Post by soulselector on May 9, 2013 14:09:51 GMT
I had a most wondrous time doing 5 dates through the South in late April/early May with the amazing band VINTAGE TROUBLE.
Our association began 15 months ago, when I saw them ruin the evening for headliner Van Hunt---this funk/hip hop artist was an afterthought after they played. The club owner introduced me to the band, & on finding out about my store the vocalist Ty excitedly said 'I bet you have ALL those rare Ike & Tina 45s!'
For those who've never heard V.T., they are(most fittingly!) opening for two Rolling Stones shows in England this year. They have also opened on every date of the Who's current world tour. Next week, they are headlining 5 dates in Japan.
A stripped down blues/rock band fronted by a charismatic vocalist, they are a thrilling refutation of the folkie-light dribble indi-band mentality currently about.
After I DJ-d a set Friday 2/15 in St. Louis to open their show, the band members came over and said 'we REALLY love what you did, sure would prefer having you open for us sometime!'. I thanked them for the kind words and forgot about it, but in late March their management e-mailed me to offer these dates in the South.
I essentially did a southern-deep-soul/R&B/blues set, throwing in the occasional old rock and reggae 45, while chatting up the crowds. My favorite compliment from an audience member came in the form of a burly man wearing a kilt in Greensboro North Carolina. It was a fine roadhouse set-up where we had performed, the band had people wailing 30 seconds into their first number; in a southern accent some people here would need a translator to understand, the man with Scottish tribal markings told me 'HEY BUDDY, if these DJs around THESE PARTS was as entertaining as you, hell I'd go to the clubs more!'
We played 500 capacity venues on these dates. in Augusta GA(most meaningful to be in the Godfather's hometown, & I dropped about 20 sides of his in a respectful 10-minute medley); Nashville, where I mercilessly played St. Louis R&B/soul/blues artists & talked smack about the musical differences between my town & 'Music City' . As an aside, Nashville provided the most 'hipster' audience in the South, standing around and not dancing, in marked contrast to the other towns we played. At one point before dropping Twine Time by Alvin Cash, I laughed and said 'AIN'T NONE OF YOU DANCING---ARE ALL OF YA'LL SOUTHERN BAPTISTS UP IN 'HEAH ??' After this, they loosened up...
After the last show in Florida, the band (who each night would see a member come out to introduce me sweetly to the audience) & I said our farewells, me & my wife----who'd flown from St. Louis to this final date---drove 600 miles to New Orleans, for the final weekend of Jazz Fest.
It was the most energizing and meaningful live DJs sets I've ever done, and I'm only now coming down from the musically-post-coital high....
Our association began 15 months ago, when I saw them ruin the evening for headliner Van Hunt---this funk/hip hop artist was an afterthought after they played. The club owner introduced me to the band, & on finding out about my store the vocalist Ty excitedly said 'I bet you have ALL those rare Ike & Tina 45s!'
For those who've never heard V.T., they are(most fittingly!) opening for two Rolling Stones shows in England this year. They have also opened on every date of the Who's current world tour. Next week, they are headlining 5 dates in Japan.
A stripped down blues/rock band fronted by a charismatic vocalist, they are a thrilling refutation of the folkie-light dribble indi-band mentality currently about.
After I DJ-d a set Friday 2/15 in St. Louis to open their show, the band members came over and said 'we REALLY love what you did, sure would prefer having you open for us sometime!'. I thanked them for the kind words and forgot about it, but in late March their management e-mailed me to offer these dates in the South.
I essentially did a southern-deep-soul/R&B/blues set, throwing in the occasional old rock and reggae 45, while chatting up the crowds. My favorite compliment from an audience member came in the form of a burly man wearing a kilt in Greensboro North Carolina. It was a fine roadhouse set-up where we had performed, the band had people wailing 30 seconds into their first number; in a southern accent some people here would need a translator to understand, the man with Scottish tribal markings told me 'HEY BUDDY, if these DJs around THESE PARTS was as entertaining as you, hell I'd go to the clubs more!'
We played 500 capacity venues on these dates. in Augusta GA(most meaningful to be in the Godfather's hometown, & I dropped about 20 sides of his in a respectful 10-minute medley); Nashville, where I mercilessly played St. Louis R&B/soul/blues artists & talked smack about the musical differences between my town & 'Music City' . As an aside, Nashville provided the most 'hipster' audience in the South, standing around and not dancing, in marked contrast to the other towns we played. At one point before dropping Twine Time by Alvin Cash, I laughed and said 'AIN'T NONE OF YOU DANCING---ARE ALL OF YA'LL SOUTHERN BAPTISTS UP IN 'HEAH ??' After this, they loosened up...
After the last show in Florida, the band (who each night would see a member come out to introduce me sweetly to the audience) & I said our farewells, me & my wife----who'd flown from St. Louis to this final date---drove 600 miles to New Orleans, for the final weekend of Jazz Fest.
It was the most energizing and meaningful live DJs sets I've ever done, and I'm only now coming down from the musically-post-coital high....
Attachments:
