Been awhile.. nothing much has happened. Fall has come.. it's cold(-ish) in the morning and then it warms up by mid-day - usually to a point where the vest or coat you needed in the morning now suffocates you.
I'm DJ'ng three times in November, and it worries me just a little bit (three times in my state - also when I go meet Ms.Spain for Thanksgiving I've been scheduled to play): I originally didn't want to play too often from the fears that it waters down the music.. you hear the same stuff too often it gets old. For that reason I never request to DJ but rather do it only when I get asked to. I'm playing the 2nd, 16th, and 17th. Usually my list is heavy on artists that the other local DJ's don't play much: Donato, Rodriguez, d'Arienzo/Echague.
I finally started listening to more of the music I have so I just got done creating 10-12 new tandas just from d'Agostino, Fresedo, and Laurenz. It's hard to pay good attention to the music when trying to concentrate on work at the same time and there's just no time to just sit around for hours listening to music. Having just been to Portland's festival kept some tandas fresh in my mind to re-create them at my end. Also helped that Ms.Spain is a native Spanish speaker and she was able to memorize and recognize a song just from having danced to it with me: we found it right away once we got back to the hotel.
I now have 5 hours and 50 minutes worth of pre-made tandas of tango only. 2-3 hrs of milongas and 2-3 hours of valses. I have enough un-listened/edited music, still, to create maybe another 1-2 hours of tandas for each style.
Ta.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Portland Part 1
Ok.. lot's of bithing about things Pacific, as usual.
It's Sunday right now and Ms.Spain and I just got done eating breakfast and are waiting in the lobby for her room to get cleaned. We've got one more milonga to go: We're skipping the 4 to 7 "maestros" milonga and the all-nighters at Alex's: Ramu is DJ - no thanks. Besides, Ms.Spain has a 7:30am flight to catch and the milonga doesn't end until around 8 am, anyway, and she needs to pack and we need more quality time together.
Miles has been posting, as far as I know, in his typical manner so I will keep my whining to what bothers me.
Clique-crowd. The Portland scene is by far the worst - maybe because it is the youngest? Seattle certainly has a good deal of the same going, but it seems so much more and visible in Portland. They only dance with each others and look down upon anyone else not in their midst. They also avoid talking to, making eye contact, and otherwise relating to us mere mortals out of the risk of possibly having to feel obligated to dance with someone not at their (IMAGINED) level. Location: Always as near or behind the DJ as possible.. typically a stage of sorts. PPAA, Norse Hall, Oaks Park.
DJ's. Why are they letting Ramu play twice? Why was the best alternative tango DJ in the country not utilized at all? Vijay is playing twice too, but at least as a traditional DJ he knocks Ramu's socks out.
DJ Dan B. was absolutely wonderful at the Oaks Park all-nighter, but both Ms.Spain and I were suffering from lack of sleep and had to retire at 4 am.
Floor. There has at best only been one line of dance. A lot of people seem to dance kind of on two lanes where you can't pass them on either side as to the left of them begins the whirlwind of the center chaos. I, myself, typically dance always so close to the outside that I touch furniture etc. They also haven't been doing a very good at setting up tables so that the chairs stay off the dance floor and you have walk ways around the dance floor: ONLY Oaks Park was like that, but the floor was stickier than a June Bugs arse.
Other complaints include the typical ones: people not asking for permission to enter the dance floor and cut someone off; more than 1 couple squeeze in-between someone getting on the floor; chatting on the floor past the 1st measure (intro) of music; not clearing the floor promptly during the cortina; taking backward steps (biggest offenders this year have been 'well-known' teachers and dancers who dance alternative on a very crowded floor), etc, etc, etc.
I might go more into detail later but I didn't make any posts after each night so I can't remember in too good detail.
Ta.
It's Sunday right now and Ms.Spain and I just got done eating breakfast and are waiting in the lobby for her room to get cleaned. We've got one more milonga to go: We're skipping the 4 to 7 "maestros" milonga and the all-nighters at Alex's: Ramu is DJ - no thanks. Besides, Ms.Spain has a 7:30am flight to catch and the milonga doesn't end until around 8 am, anyway, and she needs to pack and we need more quality time together.
Miles has been posting, as far as I know, in his typical manner so I will keep my whining to what bothers me.
Clique-crowd. The Portland scene is by far the worst - maybe because it is the youngest? Seattle certainly has a good deal of the same going, but it seems so much more and visible in Portland. They only dance with each others and look down upon anyone else not in their midst. They also avoid talking to, making eye contact, and otherwise relating to us mere mortals out of the risk of possibly having to feel obligated to dance with someone not at their (IMAGINED) level. Location: Always as near or behind the DJ as possible.. typically a stage of sorts. PPAA, Norse Hall, Oaks Park.
DJ's. Why are they letting Ramu play twice? Why was the best alternative tango DJ in the country not utilized at all? Vijay is playing twice too, but at least as a traditional DJ he knocks Ramu's socks out.
