Welcome to the Fall

Published: 18-10-2005
Author: Randall Jones

WELCOME TO THE FALL.

Haha, well, I haven’t fallen off yet.
What I refer to is THE AUTUMN.
That’s what scholars and poets say happens in September. At least that’s what’s supposed to happen in September. But that’s not the case in Htown. It’s still massively hot in Houston and it feels like the middle of summer. The temperature is BOILING and the humidity is BANGING! That’s how I rolled into September. I was just back from Argentina and feeling inspired and ready to shake and bake. Hurricane Katrina had displaced massive amounts of citizens from New Orleans into Houston and I spent some time during the day volunteering with people in need. I spent some time at night in the studio, working on some hot new singles….a few new cookies to work into my sets.

So anyway, I’m being a good citizen for the first week of September. Then its time to go dj.
I’m playing in this town called San Miguel Allende. It’s a tourist hotspot for older rich people from America. I’m surprised there is a club in this quaint little town, but this cat who heard me play somewhere apparently wants to book me for the grandopening of his new club there. So boom…next thing I know I’m teleported by aeroplane to this magnificent little place. It’s a very quaint little spot that would be a great place to bring your lover. Unfortunately, I’m a lonely dj with no significant other. So the owner picks me up at the airport and explains that below the club is a 5star hotel and spa that he is just completing where I will be staying. I wonder how it works to have a club over a hotel…that seems like trouble. Well, we show up at this joint and it still looks like it’s under construction!! They put me in the only room that is finished!! It’s a super pimp looking boutique style hotel, but definitely not quite finished. The linen is brand new, never washed…EEEEEEEEEEWWWWW and here is the clincher…
wait for it………..THERE IS NO HOT WATER!

This has got to be a first but I’m tired and I don’t really feel like complaining so I don’t even say anything about it. I just crash cause I need some rest. I awake to a cold shower. Here is a tip if you ever have to take a cold shower. Just scream really loudly like an ape while you do it. It’s funny and makes it seem a bit warmer. So, after I freshen up I eat something and then I go to the club and proceed to blow the roof off the spot. It’s a more mainstream looking crowd so I play some rocking funky disco type house with thick rolling basslines...strictly jacking type grooves.

The owner is flipping out with enthusiasm and trying to talk to me about playing there twice a month. I tell him thanks, but that is impossible. I take a few pictures with fans and sign a few autographs and then split out.
Keep it underground while still rocking every type of dancefloor.
You know how we do.

I return to Houston in very high spirits because I’m excited to be going to
San Francisco in a week to play at The Love Parade! But first, I need to help the ‘rents prepare our beach house for a category 5 hurricane named Rita that’s on her way to wreak havoc on the TX coast. If this hurricane hits the area at that strength, every beach house on the island will be gone! Actually, I’m thinking maybe I should cancel the SF itinerary and ride it out at the house I own in Houston so I can look out for my setup there. Well, my pops is an old school Texan and they know about everything, especially the weather. In fact, they know a lot about the weather, because that is what Texans talk about all day. If you ever visit the T. X., I challenge you to go one day here without being engaged in conversation about the weather. Well anyway, my pops says it should blow in east because there is a front moving south that will deflect it and I should go to the gigs. So, I proceed to evacuate Houston via a First Class seat. I get to SF and I can already feel the vibe in the air. San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the world.

1. Buenos Aires
2. San Francisco
3. Singapore
4. Tokyo
5. Montreal
6. Amsterdam
7. London
8. NYC
9. HongKong
10. St. Petersburg

BLAMO!! There’s a top10 (in no particular order) of some world class spots to peep out. I know for a fact that there are a lot of smoking places I’ve yet to see, but these are a few of my favorite places, where the air is thick with the vibes of dynamic countercultures that inspire artists.

“City Nights, Electric Lights, sounds and styles that rule my life”
SF is right up in the mix in that topten and I know the next couple of days will be worldclass!

