tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18445532645032650702024-02-06T20:50:51.530-07:00OK Let me tell something to youCurtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-64641614429739475072013-07-30T13:06:00.003-07:002013-07-30T13:11:34.801-07:00Road trip by the numbers1,943: Road miles.<br />
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167: Incidental miles- gigs, fuel stops, local errands, detours.<br />
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5: Number of days away from home.<br />
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1: Packages of Mother's brand iced oatmeal cookies consumed on the road.<br />
<br />
2: Accidents witnessed along the road (One was really horrible- a pedestrian/hitchhiker on the Navajo Reservation got clipped)<br />
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2: Imposing geological features that made for a lot of extra miles (The Rocky Mountains and The Grand Canyon)<br />
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*,***: How much money I made. (not sharing that, but it WAS a profitable trip)<br />
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8, maybe 9: Times I listened to Kraftwerk's "Expo 2000" I contend that is about the best sonically recorded song ever and it's full of rich textures juxtaposed against each other and the vocals/robot voices just float right in the center above it all. I was born deaf in one ear so I don't hear stereo. I can detect where sound is coming from with good surround sound but the psychological phenomenon that happens in the center of your brain when things are balanced, because of monaural disparity, I don't get that. I can hear/feel the vocals right in the center of my head with this one. Not the greatest song ever, just very well recorded and perfectly mixed.<br />
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5: Hotel beds I slept in.<br />
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1: Good hotel beds that I slept in. Thanks Hotel Elegante in Colorado Springs- very comfortable.<br />
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1: Number of times I listened to The Police "Message in a Box" boxed set. Everything The Police ever released commercially. B-sides, alternate takes, live versions. To hear them go from punk to rock/reggae to producing a half dozen of the best songs of the rock catalogue including the singular best guitar riff in the rock catalogue- "Message in a Bottle." They did it in 5 albums in just over 5 years. Stewart Copeland, of course, is a member of the holy trinity of drummers with Neal Peart and Todd Sucherman. <br />
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471: Fuel cost in dollars.<br />
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24: The date that I felt a little tickle in my throat and thought that I might be catching a cold.<br />
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27: The date that I had an important DJ job and I really needed my voice.<br />
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8: Number of Zinc tablets in an effort to not get sick.<br />
<br />
20: Number of Vitamin C tablets in an effort to not get sick. I heard it's difficult to overdose on Vitamin C and that your body will just flush out any excess that it can't absorb. I took about 1 1/2 times the recommended dose. <br />
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3: Cups of honey/lemon tea to try to loosen up my sore throat so I could speak at the Colorado Springs gig.</div>
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1000: Number of razor blades it felt like I was speaking out at the Colorado Springs gig. I could taste the blood in the back of my throat by the time the event was over. </div>
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30: Date that I'm feeling better and my voice is back. </div>
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11,158: Highest elevation travelled. Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 west of Denver CO.<br />
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3: Number of instances of traveling above 10,000 ft.<br />
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2200: Runners at Pikes Peak International Raceway for the 5k footrace I was playing for.<br />
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72: Percentage of those runners who were women.<br />
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1200: Number of race spectators and vendors.<br />
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I-17, I-40, AZ89, US160, I-25, CO6, I-70, US6, I-15, UT20, AZ98: Highway numbers.<br />
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2: DJ jobs.<br />
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2: New tires.<br />
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6: Times I wondered why I have this or that horrible song on the iPod when listening in shuffle mode.<br />
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20: Times I remembered/rediscovered a song on shuffle and said, "I should play that one more often." or, "I should learn that one on the piano."<br />
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*: How do you put a number on my gratitude to God for the beauty of this land or the times I felt such things?<br />
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2: New jobs booked while on the road.<br />
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1: Number of minutes it took to think that I might like to live in Vail Colorado.<br />
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1: Number of additional minutes it took to change my mind when I considered the 87 feet of snow and the bizillion drinking and partying skiers that descend in the winter. <br />
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2: Number of new wiper blades.<br />
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80: Favorite speed limit in central and southern Utah.<br />
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83: Sweet spot MPH. When the van is loaded with DJ equipment, it has a sweet spot for speed. The engine falls almost silent, any ambient vibrations in the body stop and the van cuts through the air nicely and quietly. It's not a performance vehicle- it's a work van, but it's really cool when it works just right. <br />
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4: The number of states that converge at Four Corners. Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah. I hear there are no other states, provinces, nations, territories or commonwealths anywhere else in the world that converge like that. <br />
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<br />Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-76009712349881904012013-06-13T15:44:00.000-07:002013-06-13T16:15:03.253-07:00Class of 1983It has fallen to me to work up a play list for background music for cocktails, dinner and then after dinner chat for my Winslow, Arizona, Class of 1983 Thirty-year Reunion. I'm a professional DJ, how hard can it be? Well, my first pass was 9 hours of music and we have only 3 hours- that's about 45 songs and I had chosen 130. After I looked at what I had put in, some got taken back out because of what I learned on Sesame Street as a child- the thing where you try to figure out which of these things doesn't belong in a group of similar things. Several songs just didn't fit the bigger, overall 'flavor' after the list was completed. There was still 8 hours of music. <br />
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It was interesting to hear a block of music from a time period. We were in high school from 1980 to 1983 and I chose from our junior high years, 1977ish through early college years, 1985 or so. There were country artists, R&B artists, what is now "Classic" rock and what was "New Wave" at the time and some straight pop music that crossed genres. The Cars were one of those bands that your rock friends could listen to and say- "See, I'm listening to some New Wave too" Your New Wave friends could listen to them and say, "See, I'm listening to Rock too" Strangely, the country artists were the ones that didn't stand the test of time very well. They sounded more dated than some of the others. Eddie Rabbit, Kenny Rogers, Don Williams and others sounded like lightweights. Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" from 1976 sounds as fresh as ever, I'd say it's still ahead of its time. I chose Styx's "Best of Times from 1981. Styx blessed our lives for the most part with the exception of a major misstep with 1983's "Mr.Roboto". Best of Times sounds fresh while Mr. Roboto sounds very dated. Gary Numan's "Cars" was included and it's a shame that that song was his one hit in America as it is not very representative of his wider body of music. It came off as a bit of a novelty. James Taylor and Neil Diamond had a couple of big hit songs in our high school years but with some hindsight, they seem like artists before our time so they got the ax.<br />
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I began my DJ career back when live bands still played most school and church dances. If somebody stuck their head in the door and saw a DJ they would turn up their nose and go find something else to do. It was starting to switch to DJs and I have always tried to take all of the good things that a band brings to the table- showmanship, stage presence etc and add all of the good things that a live DJ brings- repertoire, volume control etc. I tell you that so I can say that my Class of '83 play list included Doobie Brother's "China Grove" even though that was before our time but every band who ever played, played that song because of it's classic guitar riff. <br />
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I included The Eagles' "Take it Easy" because... one should! Christopher Cross's "Sailing" was included even though it kinda proved to be a one hit wonder. He won best new artist Grammy that year and then mostly disappeard other than a couple of other singles that charted only on the strength of 'Sailing' as opposed to their own merit. Sailing still took me right back to Winslow where I first heard it. <br />
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There are several songs that are not danceable. I had to think back to those high school dances and what was played. I DJd many of those dances... hmmm... what did I play? I'm a Styx fan and I contend that "Come Sail Away" is one of the great songs of the rock catalogue, but it's not danceable but that's not why it wasn't included- I threw it over the edge in favor of "Best of Times" for this setting since it's background music. I included other songs that I don't have occasion to play as a DJ very often. Journey was huge while we were in high school- I chose "Separate Ways" instead of the obvious "Don't Stop Believing" That song is the biggest downloaded song in digital music history. It's almost always in ITunes top 100. It's been played and played and it will probably be on the classic rock radio as my classmates road trip to Winslow for the reunion from points unknown. It has taken on a new meaning and significance than perhaps we REALLY remember it had at the time- even for the two generations that have been born since it was 'ours' in 1981. I think that "Separate Ways" will take our minds back to that time and place better than "Don't Stop Believing" would in this setting. I included AC/DC's "Back in Black" instead of "You Shook me" for similar reasons. <br />
