Several years back, I ran across an underground remix of a song by Lady Sovereign. Who was this rapping/spitting chick; grimey, dirty, sexy? Damn it sounded good. Later, she released her EP Vertically Challenged and then blew up with her first full album Public Warning on Def Jam records. Between festivals and a smashing concert at Neumos in Seattle, I’ve seen her live three times; each amazing and filled with bouncing energy.

Lady went dark for a while and reading her Myspace, I see she ran into some shit that hit her hard. She says she out of that now and working on her new album “Jigsaw” to be released in April 2009. As a tease, she’s released the single “I Got You Dancing” from her upcoming album along with the video.

This past sunday night, I went with a friend to listen to Justin Bond singing neo-pagan songs with Our Lady J accompanying. It was at Joe’s Pub which has good acoustics; perfect.

Before the show, we had a few drinks and looked for open tables. All the tables had been reserved by the time I tried. No luck. The lights went down and the show started.

Justin and Lady J are wonderful together. Justin is a long time bicoastal performer, Tony nominee, and has performed at Carnegie Hall. Lady J has performed also at Carnegie, CBGB’s, Radio City Music Hall, and more. Together they are a dynamo!

Justin is now writing his own songs and has been working on this collection since Beltane. Lady J developed the supporting musical parts for piano, cello, and flute. My favorite of the night was “Michael in Blue” which Justin wrote. I had heard a few of the others before in earlier performances this year. This was a wonderful collection to hear together.

Backstage after the performance, I ran into Glenn Marla and her bee-u-tif-ful girlfriend, Machine Dazzle, and several of the Pixie Harlots. We decided to go to Nowhere bar for drinks.

At Nowhere, we were surprised to discover it was Amber Martin’s Queer Fetish performance night. I met Amber through the Mattachine parties. She’s a performance artist from Portland and while on the west coast developed a huge collection of work there and has brought it to us in New York City. Rock on! During the night she sang full out while later a guy did a performance piece with chocolate…lots of chocolate with whipped creme and sprinkles.

After making out with my friend, I chatted with DJ Chauncey D. While we were talking about this and that, my friend Gary’s head popped up at the end of the bar. He had been focused on some other things for months and was now glad to be out on the town. I was glad to catch up with him and make plans for cheap Indian dinner together. Justin Bond showed up for a drink soon after which made the collection of souls there complete.

Thriller is a remake of Michael Jackson’s original “Thriller” music video by prison inmates from the Philippines.

I know, its an oldie from waaaay back in 2007. I just watched it again and its stellar. They work it OUT!

My good friend, Maryam, in Seattle will be happy to hear that I recorded a house set yesterday. Electro house this time. I’ve been out of the house music scene for a while. Here in New York, I’m getting more exposed to it so its showing up in the tracks I buy. Here’s a set which is almost all electro house. As always, I am available for booking by contacting me at http://www.socialliving.com.

I got up at 5am today to get free tickets for the New York Philharmonic’s season premier with Yo-Yo Ma. Well, it was the day-of rehearsal but who cares?! Its the NYPhil and Yo-Yo Ma.

First, was me getting up at 5am. Some days, that’s when I get in. So I was confused for most of my showering, brushing, and walking to the subway. Why was I doing this? Am I going the right way? Did I put on socks? I hopped the F, passed the station for my transfer. See…early for me. Walked back down to the right station. Got back on, transferred, and then walked over to Lincoln Center. Wow…its Lincoln Center! My first time to this widely acclaimed place.

This is the deal. You get in line in the morning. Get free general admission tickets. Get back in line for the rehearsal. Wait. So I got to know my neighbors. Media was all around interviewing people; NY Times, Post, and student newspapers. Photographers click-click-click. One particular photographer was trying to take my picture over and over. I was a bit disheveled so I would duck, turn around, and avoid him. I’d forget him for a little, suddenly see his camera come up at me and I’d shy away. It became a cat-and-mouse thing; somewhat funny. I’m all for cameras but not this morning.

When I got there, there was maybe 50 people ahead of me. That means I’m going to have a great seat. I was able to go get some coffee and use the restroom while the nice couple behind me saved my spot. Promptly at 8am, the fountain started and a small set of musicians played to entertain us. Guess what one of the songs was? Start….spreading the news…New York, New York.

This rehearsal, part of a longer-term sponsorship for the NY Phil, was made possible by Credit Suisse. They were on hand to freely give out branded water and chocolates. One of their big-wigs took pictures of his own and was later on stage speaking at the start of the rehearsal expressing his company’s long-standing tradition of sponsoring the arts. If you love arts, have gobs of money, need your assets managed, then give Credit Suisse a call.

In all, I was in line from about 6:15am until 9:30am. The line grew to hundreds; maybe more. I overheard a conversation between some more mature women several ahead of me. So I walked over and got the scoop on the best seats. The box seats! So once they opened the doors, I walked toward the entrance. Guess who was there? That photographer. He saw me coming, aimed his camera at me and I held my hand between us in the universal “no pictures” pose. I could see he was dejected. I didn’t want to be in the New York Times looking like I did. It wasn’t “…ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille.”

Past the shutterbug, I made like the long-legged bee I am and leaped for the box seats. Literally, I leaped over a rail separating one box from another because the door to it was blocked. So I ended up in the third box from the stage, first seat in the box, stage right. Amazing seat. Eventually the door was unblocked and Kako sat beside me.

Kako was a asian-decent woman in her 60s that looked in her 50s. She was raised in Brooklyn, married an attorney, divorced him years later, and now lives in New York, Seattle, and Italy. We had a great time talking during the breaks and I loved every minute with her.

