pushing some boundary since early in his appearance on the LA underground scene.

Tho a bit too rockstar for me, his stage show at Soundlab was frenetic, musical, well practiced, and filled with the enigmatic charisma I generally associate w/ Bus (tho I admit to not being an expert on such things).

But this entry is really about the VinylJunkEase: Holiday Edition. I just had to get that off my chest. I should write up the Atreyu show a couple weeks ago, but I don't owe nobody that.

The party started with a bottle of JD and 2 30 packs donated by Slate Street Cafe for holiday celebrations. Then all of us made some contributions, and solicited contributions from others. Mike gave both Lu and I some $. Lu and John picked up some booze and more beer from Quarters (which also made a contribution). I picked up wine from Quarters and Trader Joes.

When the staff started to show up the party started in earnest. Predictably, I was hit by requests for 'dance' music, which turned into 'club' music. Make some big donations and ask again.

Personal highlights include being invited out into the dance floor (the living room, as my room was/is the dj booth), and freaked into a state of arousal. I then fled back into the dj booth to catch the transition. Also there was the toast that got everyone into the living room, then i dropped "Push It". And they did.

Then there was this:



I felt bad for the poor kid, but I couldn't help but take a picture. VinylJunkEase: this ain't Vegas, so don't sleep. Especially not on the dance floor, cuz the homies got sharpies. And some smart ass is bound to take a picture. Don't get mad tho, if you wasn't there, you would never know. If you were...

Save some spillage (lots really, but i bailed before cleanup, sorry dudes), some pukage, and a runaway hardon, VJE #2 went off well. The only real compliments I got was that it was 'more' than expected, and that I'm a badass (refer back to the freakage).

"Tell 'em they call you sandpaper cuz you're so fine"

It's 6:00 am. (not really but that's when i wrote it down, all old fashioned like on real paper and whatnot) I need to take my nephew to the airport at 7.

After that I need to return the sound to its owner. After that I need to return the truck to its owner. And maybe another errand or two.

Then at 1:30 am its off to the Greyhound station.
Merry Christmas.

To your family, friends and good times.

p.s. this may be a little late, but early for a round of Prosperous and Happy New Year!