So, The Love Parade weekend is in full effect in SF. There are multiple parties going on every night, all weekend long, featuring a cross section of some of the most notorious djs on the planet. I’m playing Friday night with Lee Burridge at this club called Mezzanine for a Spundae and Frisky Radio party. Its decent. I rock out with my buddy Scott Carrelli out there too. He’s a really talented DJ that has been playing in SF for years. I’ve played with him at 1015 and Anu and he always shows skill and finesse. It’s great to see him! This event ends at 4am and there is an afterparty occurring that everybody is trying to get me to go to. I’m retiring though, because I have to play on a float for the actual Love Parade at noon.
Well, after a bit of sleep, I’m able to report to 2nd street in the middle of downtown San Francisco to personally witness the chaos firsthand. The place is going bananas. What I see are about 20 floats made on trucks of various sizes with sound systems pumping out rhythms. These trucks make a fleet that extends for about three city blocks and there are probably about 10thousand people milling around. It’s a gorgeous day and perfect weather for a parade! I’m booked to headline this truck that is sponsored by Papas&Beer, a gigantic club I play at in Baja Mexico. I finally find it amid all the chaos and it is a flatbed with a soundsystem and a dj playing records. Meanwhile a whole crew of Mexican boys and girls are drinking beer and dancing on it. I jump up just in time and this whole ménage starts to move!
Of course, as soon as the truck pulls off, the record skips and all the boys and girls stumble hilariously towards the back. I get a good laugh out of this and wonder how this is going to work.

It’s a beautiful day outside and mothernature has blessed this event with perfect weather. So I pop a can of beer open, pull out my cds (impossible to play records), and hit the decks!! I duck into the mix with a burning new rework of Little Green Men. It’s a trip driving down the middle of Market St. in downtown SF on this float with thousands of people lining the street. The only bummer is the cds are occasionally skipping, but whatever, I’m still rocking!! The whole parade rolls onto the lawn of cityhall. It’s a huge park surrounded by municipal buildings. Floats set up on the various corners of the streets and SanFrancisco proceeds to throw a party with what seems like over 100,000 people!! Its insane. I let one of the residents from Papas&Beer step up to the decks and prepare myself to roll around and peep out this madness! I see some dope floats. There is one that has stacks of speakers surrounding it. It is a local float and it is going off with a massive soundsystem and a great crowd. Anu, which is a fly little club I play at in SF, has a float with Lee Burridge, Desyn Masiello and John Tejada playing. Spundae has a float rocking with a bunch of commercial progressive trance. I don’t know who is playing there, I think some popular guys like Corsten or ATB. There is a float I see with drum and bass and the lineup has some nice talent like Dieselboy but the system sounds like a home stereo with no high frequencies …embarrassing! There is a really hot float with psytrance. Psytrance is some of my favorite music! I often play these types of records at –8% pitch in my sets and I really enjoy listening to this style of music at regular pitch. It’s killer…driving drums, sick rolling bass, twisted melodies, often cool samples. Look out for this group called “Infected Mushroom”…incredible stuff.
So anyway, since I’m a one of the “VIP DJs”, I have a thing around my neck that provides me access into the VIP area. The funny thing is that the VIP is City Hall! Yes, you walk through the doors and through metal detectors and there is a huge area with a band playing and a Heineken Bar and hors’d oeuvres and stuff. Only in SF would they have a rave at City Hall…I love it.

The event is amazing and it lasts all day. I stay a few days in SF and I do some surfing at this killer spot called Montero. I get a few killer rides but it’s a big closeout and I get tossed around a little too. I spend some time looking around the city and enjoy the cool weather while walking through Chinatown, on my constant search for Animal Chin. I walk down by OceanBeach and along Haight and breathe the sweet NorCal air. I love SF…one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

I’m sorry to say goodbye to SF but I know I’ll be back soon. I’ve had a very busy summer traveling and I’m looking forward to spending much of October at home. I will be focusing on playing a bit more in Houston next month and working in the studio putting the final preparations in place for my new record label, MyntMusic.
I’m excited to drop the details on the label next month so report back here and we’ll see wadup.

In the meantime,
THE LOVE IS IN THE MUSIC.
RJones