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So it was the beginning of August when Iron (who is now deceased, apparently) first first discovered OXO Late Night. I think I’ve experienced enough of OXO. The flirting was awesome, the dating got heated, the sex was kinky and now it’s over. OXO, I’m done with you. You want to know why?
She Flirts
OXO and I have had an overly flirtatious relationship from the beginning. I was attracted to OXO’s alternative, non-UVA, dance floor scene. It was a good replacement for Zo Ca Lo. Where Zo Ca Lo has no dancing scene and scares you with its size, OXO brought something more intimate. It had everything a Islandic God would want. Indeed, like the rest of you I mingled, flirted, played and danced. OXO seemed so perfect.
We Dated
OXO and I started to get hot and heavy around mid-September. The late summer heat convinced me that it was that time of the year. Our hormones aligned. We danced and shared intimate experiences. One too many time, I would wake up in a haze, realizing, damn that was kinky,;but glancing over and finding the pink bunny suit made me understand: It was much more kinky than my memory can handle. Between the hormones, the booze, and the beat, I was an addict. But like any relationship, I wanted something back from Oxo.
She Picks You Up and Let’s You Drop
OXO was using me. I was her Sex God and she was my vixen. Little did I know, she desired my chariot and thunder, not me. Tapping the communal powers of cVillain, I wanted Oxo to mature into something as classy as Zo Ca Lo, with the intensity of Blue Light and the music of Escafe. I wanted the perfect vixen. Hell, Oxo even reads this site. She knows that all I wanted was well-mixed tunes (at least music that wasn’t disjointed) and quality bar service. Those aren’t big changes to make.
She Broke My Heart
Yes, Oxo… you and I are over. You sexual attractiveness means nothing to me. You are becoming another Blue Light (+ dancing - service). You had so much potential, so much independence, so much going for you. You almost had it just right. But you failed to listen and now you are not what I desire. The sex was good when we had it, but it’s not worth my effort.
You don’t know how to handle a late night bar scene. I heard too many complaints over the quality of your service. You’ve made excuses in the past. Maybe you will learn, but, for now, your God of Thunder is gone.
Who shall be my new sex kitten?
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Tagged as: Activities, Bars, Charlottesville, Dance, Gripes, Protests, Rants, Restaurants, Reviews, Weekends
Thor, you rocked that like a hurricane.
um…rivals is ready for you now.
I think my fling with OXO ended when a drunk woman eating a waffle (confusing because to my knowledge OXO doesnt serve waffles) announced to me loudly over the crappy music “You must be homosexual”. I was perplexed. I wasn’t offended, but when I asked her why she felt the need to tell me this she said it was because I was talking to guys (my friends) and not hitting on girls. I couldn’t possible explain how 99% of the girls in there weren’t my type so I rolled my eyes and she persisted with this diatribe till we walked away. Still eating her waffle. Messily.
The last time I was there (this past saturday) the first person to come up to me was a friend also in the music scene who pleaded with me to go help the DJ fix the sound. I didn’t even care enough to try to help the DJ fix it. It was beyond terrible. Speakers on the floor, muffled midrange woofyness. C’mon guys. Get it together. They don’t even play the Smiths anymore!
I have a new sex kitten nightspot that beats OXO into the dust for Saturday night fun, but I won’t tell you where it is. You’ll have to ask her out yourself.
btw that video is hilarious(ly bad)
Well, um… the music is *still* at escafé. And Micah is one of the fastest most bestest bartenders in town, seriously the guy is like a machine when he gets going. I have seen him and Tammy do $3000 in drinks btw 11-2 with nary a customer complaint - thats some jedi shit right there. All that’s needed is the crowd, (which seems to fluxuate with no discerable pattern) and we love you long time JoeThor.
I gave OXO a couple shots when I heard they were doing dj nights, I wanted to be supportive and all that, but that was a while ago. But it took me like 45 minutes to get a beer (it *was* crowded, though), and the dj was a guy with a laptop and an amp, no real “mixing” per say. Which is fine for what it is, I guess. I have heard that since then they are bringing in a variety of dj’s and had hired additional bar staff, so I was all ginned up to give it another go, especially since it is such a prominent reccurring villian featurette. But its even more crowded now (apparently) so I don’t know what to do. And now this!
I reckon rivals it is then. Buy y’all a bud light?