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For good measure, I threw in a few TV theme songs to spice it up. Dukes of Hazzard, Laverne and Shirley, The Love Boat, Three's Company etc. <br />
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There's still 7 hours of music here. What did I miss? What are the songs you want me to throw the hell off of this list? What are the songs that remind you of your first kiss? Your first beer? Remind you of your friends from Winslow? <br />
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Here it is:<br />
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ELO- Don't bring me down, AC/DC- Back in Black, Adam Ant- Goody Two Shoes, Bryan Adams- Run to you, Alabama- Mountain Music, Andrea True Connection- More, More, More, April Wine- Just between you and me, Asia- Heat of the Moment, BT Express- Do it, Bad Company- Rock and Roll Fantasy, Toni Basil- Mickey, Bee Gees- Tragedy, Pat Benatar- Hit me with your Best Shot, Big Country- In a Big Country, Blondie- Heart of Glass, Boston- More than a Feeling, David Bowie- Let's Dance, Brick- Dazz, Buggles- Video Killed the Radio Star, Cars- Let's Go, Cheap Trick- I Want you to Want me, Chicago- Hard to Say I'm Sorry, Clash- Rock the Casbah, Christopher Cross- Sailing, Culture Club- Do you Really Want to Hurt me?, Charlie Daniels- Devil Went Down to Georgia, Def Leppard- Photograph, Depeche Mode- Just Can't Get Enough, Devo- Whip it, Dexy's Midnight Runners- Come on Eileen, Thomas Dolby- She Blinded me with Science, Doobie Brothers- China Grove, Duran Duran- Hungry like the Wolf, Eagles- Take it Easy, Earth, Wind & Fire- September, Sheena Easton- Morning Train, Yvonne Elliman- If I Can't Have You, Emotions- Best of my Love, Eurythmics- Sweet Dreams, Falco- Der Kommisar, Fleetwood Mac, Go Your Own Way, Flock of Seagulls- I Ran, Foreigner- Hot Blooded, Gloria Gaynor- I Will Survive, J. Giels Band- Centerfold, Go-gos- We Got the Beat, Hall and Oates- You Make my Dreams, Patrick Hernandez- Born to be Alive, Billy Idol- Dancing with Myself, Rick James- Give it to me, Jefferson Starship- Find your way Back, Joan Jett- I love Rock and Roll, Billy Joel- You may be Right, Journey- Separate Ways, Kajagoogoo- Too Shy, Katrina and the Waves- Walking on Sunshine, KC and the Sunshine Band- Keep it Coming Love, Kiss- I Was Made for Loving you, Kool and the Gang- Get Down on it, Kraftwerk- Pocket Calculator, Cyndi Lauper- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Huey Lewis and the News- Do you Believe in Love?, Loverboy- Turn me Loose, M- Pop Music, Madonna- Borderline, John Cougar Mellencamp- Jack and Diane, Men at Work- Who Can it be Now?, Men Without Hats- Safety Dance, Steve Miller- Rock'n Me, Motels- Only the Lonely, Nena- 99 Luftballoons, Olivia Newton-John- Physical, Gary Numan- Cars, Ozzy Osbourne- Crazy Train, Pink Floyd- Another Brick in the Wall, Pointer Sisters- Fire, Police- De do do do, De da da da, Pretenders- Brass in Pocket, Queen- Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Eddie Rabbitt- I Love a Rainy Night, REO Speedwagon- Keep on Loving you, Lionel Richie- All Night Long, Kenny Rogers- Coward of the County, Rollin Stones- Start me up, Rush- Tom Sawyer, Saga- On the Loose, Leo Sayer- More than I Can Say, Frankie Smith- Double Dutch Bus, Sparks- Angst in my Pants, Split Enz- I got you, Billy Squier- The Stroke, Stephen Bishop- On and on, Rod Stewart- Do you Think I'm Sexy?, Stray Cats- Rock This Town, Styx- Best of Times, Sugarhill Gang- Rapper's Delight, Donna Summer- I Feel Love, Survivor- Eye of the Tiger, Thin Lizzy- Boys are Back in Town, Toto- Hold the Line, U2- New Year's Day, Van Halen- Dance the Night Away, Zapp- More Bounce to the Ounce, 38 Special- Caught up in you. Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-46840745329839087092013-02-22T12:15:00.000-07:002013-02-22T17:45:50.980-07:00The Beauty and Value of Fear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week, I had a great pleasure of providing sound reinforcing and music for a giant vow renewal ceremony on Valentines Day in Fountain Hills AZ with <a href="http://www.celebrateintimateweddings.com/">Larry James</a> pronouncing the service. This event had the potential to attract 3 or 4 thousand people as they were attempting to break a record for a vow renewal ceremony at 1088. (1087 couples in Miami FL in 2009)<br />
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Most of the events that I do are for around 400 people or less. When you have more than that, you need to have a larger sound system and really be moving some air to be heard. I can expand my sound system to accommodate about 1200-1400 people for music and dancing or maybe even 2000 if it is a speaking event where you can count on the crowd being fairly quiet as opposed to dancing and shouting like they would if music were playing. I was a bit concerned after I committed to doing the vow renewal ceremony whether I had enough sound hardware to make it the lovely event that I hoped it would be if they really did attract 4000 people. They ultimately had about 2000 people, 762 couples renewing plus family and friends attending. I think it was certainly a record for Arizona, if not the entire Western U.S. <br />
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When I arrived, I was directed to set up my workstation on one side of the stage so as not to block the view of the fountain from the amphitheater off the opposite side of the stage. Even though I was going to set up on one side or the other anyway, I still intended to put a couple of speakers on stands on each side to be above people's heads and I would have the advantage of being able to rotate them towards the check-in area for announcements in advance of the service. Against my better judgement, I put only 2 speakers on stands, one on each of the far edges of the amphitheater to avoid blocking the view of the lake and the fountain in the background. Another 6 speakers plus a big sub woofer were placed on the ground. As the ceremony was about to begin, the crush of people that gathered around that stage rendered most of the power of those speakers on the ground useless- all of the sound was absorbed in a thousand knees! It was still functional. I walked around the whole crowd and could hear well enough, but it wasn't the 100% that I would have liked as a sound guy. <br />
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<em>Here's me worrying over the sound</em></div>
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I tell you all that so that I can tell you this. Larry James, who performed the ceremony that day, is a local wedding officiant and he also writes books, blogs and does public speaking. We have done a couple of weddings together in the time that I've lived in Phoenix and it's always a pleasure to see him at industry functions and say hello. We had a moment to chat after the festivities and he said he had greeted so many guests, many that had been married by him some time in the past, and that he overspent his voice and he further confided in me that he had been nervous with so many people! I had been a bit nervous too, for other reasons described above. I spoke to the same people, during gathering time. but I was making house-keeping announcements and thanking vendors who had donated goods and services to the event- nobody was really listening to me, but they WERE listening to Larry! Here's a guy who is well-read, well-travelled, established in his career, adding to expertise from previous careers, handsome brute, fit and trim, well-spoken, respected by the community and his industry, master of his craft. and he was nervous! Isn't that wonderful??!? <br />
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<em>Officiant Larry James and event creator and host Stehpenie Bjorkman and myself.</em> <br />
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I'm flattered that he felt comfortable <em>telling</em> me that, but I'm even more happy to know that he <em>felt </em>that. Most people would rather die than speak in public. I enjoy that part. There are other things that make me nervous about a performance. I've been a DJ/musician/entertainer for 33 1/2 years now and I know it sounds cocky, but I have invested thousands of hours becoming a master of my craft and I still get nervous going in to an event. I've found that if I feel a bit of nervousness, or if I feel some level of worry over some of the event details or important cues, it translates into adrenaline and I do a better job. It adds to my focus and because of the second nature of my abilities, my tools become an extension of my mind and hands and I rise to the occasion. If I'm too comfortable- if it's an easy event, the customer is flexible and easy-going, the event doesn't have a lot of details to fuss with... I may not have that extra drive or mental focus or physical adrenaline push to do a good job. <br />
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I always put myself through a rather strict quality control regimen for each event. It starts on Monday morning reviewing the events coming up in the next 10 days. Will dry-cleaning for any stage clothes be done and picked up in time? Do I have the specific songs needed and does any music need editing for profanity or anything? Have I checked pronunciations of difficult family names or any other ethnic or religious words that I don't understand? Were there any needed equipment repairs noted on previous gigs that need to be fixed? (I use a tag out/lockout sticker when I note a piece of equipment not working properly so that I remember to fix it or replace it before the next event) Have I double checked load-in time? Event start time? What sound and lighting equipment do I need to bring? Any freeway closures this weekend? Have I spent some time on any new or unfamiliar music so that I know beats per minute, energy level, how it starts and stops, any dramatic elements? Have I received or arranged final payment for the event? <br />
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<em>This couple wore what they wore 35 years ago!</em></div>
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I used to work in the steel business in LA and the owner of the company had a small plane and we would run company errands in that sometimes. He was in his 70s and had flown for years but every time he sat down in that cockpit, he opened up a written quality control manual and put himself through the paces to make sure everything was working properly and it was safe to fly that thing and that nobody inside or standing near the plane would get hurt. <br />
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<em>A service dog who wore a tux for the occasion.</em></div>
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Now, nobody is gonna get hurt if a DJ messes up a cue, but it's the difference between good and great. A great DJ isn't going to miss a cue- at all- ever! The music and the elements of the event are going to be right. I often tell customers to imagine a dry cleaning service- you take your clothes there, they do a great job, they are in your neighborhood, the price is right, they are friendly and conscientious. You go back in 3 weeks, and next month and next year because they are a good dry-cleaner. Then, after many years, they tear something, they stain something or they lose something... you are unlikely to throw them out because you have lots of otherwise stellar history and you could just say, "well, it happens." (if they are conscientious, they will do their best to make it right anyway.) With a DJ for a big event like a wedding, today can't be the day that you figuratively lose a nice jacket at the dry cleaners. <br />
