I Just DJ'd the Set of My Life...

24

  Comments


  • DJFerrariDJFerrari 2,411 Posts
    Curious, did you play out with OG raer vinyl's or was this on that Serato you bought recently.

    Vinyl... I don't have a good laptop yet to use Serato.

    I went into 3 straight hours of ridiculously dope uptempo funk, soul, disco, rock and hip hop records old and new, perfectly mixed and creatively blended...

    POST THE MIX OR YOUR SOFT.

    Yes why stop at 16 people in San Jose laughing at you when you can have an entire international community of DJs mocking you too!

    That's more like it Marco... I was thinking your previous post was way too nice and helpful J/k... I do appreciate the advice.

  • edith headedith head 5,106 Posts
    that sounds like a pretty gross crowd for laughing at you.

    the last time i played out, i threw on ed og and some broad came up to me and asked if i could play some hip hop


  • while we're on the topic of setting up a niche, what's the best way to actually get your first gig at a new venue (i.e. selling yourself) and stay there if you have no previous reputation?

  • nerstylistnerstylist 38 Posts
    ferrari - yo man sorry to hear that, but don't even sweat it. i'm sure we've all had nights where things didn't go exactly as planned. when you're surrounded by spots such as "glo" or "angels", you're more than likely gonna have a hard time throwing a successful event for the real headz. you gots mad talent dawg...that '06 demo mix is still getting heavy rotation on my player. looking forward to the next "digdug" function...anyways, keep your head up man. hopefully we'll spin alongside each other one day..


  • CaMKIIaCaMKIIa 269 Posts
    damn dude if i had known i would have gone to this. i don't know anything in the south bay that actually plays good shit.

    yeah, san jose isn't exactly a mecca for "open minds". the entire downtown area reeks of kouros on a saturday night.

    just try again, don't admit defeat because a bunch of glorified hicks didn't like your set. there's nothing good in the 408 (i grew up there, and currently live there for the next two weeks).

  • Options
    Yeah ivan, I wouldn't worry about it. Keep rolling the snowball, it'll grow.

    Aligning yourself with like-mided DJ's is a great suggestion.

    Kevin in Canada.

  • dstill808dstill808 704 Posts
    but I guess I don't matter enough for them to return the favor.

    Yo man, in a supportive way (cuz I definitely know what it's like to feel like you're doing you best and it just isn't getting through) I gotta tell you that the above sentiment isn't going to get you anywhere. It's easy to to take it personally when folks don't follow through on an invitation, but that's only going to make you more upset, and possibly sever some of the ties you have with people who really are there to support you at tough times in your life.

    I know on my end if I have a friend in a band or something and I make it to even 1/5 of their performances, I feel like I'm making an effort to be supportive, and I'm generally going not because I want to see a band that night, but because I want to be there for my friends. I can't go every night, sometimes not even to the more important shows, and that's just how it is.

    Plus the fact is that people (your friends or not) showing up makes you part of your money means that it's kind of comlicated to feel like your friends are obligated to come turn out and make your night a success. I'm sure they care about you and are supportive people. It will definitly be beneficial to you just enjoy the company of the folks who did show up for you (sixteen really isn't that bad even for personal friends at an event) and have a good time to the extent that you can.

    Sorry the shit was rough though.

  • sconesscones 434 Posts
    2 the man who said location location location, i co-sign..

  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    Wear your Soul Strut t-shirt next time


  • jinx74jinx74 2,287 Posts
    thats wack ivan. but completely understandable being that you tried to do that in SJ. no diss to brian but his party wasnt really poppin either and mostly made up of bar drinkers and folks from upstairs who found their way down. SJ just isnt the place for that. gotta remember that SJ is the home of dance music and soul/funk just dont cut it.

    playing funk and soul in the bay is hard bro. you dont find that on the radio out here and the radio is what moves the clubs. maybe a bboy gig but really thats about it. unless you group up a ton of hipsters and tell them this is the next hot thing... but SJ sucks cuz. i hate the south bay... but yall know that already.

    ive never had people dance to the music i played. ive had more than enough people ask me to play rap music instead of soul. ive been taken off the TTs too. i ran a club where i got no more than 50 people in a month and it was a weekly. it happens to ALL of us.

    roll with the punches cuz... doesnt mean you cant dj just means that you played to the wrong crowd and SJ is the WRONG crowd.