On Saturday night there were 4-5 bartenders and most definitely was not a problem getting served. Nay Nay had things well under control! The technical sound problems persist, however (clarity and volume, in particular - song selection is a personal matter).
B-Yo, I thought you would be spinning at Escafe Saturday?
Yeah, I personally had to quit Oxo a good few weeks ago. The first five or six saturdays were probably some of the best dance parties I’ve been too in Charlottesville, but no more! I don’t know if it’s because I’m substantially poorer than I was over the summer, or if it’s the drastic shift in the ratio of douche to cool person, but it doesn’t do it for me anymore. I still give props to DJ Krizter, I like what he spins.
If they cleared the tables at Saxx, it would make for a nice dance floor…
Wow, the “Oxo is cool” thing is over so soon, before I got a chance to check it out. Hype=quick backlash in the blogosphere, that’s for sure.
Are Cold War Kids, Beirut, and Vampire Weekend still cool? How about LOLCats? PostSecret?
Thor, nicely written.
cbob, a waffle? Seriously? Or is that some sort of code for a new drug (one that clearly enhances stupidity)?
minty every wed and friday.
Saxx would be awesome, but isn’t that joint really specific in what kinds of it books. I seem to remember a certain hand drawn poster prior to opening, a kind of ’smooth jazz manifesto’ which stated, with what I considered some disconcerning adamance, that ONLY smooth jazz would EVER be heard eminating from its lacquered hallows… GOD DAMNIT!
I would love to play there. Wouldn’t even need to drive.
hee hee… samantha doesn’t know what “chewin on a waffle means”… tee hee… wait. neither do i. ah well.
‘antha, Thanks.
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if there were a decent place to party in Belmont. Saxx, are you listening?
Well Truman Sparks has played SAXX twice with other rock bands in-tow… so they aren’t THAT strict on what they book…
Both shows were awesome btw.
BELMONT DANCE PARTIES!!! DO IT!
Hell, I’d do the first one for tips. I got the whole rig, I just need one outlet and an excuse.
I suck at organizing and coordinating, though… Wonder what the deal is with renting out that joint.
maybe we can get a venue for cvillain meetups/parties.. we’ll look into this
It’s really over, huh? I admit that the service is majorly hit or miss and that the sound is beyond dismal, but the thing that I initally liked so much about OXO was the crowd that it attracted. In the first couple of weeks that it started, the crowd was kind of unexpected and defied the usual Cville locale stereotypes. It was as if OXO were a taco truck and water st was suddenly in Belmont…or something like that… Anyway, it has inevitably changed, but can I ask a sort of philisophical question of the cvillians at large? Isn’t the blog slightly responsible for that? How do we covertly toe the line of dishing out the weekly goods without allerting the populace at large about the few hidden gems that this town has to offer? I propose that we have people standing at doors handing out the code word for the evening so that on Monday morning when we’re pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps over a small tank of coffee, we will be in the know without compromising the integrity of the venues. It, of course, wouldn’t be in an effort to keep people from coming in the first place, but just as a way of weeding out the good time phishers that can’t read calendar listings for themselves and wind up heisting our party while stuffing their face with a waffle (!). Or something like that.
Ah well, the crowd was only a third of the problem which still means that the concept was a leaky boat waiting for the tide to rise anyway, so what’s next then?
Also, as a quick aside, Micha is one hell of a bartender. And good natured too…
I think enough people here complain about DJ’s and music and not being served in a timely manner so I propose an idea. Why don’t you Dj the party then. Or perhaps jump behind the bar and sling some drinks. I don’t think a lot of you realize the amount of pressure put on a Dj. Now I can’t speak for OXO or X-Lounge but I can attest for myself and Esc @ Escafe. There are so many hard decisions that go into Djing somewhere. You have to set a mood, keep the energy flowing, keep the customers happy, play stuff people will recognize. The list could go on and on. I know the sound issue is an easy fix, just buy some new equipment. But really don’t hate on someone playing music for your enjoyment just because they are not to your liking or their selection is not on point with your “Dance Mix Playlist” on your iPod. Everyone has got to start somewhere. And remember if you aren’t happy with the music at one place there are about 37 other bars within walking distance of the oh so beloved OXO.
