sǝuoſ ǝuıɥsunS

I went out last night to Mezzanine to see Lindstrom and Carl Craig. I went with friends, met up with friends, saw a few old friends, and made a couple new friends too. The club sounds good, and it was nice to be in a big huge crowd. I love to dance, but I like to dance best when I am invisible, and anonymous and can blend into the people and feel the energy without being interrupted or hassled. The music that got the night started was not my cup of tea, hard, retro and tedious. Nothing interesting or new. Just more of the same. While they were doing the worst of 91 all over again I was walking around the club looking at people, feeling kind of cloistered, perhaps even a little paranoid about just how popular the Joan Jet mullet has become. I didn’t like that expensive messy hair thing in the early 80’s either, I wrote it off as suburban, or wannabe hair then, but to see it now on everyone (and I mean everyone) is a little creepy. Thankfully people don’t do their hair for me so we didn’t have to talk about it. I went out to the smoking lounge and had a chance to catch up with Lailoni and Emily and Jason and I eased into the hair thing. Live and let live right? I guess we all have to end up with a pile of photos of ourselves we’re embarrassed about right? I know I’ve got a few…

Anyhow, enough social critique, the ruler of the night, hands down, was Lindstrom. Oh man, what a weirdo. He was simply superb. It was cosmic disco streaming out of a dorky Norwegian messy guy. Blindingly wonderful, spanning the entire frequency spectrum, and bringing the crowd completely together. I love that when a seemly humble individual steps quietly up to the decks, the DJ spinning before him hasn’t really impacted the room and does some talking, and plays a few more… the humble fellow just waits quietly. Then when they begin, the change is so uplifting, the sound so refreshing, that everyone moves toward the middle of the room and begins to surge with the music. I was upstairs on the Mezzanine (of Mezzanine) at first with friends, they seem to be too old to dance. I waited a few songs, thinking that maybe they’d relax and come dance with me. But they didn’t, so I went and danced in the crowd all by my lonesome.

It was great to hear music I didn’t really know very well, and actually really liked. Lindstrom takes his time, and honors both the composition of a tune, as well as the simplicity of a mix. No gimmicks or tricks, a DJ after my own heart. I had a splendid time, and was quite ready to go home when he was done.

Yay for Norwegian weirdo disco action in San Francisco!