  • OneSoulOneSoul 206 Posts
    Hey Ivan,

    sorry to hear about your gig Friday, but you know there were other factor's involved here to think about. One of the biggest being that you called both Age and I that evening to say it was cancelled ? We both started calling our folks to let them know it wasn't gonna happen and for my friends anyway, to try and link up for Ross' night over at Sofa Lounge (which I heard was bananas by the way)

    It doesn't surprise me, unfortunatley that you were treated that poorly by Jacek and his patron's over there, but trying to play the 'rare groove' stuff all night on a Friday on the first floor at Agenda not gonna happen.

    I've been playing the San Jose scene for a while now. Paid my dues, I think my first real gigs besides random fill ins at Fuel were Sundays[/b] at Kleidon's (soulglo) we were happy if a homeless dude from the Greyhound station came in to bum a smoke (our pay was $2 beers). Then had some Tuesday residencies and finally you start hustlin' your own nights like somebody stated (Sun-Thu) by getting in with the club owners, but even Thursdays are tough to get around here. With all of that work I'm now getting the Friday's & Saturday's and even with that I'm usually the opener and you know what, I'm fine with that, like you I have another job that pays the bills.

    I think you were shootin' for the fence with this Friday night monthly at Agenda. Try for some singles and doubles before the homerun next time.

    You're better off not dealing with that piece of shit Jacek anyway.

    putting your time in and networking are key.

    -B-

    [rant] but on a side note:[/b]

    Fuck San Jose
    there is nothing good in the 408
    this fuckin' shit has to stop, who's comin' down and when? I'll tell you where to go for food, drinks, music & effin DJ's that is nice and good. I love NYC, SF and the likes and I'm not comparing us to them but we got's some shit that ain't all 'mesh shirts' and meatheads. put you're ear to the street or fuckin' hit me up!! stop the fuckin' hatin!!! [/rant]

  • djstefdjstef 534 Posts
    Forget those idiots that boo'ed you. Keep doing what you do.

  • DJFerrariDJFerrari 2,411 Posts
    Yeah B... what happened was when it started raining, the plan was for me to split the time with the band inside. Jacek made a last minute call at 10:00 to move the band outside. You and Adrian both wanted nothing to do with the show at that point anyways so I didn't bother letting you know it was back on.

  • OneSoulOneSoul 206 Posts
    Yeah B... what happened was when it started raining, the plan was for me to split the time with the band inside. Jacek made a last minute call at 10:00 to move the band outside. You and Adrian both wanted nothing to do with the show at that point anyways so I didn't bother letting you know it was back on.

    All that I was saying was the mix-up from the start factored in to the end result. Still doesn't give them permission to boo you and run you out of there, but as stated before, you're better off w/out that spot...

    no diss to Brian but his party wasnt really poppin either

    no diss taken, just sayin' that you CAN get people to these nights, it's just not going to be like Ruby Skye on a Saturday night.

    * as far as my last rant on the San Jose haters, let me tone it down a little bit. I know that the 'Jo has it's rep and some of it is deserving, but there are some people down here that are trying to get cool quality music nights going(i.e. MusicMachine) and good artists in the galleries(i.e. GalleryAD) and outside movies during the warm weather(i.e. NagleeParkGarage) and even listening parties with record swaps(i.e. DigDug)

    I'm just saying that the Blanket statements such as "fuck San Jose" and "nothing happens in 408" is being just as close minded as some of the meatheads that you describe. It just makes it that much more difficult for us down here trying to make OUR city better.

    that's all,
    -B-

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Could someone explain why San Jose is suspect?

    Is there no college kid presence?

    Is "mall culture" the dominant flavor?

    Is there a "Local Black Experience" to keep thangs "funky"?

    Is it historically a "classic rock" town?

    Critique Pleez?

  • DJFerrariDJFerrari 2,411 Posts
    All that I was saying was the mix-up from the start factored in to the end result. Still doesn't give them permission to boo you and run you out of there, but as stated before, you're better off w/out that spot...

    Well, you and Adrian were the only people I told about the mixup so that shouldn't have turned everyone away... especially my crowd. And yeah, Fuck San Jose was a harsh, heat of the moment statement. I enjoy living in the south bay although I don't go out much in the area. There are a lot of super cool, down to earth people down here. The Dig Dug is an excellent example.

  • OneSoulOneSoul 206 Posts
    Could someone explain why San Jose is suspect?

    high concentration of sausage armies wearing corny shirts drinking too much and fighting mixed with girls with too much make-up and attitude then mix in some bad house music and WAY too much Police presence at 1:30 sharp and there you have it.

    Is there no college kid presence?

    yes, but no. SJSU is right in the middle of downtown, and here's the BUT, it is one of the largest 'commuter' schools in the US. Which means the dorms and on campus life is not even close to other colleges, most students drive to school. Plus, most official KSJS events are reserved for backpack rap.