XSV
B-yo
I’ll jump on with you if you wanna throw down a party one night. That way you won’t have to be stuck behind the tables all night
mau: I agree. I wasn’t about to pipe up about the dancing because I asked for more dance floors about 80 times! I haven’t been in the throes of OXO’s throngs almost at all in the past month, which is why I can’t report. The beauty of the Charlottesville scene is that the distribution eventually evens out. But I remember when Ten opened and one of my reservations got bumped. On its theme party nights, X Lounge is packed! I agree that OXO is a tough venue, but more because there is one bathroom for each gender, the bar operates in analog, and really, there’s not an abundance of floor space. It’s still my favorite restaurant in a city with nothing but spectacular food, too.
I give them a lot of credit for starting it and making it the success its been, they took a fine dining venue and staff and made them work for a late night party spot for months now, but it seems to have been put in cruise control [a certain bartender coming over from Kiki, and the change-over to computers behind the bar (thats what it looks like at least) were certainly good steps to keep up with the crowds]. The music however is going to dictate what sort of a crowd you get, and if the electronica invasion of this weekend continues, I’m not going to be a regular anymore. I’ve already complained about the Friday night djs on here, who I’ve been told were only interested in playing what they wanted to hear, and were oblivious to the fact that EVERYONE left the dance floor around 1:00 and didn’t come back. Then Saturday it turned into a hybrid regular crowd/white t shirt and workboots crowd. More bad music, this time sounding terrible as well (just by standing near the kitchen area I had people coming up to me and complaining about the music). I think they need to realize that ultimately their success is dependent upon the people who come week after week, and when its ‘whatever dj wasn’t already booked night’ week after week, people will go elsewhere. That being said, I’m not ready to give up on them yet. I’m sure it takes a lot of effort to open that place up for dancing 6 hours a week, if they’re willing to do it I’ll give them a shot. Having the hottest bar staff doesn’t hurt either. Just a little more consistency musically, thats all. Mmmm… waffles (bring back the waffles too please) Oh, and please don’t let it turn into the new Rapture.
I loved when the put the focaccia out early on!
YES! It set them apart from every other place. Little things like that go a loooong way.
Can I get an amen for brother XSV? Testify.
First of all, it would be fun to tag team - the triple initial crew in effect, yo!
Secondly, the man is right. You have no idea how much pressure is put on a dj. I enjoy the challenge personally, but damn… sometimes, you know? Thing is, we wanna rock you, that’s the whole point, and if were coming up short, believe me we’re feeling it. Think about the inifinite possibilities of musical taste in a room of even forty people. Now your challenge is to find the intersection of all those tastes, and the cumulative mood of the room and then deliver 2-3 hours worth of soundtrack on the fly. And you have to do it all psychically! Got it? Good. Now factor in that you have to think at least two or three songs in advance, and listen to two songs at once. No problem right? Thing is you have to do it driving a rig with as many buttons as a small plane, any one of which, if pushed at the wrong time, will bring the whole affair to a grinding halt. So you’ve mapped out your next few songs but whats this? Amber, whose well deep into her 4th cosmo, wants to hear britney! Right now! I cannot tell you how many times I have recieved what borders on outright threats masquerading as requests! “No one is dancing - they will if you play this!” “But you have to play it now, Im leaving in 10 minutes!” All while dangling an exotic cocktail over some $2000 equipment that you have scrimped and saved your last nickle to purchase. One drop o’ vodka = electric firworks and no more parties for a while… but I digress. There will always be Ambers. Things are cooking. You’ve managed to get the crowd up and moving, but damn your bladder is feelin that beer you drank and now you gotta go. Time to work in a good long song so you can hit the head, but it has to be a good one so you don’t lose your crowd. Aahhh, your back teeth are floating but you finally edge into nice long crowd pleasing cut and your off to beg and whimper to be allowed to cut in the bathroom line. You manage to get in and you have the most unsettling piss of your life because you are worried the cd might skip, or someone will step on a cable or something and you are not there for damage control. But you make it back! Woohoo! As the evening progresses the requests get more and more arcane. Then its Skip Tripperson, the obscure house music nazi, who just got back from fucking ibiza or some such, and is mortally offended that you have never heard of dj pulsematic’s remix of the petshop boys remix of “sensation blue dogma” or some other crazy thing. I go through easily 300 songs a week trying to find the funkiest new shit I can, but somehow it is a a crime against humanity that i dont have that track in my hand when you asked for it… You deal with the shame of your newfound ignorance and proceed along until the end trying out those new ringers that you thought, while drunk in your living room, would be instant peak time crowd favorites. Invariably you fail about 50% of the time on those descisions and are faced with hard mixing out early on the song, which is mostly new to you and you dont really know where the breaks are. Then its time to wind it up with some grace. Something odd. Something final. Something epic, you know? Start working toward it. And thats when you meet your last challenge of the night: the “eleventh hour requester”. You’re 3 minute in on your last six minute track , you have already called last call, people are already leaving, but this fellow wants to hear a song. You try to explain that its over which invariably is met with either that dismissive dissappointed look or outright hostility. Should we really rewrite the VA liquor laws tonight just so you can hear daft punk? I wish I could man, but you know its just not happening. Not my fault. Then its time to get your shit together and load the car while everyone else saunters off to the after party.