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How often does one hire a DJ? Once or twice in lifetime? You don't have a period of years to develop a relationship that would allow a major mistake. It has to be right on event day! The bride has dreamed about this day since she was 9. Mom shed tears of joy as the wedding dress was selected and fitted. Thousands of dollars have been spent on other decor and food and other event professionals. Every effort should be made to put on quality entertainment. <br />
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Now, I HAVE played for families or corporations over a period of years in my history with Sweet 16, engagement, wedding, graduation, another sisters wedding, a family Christmas party, yet another siblings wedding etc. Or on the corporate side, a Grand Opening or retail promotion, a corporate awards banquet, a mixer dance after a team-building seminar, then a company picnic, then a holiday party, then another grand opening as they have more success. I have some fiercely loyal customers but just because they have that loyalty doesn't mean that they always have an occasion to hire me every month like you would use a dry cleaner. I contend that the reason for such loyalty to me is a combination of my personal passion, my love of music and my love of people (and I suppose that allowing myself to feel some nervousness is part of that passion) combined with a dedication to a regimen of providing quality. The events go right!<br />
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I thought Larry did a great job that day. It was well-written and expertly delivered, it was humorous, it was emotional and it was exactly the right length. I know Larry had prepared his remarks, edited them and reworked them and had rehearsed them. He said it was 22 minutes in front of a mirror and he came in at just under at 21 minutes. He was on time, dressed, and he delivered a knock out! I've been at it for a lot of years and I still get emotional at such things. Standing fairly close to me was a couple in their 70s holding hands. He wasn't the specimen of male physicality that he had been when they married- I suspect he had perhaps had a mild stroke in recent years. They held hands and looked lovingly into each others eyes and promised to continue loving like that had for so many years already. There were couples that had been married 6 weeks and some for 6 decades. The emotion was palpable! <br />
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I hope there is something going on in your life that makes you a bit nervous. If not, are you doing anything important in the world? Embrace the fear and use it to rise to the occasion. I'm glad that Larry was nervous, it added to the magic!Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-73407984343517192742013-01-29T17:51:00.004-07:002013-01-30T06:27:54.978-07:00Does what I do matter?The topic of the value of background music has been addressed by me in this forum before and I witnessed a prime example of its power at a recent wedding. There was an outdoor wedding ceremony on the second Saturday in January and that should not sound abnormal for people from Arizona but we experienced record-breaking cold temperatures that week. Nights were in the 20s and days were barely reaching into the 50s. Trees froze, pipes burst, one car skidded through a patch of ice on the street near a prominent auto dealership in downtown Phoenix and totalled a Camaro and a Corvette on the lot. They don't really sell "Winter" coats in Arizona. The cold wasn't much by Toronto or Minneapolis standards, but it's something we are not acclimated to or prepared for around here. One young bridesmaid stood at attention and was shivering so severely in her tiny spring dress that I though she might collapse- at least the goose pimples on her arms and legs might have poked somebody's eye out. I hope it didn't ruin any pictures, but I gave her my jacket for the 15 minutes of the ceremony because I was standing nearby on sound duty. I walked up behind her and took it back just as the minister was introducing the new Mr. and Mrs. I was cold too, but at least I had long sleeves and long pants... I was glad to get the jacket back too. <br />
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I'm telling this story because of an interesting observation. Normally, this golf club would have the ceremony on the lawn, as this one was, and then retire to the patio for cocktails while the family portraits were taken and then the guests are invited inside for dinner and dancing later. Because of the biting cold, the guests were invited inside right away to have cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. I have a small sound system for ceremonies that can be moved to a patio or foyer in the time it takes for guests to make the short walk but since I was switching to my big sound system already inside, I just wanted to put away a couple of microphone stands to have them out of the way of the professional photography. In the 3 or 4 minutes it took me to get inside to start some music on my big system, the entire crowd had made it inside. I came in shortly behind them with a microphone stand in one hand and a couple of cables in my other hand and noticed that they were all whispering like they were in a church. I chided them about it and then loudly and laughingly said, "Let me get some music on quickly so you guys will feel comfortable talking." They laughed tepidly with me but remained silent until I got behind my workstation and cued a song. It didn't take but 15 seconds for them to begin talking with their normal voices. It wasn't even one minute before there was laughter and people gesturing largely with their hands and touching peoples arms or shoulders as they talked. Nobody ever wants their voice to rise above the din. The music masks each voice and people feel comfortable talking.<br />
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Please forgive a bit of an off-colored story here- not profane but PG-13 perhaps. When I was married many, many years ago. We were at a family celebration dinner at a favorite Riverside California Chinese restaurant after a graduation or birthday or something. There was lots of shouting and laughter and good times. We weren't the only ones, it was the attitude of the restaurant and its other patrons as well. The restaurant served a drink called a Double Scorpion that is served in a giant half shell and made to be shared with two long straws. My sister-in-law was sharing that with a man she was dating at the time and the bartender hadn't really worked it over with the blender as he or she should have and there were chunks of ice that jammed up the straw. My sister-in-law drew attention to that fact very loudly at a moment when the noise level in the restaurant happened to drop off. She shouted, "I keep sucking on it, but it won't come!" That further silenced the crowd and then it turned to uncomfortable laughter and then genuine laughter- at least at our table. An outburst like that in many other social settings would have been terribly embarrassing for all involved but proper background music would have saved the day.<br />
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I'm not much for New Year's resolutions but it's kind of a natural time to consider your lives when the people of the world mark the passing of years together. Does what I do really matter? Am I contributing something to society? Am I just paying the bills? Am I doing this because it's the only thing I know? <br />
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I'm so grateful that I'm in a position to say no to customers once in a while- to turn away a difficult customer or someone that is otherwise willing to open their wallet to me but who I don't wish to work for. I have confidence that I will be working on any given weekend somewhere- but maybe not for THIS customer. Even if I do miss a weekend, it's not a financial crisis. I can usually weed out the "bridezillas" in the consultation process. I don't get them often because I think I've surrounded myself with conscientious event planners and venue operators that refer me and for whom such people don't become their customers either. Every once in a while, a bridezilla gets past me but not often. (I say bridezillas, but there are other types of difficult customers in corporate events and any other social occasion and these same thoughts apply.) When one slips through, and this sounds cocky I suppose, but I command enough respect that they don't act up or press any buttons when I'm working.<br />
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Generally, I live life on the importance theory. If the wedding or other event is not important enough to them- such that they will not act poorly during it- it can't be MORE important to me. That philosophy is tempered however by the fact that my next couple of customers are in that room and I have to act well from a marketing standpoint, contractual standpoint, from an ethical and moral standpoint and, well, that's what decent people do, they act well in spite of other people not acting well. <br />
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I had a bride a couple of years ago that I thought was a real sweetheart. She had been widowed some years before and this was her 2nd marriage and I was really looking forward to her wedding. In the 2 or 3 times that we met to work on details, I started having some doubts. She wasn't belligerent or anything, but I started to think she may have had a drinking problem or was even using drugs or something. She was really uneven and loopy and even did a couple of embarrassing things that made me uncomfortable. It was way too late to send her packing at this point so I pressed on. In the days leading up to the event, while working on final details, and I mean the little behind-the-scenes details, I learned about several tragedies that had happened in her family and in the extended family in addition to the tragedy that had taken her 1st husband. This was a family that had suffered a lot in the last 3 years. There were accidents, a suicide, disease, loss of employment and there was the blame and guilt and other feelings that go with such things. This family NEEDED a happy occasion and this wedding was it. (She was taking some prescribed drugs under the care of a doctor and they were having a hard time finding the right dosage at the time.)<br />
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So how do I help them celebrate this wedding without disrespecting all of the hurt? I remember when Saturday Night Live went back on the air a few weeks after the 9/11 Terrorist attacks. They began the show by honoring those who lost their lives and the brave fire fighters and policemen and then producer Lorne Michaels asked Mayor Rudy Giuliani, "Can we be funny?" Mayor Giuliani said with a straight face, "Why start now?" and the audience cheered wildly. There's a technique that I learned from an actress that I knew in LA many years ago. She said you don't 'act' drinking a glass of water, you just drink the glass of water. You don't 'act' walking across a room, you just walk across the room. You don't 'act' speaking to your friend, you just speak. You speak the moment. That concept of speaking the moment has really served me well. The concept came up similarly in a Master of Ceremonies seminar I participated in once.<br />
