I appologize for my cinical response earlier, but all i saw was people stroking your hurt ego, and I guess I never really benefited from people doing this. Call me jaded. Regardless of what I said, I hope you know it's all love. Tough Love as it may be. I hate seeing my peers go out like that.
A lot of times you'll have an idea of the way a party will be, plan for it, then it ends up completely different. You really have to be able to look out, and know when to play it safe. Being flexible is really important, because crowds differ in spot to spot and night to night. Things like "holy ghost" and "gone bad" work fine, but you have to sprinkle em in with things people recognize.
San Jose, like Long Island, has birthed some nice things (or at least, some nice people) but I do not think it is a cool place to hang out
Do you see it turning the corner? Like artist enclaves settling down in some weird part of town, spawning some sort of localized culture that can breed/expand?
San Jose, like Long Island, has birthed some nice things (or at least, some nice people) but I do not think it is a cool place to hang out
Do you see it turning the corner? Like artist enclaves settling down in some weird part of town, spawning some sort of localized culture that can breed/expand?
We ARE turning a corner here, ever so slowly, but change never comes easy. With that said all of you dudes hating,talking shit and complaining about how San Jose sucks but live here, I say this "do something about it!" get involved in your community. There are people HERE trying to change things.
or just take the easy way out and run up to SF and keep complaining...
I appologize for my cinical response earlier, but all i saw was people stroking your hurt ego, and I guess I never really benefited from people doing this. Call me jaded. Regardless of what I said, I hope you know it's all love. Tough Love as it may be. I hate seeing my peers go out like that.
Yo Tom... no need for apology. You're absolutely right... I needed the 'Get Over It and Yourself' stance as much as the apologetic stance.
We ARE turning a corner here, ever so slowly, but change never comes easy. With that said all of you dudes hating,talking shit and complaining about how San Jose sucks but live here, I say this "do something about it!" get involved in your community. There are people HERE trying to change things.
Uhh... I'm pretty sure that's what I was trying to do with this whole thing man.
I DJ'd the Agenda spot quite a while back and kept the floor for much of my (tepid) set...then again Snoop's DJ was playing right across the street. (just beyond the wall of squad cars )
We ARE turning a corner here, ever so slowly, but change never comes easy. With that said all of you dudes hating,talking shit and complaining about how San Jose sucks but live here, I say this "do something about it!" get involved in your community. There are people HERE trying to change things.
Uhh... I'm pretty sure that's what I was trying to do with this whole thing man.
right intentions, wrong location... but my comments weren't necessarily aimed at you Ivan, I see you out supporting our events, it was more for the people still sittin' on the bench complaining.
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
99% of the time, when you are ready to give up, you are about two steps from turning the corner, then a big black shiny piano will fall on your head.[/b] . so you're doing good IMO.
99% of the time, when you are ready to give up, you are about two steps from turning the corner, then a big black shiny piano will fall on your head.[/b] . so you're doing good IMO.
Or you'll be eaten by big hairy tarantulas. Apparently that's a big problem among diggers.
San Jose, like Long Island, has birthed some nice things (or at least, some nice people) but I do not think it is a cool place to hang out
Do you see it turning the corner? Like artist enclaves settling down in some weird part of town, spawning some sort of localized culture that can breed/expand?
We ARE turning a corner here, ever so slowly, but change never comes easy. With that said all of you dudes hating,talking shit and complaining about how San Jose sucks but live here, I say this "do something about it!" get involved in your community. There are people HERE trying to change things.
or just take the easy way out and run up to SF and keep complaining...
i dont see it brian. sorry. san jose has ALWAYS been the way it is now... little more rap and less stevie b but still the same.
ive come down for parties always to get mad... yes MAD, at myself for wasting my time. i like hanging out with you, ivan, adrian, jeff, etc... but thats it. id come down to kick it but the parties have always been pretty bad. im talking about the rap clubs primarily. its like wannabe LA cats with that damn attitude and bullshit look on their faces but without the money.
the record stores arent even a draw anymore for a lot of us. its kinda like "yeahhhh... we COULD go to SJ but why dont we just go to amoeba instead." yes... its THAT bad dude. (we dont speak on the "other" spots... but those can be pretty damn good... however, your team down there has it LOCKED! except for the flea mkt.)
i feel you on wanting to make something happen down there and i will support you, nate, ivan, jeff, etc with my dying breath... i just dont have any friends that i know that are willing to drive down to SJ for a party due to past experiences.