    Is "mall culture" the dominant flavor?

    while we do have some DJ's playing the malls (sorry Downtown72 ) We are a large city that is just a bunch of little towns duct taped together and called one. Each little community (Milpitas, Campbell, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, etc) all fall under the San Jose name, so in size and numbers we seem rather large and powerful but in a sense of community and nightlife every little town has there own 'little scene' factor in the fact that most people still make the decision to leave town for our neighbors up north because it's easier to make it as an artist, dj or musician in SF.

    Is there a "Local Black Experience" to keep thangs "funky"?

    Not really, we were a farming community and then the high tech boom came and ka-blam we're Silicon Valley. No real African American concentrations or neighborhoods other then East Palo Alto which is also getting a big change in demographics due to the high cost of living unfortunately.

    Is it historically a "classic rock" town?

    ask Greg Kinn at KFOX

    Critique Pleez?

    It's my home.

  • DjArcadianDjArcadian 3,632 Posts
    Could someone explain why San Jose is suspect?

    Is there no college kid presence?

    Is "mall culture" the dominant flavor?

    Is there a "Local Black Experience" to keep thangs "funky"?

    Is it historically a "classic rock" town?

    Critique Pleez?

    It's all shinny shirts and vertical strips. The kind of place where people will request Nelly's "Grillz" all night. I've only rolled through the downtown with a friend of mine once who lives there. Shit DID NOT appeal to me. I'll take SF, Oakland and Berkeley any day.

  • wescoasiawescoasia 126 Posts
    Yeah man, San Jose is super weak when it comes to music and clubs. There have been several people throughout the years who have tried to start monthlies, bi-weeklies, etc, for the good shit, but it always dies out reeeal quick. Even with a good headlining DJ or group, once you roll up and see the flossy people in line, you'll think twice about even going in. That's how I used to feel, but now I just avoid it completely. It sucks when you have to diss your own hometown.

  • djdepositdjdeposit 224 Posts
    Yeah man, San Jose is super weak when it comes to music and clubs. There have been several people throughout the years who have tried to start monthlies, bi-weeklies, etc, for the good shit, but it always dies out reeeal quick. Even with a good headlining DJ or group, once you roll up and see the flossy people in line, you'll think twice about even going in. That's how I used to feel, but now I just avoid it completely. It sucks when you have to diss your own hometown.

  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,473 Posts
    Man, Ivan, that fucking sucks. There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said as far as how hard it can be to find your niche and how shitty DJing can be if you're no interested in running club bangers and "safe" joints all night. I guess just think of it as earning your stripes, ya know? Every DJ has horror stories about stuff like this--it seems pretty much inescapable. So you take some lumps, but in the end, it's more important that you stick to your guns and do what you're feeling. Sure, it's the tougher road to take, but it's also the more rewarding one as stories like SoulMarcosa's demonstrate.

  • tuneuptuneup 586 Posts
    But trust me dude, whether it's getting laughed at, getting booed, having five people show up, having the club owner cut your set, or whatever it is... we've ALL been there. Trust me on that.


    such truth....Ferrari, and even though i don't know you, we really have all been there.

    I put out my album in '95, and it was much work and money to do it. Dude..i hardly sold any copies, and I still think the shit is great and people missed it. All my heart and soul (and not to forget the bands too) went into that Cd,and not many people cared. Crushed me dude...However, even though it was one of my greatest "failures" I ABSOLUTELY credit that as one of the factors in me becoming a self employed business man, and in the music business as well. Looking at myself right in the face, and still knowing what I did was good and the right thing to do....man that keeps my head held high even in the roughest times. Keep it up man..and remember that we all started this for the right reasons...we love music.

  • rkwparkrkwpark 915 Posts

    It's my home.

    ditto!

    dont forget 'music in the other park'

    and this guy


    American hot dog eating record set
    By Darren Rovell
    ESPN.com

    Watch out, Takeru Kobayashi. Here comes Joey Chestnut.

    Chestnut, a 22-year-old civil engineering student at San Jose State, ate 50 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes Thursday at the Las Vegas qualifier for a spot at the table at the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.

    The mark sets the American hot dog eating record, beating the 42 hot dogs and buns swallowed by Sonya Thomas last year. In the same competition, Chestnut had only eaten 32.

    "I was hoping to do 40," said Chestnut, the champion in pork ribs (5.5 pounds in 12 minutes), waffles (18.5 in 10 minutes) and jalapeno poppers (118 in 10 minutes). "I did 48 at home, but it's always harder to do it in front of a crowd."