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I simply spoke the moment. I allowed a few tears, acknowledged it, but kept it from becoming a memorial service as opposed to a wedding celebration. I helped them know that it was OK. That celebrating and dancing and laughing and feasting and hugging each other and singing along to every word and really getting into it didn't somehow disrespect the hurt or the losses. Funny thing is that I didn't really 'speak' it. I showed them. I led the way. Each of my announcements and each gesture and every song choice was very calculated and deliberate. I knew my craft and I knew it well. It WAS in every way, the happy occasion that they needed. I hope that it gave them a year or two of fuel towards the healing going forward from that day.<br />
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Could a hobbyist or other beginner DJ have done it? Maybe. I look back at where I was 25 or 30 years ago, playing at drunken backyard parties and weddings at the crummy decrepit no-name fraternity hall or wherever and I say no! I didn't have the expertise to do it. There would have been ended up being lots of tears and there might have been some little accusations and arguments in the lobby and everybody would have left shortly after dinner- frustrated and sad- from a wedding that should have been a happy occasion! <br />
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When I play piano at a restaurant or bistro or something, the opening notes of any given song may be met with absolute jubilation. People can be instantly moved to tears by a few notes of a loved song. They are tears of joy, of course. It's a song that has deep meaning to them. The lyrics of that song got them through a tough time in their life and they celebrate where they are now relative to where they were then. A restaurant experience isn't the same structured occasion that a wedding or corporate event is, but they came there to feel better about something. It may be on an entirely subconscious level but when they leave they feel better and I contend that it was the music. There are spiritual, mathematical, ethereal components of music that help us rearrange the hurt somehow. It files the hurt further back in our minds somewhere and we either pull some more pleasant memories to the forefront or move the hurt to the back and replace it with the memories of this night instead. Theres a song by Lawrence Gowan about letting go of the past and making way for the good: "Every time I lent a hand, the angels sang some Dixieland. With every hug and every kiss, another hurt dropped off the list." <br />
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Why would a retailer spend $50,000 on a big grand opening celebration with music being the headline feature? Well, because it will add to sales not just at the time but it creates good-will among potential full-time customers going forward. They'll get every penny of that back in increased sales over a period of time. Why have a DJ at a weeknight retail promotion for several hundred dollars? It creates a bit of excitement, it draws a crowd and then nothing draws a crowd like a crowd. People see others having fun and they can't allow those people to have MORE FUN THAN I AM HAVING... I GOTTA GET OVER THERE AND BE PART OF THAT CROWD! I played at a retail promotion last year where the sales goal was $127,000 dollars in cosmetics in a day. Store management was monitoring the cash registers at hourly intervals throughout the day and they came to me to tell me that there was an absolute and measureable difference in sales within 15 minutes of DJ music and energetic announcements. Customers didn't walk by the counters, they danced by the counters and opened their wallets at the cash registers. In a 12 hour sales day, half of the sales were generated while I was playing music in the last 3 hours. Was it worth my professional fee of $800 for 3 hours on a weeknight? Absolutely!<br />
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I'm no fan of politicians but after the 9/11 Terrorist attacks, several members of Congress stood on the steps of the Capitol and spontaneously sang "God Bless America" Why music and not some other expression? Was music was perhaps even more universally acceptable than prayer in that situation? <br />
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There's a world-class museum in Scottsdale AZ called the Musical Instrument Museum and I've spent about 5 afternoons there in the year that they've been open and I still don't feel like I've seen it all. There are historic musical instruments from all over the world and from every ethnicity and nationality. One thread that I've been able to discern in my visits is that even in the face of complete oppression or poverty, the people find some way to make music. They'll use tin cans, sticks, dried vegetables, animal bones, animal skins or whatever they can find. The most interesting instruments and musical styles that I've seen there have come from or been born in poverty or because of some tyrant dictator telling a people that they can't have music. It finds a way!<br />
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There's a story about a farmer who was getting up in years and knew he would soon be "gathered up to his people" as it says in the Old Testament. He wished to bequeath is property to one of his three sons. He proposed that whichever of his sons could fill the barn with any commodity of their choosing could have their father's life work as an inheritance. The oldest son set about buying up all of the firewood in the region and filling the barn. After a week or so, he exhausted his resources and there was frankly no more wood to be found in the region and the barn was only about 2/3 full. He had to pull the wood out and give the middle son a chance. The middle son set about buying up all of the bales of hay in the county and the region. After about a week, he had exhausted his resources and there was no more hay to be found and the barn was only 3/4 full. He had to pull out all of the hay and make way for the youngest son to have a crack at it. The youngest son felt that after the noble attempts of his two older brothers that ended in failure, that there was no way he would be able to do anything that would succeed where his brothers hadn't. He went in to the barn and closed the door and sat down in the middle of that big space and lit a candle and he cried. The light filled the barn! And the farmer gave the youngest son all of the inheritance. <br />
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There are a couple of brilliant bakers in this town that make beautiful and delicious wedding cakes, but they dont' "fill" the room. I've seen genius event designers bring incredibly colorful and interesting event decor that doesn't "fill" a room. I've seen guests eat a celebration feast prepared and served by the best chefs in the West- and those plates didnt' "fill" the room. Music always fills the room. All of the elements come together to make a lovely event and it's the music that ties it all together. Those cold wedding guests, whispering like they were in an elevator, didn't start celebrating that wedding until music allowed or instructed them to do so. <br />
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If you don't push back the sofa in your living room and dance once in a while, you are missing out on one of the great joys of life. So... does what I do matter? Abso-floggin'-lutely!Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-45591760770183549432012-10-30T12:40:00.003-07:002012-10-30T12:45:02.027-07:00The difference between a good and a great DJ<span style="font-family: inherit;">People often don’t know that they’ve just seen a great DJ,
but they sure know when they are experiencing a bad one and it can be
excruciating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What often makes it great
is not the inclusion of good things but rather the absence of bad. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A guest may not have been a fan of a given song,
but no song had offensive lyrics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The DJ
and music volume were not overbearing, they were just right. The event moved
along nicely and the DJ made proper announcements as to what was coming, but it
never seemed like an interruption to the conversations at hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you begin planning wedding entertainment, you’ll find prices
varying wildly from hobbyists or beginners for less than $500 to respected and
seasoned professional DJs for more than $2000. Fast food will get you fed cheaply
but do you want fast food at your wedding?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The best steak house in town (experienced DJ) is certainly more
expensive but it provides quality and expert service more representative of an
important occasion such as a wedding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The minimum expectation for DJs is alarmingly low. “Do you
have two speakers? Great! You’re hired!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sadly, the public has resigned itself to low quality with a shrug and a
remark that “It’s just the way DJs are.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Take the time to interview 2 or 3 DJs. Lean on the
recommendations of other professionals that you trust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your venue, photographer and caterer have
worked with DJs who are brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find
a DJ who is passionate about the craft and loves music and people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t have to pick every song in that
initial consultation, but you do need to decide if you like him or her and if
you trust them to do the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
find a vendor that you like, book them. To be booked a year at a time is not
uncommon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qIv-bwb1L9f22Oh94VcNosjQC55gSpgejJse1cLzgJfn7L_wsL4pQExvD251Se94tsUTMhNkNXPojtoDq1NvEILkvHQCiKrzjLHfgiCYIJvQbE24b5n3MeljDcQFDSZCvveKgLlA33Y/s1600/DSCF6946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qIv-bwb1L9f22Oh94VcNosjQC55gSpgejJse1cLzgJfn7L_wsL4pQExvD251Se94tsUTMhNkNXPojtoDq1NvEILkvHQCiKrzjLHfgiCYIJvQbE24b5n3MeljDcQFDSZCvveKgLlA33Y/s320/DSCF6946.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A few base line expectations: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arrive and be ready to work on time. Provide
adequate equipment for the occasion and the space and know how to use it. DJ
and staff behave well and are respectful. Play the correct songs for the
elements of the event. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sadly, some hobbyist DJs don’t even arrive at this lowest
line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Great entertainment adds the following:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The DJ understands and represents religious,
ethnic and family traditions with confidence and respect. Avoids cheesy,
clichéd, overused, outdated or off-colored songs, jokes, gags or games. No
microphone noise or dead air. Important songs are cued and on time. Family
names are known and pronounced correctly. Wires and road cases and any other
unsightly equipment is put away or covered. Doesn’t say or do anything that
draws attention to difficult event situations. Background music is just under
the volume of the talking. Works in concert with other event professionals on
