The Music, Art and Travels of Alan D. Oldham a.k.a. DJ T-1000.
Hot in Herre.
Man, the heat! Summer began early! It's usually rainy during Memorial Day weekend, but not this year. I'm kinda glad I'm not in Europe right now, they don't believe in air conditioning over there. I'd be dying.
The trip to Detroit was enjoyable enough. Drove in and loved it. It's great to get out into the country. As for the gig itself, there was a nice turnout which was great to see, but there were technical difficulties so my set came out a bit sub-par in my opinion. Thank God the promoter wasn't recording! My apologies to the people that came out to hear me play.
On the upside I met some really nice supporters like Brian_48026, who leaves comments on here from time to time. Glad to match a face with the name. Also Julia and Erin from Toronto were there too, nice to see them. Erin leaves me messages on Myspace. She's so positive it's easy to gravitate to her. Very nice to meet such cool people, they're in very short supply these days.
I kinda wanted to check out the Minus party after my set to see Troy Pierce (the only cat in that camp who really excites me) play, but didn't feel like going through the whole getting on the guest-list thing.
Spent the whole rest of the weekend shopping (things are so much CHEAPER in Detroit), eating at my beloved UNION STREET, and catching up with a couple of my best friends who still live in the D. They aren't famous or in the music business or anything, maybe that's why they're still my best friends.
My beloved Royal Oak looks like a fucking ghost town now. S. Campbell is horrendous. Empty storefronts. No people. The cool, indie businesses from the early '90s like Dave's, Repeat the Beat, Off the Record, Padded Cell Gallery, Java, all driven out. Too many condos and bigfoot houses choking out the scenery. It's all very sad. The small town feel of RO is what made me want to live there. I don't know what they're trying to accomplish.
Birmingham hasn't changed, though. I still love that place even though the Palladium has increased the riff-raff factor. If I were to go back home for good, that's where I'd live.
Saw "X3," too. Again, cheaper than in the Chi. Really, really good. A few very minor shortcomings, storywise, but right up there with the first two in my opinion. Also saw the Ghost Rider teaser. It's not coming out 'till November but they're pushing it now. Looks interesting, we'll see.
Had absolutely no interest in going down to Hart Plaza, so there you go.
-AO :: 12:24 PM ::
Back to the Crib.
Well, off to Detroit tomorrow morning. I'm excited about playing out to be honest, even though I don't expect the party to be that packed for the simple fact that Hawtin's thing is the same night. This gig I'm playing is only $5 in advance as opposed to $20 for Hawtin so maybe that'll bring in some budget-conscious heads. If not, it's not like I haven't played for thin crowds in Detroit before.
I just wanna have fun, full-on rock some shit, see some old friends and get paid. Is that too much to ask????? =)
Meanwhile my friend Renee sent me this yesterday. I can definitely relate to it as you can imagine! Ironic how this came out right before the DEMF. Even a big name like Jack isn't immune to local haterism.
Detroit native Jack White has since relocated his family to Nashville.
NEW YORK (AP)-- Jack White has become one of the most famous faces on Detroit's music map, but the rocker said he had to quit his hometown because it turned against him.
White, who now lives in Nashville, with his wife, model Karen Elson, and their baby daughter, Scarlett, told The Associated Press in a recent interview that he needed to leave Detroit because "I couldn't take the negativity anymore."
"It was so super-negative," said White, 30, leader of White Stripes and a member of the rock quartet The Raconteurs. "It was draining me, I had to get somewhere where I could breathe again."
White told the AP that although he tried to help boost the city's rock scene -- working with unknown bands and acting as its musical ambassador -- some in the community didn't appreciate it.
"I was just trying to fight a losing battle, trying to keep a community of musicians together and keep it positive at the same time," he said. "I did that part of trying to be non-egotistical, I tried to not make it about myself."
White said the White Stripes aren't the only band to get ill treatment from their native city. He also griped about a recent article in a New York publication that lambasted the homegrown band The Strokes.
"When that happens, you can't stay in your hometown," he said. "Because they'll just turn on you."
The Raconteurs, which just released their first album, Broken Boy Soldiers, will tour this summer.
Preach it, Jack!
-AO :: 9:47 AM ::
The Birthday Thing.
It's been a slow May, not much happening. The only excitement was when I ran into that Pierce Brosnan movie being filmed downtown and I got to meet Maria Bello at Starbucks.
Just working on this new painting and about to launch into some new work for
the Glasgow boys at Seventh Sign.
