3 Big DJs from 3 Big Parties

Just when I thought I was out of the 'promoting' game ... this happens:
A buddy of mine and I threw this little party together in less than 24 hours. It will be the official afterparty for the Unblurred First Friday event taking place on Penn Ave. this Friday (even got it cleared with the Penn Ave Arts Initiative). Nice to know that the connections are still there after being out of the club promoting scene for close to a year. Got the venue free of charge, convinced all of the DJs to play for free, got the flyer design donated and even managed to offer up a pretty nice drink special on top of it all. The money collected from the $5 'suggested donation' cover charge will all go to a local benefit that I can't reveil at this time.

This Thursday

Jack's been nimble ... Jack's been quick ... Jack's got a new EP coming out this week.

There will be free CDs of Jack Wilson's latest EP given out this Thursday at the Shadowlounge. The new EP will feature a new remix I did of the song 'One Day at a Time' - an original song Jack and I did together over a year ago. You'll have to come out to the show to check it out.

Jack will also be performing that night with his other collaboration, Wovoka.

... and don't sleep on catching the psychedelic organ sounds of Eymarel from North Carolina.

Plenty of talent and entertainment this Thursday Night ... all for $5 ... plus free CDs and free Hors d'oevres from Kevin Sousa, nationally known for his Alchemy Dinners at the Bigalow Grill.

Hothouse 2007

Random Pictures from the Hothouse 2007 Party:

I told you that ...

... that disco ball was big.

I unfortunately took a camera to the event this weekend that had dead batteries in it. I'll have more pics of the Hothouse Party up as soon as friends start posting them online.Disco Ball photos courtesy of J-'Mall$'

Disco Balls

Last night I had a chance to see, up close, the biggest Disco Ball I have ever seen in my life. I couldn't put my arms around it it was so big and I certainly couldn't pick it up. It had to be close to 5 ft in diameter. I got to see the thing being hung in a circus tent that will be used as a DJ dance tent this weekend at the Hothouse 2007 Fundraiser party I've been working with. It took 3 guys and forklift to get the sucker hung in the middle of the tent ... and the DJ booth is being constructed in the center of the tent underneath the disco ball - it should be a pretty neat scene.

The Hothouse Event is coming together nicely. I made a site visit to the party space last night to go over my groups role in the event (which is making sure the waste stream of the event is handled properly - recycling and garbage removal, etc). The space for the event is actually spanning an area of about 2 square blocks. This area is being transformed into it's own little, living 'village' complete with entertainment, art, live music, exhibitions, food and drink, programming, etc. There will even be a temporary jazz club created for the night, a small movie theater, dance tent (as mentioned above), hot metal casting (It's pittsburgh, can't forget the steel making), auction house and small art museum. You have to see it to believe it. It's amazing how many people are involved and working together to make something like this happen. I've been busy at least 3 or 4 nights a week getting ready for my part in the event and I can only imagine what the other people go through to transform a few blocked off streets and parking lots into an event of this size. I'll be posting pictures after the party takes place this Saturday.

What to do?

1. Pittsburgh is a small town.

and

2. There are many, many quality people in this small town that work hard to provide things to do in the city in the form of Art, Music / Cultural Events.

When you add 1 + 2 it's inevitable that many of these events end up taking place on the same night ... and being part of this Art and Music scene in this small town and knowing most of these quality people only makes it that much harder to decide what events to attend.

Tomorrow night for example ... I have no idea what I am going to do just yet:

a. The folks at the Shadowlounge are having two seperate shows on the same night; early 90's old school hip hop group Souls of Mischief are playing the early show and the nationally known afro beat band Nomo will be playing after midnight.

b. A friend of mine is curator over at The Pittsburgh Center of the Arts and tomorrow night he is bringing in the free form Jazz performer, Oluyemi Thomas.

c. The folks at 720 Records are hosting another great old school hip hop dance party over at the Brillobox.

d. Sage Francis is performing at Mr. Smalls Theater.

e. and my friend Christiane D is performing at the City Paper's Sound Kitchen event.

dang ... I'm sure I'm probably missing something.

and some people still try to say that there is never anything to do in the 'burgh.

oh .. .and DJ Jazzy Jeff is performing this weekend too!