Memories of The Grove

Spending a Saturday on Memorial Day Weekend at The Grove to celebrate the marriage of Maria and Leon was amazing. The Grove is a very old house with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Out back is a trail that leads to a gazebo in the woods where Maria and Leon got married. The space is very cozy. With around 90 guests, not everyone could be in the same room during toasts or introductions. We worked around this by placing speakers throughout the house and positioned events in a place where guests could look on from another room. My favorite thing about The Grove is the balcony that overlooks the main room. This is where the band or dj usually set up. Although it separated me from the guests and made it harder to read the crowd, it felt like we were in the V.I.P. section at a club. We got creative with speeches: Lauren would lower the microphone down like we’re at boxing match. The balcony also made for cool angles with photos and video. One last thing: the cake looked amazing, like something out of “Alice and Wonderland.” It was too bad it had to be cut.

Client: Maria and Leon Dragan
Producer: Megan Taylor
DJ's: Jonathan Hood and Lauren Pollock
Videographers: Carl Wiedemann and Billy Rood

Tran/Sutter @ The Cite at Lake Point Towers

Here's three words for you: Hot Asian women!

That three-word, hit-or-miss statement comprised a small part of my recent gig. Thao Tran and Alex Sutter were our happily wedded clients who tied the knot on May 27th of this year. Their marital merrymaking ensued in the Cite, a French-American restaurant within the Lake Point Towers residences in downtown Chicago. This restaurant-in-the-round was home to elegant dining and one of the most breathtaking views of the city and Lake Michigan. Despite its small size, it proved to be a formidable space for the couple's reception. James and I were the deejays of their said reception, and we were prepared to deliver a a night of toasting, roasting, and hosting.

The couple du jour was rather diverse: Thao, the bride, was of Chinese descent, while Alex was of Korean and Polish parentage. I actually had a "Where's Waldo?" moment trying to figure out who the groom was in the mix of people we saw during the evening—I kept looking for a Caucasian person, but to my surprise, Alex carried a handsome face with Asian features. Yes, you would also have "Everybody Plays the Fool" playing in your mind if you experienced such a discovery. Stepping away from outward stuff, the two were very gracious, pleasant, and quite easy to work with.

This night produced two main challenges: setting up, and enduring the excessive heat and near-claustrophobic space that we were in. For one thing, we had to channel sound throughout the whole round region and get it as even as possible. It was a good thing that we had three speakers and enough cable to daisy-chain each of them to the mixer. James came up with the idea of keeping one speaker in out corner, and placing the other two in the backs of the dining areas, which worked out very well. Central air conditioning was not operating at the restaurant, but keeping cool rested in the numerous fans and the few external air conditioners that were positioned around the circular area. There were times that it was difficult to walk around and get to things due to the cramped space, but we all made the best of it and respected each other's whereabouts. My hat goes off to the guests and the Cite crew for making the space hospitable.

Teamwork was a big part of the night, as James and I had to stay in constant communication throughout. During the initial couples' dances, we had it set up that the bride would signal to me when to move to the next song, and then I would announce that to everyone, which was James' cue to strike up the next tune. Thank goodness that there was a cordless microphone that allowed us to talk to each other, as if we were on walkie-talkies or the like. Technology and creativity were certainly in our corner—especially at that time.

As with most of my gigs, I could not wait to get to the musical portion of the night. Thao and Alex's song list contained everything—classic slow ballads, hip-hop standards, and ne'er forgotten eighties and nineties hits. James deejayed the first portion while I closed the night off with a blend of must-plays and current radio favorites. I was surprised that the space was not shunned for being so tight, as we had a good selection of people dancing. In addition to a traditional garter and bouquet toss, there were a few blindfold-oriented games being played, including ones I lovingly call, "Who's Lips Are These Anyway?" and "Is This My Husband's Ass?" James and I split deejay duties for the night, with yours truly spinning the tail-end. Noticing that the group in the main room was tuckered out after dancing and literally being up all day, I was pleased that my three-song soul set met with appreciable results (including a few couples having the dance area all to themselves). People are not always going to want to dance and overexert themselves, and as a deejay and human, I totally respect that.

This gig taught me a lot about environments and attitudes: Even when your surroundings are not favorable or comfortable, you still have to grin and bear it, and do your best to serve your clients with excellence. In other words, work with; not against. Thao and Alex are a very attractive couple, and along with their friends and relatives, they complimented the evening well and created some very memorable moments. I feel satisifed that James and I covered many of the must-play songs, worked together nicely, and responded well to the crowd. This night was definitely more than the aforementioned hot Asian women—it was one of enjoyment and success.

- Brent Rolland, Apprentice Deejay

The Fish Ball Dog

Here is the coolist freshist bit of advertising stuff that I've seen this week and we've just whooped it together this afternon for the Fish Ball Friends of the Riverdown on the River right under the Michigan Ave. bridge, June 8th 2006. See you later alligators!
Creative Crew:
Michele Gustin
Brian Carey
Erik Friedley
Gear:
Mac Laps

Lucy, James and Brent do Walk-In and Post-Show for KC and the Sunshine Band @ House of Blues Chicago

Underground Bluesy Funky Chicks

Shake shake shake.....