site. In advance of the event, he or she returns calls and other correspondence
promptly and during the event responds to instructions courteously. Music
represents the tastes of the bride and groom and yet other generations,
ethnicities and tastes are included. Customer knows exactly what equipment and
services to expect and the cost. Lighting is colorful and adds body and motion
but it’s not shining in the faces of the guests or making the room spin. He or
she is well-spoken and classy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">May your wedding be filled with tears of joy, feasting,
hugging, singing and dancing at the hands of a great DJ!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-70232207850212042912012-06-16T22:20:00.000-07:002012-07-21T18:58:39.941-07:00Winslow, Arizona. That was then, this is now."Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona. Such a fine sight to see! It's a girl my Lord, in a flat-bed Ford, slowin' down to take a look at me." ~Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey<br />
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In my travels, and professional and personal interactions with people throughout my life, when the topic of my early years in Winslow comes up, there's almost always a reference to the Eagles song. It's just our humanity trying to connect and find commonality. I don't particularly tire of it. I do resist the temptation myself when meeting somebody from a place immortalized in song or named after a classic rock song- "Hi, my name is Rhiannon" "Oh, like the Fleetwood Mac song..." or "Hi, my name is Lorelei." "Oh like the Styx song..." I try to ask something that they haven't probably heard before to engage them and ignore the obvious. I always entertain the Winslow/Eagles conversations that follow, with their insights and connections, but I haven't heard anybody say anything new on the subject for almost 3 decades now. It's not clear if songwriter Jackson Browne or Glenn Frey of the Eagles ever really stood there at any time, (probably not) but after this long, they owe me personally all other Winslow citizens past and present a proper Eagles concert. <br />
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I paid a visit to Winslow, my hometown, this weekend. Somebody from High School connected with me on Facebook a couple of years ago and then about 8 months ago, I got a call that she always loves to see my professional DJ adventures on Facebook and that she sees that my customers seem to love me and I seem to have some technical expertise as an entertainer and that it's clear that I also love what I do and that her daughter was getting married and (deep breath) would I come to Winslow and play for the wedding?<br />
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Let me declare at the outset that this will be the longest post in the history of the world. It's heavy on the pictures too. I often think that some people must live their whole lives through the viewfinder on their camera. I try to keep that in check in the age of camera phones and social media and I even lean towards less pictures. My memory of people and places is so much more three-dimensional and emotional and "other-sensory" than pictures can capture in any case. Pictures of my dad don't smell like "Old Spice" cologne... This topic required a lot of pictures for me. I travelled up a day early and you should know that in taking all of these pictures, I actually stopped down and had two moments at each place- one through the viewfinder, and then the other with my eyes, ears, nose, skin, taste buds, mind and heart. </div>
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Further, for my Christian friends and family and other conservative types, this posting will be rather candid. Not profane at all, but just raw and uncensored. You'll learn some things about me you didn't know before and it may be shocking. I've left out names but even if you think you see yourself, just know that I love you for the lessons I learned from you. <br />
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In English, we would say,"I'm from Winslow." In Spanish, that would be expressed more like, "The place where I spent my primary years is Winslow" I think that's actually rather profound since my primary years in Winslow made really did make me who I am- for better or for worse. As I am maturing as a man, I'm mellowing and finding myself hugging people hello more often and allowing people their humanity in a more loving way, I look back and see that so much of the good and bad that is in me started being good or bad <u>IN</u> Winslow Arizona. Of late, I'm just trying to enhance the good and throw as much of the bad over the edge that I can.<br />
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Arizona is such a beautiful state! My experience in the Boy Scouts of America and being the son of fellow outdoor lover, Vance Whipple, gave me a great love for this place and I have spent still more time and miles hiking, mountain biking and driving around exploring it. Most people who drive through Arizona may do so on Interstate 10, The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, through the low desert, or on Interstate 40, largely through the high desert country and they miss the center of the state which is high-elevation, mountainous forest country. It's a nice and green drive to Winslow from the Phoenix area through national forest lands.<br />
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Winslow was originally settled by Mormon colonists sent specifically by Brigham Young to farm in the Little Colorado River Valley. They had fled the United States because of religious persecution and settled in Salt Lake- in Mexico. They were sent to the Little Colorado Valley from Salt Lake by a rather solemn (among Mormons) assignment but they returned to Utah after one season and called it a God-forsaken wilderness and the journals recorded that Brigham Young 'thundered' at them to get back down there and settle and farm in that valley. The community was called "Brigham City" but when the Santa Fe railroad came through 3 or 4 miles south a few years later, Brigham City died as Winslow was born and named after a railroad executive at the time. Currently, a Winslow resident/citizen is driving to refurbish and preserve the remains of that original Mormon settlement.<br />
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I snapped this pic out the window of the van of the high desert terrain up there. </div>
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I imagine a cowboy on horseback or some settlers with wagon loads of supplies would be completely flummoxed by a canyon such as Jack's Canyon (below) outside of Winslow that runs for several miles in either direction and that is undetectable on the horizon until you get right on top of it. There are stories of Mormon Pioneers who had to spend several days disassembling wagons and moving them across such things and reassembling them on the other side or using complicated winch systems to lower larger pieces down and then hoisting them back up the other side. The other option was to send a scout several miles in either direction to find a more suitable crossing. Ether way, a simple geological feature of the landscape such as this would take several days to conquer. I drove over a bridge and it took probably 1 1/2 seconds at 65 MPH and my cold air conditioning and cold drink were sure nice. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6kvevVARbR3pwbQSgEsD-EQgLKDo6oA5fYiDI2-am-IV4oJGpIRtlQbQ9j6RS1yKi8U8ANQ-RvBEfJMbl-PdsvYvoXxnNVvLUU9wx268I76wbYvKUHwVD4pBQ-v3pz_J4KqxZDv7gtE/s1600/DSCF5719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6kvevVARbR3pwbQSgEsD-EQgLKDo6oA5fYiDI2-am-IV4oJGpIRtlQbQ9j6RS1yKi8U8ANQ-RvBEfJMbl-PdsvYvoXxnNVvLUU9wx268I76wbYvKUHwVD4pBQ-v3pz_J4KqxZDv7gtE/s320/DSCF5719.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The rest of these pictures are in no particular order but they will be the thread to guide you through my thoughts. </div>
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Here we go!</div>
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This is the La Posada Hotel and train depot. It was the La Posada when it was built. It closed and the Santa Fe Railroad used it for offices in the 70s and 80s and then they abandoned it. It was to be torn down but some preservationists and other historians arranged to have it restored and it operates as the La Posada Hotel again and caters to Route 66 enthusiasts and other travellers to Winslow. There are over 100 freight trains daily travelling through Winslow and two Amtrak stops daily- an eastbound and a westbound. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx7Ik0yjDaWurBwyu5zyR-5kO1O8ummfCAN22VL3Og5uRBvJ7_Xodo3Rt6xqf9m7xWTHK2Vuuv5ym_pCYcWKAZaLgDkoErTLNRljb_trg0TeEDFqPhuUdJPHO8ncIchIk-CQimUcSahw/s1600/DSCF5696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx7Ik0yjDaWurBwyu5zyR-5kO1O8ummfCAN22VL3Og5uRBvJ7_Xodo3Rt6xqf9m7xWTHK2Vuuv5ym_pCYcWKAZaLgDkoErTLNRljb_trg0TeEDFqPhuUdJPHO8ncIchIk-CQimUcSahw/s320/DSCF5696.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My grandfather loved Navajo and Hopi culture and sold sewing machines on the Navajo Reservation in the 1940s and by the 1950s, his endeavors had become a dress shop in Winslow, which is a border town, of sorts, to the Navajo Nation. In the 1960s the shop was becoming a department store. He was also the Mayor of Winslow from 1950 to 1953. He resigned 2 months shy of his term of office, surprising the city council with his announcement that cited health concerns and pressures of running the growing Whipple's store. I'm unaware of what, if any, health issues he had. He lived another 25 years. </div>
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I was born in Burlingame California- in the bay area. My dad brought us to Winslow to join his father's business "Whipple's of Winslow", when I was about 3. My mother was already very sick and she died of cancer in Winslow that year and her grave is there. We kinda regrouped as a family in Winslow and that's the story of how I came to call Winslow "home". </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAHhyphenhyphen6l_xMjBaB6FX9r4UMuObS-zU0NgzRGXCC5qdhsR6c6psuIKuSiDUI1Pogf_Nq-tDqBX5kDq3cSeJYHybwRHbrzckXsFj3MVeksoMDn92FIDwRJQYA93ZtW2iG-9R4gfhaJm4DXw/s1600/DSCF5646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAHhyphenhyphen6l_xMjBaB6FX9r4UMuObS-zU0NgzRGXCC5qdhsR6c6psuIKuSiDUI1Pogf_Nq-tDqBX5kDq3cSeJYHybwRHbrzckXsFj3MVeksoMDn92FIDwRJQYA93ZtW2iG-9R4gfhaJm4DXw/s320/DSCF5646.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