and digdug is cool but driving 50min to hang out with friends and trying to break even on selling $3 records doesnt make me want to rush on down there again. somewhat rainy night or not should of made more than, what... 12 maybe 15 people come out to buy (the rest of those cornballs were hipster art fools who were some of the most unfriendly people ive ever met in SJ and thats bad). i know the show is in the early stages but still... i just dont see it yet. maybe im jaded by the years of crap that SJ has produced but i still cross my fingers for yall. it would be DOPE if yall could pull that off. (im sure this ruins my chance at selling again... sorry nate/jeff)
im sure this sounds bad, which it is, i just wanted to add my pesos and hope to see you up here again when i open the garage to sell records. no hard feelings cuz just telling you what i.. maybe more that just me... think.
Justin I agree with you. I used to do shows in SJ all the time because it was easy to get booked and they were always terrible. The crowd was either too cool to care or just not interested. Either way nobody cared and I played with groups that would sell out large venues in SF.
I have never had much luck record-wise (except for this last time) and while that's partially not knowing where to look........ it's also because, unlike SF, there's just not a supportive culture of record buyers that will keep shops interesting.... mostly it is hardcore collectors and dealers who are just going to bleed the spots. This is just my opinion as a Bay Area native so please nobody get mad. But honestly I do not see there being enough people in San Jose, who care about this kind of scene or this kind of music, to even support a night. The culture out there is all cars and rap music if not that then neon colors and techno or freestyle. Big hair.
It will never be like SF, that is why anyone who wants to live in that environment gets out, I barely know anyone in SJ that used to live there and still does. Because if you are looking for a scene where there is interesting music, good shops (not just records either), public transportation, an "urban" feeling (sorry, as big as SJ is it still feels like the burbs), you are going to leave.
I guess this is mostly directed at OneSoul and I mean it with no offense intended. Someone on this board a long time ago asked me for advice to open a record shop in SJ.... I don't know where that went but I thought it was a bad idea, for the same reasons. I wouldn't put any money into changing the nightlife either.
Went to a Team show in SJ last week that was suprisingly crackin. Lots of ladies in the spot which is unusual for local rap.
I used to think people cared about what I liked when I dj'd and clearly they don't. When u realize that it makes it a lot easier. Me and Dee Rock used to dj a night in which we attempted to play funk and soul like 10 years ago. That shit lasted two weeks and then it turned into any other rap night and was crackin. I've never been to a successful soul funk night outside of NY and SF. Even those that were considered "successfull" were pretty wack to me.
wow! I never thought I would read a lengthy discussion on Soulstrut about San Jose:
well
1). Ivan, chin-up. I mean that, I felt like that a grip of times...shit after all the deejaying I do in SF I still feel like that ( "what the fuck am I doing...I should quit" or whatever). Then I have a good time at a club or something and I'm hyped again. It's the cycle of being an artiste. Take this experience and turn it into a postive. Start making more mix-cd's or something.
2). San Jose is a real "stringent" city. If it wasn't for One Soul, The Finger Bangerz, Age and Tommy with Universal Grammar San Jose woudn't have anything going on at all. It's hard doing a monthly when you're musical vision doens't match the general public but I give it up even more to you guys for doing it in place like that. It's still even a battle out in S.F.
3). San Jose women are a a million times more attractive than SF women. I'm not exactly sure if that's even relevant to the discussion but I figure I would say that.
no offense taken Mr Paycheck[/b] and I ain't mad atcha Jinx[/b]. You both have valid points and thought out reasonable arguments. Grown man discussion here.
It's the blanket "Fuck San Jose" statements that get to me. It reminds me too much of the people that say our government is whack, but yet have never voted.
I understand that our scene is lacking culture or substance as some have pointed out and believe me at times it's a bit like Sisyphus rolling that boulder up the hill only to have it roll down the other side.
I've lived plenty of places, but came back here because of family and work. It's my home, and contrary to Gil Scott's song title, to me, home is where the heart is.
Wifey and I stayed with one of her friends in SJ about ten years ago. I felt like I had been dropped into the neighborhood where POLTERGEIST and E.T. were hanging out.
I agree with those suggesting radio as an alternative to club DJing as a way of sharing the music you love. My DJ career lasted about five years and was filled with nights like the one you described. Admittedly, no one ever booed my out of the club, but I'm no stranger to empty rooms and nonplussed owners. Radio lets you avoid all of this while (with time) developing an audience far larger than you would ever have as a club DJ. You can also play whatewver you want and cater to no one's tastes but your own.