Disco fingers!
The HOB loading dock beneath the street in a catacombe like stinky alley along the river is adorned by sleepy couched funk goddesses or gods, it's hard to tell their sex. Security paged, we waited till the elevator crept down and we were greeted by a young elevator guy with tatoos and a back pack. We are no celebrities. We got a little counter space betreen to the mixing desk and the light guy, it was cozy. Our view of the stage was the best in the house only a few heads between us and the stage. We played records, (funky stuff that I can't remember right now) for two hours till curtain opened. Lucy (Wak) played with the left deck while james played on the right. Brent helped us load in, kept our spirits up and stayed all night. KC entered stage in a groove and says in the mic "I'm 55...what the fuck just happened?" Then, it was all Shake your Booty, I'm Your Boogie Man and Boogie Shoes; those were just the ones I remember. I loved the show, we had a great time. We danced our butts off!

Client: Kristin Hiner, House of Blues
Crew:
Deejays Wak and James
And...Brent Rolland on Spirit
Kit:
2xPioneer CDJ 800's
1xpioneer MX 500 or whatever it's called.
Lots of music.

Sacred Heart Guerilla Films... Screened

5.11.06 We screened the films the kids created for the Sacred Heart Guerilla Filmmaking Class in the Multipurpose room on Sheridan. Fig leads and facilitates a filmmaking class for this neighborhood school. Three of the directors (Seamus, Mason and Leo) directors showed up for the exhibit. They were a little nervous but did a great job sharing their work. We introduced ourselves, showed the films and took questions from the audience. We had a great audience with parents, friends, sibs and teachers everyone was hooting and hollering during the show. It was so cool to see the finished products up on the screen and get to review the whole experience. All the hard work and learning challenges fade when seeing the visions up on the screen. The pieces were great thanks to the love and editing of Melissa Martens. Melissa facilitated the creative process and pulled all the projects together in a neat package. These young directors are an inspiration, their energy and fluidity is contageous, their humor and spontaniety so compelling. I am looking forward to seeing their next pieces. Stay tuned for the screening of documentary efforts in early June, this ought to be a little crazy.

Deejay Night at Fig

Wednesday is deejay night at fig. We're a moderatly intelligent crew and some of us enjoy the sport of mixing it up with eachother on a weekly basis. Being a deejay ain't easy. We are by choice at the center of attention in either the club, a party or a special event. This center may be a hoot but frequently it is rather chaotic and sometimes upsetting. Wednesday night is where we practice with eachother. We listen to music, tell stories and complain. We still do that... and more. We schedule. We negotiate. We vision, role play, train, clear, argue, share and engage. The agreement we have is that Wednesday night is the gig without the music, it's just the gig without music, simple. How would a deejay communicate without music and her rig. Try it. There is lots happening with us under all the music. Feelings, resentments, attractions, vendettas, fights, misunderstandings, projections, transferences, games...just like real life. We learn how to understand and articulate the dynamics of our selves, our group and the community. The smarter we are the better our choice of cut and behavior. Our art and our consciousness expands resulting in more beautifully alive rooms, robust dancefloors and compelling and provocative events. Imagine a room without music, without fashion, without alcohol, without lights, without food and without a roof. Naked souls looking around. What happens between the people? Wednesdays are our experiment, our lab, our petri dish, our crucible. A regular time and space where we work through stuff, take it to ourselves and create from scratch. We are better deejays because we take the time to understand ourselves first.

May 6th, 2006 Aids Foundation Chicago @ Hilton Towers

This is the second year that we have done walk-in, breaks and after-party dancing for the Aids foundation Gala, Not Just Song and Dance. Fig worked through Carmel Music (www.carmelme.com) and Jam Productions (www.jamusa.com.) Sheena Easton was the talent this year (last year was the Pointer Sisters.) DJ Wak spinned plenty of groovy tunes, James played Voice of God, while Brian and Carl shot photos and projected them on to huge screens. We're integrating photos right into the event via lap tops and projectors; guests are getting a little crazy seeing themselves and their dancing buddies. We see the photography as a natural extension and reflection of the dancefloor community and the natural venue for the vanity of dancers. Do you dance in front of the mirror? Same energy. There is something plainly provocative and compelling about the heightening and projecting of one fleeting moment in a life. We have so many moments and our expressions, not to mention positions, masks and clothing, reveal so much of our insides. Blown up the effect is stirring if not upsetting; our vulnerability, childishness and our pure beauty un-edited, un-censored, un-judged...Just for a moment.