Phew. Soapbox much? Indeed. But god damn is it all worth it when the party is clicking and you are able to drive a machine that is bringing folks so much inibriated kinetic funky soul-level joy. We dj’s love you an want you to have fun, and believe me that is why we do it. Its not the astronomical money that local bar owners throw at us (snark), it your fucking booty and getting it wiggling. Two things that all dj’s have - fragile egos and magnificent sideburns. Our side burns grow on their own, but our egos need your gyrating posterior to survive. It may be a disease. I don’t know. But I do know this. Cut your friendly neighborhood dj some slack. Give him a hug. He means well. Support him. Help him (or her-where are all the lady jocks anyway?) grow with you for a more fullfilling party experience all round. Trust him. He can bring to you some sonic funkified goodness that is not on your 300 cd changer at home. He wont be right every time but who is? In other words, namely those of the great George Clinton, “Free your mind and your ass will follow”.
Yo out, thanks for listening.
Hmm. Re reading that it seems to sound like Im down on the request tip. Im not, I looooove it when I can play something someone specifically wants. I just would like a little forgiveness if I can’t pull it out of the hat. Yaknow?
That was beautiful man…..
Belmont you get a whole hearted amen from me!!!
on a side note I am free on Weds. nights if you want to collab at the Cafeteria one time
As an occasional OXO DJ I gotta defend myself. I can’t speak for everyone in the rotation (hell, I don’t even know everyone in the rotation) but, really, as far as I can tell many of the complaints here aren’t what I’m seeing on the dancefloor. I mix songs. I work off a laptop with Ableton and other programs that let me pre-cue and hit up samples just as well as the next guy. I play the Smiths, and the Happy Mondays, and Pulp and whatever other fucking instantly-recognizable British band you might want, but the thing is no one has ever requested these things. Instead, requests pretty much fall into four categories: Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince. Sometimes people will request these things interchangeably- “could you play some JT or some Prince?â€
I think people in Cville want a hip danceparty but aren’t willing to follow through. You know what, you might have to dance to music outside your comfort zone every once in a while. Why do people walk off the dancefloor when I drop some Crystal Castles or Santogold ish; can it really be that much of a stretch? But Toolshed, you might ask, can’t you just mix songs we don’t know in with songs we like in order to gain some familiarity at first? This is usually standard practice, but twice I have thrown fresh a cappellas over older bangers only to have people come up and complain. I remember laying an Edu K verse on top of a loop from Gary Numan’s Cars and some guy walked up to me and said “why the fuck don’t you play the original song instead of this bullshit?†The other time it was Dead Kids over something rock-n-roll and someone came up and complained. Also, I’ve learned a general rule that people in Charlottesville won’t dance to anything that’s not in English.
When people don’t tolerate good, exciting music they end up complaining about good, exciting DJs, and then they have to settle for less (and promptly complain about it).
I wish I was kidding about the waffle. She didn’t even offer me a bite.
I think people in Cville want a hip danceparty but aren’t willing to follow through. You know what, you might have to dance to music outside your comfort zone every once in a while.
Very well put Toolshed. Maybe once a month there could be a dance party somewhere where it is exclusively Justin, Madonna and Prince. All night. Thousands of variations and all the originals. Over and over and over. This way we could raise the saturation level in an attempt to purge. We could call it “The Familiar Comforts You’ve Demanded are Now Mandatory” party. Hell, what am I saying. It would probably end up being the biggest party of the year.
