Friday, October 13, 2006

Hang The DJ


You know, things have been rather fast and frantic down at FiL Acres of late. I shan't bore you with the minutiae, but suffice to say I'm still chewing vigorously all of the work and family delicacies I've bitten off.

Looming largest on the horizon is this Big Fat Greek Wedding we're going to on Saturday. You see, I agreed to DJ the thing and while I am looking forward to it, I'm also rather petrified. First, the guests range from aged Hellenic widows to young(ish) hipsters, and the musical menu is accordingly wide. I've ben asked to provide everything from cheezee cocktail muzak to indie cred with ballroom standards, crooning crooners, hip-hop, mullet rawk, and 80s classix inbetween. So I'm madly preparing setlists - five hours worth. Gulp...

Second, I'm DJing off my laptop, which is untried technology for me; I cut my teeth some 20 years ago (zounds!) on wheels of steel plus slabs of vinyl, and only actually used CDs once during my last gig at Darling Daughter's nursery's summer pool party back in 2004. So I'm praying to the technology gods.

Third, I'm convinced that if it all goes wrong I'll be on the receiving end of a Greek community vendetta. So I'm having visions of being pelted with kalamata olives and threatened by little old ladies in black dresses wielding legs of lamb...

With all that's going on, I am going to be rather scarce in blogland until next week, when hopefully things will loosen up and I'll be able to get back to some much missed ruminating and reflecting. In the meantime, here are a few tracks from Saturday's playlist:

Nana Mouskouri - Never On A Sunday(buy here )
Dean Martin - Volare (buy here )
Modern English - I Melt With You (buy here)
Cansei de Ser Sexy - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above (buy here )

10 comments:

A. B. Chairiet said...

You're blog's really cheering me up this morning, Fil! :)

First, the Ren and Stimpy/Happy-Joy post, and now this silly DJ picture...who in the world is that?? I can't stop looking at it or giggling.

...

I wish you the best of luck in the whole wide world with the wedding tomorrow!! You'll do great, I'm sure. Everyone will dance and smile, and think, Aw, what a great DJ! This couple will live happily ever after!! :)

I also hope you have fun, though. And really: best of luck! :)

Happy Friday!
Love,
~ Ash

P.S.
Thanks for reminding me of Hang the DJ. I love Pete Yorn, but haven't listened to him in forever.

Anonymous said...

Hurrah for Nana! I remember being entranced as a tot by 'Soleil Soleil' which was on an old UN benefit LP that my dad used to play. (Along with Mandrill, Johnny Cash, Donovan...those UN chappies were pretty groovy back in the day, no?)

Now in my dotage, I have rediscovered la Nana (much to my friends' bewilderment) in all her mellifluous glory.

I know you'll rock da house, cher FiL - have some ouzo for me.

coxon le woof said...

Ah, Pat Sharp of the Mullet fame and Fun House fame.

Fil, with tunes like that, I am sure you will rock the party!!!

Mentok said...

Given that it's a Greek wedding, I'm surprised they're letting a barbarian do the job.

"What do we know about his family? Is he a good boy? We don't know. What about George and Sophie's boy, Panayoti? You know, the one who works at the restaurant. I thought I heard he has a nice stereo. And he's not married yet. Why don't we get him to do it instead?"

Ya gotta admire the Greek's incredible sense of community.

You do realize that at some point you'll be forced to play the dreaded "Bird Dance." If you don't, that's when they'll hang you. I've actually seen it happen.

Anonymous said...

rock on brother, and i'll say a prayer to the tech gods on your behalf. : )

Anonymous said...

Oh Fil Friend o' mine
I'm sure you'll succeed.
I'll pray for you the technology gods and first of all hope you'll have good time.

RYS

Anonymous said...

Dino will go down a storm. Great choice.

Anonymous said...

Actually I wouldn't be surprised if you end up booking more weddings...Seriously.

with tunes like that, I am sure you will rock the party!!! I couldn't have said it better myself.

Enjoy!

Natsthename said...

I'm sure you won't suffer the Greek Vendetta, Fil, but I do hope you have included "Rock Lobster!" Seems to be a modern classic at weddings!

And you DO have Modern English, so who could complain??

FiL said...

Dearest Ash: Again, so glad this made you giggle. As Dearest Coxon points out, the hanging DJ is Pat Sharp, an annoying UK media personality. He probably doesn't deserve hanging (I'm not a death penalty type of guy), but he does deserve some punishment. Or perhaps we should just let him sink under the wight of all his bad karma.

Dearest Beesh: Indeed, I think you introduced me to Chere Nana on one of yer mixtapes way back when...

Dearest Mentok: You have no idea how spot on you were! Community? Them Greeks are a force of (super)nature. And I did play the "Birdy Dance," but it did not register. Truly, they were hardcore. Anyway, about it all a bit later...

Dearest mjrc: Many thanks - the prayers and hence technology worked on the night!

Mon Cher CS: Merci pour tes prieres - la technologie a marche bien. Mais ces sacres Greques, bof... Chauvin, venait-il d'Athenes??

Dearest WAF: Yes, Dino did work...

Dearest Rachel: Alas, my true moment in the sun was brief, far briefer than expected. Sigh. All will be explained soon.

Dearest Nats: I did have some B-52s cued up, but did not get the chance to deploy it. And Modern English was the cake cutting song - went down a treat!