Club IV

Set in the club Four, this party wrapped up a week long fashion crawl sponsored by Convurge. Half-way through the evening was a fashion show featuring chic summer outfits. Jonathan Hood, a.k.a. “the professor”, and Gia Larrazabal played fun and upbeat house music. They started the evening off with some deep house to get guests grooving, before transitioning into funky, vocal, and disco house. After the fashion show, they kept the vibe going while making their way into progressive house at the end of the party. “It’s cool to be able to share music I love with others and see and hear them enjoy it,” says Jonathan about the party. “My favorite moment was scratchin’ and hearing the crowd cheer me on.”

Digital Wedding...Stills, Fig is officially not-just-Video!

This is the first wedding we've ever photo'd and we were scared. We shot a lot of pictures, almost 1300 with heavy in camera editing. We've done hundreds of wedding videos so we know the routine, the angles and the beats. Still, there is a ton of little things we have never paid attention to: portraits, tables and Video tends to be the step child while photo is the first born. Clients expect more from their pics. Maybe we're just seeing the other side of the elephant. We're used to being ignored so it was a little work to stay out front and direct. We did not do a lot of direction, still the portraits required us to ge loud. We did pretty well and our client Jonathen gave us a few notes. We're hooked! Weddings are fun. Kristen and jonathen two are very smart and cute. Jonathen went to RISD and had tons of creative notes for us. Kristin is a yoga person and very flexible. Their respective families were spontaneous, vulnurable and funny, an attractive combination. This was no low-key affair, the Hora definitly got out of hand. The space was awesome, we love Michael Roberts and his space (www.prarieproduction.net) is wonderful and photo friendly. it's got some of the biggest windows in Chicago. Loads of light.
Team Photo:
James Gustin And Brian Carey
Equipment: 2xCanon 20D's, 70-200EOS Zoom, 30-70 EOS Zoom
Team DeeJay:
John Hood and Tim Musho
Equipment: 2xcdj800's, 1xPioneer DJM500, and 2x15"JBL EON's

Cute Deejays

These are two of the cutest Deejays. aren't they cute? We thought they were cute so we took their picture up against the white wall. These guys are not only cute but talented. Gifted too, they've got so many gifts. Incredible gifts so powerful, so stupid. As much of thes guys are bright, They are talented! Cute, smart, talented and gifted...what a hoot?

Curiosity of the Theatrical Kind

Article Written By: Melissa Martens

Curiosity of the Theatrical Kind

It was a cool April night in Chicago, I walk down Michigan Avenue among the brightly colored tulips and shoppers winding down their evenings and long days work. I round the corner to water tower place, and observe the Looking Glass Theater sign. I rummage through my purse and find a ticket. I am about to see a play, “The Old Curiosity Shop”.
Fig Media, a member of the Looking Glass Junior Board, gets to see each of the plays as they come through the theater, and this time it is my turn...I am excited.
I make my way to my seat and immediately am intrigued by the charming set. My eyes move across the large arched wooden walkway. It looks like a bridge with a stylish hobbit hole underneath with a dickens Dickens flair. In the left and right wings hang trinkets and treasures, like an antique shop. My eyes fall across faded bottles, old chairs, shiny objects and treasures. It reminds me of a character from a childhood movie I love, Labyrinth. The set has the same moveable creative quality.
I sit in my chair with childlike anticipation. It has been years since I have been to the theater, and in moments I am reminded how much I missed it.

As the lights darken, the play begins. Dark silhouetted characters walk the set behind a brightly colored screen. The story has begun.
As the story progresses I am hit hard with its message, and realize that I am about to participate in a moving story that will touch me deeply.

The old curiosity Shop deals with the polarity of youth and age, and puts a hopeful yet realistic view on character, life and death. The story of a young girl, Nell, who takes care of a grandfather. His jaded but caring purpose is to make a future for his granddaughter.This drives him into gambling night after night. The innocent granddaughter, aged well beyond her years, is caught in the middle of his struggle, the world, and being a child.
Set in the 1800’s The Old Curiosity Shop is an adaptation of the story written by Charles Dickens, and not having read Dickens since high school, I quickly remember the tragic overtones to his stories.

The acting envelops me, and my emotions flow freely as I sit in my chair. Having lost my grandfather recently to cancer, my tears and my joy flow as the story does. When the story begins to reach a climax, I begin to make a realization and peace with myself about death in a way I had never thought of before.
The play then becomes just as much about celebrating death as it does life. Death being a natural and spiritual part of living, and grief and pain over losing a loved one a beautiful part of life and the legacy that one life can leave behind.

“The Old Curiosity Shop,” is inspiring, charming, and deeply moving to any one ever having lost someone they loved in a way that celebrates their lives.

I walk out of the theater into the cool spring Chicago air, holding myself gently I wipe the soft tears from my eyes as I step into the florescent glow that is the city. I breathe deeply and let the air pass softly through my lungs. In that moment I celebrate and am grateful for the legacy that was my grandfathers life, and make a silent pact to myself to honor his life by living my completely and to its fullest capacity, carrying his story and essence in my heart.

For more information on The Old Curiosity Shop, visit: http://www.lookingglasstheatre.org

See it and feel inspired.