DJ Dan B. was absolutely wonderful at the Oaks Park all-nighter, but both Ms.Spain and I were suffering from lack of sleep and had to retire at 4 am.
Floor. There has at best only been one line of dance. A lot of people seem to dance kind of on two lanes where you can't pass them on either side as to the left of them begins the whirlwind of the center chaos. I, myself, typically dance always so close to the outside that I touch furniture etc. They also haven't been doing a very good at setting up tables so that the chairs stay off the dance floor and you have walk ways around the dance floor: ONLY Oaks Park was like that, but the floor was stickier than a June Bugs arse.
Other complaints include the typical ones: people not asking for permission to enter the dance floor and cut someone off; more than 1 couple squeeze in-between someone getting on the floor; chatting on the floor past the 1st measure (intro) of music; not clearing the floor promptly during the cortina; taking backward steps (biggest offenders this year have been 'well-known' teachers and dancers who dance alternative on a very crowded floor), etc, etc, etc.
I might go more into detail later but I didn't make any posts after each night so I can't remember in too good detail.
Ta.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
PDX here we come
Here I am sitting yet at another airport enroute to another city. This time the trip is to Portland, OR; my second this year. The primary reason is the largest tango festival in the country, the Portland Tangofestival. The second reason is to take a written test with the Portland Police Department.
This is the first year I'll have an room mate in PDX (my 7th-9th time visiting PDX) so I'm anxious to see how that goes: I have to make two trips down to Tigard to meet with my suppliers and then the one-two trips to the Police Department, and I'm also giving my roomie rides....
This is also the first time I'm staying as far east as the airport. Ever since one of the hotels downtown closed and got turned into college dormes it's been hard to find sub $50/night rooms in the city or right on the east side of the river. In February I actually stayed down in Tigard but that wasn't an option this year with an room mate. Getting the room for $40 a night vs. $90 is still worth the 10-15 minute ride from the milongas.
Ms.Spain will also come to the festival, Yay!, but only from Saturday through early Monday morning, weep!, but it's still better than naught. I'm going back to the East Coast to be with her a longer time at Thanksgiving so these two days are just to tie us over until then, lol.
Well.. enough of this for now.. need to do some work.
Ta!
This is the first year I'll have an room mate in PDX (my 7th-9th time visiting PDX) so I'm anxious to see how that goes: I have to make two trips down to Tigard to meet with my suppliers and then the one-two trips to the Police Department, and I'm also giving my roomie rides....
This is also the first time I'm staying as far east as the airport. Ever since one of the hotels downtown closed and got turned into college dormes it's been hard to find sub $50/night rooms in the city or right on the east side of the river. In February I actually stayed down in Tigard but that wasn't an option this year with an room mate. Getting the room for $40 a night vs. $90 is still worth the 10-15 minute ride from the milongas.
Ms.Spain will also come to the festival, Yay!, but only from Saturday through early Monday morning, weep!, but it's still better than naught. I'm going back to the East Coast to be with her a longer time at Thanksgiving so these two days are just to tie us over until then, lol.
Well.. enough of this for now.. need to do some work.
Ta!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Morning after
Ok.. so I got to DJ last night the whole night with no interruptions from the band.
This of course means I can play a lot more better music but also really have a chance to play with the energy and speed, etc.
No one came to complain about anything last night except for myself. The first set was by R.Firpo and it sucked. I hadn't played it in ages and thought it would be good to start with.. blah. Throughout the course of the night I played 3 tandas of Canaro milongas, 2 of which were new tandas just assembled the morning of.. they were horrible! The second set was actually so bad I had to run back and cut out the last 2 songs and replace with 1 OTV milonga to close the set to move on.
A lot of people came to comment on how good the music was - even the proprietor came to tell me a lot of people had told her they enjoyed my music...
then Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.. I wake up this morning to find this e-mail in my inbox:
"The problem, ******, is that you play the same dreck over and over. Get some new music and we'll show up".
No idea who it is. How do they know what I play if they aren't there? And I've only DJ'd at that event 4 or 5 times ever in the last 5 years. And as far as my music goes.. I play good stuff.. if they don't know how to dance to d'Arienzo, I'm not going to play Di Sarli all night long. And I have 47 gigs of music - I think that's plenty. Pisses me off.
This of course means I can play a lot more better music but also really have a chance to play with the energy and speed, etc.
No one came to complain about anything last night except for myself. The first set was by R.Firpo and it sucked. I hadn't played it in ages and thought it would be good to start with.. blah. Throughout the course of the night I played 3 tandas of Canaro milongas, 2 of which were new tandas just assembled the morning of.. they were horrible! The second set was actually so bad I had to run back and cut out the last 2 songs and replace with 1 OTV milonga to close the set to move on.
