Winter Music Conference Mementos

April 4, 2008 10:50 AM
by Marcos Colón [email]

[Article written by Chrissi Mark]

CDs, flyers, and dozens of other DJ paraphernalia clutter Miami hotel rooms each March. And I’m not reprimanding Winter Music Conference-goers. Hell, half of Kinkos was left in my own room. That said, this year I opted to save memory trigger mementos for my party re-cap, because what happens in Conference doesn’t always have to stay in Conference. Whether riding in my suitcase accidentally or placed there after being intentionally swiped from venues, DJs and events, here is a “top” list of my “souvenirs” and the tales of how they came from Miami to New York.

Push Pop [Madonna “4 Minutes” WMC Launch at Raleigh Penthouse]

Not just a push pop, but a ring pop, a giant pixie stick and a handful of airheads. Candy from the ‘80s and Madonna of the future, what could beat that? Ripped topless male models serving them alongside an open Belvedere vodka bar, that’s what.

The scene atop the Raleigh Hotel in the early hours of a WMC night was overflowing with sensory candy as I stepped off the elevator, but I can’t say I was shocked. Expecting the unexpected is cliché, with Madonna there’s no point in making predictions. And with a long wait in a short line, where I witnessed a random wire blow off and plummet from the roof, and a super-focused cameraman get nailed in the crotch with a stantion, I knew the evening wouldn’t disappoint my non-expectations.

This cavity-inducing event was actually a release party for Madge’s new single, “4 Minutes,” which is already charting on Billboard, although the album won’t drop until April 29. A collaboration with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, the track is the first release off her new album Hard Candy, hence the party’s theme.

Following up her ’05 release Confessions on a Dance Floor, M dips into the hip-hop pool where pop stars have long been treading water, and in the type of move only she can make, leaving us all wondering what the rest of the album will sound like.
“We weren’t allowed to hear [the album],” Tracy Young, who did two remixes of the single, told me in the middle of the boisterous dance floor. “You don’t want to give it out anymore because it’ll leak. She’s very protective of her music, and I don’t blame her.” Tracy, whose versions include a house-heavy sound for Madonna and an anthem type for herself, was first on the decks and followed by Bob Sinclar and Junkie XL, who also did mixes of the track.

“I was really surprised when they called me to say I want you to mix this new single by Madonna,” Bob Sinclar said while Tracy was spinning. “I had to go to the office because it was so confidential. So I went and listened to this hip-hop track with Madonna’s voice on it and it was unbelievable…and with Timbaland on the production and Justin in a duet it’s a force. It’s going to be a big success, and I hope that all the people are going to love my remix too.” Calling his version a “space funk remix” he slipped behind the booth. A dance, a drink and candy in tow, it was time to head out into another Conference night.

Beach Ball [Boris at Surfcomber Pool]

Ok, I admit it, I didn’t take the wet sandy ball that nearly hit the back of my head, but I snagged its clone at CVS on Lincoln, so I wouldn’t “misremember” the party when I returned to New York. The ball hit my shoulder as I was busy chatting with a few DJs like Cevin Fisher, who was fresh off the decks and getting all the props you would expect and more from fellow partiers. Behind us the signature Boris beats were thumping and calling me. Unlike the Shelborne, which hosted the party last year, the Surfcomber enabled fans to swim (or ball toss) and listen, or to opt for dancing in the sand beyond the pool and in front of the DJ booth. And in the sand fists were pumping, girls were dancing in bikinis and one inspiringly mature woman (not Boris’ grandmother) was rocking out her “Believe” shirt. When he dropped a vocal track, I bopped to the “Show Me Love” riff before being dragged off to the next pool.

Disco Ball Trophy [Club World Awards at Set]

In its six year, my own fourth with the show, the Club World Awards went off bigger and better than ever. As usual I remember little of the actual event, but standing near “back stage” in my Golden Globe attire I saw a few reactions I can’t forget. First, David Guetta looking around confused and in shock when he was announced as the winner of “Best One-Off” for 2007’s Fuck Me I’m Famous party, taking his second disco ball trophy of the night (his first was “Club Anthem of the Year” for “Love is Gone”). His repertoire with vocalist Chris Willis as they presented as stage was nearly as endearing. Kaskade, also a presenter, was thrilled about his “Best Resident DJ” win, humbly thanking the long-time owner of Smart Bar, Chicago for all of his support. All the most excited winners, even the most straight-laced of them seemed unable to stop themselves from hugging the Globe Girl Giselle, who bested the previous record of biggest breasts on stage by a Vivid girl in ’05.