On the other hand, your mix is killer and it's exactly the sort of thing that I think should be heard in clubs.
Went to a Team show in SJ last week that was suprisingly crackin. Lots of ladies in the spot which is unusual for local rap.
I used to think people cared about what I liked when I dj'd and clearly they don't. When u realize that it makes it a lot easier. Me and Dee Rock used to dj a night in which we attempted to play funk and soul like 10 years ago. That shit lasted two weeks and then it turned into any other rap night and was crackin. I've never been to a successful soul funk night outside of NY and SF. Even those that were considered "successfull" were pretty wack to me.
This has been the case as long as I have ever been deejaying! In fact I'm having a shitty day today because the venue I do on Sat. nights has asked me NOT to come back again. Why? Here is the rundown: They asked me to be myself that they didn't want any of the same ol stuff like the other clubs in town. They wanted me to drop soul, funk, disco etc. So I did and to be honest was killing it! Not one person danced and the crowd looked disgusted. I got requests all night for "Miss New Booty" and "Something Good". Well at the end of the night the owner was upset and said It wasn't good and not to come back again. They will probably have the kid from up the street on his computer next week, not even serato just playing songs off a computer and sitting in a chair! I'm so serious. They had him before and love him. He will play "My Humps" etc. and they all including the club owner will love it and think he is GREAT. That's just what it is. You must remember that 95% of the general public doesn't know what's "really good". They are just programmed robots. It's upsetting for sure but what do u do?
wow! I never thought I would read a lengthy discussion on Soulstrut about San Jose:
same here.
I understand that our scene is lacking culture or substance as some have pointed out and believe me at times it's a bit like Sisyphus rolling that boulder up the hill only to have it roll down the other side.
deep!
maybe finding smaller venues where small crowds dont stand out so much and is much more 'intimate' might do the trick. aint nothing like an empty dancefloor to make it look
ive told folks that san jose still has a small town mentality but big metropolitan aspirations that may or may not ever come into fruition but for the folks who still try to do things, more power to them... san jose has more to offer then just freestyle music. ive lived here and grew up here and i love it.
Here is the rundown: They asked me to be myself that they didn't want any of the same ol stuff like the other clubs in town. They wanted me to drop soul, funk, disco etc. So I did and to be honest was killing it! Not one person danced and the crowd looked disgusted. I got requests all night for "Miss New Booty" and "Something Good". Well at the end of the night the owner was upset and said It wasn't good and not to come back again.
Ive seen this scenario before. The owner/slash manager wants to open up his/her audience, so they look to the cat who knows styles beyond the radio. But the owner/manager themself doesnt rep that vibe or court cats who rep that vibe. They try to force feed the dumb audience that come on the regular to try new food that has never been served up in the spot. So the "alternative" DJ is the sacrificial lamb for them to gauge whether or not the public respond$$$ or we go back to what weve always been doing- the radio. Shit is mad foul, but that's the game,sorry to say.
Here is the rundown: They asked me to be myself that they didn't want any of the same ol stuff like the other clubs in town. They wanted me to drop soul, funk, disco etc. So I did and to be honest was killing it! Not one person danced and the crowd looked disgusted. I got requests all night for "Miss New Booty" and "Something Good". Well at the end of the night the owner was upset and said It wasn't good and not to come back again.
Ive seen this scenario before. The owner/slash manager wants to open up his/her audience, so they look to the cat who knows styles beyond the radio. But the owner/manager themself doesnt rep that vibe or court cats who rep that vibe. They try to force feed the dumb audience that come on the regular to try new food that has never been served up in the spot. So the "alternative" DJ is the sacrificial lamb for them to gauge whether or not the public respond$$$ or we go back to what weve always been doing- the radio. Shit is mad foul, but that's the game,sorry to say.
That's exactly what that is and to be honest makes me want to quit altogether.