My birthday is this weekend and I'm planning on having a little BBQ at the house if weather permits. Just a few close friends including Miles who we just signed to our label. A little celebratory thing for him. Plus I've been deep underground all winter, not really talking to anybody, and this is my big resurfacing.
Sammy Dee from Perlon is playing on my birthday, right near my place in Chicago. I just ran into him a few months ago at the airport in Paris. I thought about showing my face, but I'll just wait to see him somewhere else, like Berlin.
Speaking of Berlin, flight prices are out of control. Fuel costs, the summer season, the World Cup. They might not see me again 'till fall when prices come down. I remember when you could go to Berlin like catching the bus. Just hop on a flight and be there.
There's a special to London, though, via BA. Less than $500. If I had business there, like an art opening or a gig, I'd book a flight. The last time I was there to play was late '03. I was never big in London like other Detroit DJs, though. Berlin was always my second home, even before it became all fashionable.
Going back to Detroit next weekend to play. I'm actually excited about it. I thought briefly about playing an all-minimal set, but decided to just do what I do and rock some shit, whether there's a crowd or not. I'd imagine that's what the promoter is paying me for.
So Los Hermanos is playing Mutek and not the DEMF? That shit says a lot right there.
PS: Forgot to tell you I saw MI:III a couple weeks ago. It was the shit. Better than the first two. Great story, great casting, lots of twists, lots of action. Forget the haters, Tom Cruise is still the man, one of the few Americans you can still count on to deliver.
-AO :: 6:51 PM ::
Myspace Is The New Crack.
Dude, I've been missing out not being on Myspace. It's nutty. Got home today and Oliver Bondzio was waiting to be approved. Oliver Bondzio! From Hardfloor. Known him for ten years, and haven't seen him since '01. Super-cool guy from the old 303 days.
Anyway, haven't been doing much work, 'cause I've been on Myspace, ha ha. Seriously, though, I'm waiting on my graphic designer to come back with the art for my new CD, so that's the hold up.
Also working on the new comic, waiting for funding, you know how it goes. This is gonna be the biggest thing I ever did comic-wise, trust me.
And doing the new painting for Lindsay a.k.a. Lush, my new patron. She's from England too, my little art market. It's gonna be sexy when it's finished. That's my new thing, doing stylized, super-hero Pop Art portraits of women who are sexy to begin with. With Lindsay, she's got this incredible ass, so of course, her Pop self will have even more of an ass, 'cause it doesn't have to conform to gravity or physics.
The whole idea is to take what's most attractive about a woman and exaggerate it, make it pop.
And the b-day's coming up and we're having a BBQ at the crib. Looking forward to that. Just a few friends. And going back to Detroit the week after. I've decided that I'm gonna have fun whether anyone shows up or not (which is always a crapshoot with so many parties that weekend). I'm really glad to be booked and going home for a couple of days. Tim, the promoter, is super-cool and professional as well. Looks like it'll be a fun time.
Anyway, pics and videos are up at my Myspace page and I'm working on putting a whole DJ set up there too.
Click the link in the "Ladies and Gentlemen" entry.
-AO :: 7:07 PM ::
A Little Bit of Glam In My Boring Life.
So dig, I went down to Merchandise Mart this morning to meet up with a friend. Turned out they were shooting a movie down there, right on the street. It was a driving scene where they had a fake car on a dolly and it was towed by a camera truck. In the back seat of the car was none other than James Bond himself, Pierce Brosnan!
After a couple of takes, Pierce gets out of the fake car. Damn, he's tall in real life! He went over to the opposite sidewalk where his chair was. Also in the car with him was Maria Bello ("ER," "The Cooler," "A History of Violence").
Pierce's wife and kids were over on the sidewalk waiting for him. She's pretty, but a chubby thing. If they ever break up, you big girls actually have a shot with James Bond. Don't thank me =)
There was the older Asian couple next to me during all this. The lady looked like she was having palpitations.
A little later I was at the Starbucks inside the Mart waiting for my friend and Bello walked in there! She was wearing a cute jacket and Uggs. She really looks good in real-life, short lil blond thing. She was with a friend. Nobody knew who she was. I went up to her and told her I loved her work in "A History of Violence." In my head was the scene from that movie where she and Viggo were fucking on the staircase. She politely thanked me. I shook her hand and was like "Wow."
Everytime I go down to the Loop I tell myself I should take my camera and I always forget. I'm kicking myself now.
I was about to say that something like that would never happen in Detroit, but I remembered they shot "Narc," "The Island," and parts of "Four Brothers" there.
-AO :: 3:15 PM ::