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My maternal grandmother took care of me most immediately after the funeral but everybody had to get back to their lives and so I had a nanny during the day- an African-American woman named Ruby Williams (Jackson) from Roxie Mississippi that taught me how to count, got me potty trained, taught me the alphabet and she took me fishing for catfish in Clear Creek south of town about 5 miles with her boyfriend RJ when he got off work at the sawmill in the afternoons- and she loved me. I saw Ruby last year, but she wasn't around this time. I would have liked to give her another hug. This was the house we lived in at first. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OtKTl6anqOdbEVpjEdqNRxl32F2xeZBEkEEEB0HV9idQm5ajFYvabfQzb88lNPCPDGCaXCFRhC6YQ3GZt4p-IkTuuyrhqODKM_tBA5n8_74WNDAlkHQJGYgjH74CiuiR-9YHIsiEbRw/s1600/DSCF5644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OtKTl6anqOdbEVpjEdqNRxl32F2xeZBEkEEEB0HV9idQm5ajFYvabfQzb88lNPCPDGCaXCFRhC6YQ3GZt4p-IkTuuyrhqODKM_tBA5n8_74WNDAlkHQJGYgjH74CiuiR-9YHIsiEbRw/s320/DSCF5644.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My dad remarried when I was about 7. We had a "Brady Bunch" family with 9 kids and we moved to this house on Gilmore St. Boys downstairs and girls upstairs. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDubhZnLYDmgTHphKQuE5bFl8YhoxEnCe2pAi-T4o4W9DSzDD7gNVgUomTxoxfnRDxpz4BBwLM1ZGOPapcTjHgwLJ_4oPBXeBr6dMysyYWToPxQvDpVHG08NaPZzHgzKMQG9mpxoIx94/s1600/DSCF5643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDubhZnLYDmgTHphKQuE5bFl8YhoxEnCe2pAi-T4o4W9DSzDD7gNVgUomTxoxfnRDxpz4BBwLM1ZGOPapcTjHgwLJ_4oPBXeBr6dMysyYWToPxQvDpVHG08NaPZzHgzKMQG9mpxoIx94/s320/DSCF5643.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is where I went to Sunday School as a little boy. They had a basement with a cozy fireplace for the kids program. Somebody has since purchased it and is using it as a home. Probably the biggest home in town. In my life's travels, a rather random personal contact, upon hearing that I was from Winslow, handed me a program from the dedication service of this building in the early 50s, which I still have in my possession. They also handed me a yearbook from Winslow High School dated 1928, which I think was the first graduating class from the new building which you'll see here later. They were not from Winslow or even Arizona and didn't remember how those two things came into their possession but they were happy to pass it on to me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kdZS2KAeD1TWBkMrPsiGH44Y7dP4vt02TtQTfzroI8GDb8JsDJNZzGVw4fzultfZabdezMncqLng4cWezOGeK3C8TDBI0viSY3lWh3Vrlv7s8mlQrWI6vBy4IjbCIvqMbuJnS7N749E/s1600/DSCF5684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kdZS2KAeD1TWBkMrPsiGH44Y7dP4vt02TtQTfzroI8GDb8JsDJNZzGVw4fzultfZabdezMncqLng4cWezOGeK3C8TDBI0viSY3lWh3Vrlv7s8mlQrWI6vBy4IjbCIvqMbuJnS7N749E/s320/DSCF5684.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is where I went to church from about age 9 and up. I broke my left arm on that grass out front, goofing off after a Boy Scout activity at age 13. I got tackled and my arm got tucked under the weight of my body and the weight of a couple of other boys and it cracked both the radius and the ulna about halfway through and then split them upwards toward my elbow as if they were green tree branches. It ended my violin career (thankfully) (violin players in Winslow High School were not cool and I lacked in any other coolness factors anyway- the violin wasn't helping) Even after 35 years the injury impedes any proficiency on the guitar. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfZz7mtm8rxrQZpM6kEA6VKezM6laA7UxFb613kfhLF4fWLE24YkSjz0hLckGPYbj6BfUEnWqgQleKDJ6SkH-KQxVw5jA-azSzrR5S88_6twcQk9n5_fdjFp-qsDCQjEV48t-De0Wi9c/s1600/DSCF5641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfZz7mtm8rxrQZpM6kEA6VKezM6laA7UxFb613kfhLF4fWLE24YkSjz0hLckGPYbj6BfUEnWqgQleKDJ6SkH-KQxVw5jA-azSzrR5S88_6twcQk9n5_fdjFp-qsDCQjEV48t-De0Wi9c/s320/DSCF5641.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is Highway 87 that runs north from Winslow to the Navajo Nation and south from Winslow to Payson, Mesa and Tucson. I don't know why, but when we were kids, Dad would always honk the horn going through this tunnel under the Santa Fe railroad. All of the kids would scream at the top of our lungs. Who am I to mess with tradition? I honked and shouted in 2012 at age 46. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPGl3UGWHCCo6qX8EkqUqPUPEdyA-bDzkLEyN4zeJFnwt6RNVyWJQ1oXVnw9I7rKgUVgC0HY2pfUP1b3G5HRLg5t58eaJs5ClD4gS7BVUStEtFrOCkqiwYNXpPKwszPq2eMEe-jM_t14/s1600/DSCF5703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPGl3UGWHCCo6qX8EkqUqPUPEdyA-bDzkLEyN4zeJFnwt6RNVyWJQ1oXVnw9I7rKgUVgC0HY2pfUP1b3G5HRLg5t58eaJs5ClD4gS7BVUStEtFrOCkqiwYNXpPKwszPq2eMEe-jM_t14/s320/DSCF5703.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I was in high school, this was Leemon's Appliances which happened to also have a small selection of vinyl records and 8-track tapes. I'm happy to report that I was the first kid in Winslow Arizona to own Styx's Cornerstone album. My step mother worked at Leemon's for a couple of years while I was in high school. I would go down once a week or so after school and study the Billboard magazine and make recommendations based on what I saw on the music charts as to what she should purchase for the store that could be sold. I remember exclaiming once- "Ahhh! Van Halen has a new album coming out next week." She replied "Oh, is he good?" ummmmmm "Yeah mom, he's really good. I'd say 4 or 5 copies of that one." I'm not even going to explain why that's so funny. Van Morrison is pretty good too. I still play some of his good stuff as a DJ. It appears to be a Tuxedo rental place now. Winslow is just not a tuxedo kind of a town. I wish them success in this tough economy, but I fear it will be an uphill battle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsL-flt4fRN5LRRPxBgAwmiQMMFJknoOZW7WWO2_uIi3zTJSFwowmN95J7LyuYYFYGy152htskO_32EugZcqE7e0SOMY3xl9ZOe2DlPiQRskaeCzpXM1ZxNJceUH3K5rvoftCjF72Ths/s1600/DSCF5681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsL-flt4fRN5LRRPxBgAwmiQMMFJknoOZW7WWO2_uIi3zTJSFwowmN95J7LyuYYFYGy152htskO_32EugZcqE7e0SOMY3xl9ZOe2DlPiQRskaeCzpXM1ZxNJceUH3K5rvoftCjF72Ths/s320/DSCF5681.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This used to be "Whipple Park" named after my Grampa Whipple, probably in honor of his service as Mayor. It used to have some playgound equipment and picnic tables and barbecue pits. It appears to be something that the firefighters use to practice their skills now. There's big pile of wooden pallets behind the building that further make my case for my suspicion as to its purpose. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegweH1td1qjM-tB0qWfcUVqfms0KactIL8VdD4e9_f9MzLbwN5ehfvavPosjgR5FYGlSkYkTc4PpYphaW_EIp_sQqsIwQQi5EDWyRW9BGO3XWTuooSTaVUaeQNny4EEGyD6NI0DN1oVk/s1600/DSCF5661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegweH1td1qjM-tB0qWfcUVqfms0KactIL8VdD4e9_f9MzLbwN5ehfvavPosjgR5FYGlSkYkTc4PpYphaW_EIp_sQqsIwQQi5EDWyRW9BGO3XWTuooSTaVUaeQNny4EEGyD6NI0DN1oVk/s320/DSCF5661.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There was an artist in the 70s that supposedly went to each state and carved something like this to honor each states' place in the republic on the occasion of the bicentennial. I don't know why Winslow was chosen for the Arizona installation but I have always liked what the guy did. He spent about a week on this with a chainsaw. I rode my bike out to watch him a few times. It was located out by I-40 originally on a big mound of dirt but it always looked out of place and not as grand as its intent. The city has moved it to the south end of town near some of the Route 66 tourist stuff and it looks more at home now. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhm2g-YzgTJgDhyphenhyphenyL_6xai-UNo4E28Idi2h9FRBWnMjCfkdH9YCV0maQKDuUsU1HzuG1LCSGc3Sad826i5aC2u3lmA3In6SI0mMk0TIF6uRUTfFVHaRm8Ur05jgjrxGnb3R60V7IuKmA/s1600/DSCF5658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhm2g-YzgTJgDhyphenhyphenyL_6xai-UNo4E28Idi2h9FRBWnMjCfkdH9YCV0maQKDuUsU1HzuG1LCSGc3Sad826i5aC2u3lmA3In6SI0mMk0TIF6uRUTfFVHaRm8Ur05jgjrxGnb3R60V7IuKmA/s320/DSCF5658.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I had a great Sunday School teacher when I was 12 and 13 who lived right here. She gave me a great love for the Bible and gave me a working knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which built the foundation for my relationship with Him now. She was a lover of people and of learning and of teaching and a true model of what Christianity should be. It wasn't just dry talking- trying to get through the lesson, she was trying to get the lesson through us. In addition to bringing the scriptures to life, she introduced me to books by Zig Zigler and others who seemed to know how to apply Christian principles to life and find success and happiness. I've thanked her personally on multiple occasions. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTym6LCJtLcywmgK6-XdNB4u__p4e7W9KcjHUUuTCMjZCY9HzTgoIZ_iLbNhfCNnS8s9taDQGdurZ5wvKd7DpSAG9zoB9mhW8Ml1b76ebXmzaJlcAMAkhFl-owS-lotn78a2B6aeNgTrw/s1600/DSCF5663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTym6LCJtLcywmgK6-XdNB4u__p4e7W9KcjHUUuTCMjZCY9HzTgoIZ_iLbNhfCNnS8s9taDQGdurZ5wvKd7DpSAG9zoB9mhW8Ml1b76ebXmzaJlcAMAkhFl-owS-lotn78a2B6aeNgTrw/s320/DSCF5663.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was and is the post office in Winslow AZ- 86047. I don't have anything to say about this other than the fact that the ZIP code has stuck in my memory for all of these years. I also remember my phone number back then. It was 289-4884 but you only had to dial the 9 and the 4 digits. I've lived at four addresses in the LA area, two addresses in north central Washington state, two addresses in Minneapolis and one in St Paul and I can't remember any of those ZIP codes. I've had several phone numbers over the years and I can't remember any of those either. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkD5IO4ftQ33h5z-ysFoeNJU6So6o6eEx-sGLoU8VC-R-_Gw2u2uvmUzTn7F3-2mj49bL0OACgu8FgznYj98EfEhliomoeBaKJoxuiJPFIHVl6-ykINGz7z_h8zJ7-LGm-0NMz6tC3Mn0/s1600/DSCF5711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkD5IO4ftQ33h5z-ysFoeNJU6So6o6eEx-sGLoU8VC-R-_Gw2u2uvmUzTn7F3-2mj49bL0OACgu8FgznYj98EfEhliomoeBaKJoxuiJPFIHVl6-ykINGz7z_h8zJ7-LGm-0NMz6tC3Mn0/s320/DSCF5711.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This store front used to be the office and printing shop for "The Reminder" a throwaway advertising rag that came out on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. When I was 9 years old, I started delivering to 125 homes on Apache Avenue. We'd pick them up around 7 or 8PM (some nights as late as 10PM if they were extra busy or had extra pages from lots of ads or had a printer break down) We would get paid a fractional percentage per page- it came to $5 or $6/wk and also on Tuesday nights it would be "Nickel Night". We would knock on doors for tips instead of just leaving the papers on the doorstep. When the homeowner opened the door, we would say "Nickel Night" and get a nickel. If everybody on your route was home, and answered the door and gave a gratuity, it would add up to another $6. Most of us delivery boys got smart and realized that the term "Nickel Night" limited the tip to a nickel. The term "Reminder Night" was much more open ended and a conscientious delivery boy who always got the papers right on the porch or tucked under the mat could get a quarter or even two quarters. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hw7F8rzXv2V0nLpB6eQNo5veWgsAdUa-1W7zXOZ4M0rFD0pX83G_rfFIk2ma4SyzabTHfGSLC_B3DjdbVFJNsv6L2CuFq-NDwHIzoprl18wolHyXAAqdCHFcuzKuQFTEodcvKgDcn20/s1600/DSCF5654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hw7F8rzXv2V0nLpB6eQNo5veWgsAdUa-1W7zXOZ4M0rFD0pX83G_rfFIk2ma4SyzabTHfGSLC_B3DjdbVFJNsv6L2CuFq-NDwHIzoprl18wolHyXAAqdCHFcuzKuQFTEodcvKgDcn20/s320/DSCF5654.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I was 11, I added The Winslow Mail- a more traditional local weekly newspaper on Thursday afternoons. I think my route had about 150 homes on it. I got paid strictly by the paper from subscriptions but it was not uncommon to get $5, $10 or even a $20 in a card for Christmas if you got the paper on the porch consistently. Notice that both buildings are vacant. They still kinda exist loosely in an online format, but the Winslow Mail folded in 2008. Although it is closed, it is still the longest running and oldest newspaper in Arizona. The mighty Arizona Republic still has 4 years to go to catch up and beat them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4QN1MVJDN5w8s9c_mgT4DNXyRk3vgEAyAxuXjhFF0E79opreYIY15TpoDP8shXe9wFE6HndeNwMudNcpoQe5UK8Ls6HqbCWdWEdVTc2o2SmTxVTGbJfcoNn6AfzwLrlAkrWdQNxrsO0/s1600/DSCF5655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4QN1MVJDN5w8s9c_mgT4DNXyRk3vgEAyAxuXjhFF0E79opreYIY15TpoDP8shXe9wFE6HndeNwMudNcpoQe5UK8Ls6HqbCWdWEdVTc2o2SmTxVTGbJfcoNn6AfzwLrlAkrWdQNxrsO0/s320/DSCF5655.