Now that the hangover has set in, I will say that this whole ordeal reminds me of my Silicon Valley startup days where my dreams, aspirations and naivety clouded my grasp on reality. After that royal failure I vowed never to let those things get in the way of my logical judgement. My career has skyrocketed since then so maybe if I apply that same thinking to my music... well, who knows, things could work out in the end
I quit the game because where i was @ they wanted to go from eclectic to hip pop. At the time (late90's-early millenium) i did eclectic w/ hop hop. They figured that the radio was they way to go. For 5 muthafuckin yrs,I hit them mofo up w/ mad screwball laced w/ softballs. Management felt Softballs from 9 - 4 was the new direction, to appeal to the new young bridge and tunnel set that wanna hear the radio all night. I bulit this place so that hip hop heads and eclectic/alternative heads could co-exist. Management saw the illusion of dollars in the new "never scared" burgeoning yuppie hiphop crowd not realizing that these cats will bandon u for the next "hot''Dj/Party/event. So after I left they catered to this crowd for minute - It morphed into a thug/no tippin crowd, and thay regrettted that shit. Whenever i come back, cats who remember the good old days, cry about how it used to be. Fuckin dummies.
You must remember that 95% of the general public doesn't know what's "really good". They are just programmed robots. It's upsetting for sure but what do u do?
take these parties back underground. throw jams at a friends loft or studio, where you can smoke, blaze, pop oxis, chillax. people go to bars/clubs to booze. when people are boozing trying to find hoes, they want shit like "my humps" etc, shit they know, they know its stupid, but they know it coz they heard the shit a milion fuckin times already, and they can act all stupid singing along to it.
i think its better to create your own scene and let everyone else follow, instead of trying to adapt to the standard bar/club scene. thats what i'm trying to do. i like to have a drink too, but i'd rather play to a drugged up crowd than a boozy one. thats just me though, i prefer heroin music to cocaine music. i prefer blunted music to crunk music. i'm not saying that's what its all about (i don't fuck with hard drugs no more), i'm just trying to be straight up. people go out to get fucked up, you're just providing the aural atmosphere.
I've been laughed at a couple of times I'm sure. I actually fought some fool that was talking shit at the booth one night.
It was in the basement part of the club and no security was around. I don't know what it was about but when he pushed my partner I jumped off the decks and straight tackled him to the floor. I got up yelling "I'M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR THIS SHIT." I wasn't. Some girl started talking shit to him as he was leaving so he punched her in the eye. I pushed him into a chair and started giving him body blows and two other cats (friends of the girl) jumped in. Then I said, "Yo, stop. We don't want to kill him." I got back on the decks to mix in a new track right as the cops walk up. They didn't see me and they hauled dude upstairs.
They let him go because the girl didn't press charges, but dude was a lot more respectful around the clubs after that. I'm not even a tough guy, but being on edge in the first place, then dealing with drunk fools in the club is not a good mix.
I don't know what to say about your experience.
Maybe you should give up.
Just playin' haha!
For real, though, DJ's are like celebrities so you got to be ready to play the game. Take the criticism from the hatters and take the love from the groupies. Or read that Dee Rock thread, haha. Most great artists have been boo'd at at some point but if it's your destiny you will stick with it.
Many greats were not fully realized until they passed.
Or you could just knock out the next mother fucker that talks shit at the booth.
the evolving thing in my area and maybe everyonelses is the "Wine Bar"; they are always looking for someone to spin old (funk)> new jazz for the equisite tastful crowds, it works.
Comments
I appologize for my cinical response earlier, but all i saw was people stroking your hurt ego, and I guess I never really benefited from people doing this. Call me jaded. Regardless of what I said, I hope you know it's all love. Tough Love as it may be. I hate seeing my peers go out like that.
A lot of times you'll have an idea of the way a party will be, plan for it, then it ends up completely different. You really have to be able to look out, and know when to play it safe. Being flexible is really important, because crowds differ in spot to spot and night to night. Things like "holy ghost" and "gone bad" work fine, but you have to sprinkle em in with things people recognize.
for whatever that's worth.
Do you see it turning the corner? Like artist enclaves settling down in some weird part of town, spawning some sort of localized culture that can breed/expand?
We ARE turning a corner here, ever so slowly, but change never comes easy. With that said all of you dudes hating,talking shit and complaining about how San Jose sucks but live here, I say this "do something about it!" get involved in your community. There are people HERE trying to change things.
or just take the easy way out and run up to SF and keep complaining...
Yo Tom... no need for apology. You're absolutely right... I needed the 'Get Over It and Yourself' stance as much as the apologetic stance.
Uhh... I'm pretty sure that's what I was trying to do with this whole thing man.
right intentions, wrong location...
Not hyphy enough....
