The Funk Phenomenon

At the Artisan on a tip that one of the top UK dance music DJ's would be making an appearance, so I made a beeline for the place right after work. Of course the big UK jock was nowhere to be found, bad intel no doubt or a set up, but gave me a chance to have a conversation with a friend who is a local house music DJ in Las Vegas. Theory is out of LA original and is still getting use the lack of real scene in Vegas. This has not discouraged him from carving his own niche in a city that has sent more than one friend to the DJ retirement home. It is a very tight crew who run the local strip casino club rooms, but this is not for Theory who acknowledges the overall compromise that exists in the well paid arena of premiere Djing after a brief stint at some of the strip properties, he says it's better at the Artisan, the cool uber hip hotel that embraces the global fascination with dance music, this hotel does not kill you on drink prices or charge excessive cover, none of the usual trappings associated with high end clubbing in Vegas, no dress codes, a sort of come as you are approach that favors Theory's more individual renegade style, but this is not to say that he does not have to ocassionally succumb to the ever present will of mediocrity and the general public, he does. After playing 2 hours of the freshest dance music at the poolside, I go off for a drink and return the sounds of Mary J Blige. What?, this can't be, no, no, no, not urban hip pop music, but the crowd of media types from the Las Vegas Film Festival feel more comfortable with this style of music and within a few minutes a large group of people had gathered around the pool revelling in that sort of high school reunion feel that results in unexpected pregnancies and the random sexual assualt, so the masses were owning the day, Theory had been reduced to a jukebox hero, the music was intorable, and as a capper the disco inferno hip hop summit was in full swing. At this time I was contemplating leaving for the night, even though it had started off pretty damn well, but enough of the mainstream shite, it is kryptonite, death paralysis, but why isn't this crowd getting it, they are artistic, like movies and are involved with the film festival in some capactiy, so these folks must have some sensibility, some taste, but none to be found when it came to appreciating the finer points of dance music, forget it, they were having none of it, the people only hung around because Rubio Fish Tacos was catering the event with free food.

Chatted with a fellow film friend for a minute, at least he could understand the dance music, probably ten years older than me and I am 40, so anyone older than me who can get with the global throwdown is cool in my book so carry on, no fear, embrace the unknown, with that said, the drinks started to go down faster without regard for how I would feel about 8 hrs later when I had to get up to catch a plane, never another thought, bye, send it off, fine, can deal now, little drunk but nothing mind bending. The tacos and goodtimes continue to flow, all the posers are out doing the ritualistic sex dance in hopes to attract someone of the opposite or same sex, have it, so the funk phenonmemon continues, middle class party central. Avoiding the pitfalls of conformity has served me well, even though there has been a time or two when my decision to be myself has made very isolated, I think more people like it, at least people I want in my life and that is all I can ask for anymore.