Ok.....since I'm the first one back to post...I'll try to give a summary
of my day.
I originally planned to get there at about 3pm to check out Spooky because
we're on an email list together. Then I planned to come back home, do
some work on my dissertation...and then go back in time for Stacy Pullen.
As you can see from my previous post, this didn't happen. Got there at
3:30pm.....didn't get back until about 3:15am.
Twelve glorious hours.
Caught a bit of Spooky, but he really wasn't grooving like I wanted....I'm
looking for some banging soulful house and techno....so I move on.
And find DJ Minx. About 6ft and FINE....this sister was the best act I
think I saw all day. But then again I might have just been bombarded by
the power of the event. She was spinning some deep grooves...plus she had
a brother on three bongos. We shouted and whooped....and I was in the
middle of the crowd doing the Errol Flynn. Like WHAT! DETROIT WHAT!
Saw a couple of old heads....one a Transmat DJ (livest after set should be
Derrick May's Transmat set late Sunday night), and a couple of others just
my peeps. The same question pops up over and over again.....
Did you ever think in your wildest dreams that this would happen?
I remember talking about hearing Pocket Calculator on the radio back in
1981. I was in 6th grade in a Dearborn, Mi. Catholic school. I remember
the first time I heard someone mix Cosmic Cars with Numbers. Seventh
grade. I remember dancing at the Music Institute and realizing that the
woman with the short short skirt licking her lips at every guy looking her
way was a DUDE. Summer of '89.
At no point did I EVER EVER think that the city of Detroit would sanction
a festival devoted to the OTHER music that kept me sane (the first music
is jazz). At no point did I EVER EVER think that the hotels in the city
would be booked because so many people from OUTSIDE OF THE FUCKING COUNTRY
wanted to come for it.
Damn. I'm looking around and I see people of all shapes, colors, and
sizes. The one picture I wish I'd taken--I didn't take any today--was
that of a midget dancing with two fine women twice his height as Stacy
Pullen took us home. I saw a couple of female slaves--I'm pretty sure
they were slaves because of the chains around their neck, and because they
were being dragged around by someone else.
Now the USUAL problem with crowds this diverse is a....rhythm problem.
Not so much the LACK of rhythm, but rather the presence of too many
different KINDS of rhythm. Kind of like mixing OFF TO BATTLE with Bach.
Just doesn't work--unless you've got real skills.
Damn....going to have to finish this later. just got word that the server
is cutting off.....
lks
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Lester Kenyatta Spence [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Assistant Professor, Political Science
Washington University at St. Louis
"Strive for excellence in all you do, that no
fault may be found in your character...."
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