And Im hip to the english only thing, I thought it was just me. The type of music I spin currently, there is amazing stuff coming out of isreal, eastern europe, netherlands, france… Fuck, I don’t speak those languages, I have no idea what the song is saying, but the beats are wicked! But I never even put em in my book because I have tried and it almost immediately clears the floor. ‘Bout as foriegn as you can get in this town is 99 Luftballons.
I like the way this thread is going. So much grousing about dj’s, and now the dj’s are grousing back. Its the airing of grievences! Its a festivus miracle!
Look, Yo. I’m not bashing on djs. All I’m saying is that a little consistency might be a good thing. You probably guard your regular shows at Escafe like gold, and wouldn’t let just anyone step in and fill your shoes every other week, because one or two bad nights and your cast of regulars might not come back (they’re a fickle crowd, if they’ll leave the dance floor because of one song they don’t recognize then they’ll find somewhere else to party if a place starts to take for granted that they’ll show up). The guys at OXO on Friday played what they wanted to and did not care if anyone was dancing. They were back there in the kitchen jumping around and posing like idiots and I repeat DID NOT CARE if anyone was dancing. Saturdays guy was better, but the sound coming out of the speakers was awful. This is probably a result of the revolving door of djs there, not everyones gear is going to just plug in and work perfectly, and since they’re open for dinner and there’s a small window of time to set up and make everything work… you don’t have time to troubleshoot why something doesn’t sound right.
Thats all I’m sayin. I give you a lot of credit for doing what you do.
I use ableton too, its the coolest thing since sliced bread
Its a festivus miracle!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Dude… doofus, I don’t feel put upon or criticized by you or anyone. Im sure there are dj’s who don’t care. XSV just lit me up with “pressures on dj’s” post, so I ran with it. Its really all baskets of fluffy puppies on my end, so no worries!
Are Cold War Kids, Beirut, and Vampire Weekend still cool? How about LOLCats? PostSecret?
Samantha: I can’t believe I forgot to reply. CWK and Beirut BETTER still be cool. And I’m looking up Vampire Weekend now.
Samantha, I dig your musical analogies. If R2 is to Amy Winehouse, OXO is to . . . Arctic Monkeys? The hype has fallen off considerably, but there is still plenty to like and I continue to see potential for further improvements.
And as someone who prides himself on being down with the new band cognoscenti, I’m crestfallen that I haven’t yet heard of LOLKids or PostSecret.
My mistake; LOLCats.
Just another thought…I’m sure that OXO is scoping this post out and maybe we could toss them a bone with some suggestions for improvement…we’ve all partied there, so given what they have to work with, what could they work on? I agree that I loved the bread and pesto (Vampire repellant though it was) and maybe real, efficient cocktail service? The bar outside=not a bad improvement. DJs that have enough space and worthy equipment for their craft (B Yo, WOW, btw), what else? The thing is, I know that I’m going to bitch about it, but I also am willing to be all the turkey and stuffing in the world that I’ll go back so maybe we can throw out some reasonable room for improvement suggestions.
B Yo, WOW, btw
Wow what? Over the top? Sorry. I just get all excited about choons and all…
MAU- great idea, bring on the suggestions!!
Seems like I missed quite a bit while I was actually getting some sleep last night.
Toolshed - Trust I can completely sympathize with you when it come to things going over people’s heads. I have only been in Charlottesville since Mar. of ‘06. I came here from San Diego. Back on the Left Coast I was playing out all the time. People there are a lot more receptive to new and creative things. I move here and try doing the same thing and end up pretty much getting thrown out of the building. I had to dumb down my style and once people started seeing I was a regular I have been able to slowly but surely go back to the ways I used to rock party’s. It really sucks though because I am known for being a mashup DJ but 90% of the time I can’t play anything mashed up because they just don’t get it.
B-Yo - I leave the JustiPrinMadonLake party in your hands. I can only deal with so much of it.
I love Arctic Monkeys too.
Suggestions. I got bread covered. How about a coat rack? Everyone piles their coats around the dance floor bench, so no one sits.
Ooh, if anyone is interested in starting a night I’d love to be a part of it. I have some party promotion experience from my days in LA. hit me up with an e-mail and let’s get the ball rolling: thepriceofgas(at)gmail(dot)com
Mau - I think the point was we’ve given them plenty of pointers in the past and they haven’t figured out how to use feedback.