At mid-show the beautiful Samantha James sang her nominated-track “Rise.” And through it all hostess Becky Baeling maintained her simultaneously fierce and perky demeanor to keep the show rolling. In a dramatic security-intense entrance Tommy Lee showed up with partner DJ Aero and an entourage including Deadmau5. Though more than half the venue didn’t even know he was there, it was too much for the former “rock star” to handle. He fell ill and had to be abundantly escorted out. To replace him as presenter of “Best Sound System,” producer Kerri Mason and I got up on stage. She told the crowd he’d arrived and then abruptly left. Without missing a beat Becky retorted, “That’s what he did to me last night.” Since Tommy took the envelope with him, I read out the winner from a clipboard with as much eloquence as I could muster: Advanced Audio for Bliss Lounge, New Jersey. They were so happy with the win, no one seemed to care about the presenter dropout. For the final award Best Superclub winner Pacha New York brought a crew on stage in sparkles and skin, pasties and jewels. In the end I was left with images of the red carpet, moments before the real craze when ATB, Princess Superstar and Larry T, DJ Heather and Colette, Crystal Waters and Freedom Waters and all of the awesome presenters made their entrances. But also left over were two disco ball trophies and a pile of cases of P.I.N.K vodka. The trophies traveled to NYC via me and Kerri. The alcohol couldn’t cross state lines, and you can guess where it went for the rest of Conference.

Flower Sprig [One Night Only at Karu]

Curious to see the new downtown club Karu (technically, Tottem Nightclub at Karu&Y), and its reappointment of the space that shall not be named (ahem, the Techno Tennis grounds 12 months back). And the club was both lovely and captivating, but the design details of this Wonderland were lost on the One Night Only party. The party, AM Only’s annual fete, was jacked up this year with industry big-wig co-sponsors Made Event and Pacha NYC. More festival than party, close to 50 DJs spun at the 10+ hour event, inevitably putting the venue aesthetics on the back burner. Though the AM Only party at Nocturnal last year was incredible, this was different. The vibe wasn’t of a memorable Conference event, but the memorable Conference event.

The DJ booths in rooms all on one level, the maze-like space, the music and surprise hot sets – it was simply unforgettable. The crowd gathered for Sander van Doorn’s set seemed to justify all of the hype surrounding the Dutchman, and the comparisons to Trance kind Tiësto. People were still talking about the Green Velvet set the next day, amidst all of the WMC chatter and dozens of events, hundreds of DJ sets that had been played at this point in the week. And after he killed it, which was unexpected to begin with for at least some of us, John Digweed jumped on the decks for an impromptu set. With a list of close to a dozen DJs lined up per room it can be hard to stand out, but clearly not impossible. And when a hiatus threatened to follow a great set, it was just one of those special moments as Digweed jumped up and played – a good DJ is always prepared. And in today’s notion of “performance” in such a degraded state – across music genres – the spontaneity and live creativity are incomparable.

Bottle Menu

I can’t say the music was bad, or Guetta was bad – he freaking threw it down. But still, I’ve never had such a miserable experience at an Award-winning, highly hyped WMC event.

We arrived relatively early (before midnight), decked to the nines in cocktail dresses, fierce heels and fabulous hair. Hey, if the party is called Fuck Me I’m Famous, why not indulge in role play? With all the sweaty pool parties and dark, sneaker-trashing dance-a-thons this promised to be a light, happy, pretty party. My mood began to waver when I heard the cover charge: $150! Thankful that my own fee was waived, I supposed it must be really impressive inside if so many people were queued at the door and no one seemed averse to the price.

Once inside Cameo we climbed up to the secondary DJ booth warmed up our feet, and loosened our bodies with a champagne toast. Back on track I was ready to go out there, out to the big room that had completely transformed since I’d seen it last as Crobar.
He came on just as we entered the room, and made our way to the booth. I love David Guetta. He smiles more than any DJ I’ve seen. He pumps it out. He pumps it up. He seems to appreciate every single clap and cheer and whistle from his perch.
The music was awesome, and he was holding out his arms as though he wished to hug the entire crowd when they reacted to it. As his style crossed through electro, pop and mash-up modes – especially compared to all the binging I’d been hearing in Miami – really made me want to dance.

