(h)earplugs

Last week-end's menu:

*Friday:
Guggenheim's First Fridays - Beans/RJD2

**Saturday:
North Six - Oneida, Kyp Malone (Tv on the radio)
Capone's - Dj Duane & Steve Steinski (of the Double Dee & Steinski's Lessons 1,2,3)

*Beans' notable selections >> Minnie Riperton's "I'm the black gold of the sun", Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy", Jay D's "Workin' on it" and a handful of Tribe Called Quest.

Beans' notable moments >> note, access to the rotunda's ramp, where the art is on display, is forbidden to those holding glasses and bottles. Beans who has just finished his set resolutely walks on the ramp with a bottle of beer (and, mind you, we have already intercepted him on his way to "take a piss", that was an hour earlier and oh the satisfaction he showed, the grin he had while whistling his "s", I'ma take a PISSSSS, that's a man who's having fun -- and beer), so anyway he mellowly but decisively walks on the ramp, random people stop him "Yo dawg, that was DOPE much respect" "Hey man, uh, thank you for the music, uh, cool", he smiles and goes on, mellowly slowly but surely on the ramp. It is then that a security guard spots him. Security guard spots him and starts moving in on him, his hand out, ready to grab the bottle, already a menacing look on his face. Beans sees him, sees his hand and ... shakes it. "Hey what's up?'.
Man, seeing his smile turn downwards was heartbreaking.

**North Six, Oneida, not my kind of venue, crowd or music for that matter, but I went for the pleasure of the company (Supervillana) and because I think a real music-head should be exposed to the source of her passion as much as she can. Having a broad range helps you gain perspective and depth in criticism. And Kyp Malone's voice makes me think of Valhalla, just like Chris Cornell's. Goths and heros in the afterlife: strange, right?

Capone's, Duane, Steinski, WOW! It was just like drinking a 1/3 Soultrain, 1/3 Kool Herc's bloc party, 1/3 1970s Cuban ballroom cocktail. Old school salsa back to back with Rakim while The OJays got it on in a vintage video. We danced to the last drop of sweat and let me tell you one thing: on hip-hop Supervillana may not have the moves of a Ding-Dong but don't get her started with salsa; it's like seeing a matador fight a bull, she's fierce and elegant and HOT.

Duane never, ever fails to get our groove on. So Duane, Beans: "the stage is a cage the mic is a third rail" - keep it electrified.


(Steinski at work, disco ball and Traktor: then and now - ok I'm not sure he uses Traktor... maybe not)