Fair enough, and I couldn’t agree more…
And B yo, I was saying WOW with a sort of reverence, no sarcasm in the least…it never hurts to do one thing well and passionately!
mauI never said I was any good, just enthusiastic. But thanks.
XSV Jeez, thanks. Im the one that gets hung up bringing sexy back through the purple rain? What a thriller.
orion Addeth me to thine list of possible participants, should it suit: escisme (at) gmail. There are alternatives to bars and restaraunts too… Dust for instance, Saxx, top floor of the parking garage down town… Say cant you rent the pavillion? Or do you have to be fellating redlight in some manner? Ive always wanted to do something on some private land kinda out in the middle of nowhere. Block party on Douglas Street! Abandoned hospital down the 20! Yeah yeah… i know.
There just aren’t enough non-typical venues, and the list gets shorter every day. Its really sort of way past time to develop an underground of sorts. Somehing in between the pud house and those “nature parties” behind the jeff (before *that* got bought too, cough cough).
But where… but where…?
oof. nice tags, yo. sorry.
Orion- add my name as well. If you want to line something up I would definitely like to be involved. xsv dot music @ gmail
Lilith, I think you’re on to something with the coats. With coats piled on every horizontal surface, noone sits in the lounge area and the cocktail waitress just wanders around, plus with the only non-coat covered seats being at the bar, the people who grab those never get up making it harder to get to the bar and order. Maybe a rack up in the dining room thats not used? Or hooks in the hallway by the waitstation? Or have someone man the coat closet (some girl went in there a couple of weeks ago and turned on all the lights in the place, cant have that)? What do they do for dinner service? When you get dressed up to go out, you don’t want your nice coat getting dumped somewhere where its going to end up on the floor or have beer spilled all over it. Just a suggestion
Thor,
What is this? I have to read on a blog to hear that you and I are over? What has the world come to that this kind of non-communication is the norm? Are you even capable of understanding my level of distress at hearing the news? Talk about some passive-aggressive bullshit.
But seriously, we had such a good thing. I recall evenings when I would rush home from a long night at OXO and anxiously open this wonderful little gem of a blog in anticipation of getting some hard but compassionate criticism from you. And then I would struggle all week getting songs together that I thought that you would love, songs that flowed into each other so seamlessly that you couldn’t even tell that I had changed genres ( you know, the way that you like it). Life was pretty much perfect. And now this! Man-child, what a slap in the face!
Come on, Thor. Give us one more chance. Let us prove to you that we’re more than just a bunch of really, really pretty faces. I’ll be at OXO this saturday. Why don’t you swing in for a few fruity cocktails, and I’ll play smooth music for you all night long. I just have one question: how much Kenny Loggins can you handle? What do you say, Thor. Don’t tell me this is it.
Hot Milk
ps. love this little blog thing you guys got going here. really cute. so transparent and fun. refreshing, actually.
pps. I guess it is just a dance party.
ppps. Doofus, why don’t you see if you can contact someone over at OXO? Maybe you could be a doorman or something?
O RLY?
i love you hot milk.
Hot Milk sounds sexy.
Thor, you’re soooooooo fickle.
I agree though, we should go back to Hot Milk all the time; I miss hearing Architectue in Helsinki and all the other cool shit he plays. We can even bring back the pesto and hang up your coats. And don’t say we don’t respond to your feedback, we totally moved the couch away from the bar as soon as you bitched about it so there.
Let me just say from my side of things, it has been disappointing to see less of you guys and more strangers who I think wandered in from Rapture or the Corner. Tips haven’t been as good either. Let’s just let things simmer down for a little bit…
You know you’ll be back.
I agree with sha nay nay. See comment 18.
[…] My ex, does she deserve a mention? Friday night she was not looking so hot and was with ugly dudes. […]
If the extremely saturated Iggy Pop look alike at the bar Saturday night is any indication of Cville nightlife, I wont be heading out much.
[…] Thor broke up with OXO. […]
I’m a little late on this entry, but I kind of feel like Charlottesville weekends are all the same. I actually haven’t gone out but once in the past three weeks. And that was to enoteca. But, really, what I am most let down by is how we all go out, buy drinks, stand or sit around and then go home. I wish there was some interactive atmosphere where it was cool to meet strangers. Oh, and maybe not hook up. See, OXO was sweet at first because it had that charming, somewhat seductive, classy feel about it. Candles and good music early on with food…but. It changed. It’s obvious, too. It’s all driven by profit and the place won’t do anything to make it the was it was if they lose any money. And, hey, tons of Rapture crowds moving to OXO brings money and who cares if they all get wasted and cause lines out the door and mayhem? Who cares if the staff works their ass off for barely any money compared to most bars? Maybe if OXO wasn’t so concerned about a sexy image and projecting that sexy image (have you SEEN the terrible santa ad???) onto their clientele, well, maybe their clientele wouldn’t have evolved into what it did.