Personally, I believe the best way to access a party is from the middle of the dance floor anyway. And “Show Me Love” equals show me to the dance floor. So I headed down. Front entrance roped off. Maneuvered through the crowded bar side. Back entrance roped off. Weaved my way back over to the side. Side entrance roped off. If only I could get in I know I could find a little space to get my groove on. Fortunately, a sweet security guard saved me and let me though. Only I still couldn’t get to the middle of the floor, due to a banquette roadblock. Frustrated and ready to give up I tried to snap a picture through the bodies. Suddenly I was tapped on the shoulder. A polite, but stern dude asked me to leave his already beyond overcrowded table. Aha! So it was a table, they were all tables. He kindly let me take a quick picture and then I obliged to leave. He’d paid a great deal of money for the real estate – $4,000 – and reasonably wanted to maintain it for his party. Don’t tell my buddies at Cameo, but after hearing that I ripped out a page of the bottle menu to inspect later, realizing on the plane that the prices weren’t really the point.

When there’s no place to dance, to watch, to listen, to move to a single track on the dance floor – or off for that matter – why come? After all, don’t most of us like dance music because we like to dance?

Handful of M&Ms [Beat port Remix Hotel at The National]

By the time I made it to the Beatport/Remix hotel’s ongoing pool party at The National Richie Hawtin was tan. I had to check three times to be sure it was him. It was the end of his set, and the crowd seemed rather sure. The pool party hopping was making the bleeping whirl together.

Walking back along the pool, I grabbed some bright colored M&Ms at a table with colored water and liquors. A matching bright logo-ed sticker was handed to me – pacemaker.net. They win the marketing prize.

Can of Coffee [AlX/Sirius Music Lounge at the Raleigh Penthouse]

The Armani Exchange/Sirius Satellite Radio party ran Tuesday through Thursday, and mid-way through Conference hors d’oeuvres and caffeine make a day-event quite tempting. At the top of the Raleigh Mikie Smithers was spinning “Obsession,” and I was greeted by the ever gracious Ivano Bellini. Neither of us could remember which morning we bumped into each other downtown, and we both promised not to comment on the state of our eyes. To that effect the display of Armani sunglasses was the final third of need fulfillment; through bleary eyes I loved the first pair I tried on and the chipper girls ran to the back to get a brand new pair in fancy new case. Junior Sanchez walked in and gave a big hug to my companion. Before heading out with my friend, the music writer/mayor of Miami, I took a look at the Shelborne pool party where a tan dude in a wife-beater was going to town on the ‘dance floor’ and felt relieved to be up on the roof. As we headed out to tag team interview DJs along Collins Avenue, we were handed our shoulder-breaking gift bags. Dang, it was heavy. But inside were awesome goodies including: a whole can of Bustelo espresso coffee, digital needles, headphones, a disco ball keychain, magazines, CDs and t-shirts, oh my!

Flashing Bride-To-Be Pin [Paul van Dyk at Space]

Pulled into Space by a raging bachelorette party was hilarious. Paul was Paul and the crowd was psyched. There was actually room to do some serious dancing, but after a bridal shot and a trip to the ladies’ room I returned to find the blinking “bride-to-be-pin” on the ground. Seeing things had taken a turn for the crazy, I moved on and out to the next downtown party. It wasn’t until later, when I reached in my bag for a pen on the plane that I found the Bachelorette Party Activity Card with the instructions: Ask a man for change for the condom machine.

Lighter/Bottle Opener [Catalina]

Picked up the useful device – lighter with bottle opener (even though I don’t smoke and have a million bottle openers anyway) at the Catalina. Mostly I wanted to remember the great interview we had with Don Diablo – an artist signed to Sony the week before who had both drive and intellect to compliment his creativity – as well as the laid back Flawless pool party there and the ah-maz-ing coffee on the front patio.

Hot Spots Magazine [Danny Tenaglia at Scores]

If you were ever worried about it, don’t; the gay side of town gets plenty of love during WMC. There’s a whole Hot Spots Magazine guide to gay WMC events. Seeing it made me crack a smile well past the crack of dawn just before heading to the airport on my final day. Danny Tenaglia did his late-week party at Scores on Lincoln, and the crowd seemed to like it just fine. As usual Anthony Lamont wore über high platform heels and little else. In the end there was a hand-holding circle dance and a conga line. Danny thanked the crowd, and showed them his new buff six-pack, he devoted a final song to his recently departed mother. In an odd way, it was a nice feeling for a Sunday morning. And quite a contrast to the Monday that would follow in the office.

Piece of Wall [Sunday School for Degenerates at Pawn Shop]

On the plane I also found a piece of dry wall lodged in my purse. Taken from the crumbling kitsch at the Made Event’s returning party at Pawn Shop, I thought about the clubbers just getting started there, and when they might be heading out to the patio. I looked out the window, and sighed. Another return to cold New York, another suitcase full of memories.