PASS@ the Millenium Knickerbocker

Airplanes. Nixon. Whitney. Salsa. Fig DJs Brian Carey assisted by Alvin Black III did a dinner+dance for PASS [Professional Airways Systems Specialists ]. This was their annual meeting of members from across the country, complete with a slideshow and a ice sculpture with the union's logo. A lot of motown, a bit of funk and world music was played to set the mood. There was a short speech thanking people for coming, and a couple of raffles. Then the dancing was on! An awesome dancefloor with illuminated tiles set the scene nicely, but it could've done more transitions to make it even more of an element of the party. Brian and Alvin split the decks for most of the night, playing a pretty diverse set, with funk and classic rock getting the strongest responses from a sometimes fickle crowd. Rappers Delight was a huge hit, with the crowd dancing for 7 minutes of the 13 minute marathon of a song. Another surprise hit was Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, which a couple requested - it was their anniversary, and that was their song. When Brian and Alvin put the song on, slowly the dancefloor filled up with couples, which was completely surprising.
The big surprise of the night, however was the ending. A guest requested a salsa song, and after some initial resistance, the figDJs played one for her to practice her salsa moves. A few other women wanted to salsa as well, but were unsure of the steps.

Alvin to the rescue!

figDJ Alvin Black steps down to the dancefloor and proceeds to show the ladies the basics, much to their enjoyment. At the end of the song, he started to go back to the DJ table but was asked back by the ladies eager to learn. A final salsa was played, the night ended with lots of affirmation for the DJs and some good feedback from the guests [bring waltzes!].

Summing up the night musically:

• You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC
• Rapper's Delight by Sugarhill Gang
• Brickhouse by Commodores
• I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston

If you were wondering what Nixon had to do with the Knickerbocker, he stayed there during the 1952 Republican National Convention...

Word.

written by Alvin Black III, fig deejay