It’s a shame, really. I wish they would just charge a cover some weekend. It would really slim the crowds down.
Hey ellipsis…what you want is a pottery class. This is adulthood, girlfriend. Bars are for drankin’ and hookin’ up.
I wanna jump on the DJ rant. I was a DJ, too. Here’s a truth: Many DJ’s don’t give a fuck about what the crowd wants. They want to play what *they* like. They want to do things like spray the latest hits from Ibiza onto the face of a central Virginia crowd. Those kinds of DJ’s annoy the hell out of me because they are fanboys, not DJ’s. A DJ, to me, in the Yellowpages sense of the word, is someone who plays what the client wants, the client being the one who pays you, or the one who dances in front of you. Many DJ’s don’t get this. They are either fanboys or frustrated artists. Hey, if you’re a turntablist who actually is a “beat poet”, then groove on brother. I’m with you. Create away. Just don’t think you can do it in front of a bunch of SNL Financial employees who were working late and decided to come dance their stress off. Create your art in your basement studio, or go to a big city club that hire people (and has a crowd yearning) for their turntablism skills. But know that you are the turntable equivalent of a local band. You want to make money being a Yellowpages DJ (also known as a “laptop DJ”), then drop the artistry and connosseiurism and get business-minded about it.
If you’re the kinda guy who gets tired of hearing Britney and JT, then you’re in the wrong business. People want to hear that, and if you resist that truth, you will forever be frustrated.
Read me clearly: if you play other people’s music, you are a Wedding DJ. (Nightclub DJ’s hate to hear this truth, btw.)
Doesn’t matter if you never play a wedding. Doesn’t matter if you only work in the hippest nightclubs. If you’re playing other people’s music for pay, you’re a wedding DJ. No matter how snobby you get about it. If you look in your crowd and see bachelorettes with condom necklaces, you’re a wedding DJ even if you never set foot in a reception hall. If you think you’re better than a wedding DJ, I say to you who the hell do you think you are blasting your personal Ipod playlist to a crowd of paying customers? Do your research. Watch your crowds. Good DJing is more work than just hitting Play on whatever you feel like hearing.
Now, my rant is not against all DJ’s. All that belmont wrote is right on. But the way I handled customer requests was easy: play them immediately if they haven’t been played in the last half hour, or smile, give a thumbs up and say “I’ll see what I can do, honey!” and then totally ignore it. I tend to avoid conflict, even if it means lying. Another trick was to make people write requests on a clipboard. That way I interacted with fewer drunk people. Also, a must-have for any DJ is an iTunes (or similar) account. This way, any request you don’t have you can download on the spot. The big thing about requests, especially for lame ones, ANNOUNCE THE REQUESTER. That way Amber is blamed for the lameness, not you.
Wow this has gotten long. Last note. Most important. The real cause of most DJ complaints is not the DJ, but the venue management. You see, club customers come in with certain expectations, and it’s up to the management to control those expectations. If the management doesn’t control them, then the customers get disappointed because they don’t get what they expect. Venues have got to be clearer (to both the DJ and the customers) what kind of music will be played. If a venue wants a top 40 (or goth/hiphop/oldies/ambient) night, they should be clear about that to the DJ and in the marketing. The problem comes (especially around here) when venues just advertise the DJ by name, or merely say that there is a DJ. The average Jane Grad Student does not know local DJ’s by reputation. For venues promoting a dance night, especially, they should commit to a kind of music. And don’t try to promote by saying a DJ will play “every kind of music”. That’s frustrating too. Venues need to think in radio station categories when deciding their nights. Satellite radio categories, though.
hey lagrape can I feature this comment as a post?
I’m not sure what that means, Thor, but sure. Can you also include belmont’s post? I feel like his is better than mine (ie less likely to make people mad and more likely to make them sympathize with DJ’s).
They’re awesome together. Everything you said made a lot of sense!
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I miss you and hate this.