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I was 13, I added the Arizona Republic to my deliveries. 7 days a week, 365 days a year, 165 homes, rain or shine or sleet or snow, at 430AM. The papers would be flown in to Winslow airport at about 330 each morning and then dropped at several neighborhood drop spots for local carriers. This was my Uncle Tom's house and my cousins Tommy, Rory and Burke. About 6 boys knelt in this driveway every morning, folding and slipping a rubber band on to each paper. We had canvas bags that fit on the handlebars of our bikes and with some practice, you could really learn how to make those papers fly and land just where you want them. I have a defective sports gene and I'm rather clumsy when it comes to basketballs and baseballs, but I had a knack for flinging a newspaper. More often than not, I could get it not only on the doorstep but leaning up against the door so that when the homeowner opened, the paper would fall inside their house! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaNqjDVGvL-8rNmhgnvD-U2BezK20qNh1bbkV1BkG082se6DrFY_0tTko8A2YOhd3b0cZPKq1If0FOQ0JuoQibCIaMcN_m7R9gIvBnBdl-ti4Hr7YuphNvwZflNiMQ27kwGuo9RLwWPs/s1600/DSCF5636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaNqjDVGvL-8rNmhgnvD-U2BezK20qNh1bbkV1BkG082se6DrFY_0tTko8A2YOhd3b0cZPKq1If0FOQ0JuoQibCIaMcN_m7R9gIvBnBdl-ti4Hr7YuphNvwZflNiMQ27kwGuo9RLwWPs/s320/DSCF5636.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was invited to the wedding rehearsal dinner for the family that I went to Winslow to work for this week and I had the pleasure of sitting with the grandmother of the groom. She's 84 and sharp as a tack. When she oriented herself as to who I was (by identifying my father and grandfather) she was most complimentary about our family's contribution to Winslow and further, she said that I had been her paper boy and that, after me, she has never again had decent delivery service. That's a lot of years to suffer with crappy service and still bother with the paper that could be had in an online format.</div>
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Here's a pic of the Little League fields. I never played baseball owing to my defective sports gene but I always hung around with the other townsfolk for a game in the evening. They had a concession stand that had snow cones and a newfangled snack at the time called "nachos" and it was deeeeee-LISH! There was a masonry block restroom that may be the most disgusting bathroom I've ever encountered in my 46 years. That one still holds a place in disgustingdom. I'm a man and half the time, I don't have to sit down to do my business but it was really that bad. The option was to ride my bicycle 5 blocks home and go and then 5 blocks back but I might have missed some of the action.</div>
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I was riding on a swing set adjacent to the ball park (near the offending restroom) at about age 8 or 9 and I took a high-speed and high arching foul ball right in the lower gut on an upswing- my body was positioned just right to get hit squarely and solidly. It knocked me off the swing which landed me flat on my back on the ground and stunned my diaphragm (knocked the wind out of me) so that I couldn't breathe for a minute or so.<br />
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That park also represented the first time I saw pornography of any kind as a little boy. There were some discarded playing cards with nude women in various poses. I was innocent and not ready for that and certainly didn't seek it out, but it was as if I had been exposed to a virus. There was a time later in my life when pornography would dominate life and my thinking. I've often thought of the story in the New Testament where some men were trying to get under Jesus' skin by asking, "Who did sin? this man or his parents? that he was born blind even from his birth?" Jesus replied, "Nobody sinned, he was just born blind. That's all. It just IS. He was born blind so that a miracle of God could be manifest in his life." (I'm paraphrasing there- Jesus was always very frank but not that casual.) The chance exposure to porn was not a sin that I committed, but it was just a circumstance in my life. A circumstance such, that a miracle of God could be manifest as I broke free. Frankly, I give gratitude to God for it because without it, I may have never come to know the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in such a profound and personal way.<br />
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Here's what used to be the Rialto Theater. One family owned both this movie theater and the local drive-in theater. They would show one movie per week, drive in open during the summer months, indoor theater open during the winter months. I don't know if you are picking up a pattern here, The Reminder- gone, Winslow Mail- gone, the Rialto- gone... I can't remember any specific films that I saw here, I vaguely remember "War of the Worlds" but I do know that I saw Jaws at the drive-in theater when I was 8. I think I was asleep and my head was on my step mom's lap. I woke up just at the scene where the shark is on the back of the boat tipping it upwards and the crusty old fisherman/sailor slides down into its mouth to be chewed to death. Not a good time to wake up as an 8 yr old. That movie so frightened me that I STILL- 38 years later- I STILL am frightened of water. I'm not non functional, but I do freak out once in awhile in the ocean and in even in lakes and rivers. Well-played Spielberg, well-played indeed! </div>
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Here's a couple of pictures of Clear Creek out south of town- previously described catfishing expeditions happened here. Great swimming hole for high school kids. I was a bit of a nerd in high school but I had just enough moxie to be able to hang here at times. It was always great for jumping off rocks and barbecuing and for others- drinking and carousing with the opposite sex, speeding and other dangerous driving on the road to and from and perhaps a few other unnamed nefarious activities for teenagers. </div>
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I saw my first, real, live breast here. A girl had jumped in the water and it popped the top of her swim suit off and she was jumping around and still playing in the water unawares that she had been exposed. A girlfriend alerted her a bit too soon for the boys' taste. My only regret, at age 14, was that it was THAT (unnamed) girl that was a bit homely and not a model of female beauty and physicality. Why couldn't it have been that other (also unnamed) girl that I liked who occupied my teenage dreams or that other (unnamed) one on the cheerleading squad? But alas, for a 14 yr old boy, it was a bit of a landmark moment.<br />
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This is Jefferson Elementary school. Mrs. Walton for Kindergarten- loved her. Mrs. Allen for 1st grade. Mrs. Murray for 2nd grade- hated her. I remember getting my knuckles whacked with a ruler on more than one occasion for seemingly minor infractions. I also remember this insight at age 7: it was a warm spring morning and we were doing a rather menial exercise that I had already advanced beyond. Mrs. Murray had handed out a worksheet and I remember lifting the top edge of the sheet up and acting like I was reading it but all the while I was scanning my classmates in disbelief, "Is this it? THIS is school for THE NEXT 10 YEARS?!?!" Mrs. Murray had a heart attack that summer and passed away. I was secretly glad. I hadn't wished it on her but she had clearly passed her effectiveness as a teacher. She was cranky and she didn't inspire us to learn. Looking back as a man, I was right. Only a handful of teachers ever challenged me intellectually. That sounds arrogant or cocky for me to speak it, but it comes from a place of confidence in saying such a thing, plus, it's my blog.<br />
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Mrs. Ceballos for 3rd grade. Miss Orr for 4th grade. Mr McNeil for 5th grade- loved/hated him. He was a bit of a leftover hippie and, looking back as an adult, he was probably a marijuana user- just a hunch. We'd sing folk songs with his guitar for a few minutes each morning... Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Hollies, Joan Baez, etc. He had a small farm just on the outskirts of the city and there were a couple of lambs born one night and we all took a walk the next morning, after the song time, about a mile out to his house to see the new life. No permission slips, just going and learning about the world. Try doing that today! Lawyers would have a conniption fit! <br />
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I was competing in a 5th grade spelling bee and I know spelling pretty well. Even in 5th grade, I had a very good grasp on the English language. My word was "balcony." Mr McNeil pronounced it as "belcony." I had him repeat it twice, per the rules, and each time, he repeated "belcony." I fought my instinct that he was wrong and resigned myself to the thought that that maybe there was a word that I didn't know. I spelled it B E L C O N Y and was eliminated. I've always remembered that and have always regretted not trusting my instincts and I curse him for possibly altering the course of my life! If I had just won that spelling bee, my whole life would have been different. <br />
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I had Mr. Cardon for 6th grade and didn't love or hate him. When it came time for the 6th grade boys to field a basketball team to represent our school he indicated that all the boys would be playing. In spite of my defective sports gene, I dutifully ran up and down the court trying to not ever come into contact with the ball. In spite of my negative contribution, our team went on to compete against other local teams and when we got to the pinnacle of our success, leading up to an important game, Mr. Cardon had the nerve to instruct the team not to throw the ball to me because I was a butterfingers. I took great offense! I would have been happy to sit on the bench and read a book. You force me to be on the team and then complain about my abilities that you knew about going in?!??<br />
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This is Washington Elementary. I didn't attend there but this place was built when I was in high school to replace an older version of itself, if I remember correctly. I'm not sure why, but this picture made me remember a bully I had in my life. I had been teased regularly and assaulted more than a dozen times over the course of the years that I had to cross paths with him. I've had a hard time searching my memory, I'm not sure if he moved away by high school or not, but when I put up this picture of the dome, I remembered hearing that he (the bully), was playing around on a construction site during the night- perhaps this one- or perhaps on a construction site in the place he had moved to (I really don't remember) and he fell to his death. <em>(Post script- a reader indicated that there was, in fact, a death on this construction site and named him to me. He was not the bully. Chalk that up to a couple of stories combined in my memory.)</em><br />
