MJ closure
 | Author: Jauretsi | Posted: June 30th, 2009 | Filed under: Music | | Comments Off |
Last Thursday was the night of the tragic news. It was also (in a weird way), a really honorable night to be booked as a DJ anywhere in the world. I was committed to spin at the new Jane Hotel that night (great spot by the way!). As I toiled at work that day, I thought, ugh I have to work tonight. Then my world changed at 6pm.
As soon as the news dropped, my heart sunk. I left work and packed my record bags quietly like I’ve never done before. Where was my “Rockin Robin” Jackson Five song? Where was my Jackson 5 picture disc record I hadn’t pulled out in years? Where was my Destiny album… hmm, “I havent played ‘Blame it on the Boogie’ in a long time”, I thought.
Aside from that, everyone knows its standard DJ 101 practice to carry Off The Wall and Thriller in your crates every night. If you don’t carry those (as well as Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life), frankly, I question your music education. Anyway, the plan was to set off a full-on Michael Medley. There’s enough to keep a floor dancing all night… and you can’t say that about too many artists. My entire Facebook was spazzing out as everyone’s “one-liner” payed homage while others added links, videos, and paid respects. My blackberry texts were overflowing and I just had to put it down. In short, people were buggin’ out.
Enter the gig at Jane Hotel. Normally, MJ classics make people silly happy on any given night. It’s almost a cheat move to drop “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” cuz well, who can’t shake their ass to that? But last Thursday? Dropping these songs was magical. Alchemy. People were huddled together, pensive, drunk, joyous, mournful, and singing specific lyrics like they have never done before. Delivering the tracks to an emotional room was something I will treasure the rest of my years. The energy stayed strong all weekend as I DJ’ed Von Bar last night (Sunday) with the same reactions.
Gone were the freak jokes. Gone were the pervy factoids. For just 1 night, Michael Jackson was freed from his tabloid energy which so weighed him down at the end. He was liberated from his earthly shackles. In one fell swoop, all the haters and apathetic listeners (and enthusiasts) were moved by an entire lifetime of songs (more than Frank Sinatra, more than Elvis maybe)… Michael’s body of work was massive… evidenced by his domination of iTunes Top 10 downloads this weekend — both albums and singles lists.
The same reverberation was heard around the world. I’d say this last weekend was probably one of the first times in my life that I experienced such a musical high. All because of 1 man. 1 global reaction. 1 vibration traveling through it all. Powerful.
RIP Michael.
J
p.s. Props goes to Rich Medina for his Michael Medley Saturday night at Santo’s.