A lot of people came to comment on how good the music was - even the proprietor came to tell me a lot of people had told her they enjoyed my music...
then Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.. I wake up this morning to find this e-mail in my inbox:
"The problem, ******, is that you play the same dreck over and over. Get some new music and we'll show up".
No idea who it is. How do they know what I play if they aren't there? And I've only DJ'd at that event 4 or 5 times ever in the last 5 years. And as far as my music goes.. I play good stuff.. if they don't know how to dance to d'Arienzo, I'm not going to play Di Sarli all night long. And I have 47 gigs of music - I think that's plenty. Pisses me off.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Thursday night blues
I've a bad headache.. it's likely from my neck.. I watched "We were soldiers" last night and whenever I watch movies in bed (which is the only place where I can) it cranes my neck.. I guess last night was too much being 3rd or 4th consecutive night watching some movie late. I also took to using an older cervical pillow I haven't used in aged.. could be that too.
I had a CVSA today with a Police Department as part of the application process. CVSA stands for Computerized Voice Stress Analysis, ie lie detector test. It was a bit stressing and I did fail a few questions but once I explained them and re-answered them I passed. So for now I'm still in the running but I'm still only at Step 2 out of 12.
Ok.. things have changed with the next weeks Portland Tangofestival.
Ms.Spain found the time in her busy schedule to fly across the country and to come for 2.5 days. This means I will, after all, be attending the Saturday night "Elegant" milonga I in a previous post cursed and thanked not having to attend. But this year it will actually be really nice 'cos I'll be going with a "date".
I stopped by K&G men's superstore today and bought two new suits. My old black suits have all been through the drycleaning a few too many times. One suit has the inner lining held together by 20 safety pins, another has shoulder and armpit seams tearing open, and one suit is discolored and dishaped from accidentally having gotten washed. Rest of my suits are either a horrendous style that I've (maybe) never worn or they're now too small considering how fat I've gotten. I'll probably take 3-4 suits to the Salvation Army end of the year to receive a bit of a tax credit.
I purchased the ticket already too to go back to the East Coast to Ms.Spain's for Thanksgiving for a week and a half. Although neither of us wants or needs to "celebrate" the mass murder of Native Americans, it's the perfect time to visit.
In fact, I don't arrive until after 10 pm on that Thursday having to spend the evening on a 4 hour layover in Atlanta.
I've been working and learning a new architectural design program the last week. It's been quite frustrating and I've cursed more than a few times. But the nice thing about this one is that it's 3D, and some of my current clients have cubes for eyes and can not visualize anything on paper in 2D *sigh*.
I'm DJ'ng tomorrow night and turns out that the band isn't playing after all! Last time I had checked the schedule it had said the band is playing but now the schedule says no band. Yay! They always play 2 one-hour sets of the same crappy stuff.
I'll have to spend a great deal of tomorrow creating the playlist because now I suddenly went from having to play 3 hours to 5 hours of music.
Ta!
I had a CVSA today with a Police Department as part of the application process. CVSA stands for Computerized Voice Stress Analysis, ie lie detector test. It was a bit stressing and I did fail a few questions but once I explained them and re-answered them I passed. So for now I'm still in the running but I'm still only at Step 2 out of 12.
Ok.. things have changed with the next weeks Portland Tangofestival.
Ms.Spain found the time in her busy schedule to fly across the country and to come for 2.5 days. This means I will, after all, be attending the Saturday night "Elegant" milonga I in a previous post cursed and thanked not having to attend. But this year it will actually be really nice 'cos I'll be going with a "date".
I stopped by K&G men's superstore today and bought two new suits. My old black suits have all been through the drycleaning a few too many times. One suit has the inner lining held together by 20 safety pins, another has shoulder and armpit seams tearing open, and one suit is discolored and dishaped from accidentally having gotten washed. Rest of my suits are either a horrendous style that I've (maybe) never worn or they're now too small considering how fat I've gotten. I'll probably take 3-4 suits to the Salvation Army end of the year to receive a bit of a tax credit.
I purchased the ticket already too to go back to the East Coast to Ms.Spain's for Thanksgiving for a week and a half. Although neither of us wants or needs to "celebrate" the mass murder of Native Americans, it's the perfect time to visit.
In fact, I don't arrive until after 10 pm on that Thursday having to spend the evening on a 4 hour layover in Atlanta.
I've been working and learning a new architectural design program the last week. It's been quite frustrating and I've cursed more than a few times. But the nice thing about this one is that it's 3D, and some of my current clients have cubes for eyes and can not visualize anything on paper in 2D *sigh*.
I'm DJ'ng tomorrow night and turns out that the band isn't playing after all! Last time I had checked the schedule it had said the band is playing but now the schedule says no band. Yay! They always play 2 one-hour sets of the same crappy stuff.
I'll have to spend a great deal of tomorrow creating the playlist because now I suddenly went from having to play 3 hours to 5 hours of music.
Ta!
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