Or you'll be eaten by big hairy tarantulas. Apparently that's a big problem among diggers.
i dont see it brian. sorry. san jose has ALWAYS been the way it is now... little more rap and less stevie b but still the same.
ive come down for parties always to get mad... yes MAD, at myself for wasting my time. i like hanging out with you, ivan, adrian, jeff, etc... but thats it. id come down to kick it but the parties have always been pretty bad. im talking about the rap clubs primarily. its like wannabe LA cats with that damn attitude and bullshit look on their faces but without the money.
the record stores arent even a draw anymore for a lot of us. its kinda like "yeahhhh... we COULD go to SJ but why dont we just go to amoeba instead." yes... its THAT bad dude. (we dont speak on the "other" spots... but those can be pretty damn good... however, your team down there has it LOCKED! except for the flea mkt.)
i feel you on wanting to make something happen down there and i will support you, nate, ivan, jeff, etc with my dying breath... i just dont have any friends that i know that are willing to drive down to SJ for a party due to past experiences.
and digdug is cool but driving 50min to hang out with friends and trying to break even on selling $3 records doesnt make me want to rush on down there again. somewhat rainy night or not should of made more than, what... 12 maybe 15 people come out to buy (the rest of those cornballs were hipster art fools who were some of the most unfriendly people ive ever met in SJ and thats bad). i know the show is in the early stages but still... i just dont see it yet. maybe im jaded by the years of crap that SJ has produced but i still cross my fingers for yall. it would be DOPE if yall could pull that off. (im sure this ruins my chance at selling again... sorry nate/jeff)
im sure this sounds bad, which it is, i just wanted to add my pesos and hope to see you up here again when i open the garage to sell records. no hard feelings cuz just telling you what i.. maybe more that just me... think.
you can get mad at me now... im prepared.
I have never had much luck record-wise (except for this last time) and while that's partially not knowing where to look........ it's also because, unlike SF, there's just not a supportive culture of record buyers that will keep shops interesting.... mostly it is hardcore collectors and dealers who are just going to bleed the spots. This is just my opinion as a Bay Area native so please nobody get mad. But honestly I do not see there being enough people in San Jose, who care about this kind of scene or this kind of music, to even support a night. The culture out there is all cars and rap music if not that then neon colors and techno or freestyle. Big hair.
It will never be like SF, that is why anyone who wants to live in that environment gets out, I barely know anyone in SJ that used to live there and still does. Because if you are looking for a scene where there is interesting music, good shops (not just records either), public transportation, an "urban" feeling (sorry, as big as SJ is it still feels like the burbs), you are going to leave.
I guess this is mostly directed at OneSoul and I mean it with no offense intended. Someone on this board a long time ago asked me for advice to open a record shop in SJ.... I don't know where that went but I thought it was a bad idea, for the same reasons. I wouldn't put any money into changing the nightlife either.
I used to think people cared about what I liked when I dj'd and clearly they don't. When u realize that it makes it a lot easier. Me and Dee Rock used to dj a night in which we attempted to play funk and soul like 10 years ago. That shit lasted two weeks and then it turned into any other rap night and was crackin. I've never been to a successful soul funk night outside of NY and SF. Even those that were considered "successfull" were pretty wack to me.
They in the club they they in the club
Bottles up get ripped in the club
They rap over their vocal versions in the club too!
I'm lovin what the dj's(muro was killin it) are doin but the people that those clubs attract are too cool for school.
well
1). Ivan, chin-up. I mean that, I felt like that a grip of times...shit after all the deejaying I do in SF I still feel like that ( "what the fuck am I doing...I should quit" or whatever). Then I have a good time at a club or something and I'm hyped again. It's the cycle of being an artiste. Take this experience and turn it into a postive. Start making more mix-cd's or something.
2). San Jose is a real "stringent" city. If it wasn't for One Soul, The Finger Bangerz, Age and Tommy with Universal Grammar San Jose woudn't have anything going on at all. It's hard doing a monthly when you're musical vision doens't match the general public but I give it up even more to you guys for doing it in place like that. It's still even a battle out in S.F.
3). San Jose women are a a million times more attractive than SF women. I'm not exactly sure if that's even relevant to the discussion but I figure I would say that.
It's the blanket "Fuck San Jose" statements that get to me. It reminds me too much of the people that say our government is whack, but yet have never voted.
I understand that our scene is lacking culture or substance as some have pointed out and believe me at times it's a bit like Sisyphus rolling that boulder up the hill only to have it roll down the other side.
I've lived plenty of places, but came back here because of family and work. It's my home, and contrary to Gil Scott's song title, to me, home is where the heart is.
and well, for now, I'm gonna keep on pushin...
-B-
On the other hand, your mix is killer and it's exactly the sort of thing that I think should be heard in clubs.
This has been the case as long as I have ever been deejaying! In fact I'm having a shitty day today because the venue I do on Sat. nights has asked me NOT to come back again. Why? Here is the rundown: They asked me to be myself that they didn't want any of the same ol stuff like the other clubs in town. They wanted me to drop soul, funk, disco etc. So I did and to be honest was killing it! Not one person danced and the crowd looked disgusted. I got requests all night for "Miss New Booty" and "Something Good". Well at the end of the night the owner was upset and said It wasn't good and not to come back again. They will probably have the kid from up the street on his computer next week, not even serato just playing songs off a computer and sitting in a chair! I'm so serious. They had him before and love him. He will play "My Humps" etc. and they all including the club owner will love it and think he is GREAT. That's just what it is. You must remember that 95% of the general public doesn't know what's "really good". They are just programmed robots. It's upsetting for sure but what do u do?
same here.
deep!
maybe finding smaller venues where small crowds dont stand out so much and is much more 'intimate' might do the trick. aint nothing like an empty dancefloor to make it look
ive told folks that san jose still has a small town mentality but big metropolitan aspirations that may or may not ever come into fruition but for the folks who still try to do things, more power to them... san jose has more to offer then just freestyle music. ive lived here and grew up here and i love it.
do you know the way to san jose?
-rich
Ive seen this scenario before.
The owner/slash manager wants to open up his/her audience, so they look to the cat who knows styles beyond the radio. But the owner/manager themself doesnt rep that vibe or court cats who rep that vibe. They try to force feed the dumb audience that come on the regular to try new food that has never been served up in the spot. So the "alternative" DJ is the sacrificial lamb for them to gauge whether or not the public respond$$$ or we go back to what weve always been doing- the radio.
Shit is mad foul, but that's the game,sorry to say.
That's exactly what that is and to be honest makes me want to quit altogether.
Management saw the illusion of dollars in the new "never scared" burgeoning yuppie hiphop crowd not realizing that these cats will bandon u for the next "hot''Dj/Party/event. So after I left they catered to this crowd for minute - It morphed into a thug/no tippin crowd, and thay regrettted that shit.
Whenever i come back, cats who remember the good old days, cry about how it used to be.
Fuckin dummies.
That's the mofo game. WHATEVER.
take these parties back underground. throw jams at a friends loft or studio, where you can smoke, blaze, pop oxis, chillax. people go to bars/clubs to booze. when people are boozing trying to find hoes, they want shit like "my humps" etc, shit they know, they know its stupid, but they know it coz they heard the shit a milion fuckin times already, and they can act all stupid singing along to it.
i think its better to create your own scene and let everyone else follow, instead of trying to adapt to the standard bar/club scene. thats what i'm trying to do. i like to have a drink too, but i'd rather play to a drugged up crowd than a boozy one. thats just me though, i prefer heroin music to cocaine music. i prefer blunted music to crunk music. i'm not saying that's what its all about (i don't fuck with hard drugs no more), i'm just trying to be straight up. people go out to get fucked up, you're just providing the aural atmosphere.
It was in the basement part of the club and no security was around. I don't know what it was about but when he pushed my partner I jumped off the decks and straight tackled him to the floor. I got up yelling "I'M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR THIS SHIT." I wasn't. Some girl started talking shit to him as he was leaving so he punched her in the eye. I pushed him into a chair and started giving him body blows and two other cats (friends of the girl) jumped in. Then I said, "Yo, stop. We don't want to kill him." I got back on the decks to mix in a new track right as the cops walk up. They didn't see me and they hauled dude upstairs.
They let him go because the girl didn't press charges, but dude was a lot more respectful around the clubs after that. I'm not even a tough guy, but being on edge in the first place, then dealing with drunk fools in the club is not a good mix.
I don't know what to say about your experience.
Maybe you should give up.
Just playin' haha!
For real, though, DJ's are like celebrities so you got to be ready to play the game. Take the criticism from the hatters and take the love from the groupies. Or read that Dee Rock thread, haha. Most great artists have been boo'd at at some point but if it's your destiny you will stick with it.
Many greats were not fully realized until they passed.
Or you could just knock out the next mother fucker that talks shit at the booth.
the evolving thing in my area and maybe everyonelses is the "Wine Bar";
they are always looking for someone to spin old (funk)> new jazz for the equisite tastful crowds, it works.
ahem...