    Kobayashi, who flies to Coney Island each year from Japan for the hot dog eating championship held July 4, holds the world record of 53?? hot dogs and buns. He has won the last five contests, but in two of those victories he ate less than 50 hot dogs and buns.

    "This could be so critical to our sport," said George Shea, chair of the International Federation of Competitive Eating, which sanctions more than 100 eating contests, including the Nathan's event. "It's never good for the same athlete to win so many years in a row. The Fourth of July has been stolen from Americans because of Kobayashi's dominance and now America has someone who they can get excited about."

    "I'm going to push harder on our Independence Day to take the title back," said Chestnut, who is 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds. "My brother is in the National Guard in Iraq and there will be a lot of people behind me."

    Chestnut estimates he has won $50,000 in cash and prizes in a year on the circuit, including a car and ring after prevailing in the Wing Bowl. In the event, which took place in Philadelphia, he ate 173 buffalo wings in 30 minutes.

    Darren Rovell, a senior writer for ESPN.com, can be reached at [email]Darren.rovell@espn3.com.[/email]

  • DJFerrariDJFerrari 2,411 Posts
    Well, here's 2 hours of the set... the 2 hours I had planned out beforehand. It's not as on point as in the club, but close enough. I get more tense pressing record than in a club full of people that want to hurt me. Enjoy

    http://www.djferrari.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=15&type=Download

  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    Mr. Ferrari,

    Please know that I have felt your pain many, many times. The thing is, when you love music as much as you (and I) do, you're usually into a wide range of stuff. Most people are into a much smaller range of things, sonically speaking, and those are the people that tend to go out. So what's a music-loving DJ to do? I find that making mix CDs is a really great outlet for playing the non-club kind of music I love. And it's funny--some of the most flattering compliments I receive are on mix CDs I've made that are filled with songs I could never (and would never) play in public. And I heard your FortyFivan CD (thanks again), so I know you have those skills.

    Keep your chin up, dude. It's hard to be a DJ out here!

    And for the rackord: there were several black people at my San Jose gig on Friday--and not a shiny shirt in sight.

  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    Well, here's 2 hours of the set... the 2 hours I had planned out beforehand. It's not as on point as in the club, but close enough. I get more tense pressing record than in a club full of people that want to hurt me. Enjoy

    http://www.djferrari.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=15&type=Download


    I am definitely feeling this.

    My head has been nodding for 20 minutes straight...

  • downtown72downtown72 125 Posts
    damn - i'm late to the party and my long-ass post just timed out...

    Ivan, fuck that place. Bad gigs happen.

    B - my Metro ho's will **oofff*** get you for that little jab...

    oh, and one more item - since when does "the local black presence" somehow legitimize a night's "funkiness"?



    i dont even know what the local african-american population around San Jose is (even 15 percent?), but regardless of what city you're in, that is a lame measuring stick IMO.

  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    BATMON San Jose is a former suburb turned metro which is perhaps 30-60 min outside of SF.... compare to Long Island... a lot of work down there many many office parks so the cities have sprouted up around them but the "old san jose" is a fairly small area and most of what is (now) this biggest metro area in Northern CA is new construction, mcmansions, tracked housing, and the aforementioned office parks.

    It is pretty easy to understand how San Jose could be so lame, there is just no culture down there. Or very little. And I'm sorry to all my folks that are from there, but it's just the truth. I have a lot of folks from San Jose and I have been there many a time, my dad used to work there, etc etc etc but it is what it is. There is never any reason to go out in San Jose if you are not in the immediate vicinity. It is like going to a club in Hempstead (only less ghetto). Why would you do that

    But lord are there some hot girls in San Jose.

  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    Man, sorry bout that dog, but dont take it personal. Theres no accounting for peoples tastes anywhere, but when people go to a bar its rarely to hear dope music. Usually they just want to dance with some bitches and go home with them afterwards. Definitely not the best time to be putting people up on crazy new music.

    Im sure theres ways to be the exception to the rule, like marco, and cosmo and other people on here, but generally its "play the hits bitch!" anywhere in the country. I cant lean with it, rock with it to some old soul shit.

    If your ambition is just to share music that you enjoy i think theres better avenues, like college radio or something.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    San Jose is a former suburb turned metro

    So in the 70's the town probably didnt absorb disco, and in the 80's house music didnt stick to the wall? No subcultures could have thrives in this transitional town. Most cats associate w/ the radio and not underground scenes?

    I find San Jose's "plight" interesting.

    It seems it may one day find itself.

    Didnt Hempstead birth P.E.?
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