The performance was stellar. Everyone, but the banker, was casually dressed. I saw the interaction between the conductor, performers, and the soloist Yo-Yo Ma. The latter would turn backwards in his seat sweeping in the sounds from the Phil while smiling widely giving them praise. I could clearly see how he interacted with particular people; I figure he personally knew them. Between each major piece, the conductor would give instruction to the performers and there was discussion within the instrument groups. Kako and I would start gabbing again.

The performances were all composed by Dvorak [apologies for not using the accent marks above his name]. One of the pieces was his Cello Concerto. You may remember it from the scene in The Witches of Eastwick where Daryl aka the devil (Jack Nicholson) is seducing Jane (Susan Sarandon) while she practices on her cello playing Dvorak. Yo-Yo plowed into the material intensely and played beautifully with passion and clarity. He left that stage with a sweat stained shirt.

After the third and final piece, Kako gave me a few more insider’s tips for Manhattan and we parted ways. It was a great start to my day. It was only 11:30am.

Tonight, I went to the New York City Ableton User Group. We’re lucky to have an Ableton office in NYC, so we regularly have their employees also there. The featured performers tonight were Baba Israel, Yako and Core Rhythm.

It was two hours of great music w/ beatboxing, hip-hop beats and freestyling. After a performance, they would answer questions and share how they use Ableton Live for both production and live performance. Stellar.

I’ve been fooling around with Live for two years now; first with applying effect to my live DJ sets, then creating the remixes used for the choreographed dance in my last show 4 Seasons; and now creating original beats, music, and noise. This past Sunday 9 Sept, I was at Share.DJ and was fooling around producing live noise in a collaborative environment. Part of the time I was playing alongside a cello and a thumb piano thingy. You can hear a clip of my portion of the racket in the player here or over in the navigation column to the side.

Hi, everyone. I’m back to recording my DJ sets that I do at home. More recently, I’ve been trying much wider styles and tempos of music. Its a fun challenge to put them together. I like challenges. I’m also more aware of the root key differences between songs. It’s starting to bug me when they’re not compatible in a transition.

In the 31 Aug 2007 set I posted (player is in this post or in the column on the right of this website), I play at least trip-hop, big beat, glitch, breakbeat, hip-hop, downtempo, vocal, and minimal. I even have k.d. lang in there! Hope you enjoy it. And as always, I am available for booking by contacting me at http://www.socialliving.com.

Starting today, I’m going to start taking my pictures in 16:9 widescreen format. I like the way it guides me to frame the shot and also provides more context of the surroundings. These I took on my way to the gym.

Later that night, I met my friend Peter for a cocktail party at his home. I was happy to also see Todd who flew in from Los Angeles. I know them both and they have become a long-distance couple with plans for Todd to move to New York City. I also met a few new friends at the party before we went out to Cielo.

Now, I knew ahead of time that Junior Vasquez was performing. I know his music style. And I know that I don’t like it. Vocal house w/ screeching divas, gay anthems, and the trancey-house sound that makes the gays go bump-bump in the night. But I wasn’t there for the music, instead for the friends and scene. For the scene, it was a good party and we all were having fun. I met The Legendary Father Chris, a longtime club denizen of New York since the 80s. He got me laughing more than once. Met a nice guy and woman out on the patio and spent some time lounging with them.

I went home probably 3am. I started out going the right direction, but found myself wandering in the West Village because of the architecture there and the look of the streets. So I became lost, but I didn’t care. Just kept wandering. Eventually, I hailed a cab and headed home.

Yesterday afternoon, I stopped to get a chicken kebab, hummus, and the works. Then over the radio comes a memory, a song from my past. “Give Me Tonight” by Shannon. This and her more well known “Let the Music Play” were two early dance songs that I loved. I can remember driving down the road in my used white Ford Fairmont, with bench seats and a/c which you need in Alabama, listening to Shannon on a cassette tape. I loved “Let the Music Play” but when I heard the whole album, I discovered “Give Me Tonight” which became my favorite of hers. Several remixes of both songs came out around 2000 by Junior Vasquez and Hex Hector and are available online.

Last night, I was having a beer with a new friend. He’s lived in the city for a while and had me in stitches laughing. Then while telling a funny story, he said something amazing. “Nothing is private in New York City.” I think he could be right.

NYC is huge and has millions of people living in small spaces one on top of the other. People leave their tiny homes and go outside. While outside, with millions of people, you can easily overhear conversations in a cafe, on the subway…everywhere. You can easily watch people across the street in their home from your window. Not that I’ve done that. Ah-hem. Finally, people here in the city are brazen and forward. They speak their minds; I love that.

As an example, later in the night, I was having a trivia and dare competition with someone else. It was my turn for a question and the dare was taking my shirt off. Shannon popped in my head and I asked him, “Who sang the song ‘Give Me Tonight’?” Without hesitation he said, “Shannon.” Damn it. So I went double or nothing which meant that I would have to take my shirt and pants off. I thought a little more, still on the 80s kick, and asked who sang the song, “Cum On Feel The Noize”. In my head, the music style for Cum On and Twisted Sister’s “We’re not gonna take it” are very close. Both their videos (Cum On, We’re Not) also destroy houses. Again, not hesitating he said Quiet Riot. And like the trooper I am having no problems with nudity, I took of my shirt and dropped my pants for all to see.

Nothing is private in New York City.

A friend, Andy, and I went to NEWD at The Eagle tonight. Its a self-described “new monthly elektro fetish kabaret”. Tonight was Orwellian 1984 themed with optical lenses, bondage, odd lights, and women dancing in corsets. I have no clue why women dancing in corsets were there but the rest I got. The music was nice but, for me, the style didn’t match the theme. It was fun watching the slave in the middle knitting something out of leather string. I’m glad that their crew is out there doing this show. Creativity is my thing and I support it.

Lookout! Its the sunflower monster! Grrrrr!