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This was and is Winslow Junior High. My short-lived violin career reached its peak here. Our orchestra travelled to a couple of neighboring cities for festival competitions and we scored "A"s at every stop. I've forgotten the music directors name but she was passionate about music and it was a pleasure to perform with her at the helm. Also had a great Science teacher in Mr. Essary and a great Industrial Arts (shop class) with Mr. Gonzalez. <br />
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This was Winslow High School. This was built in 1925. It's boarded up now while the rest of the campus seems intact. I'm not sure what other purpose it could serve but as a school.<br />
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Here's the new main building about a block away. Very POSH!<br />
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This used to be the tennis courts. That's the gymnasium and the weight training center across the way there. When we played tennis as part of the P.E. curriculum, I could never and still can't get the hang of how to score a tennis match. I think my first paying DJ job took place in that gymnasium. I had no idea that it would become a career, so record keeping in those first few years is practically nonexistent. One of the school clubs was having a fundraiser dance and sent a couple of cheerleaders to ask me nicely to do the dance for cheap- maybe a plate of cookies. I didn't need a plate of cookies but who could resist the attention of a couple of cheerleaders when you are 16 years old? If any customers are reading this and think that such tactics will still work... OK, go ahead and send some cheerleaders... I''ve always been fond of the Laker Girls-just so you know. <br />
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This was and is the Winslow High School football stadium. It's been renamed Emil Nasser Stadium after a beloved coach and P.E. teacher who made 98 lb weaklings like me into men. He was a good and decent Egyptian man who expected excellence and taught people the skills to get there. <em>(Post script- a reader indicated to me that Coach Nasser may have been a Syrian man. He could have been from Antarctica</em><em> but that doesn't change that he was a good man.)</em><br />
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This was and is still the racquetball courts. I don't have anything to say about this. <br />
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The indoor swimming pool. Nothing to say about this either.<br />
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This was the Business Education building as part of the high school campus. I learned to type in there. Remember what I was saying about my realization in 2nd grade about not being challenged? I wouldn't call my typing teacher a challenging instructor, but what a blessing it has been to know how to type quickly and accurately when the world has since gone the way of computers. Looking back, it was my English teacher, Mr. Howell, who gave me a love for the English language and the gift of communication in both speaking and writing and how beautiful it can be. I had him as a freshman and hated him (but still learned) I had him again as a senior and loved LOVED him. He challenged me and I rose to the occasion. Wood shop, metal shop, auto shop, mechanical drawing/drafting and typing, along with music and English were the things that have blessed my life. Sadly, I came out of high school ill-prepared for life in so many other ways. I didn't know what insurance was, I didn't know how to balance a checkbook, etc. I wasn't until 25 years later that I had a brilliant instructor at University of Phoenix here at the Mesa campus that I 'got' Algebra.<br />
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Here's the Root Beer Stand. I had my paper routes until I was almost 15 and then I started working here through the rest of my high school years. This was my first wage-earning job. I would get out of class at 11:55 and run down there and work through lunch, then at 12:50, the boss would cook up something for me, I'd alternate between a nice cheeseburger or a taco tangle or a deep fried burrito and eat it on the walk back to school two blocks away. I'd be back at 1:00. School would let out at 3P and I'd work again until they closed at 8P. We'd mop the floors and get the place cleaned up and ready for the next day and be out of there at about 830. It was called the A&W Root Beer Stand back then. It's called Darrell's Root Beer Stand now, even though Darrell isn't there anymore. His son Roland runs the place and Roland's young son is running around helping out just like Roland did when he was a boy and I was working there. I had a Taco Tangle this week and a helping of chili fries with cheese and a couple of large root beers. They haven't changed the chili recipe in all these years. I went right back to my youth when I tasted it. I've posted on my Facebook page a few things about Winslow on occasion and the commentary almost always mentions the Root Beer stand. If they ever changed the recipe, I'm confident that it would blow a gigantic hole in the space/time continuum.<br />
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My Junior Prom was here. This is Bonnie Brennan Elementary School and this gymnasium was brand spanking new at the time. Owing to my nerdiness in high school, I hadn't intended to go to the prom but I thought that if I didn't, it would further prove my nerdiness so I asked a girl that I knew that would say yes even though I didnt' want to go. I had a miserable time because I didn't want to be there. I think I've got a photo buried somewhere that proves that I was miserable.<br />
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Here's a pic of the Elks Lodge in Winslow. My Senior Prom was held here. I'm a fast learner and I thought that I would have a better time at my Senior Prom if I had the hottest girl in the place, even though I didn't want to go. I asked a girl from the next town that I had met at a church activity. She would be an unknown and mysterious date, she was very good looking, and since she lived in the next town- she was unaware of my nerdiness. I arrived here at the Elks lodge and my arrival had the desired effect, she dropped some jaws, but she also undermined my self-confidence in every other way and I had a miserable time. I was even on a DOUBLE date to take the pressure off, but dating was not my gift and it would not become something that I was any good at for a number of years. <br />
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Here's what I did at the Elks Lodge for this wedding I was hired to play for. It was sure good to come back to my home town with the professional guns blazing. There were lots of people who even seemed intimidated by me. They wanted to say hello but felt the need to ask somebody else to ask me... that's so high school! </div>
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My first rock band was kinda born inside this house. It was me with an electric piano and a friend with an electric guitar and we played for several weeks just getting some bugs worked out. </div>
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We added another guitarist and a bass player and there was a kid in our school who had some drums and lived in this house which is now a bed and breakfast. We kinda auditioned him because he had a cool drum set and his parents seemed supportive and they had money. It wasn't a good fit. Plus, the house creeped me out. I think it was and still is haunted. My cousin Tommy eventually filled the slot on drums for a summer that got us up and running. Of the 6 people that eventually played in that rock band, 4 are still employed professionally in music. 2 performing and 2 in behind-the-scenes technical areas. The one guy that I would have thought would still be in music, the one with the most guitar talent and natural good looks and great hair is a dry waller. He has 10 kids!</div>
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Vargas field where the high school varsity baseball team plays and I think the men's city league plays here as well. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-nXU7N0HIOTJ6p75aSyVQOlCduhAAbFOkMH-w1p26PCFIyJGgzmqIVTxrvHsZW12me_7GgZzhjFR2nu2tOtT1KHma02_v1ll9KVZB92rBlIqaITeCgYwVlm-vM2G3PXmNcJ9iJwgogg/s1600/DSCF5660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-nXU7N0HIOTJ6p75aSyVQOlCduhAAbFOkMH-w1p26PCFIyJGgzmqIVTxrvHsZW12me_7GgZzhjFR2nu2tOtT1KHma02_v1ll9KVZB92rBlIqaITeCgYwVlm-vM2G3PXmNcJ9iJwgogg/s320/DSCF5660.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
There's a geological formation about 4 miles northwest of town called Monkey Rock. I don't know why it's called Monkey Rock other than the fact that people go out there to monkey around. I don't and never have used alcohol, but I know that, of my Winslow contemporaries who do, they probably had their first beer out here. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtizuaLaBSUuRfY1oLmiBR80QDVSg6xTQM5TxnxYiSk71g6aYQ7UzrVXYr-QgcqK6PZ8ZWq-BUcR52glA45W9ElaJvX7MP6tydG2Z0bAqxNcdaHHSZX2lvvtzFcjCDYTlrepl0n2MFn0/s1600/DSCF5676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtizuaLaBSUuRfY1oLmiBR80QDVSg6xTQM5TxnxYiSk71g6aYQ7UzrVXYr-QgcqK6PZ8ZWq-BUcR52glA45W9ElaJvX7MP6tydG2Z0bAqxNcdaHHSZX2lvvtzFcjCDYTlrepl0n2MFn0/s320/DSCF5676.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I stopped for fuel at this Shell station. I-40 came through Winslow in the mid 70s and just like in the Pixar film "Cars" it decimated the local economy. Nobody had to stop on Route 66 anymore. This was one of the first business to move out to service the freeway traffic. One of the largest drug busts in Arizona history took place right here. An alert Winslow police officer saw a wanted man getting fuel and affected an arrest. Sadly, that officer was later shamed for taking prisoners home to do his yard work or even soliciting sexual favors from young female traffic offenders. I heard he served 15 years in prison. <br />
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I think that the last time I bought fuel there, the price was less than $1!<br />
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Safeway was one of the tenants of a strip mall that opened up to service the freeway traffic on the north end of town. It's still there.<br />
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If you turn the camera left, you'd see this. The Whipple's store also moved from Route 66 to this new mall. It occupied the Family Dollar and the vacant space next to it. The space in the corner further to the left was the corporate office. The last time I was in Winslow a couple of years ago, the railroad had offices in the vacant space that is now for lease. My career in entertainment was kinda born in this parking lot at a big retail promotion. </div>
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This Circle K store was at the end of my Reminder paper route and I pissed away huge amounts of my earned money on candy and comic books from here. That candy wreaked havoc on my teeth and I just spent $2900 on dental work earlier this year to finally deal with the last of the fall-out from that stupidity. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHV6Om7HuEvCBc9PKS5NoKY10xrsni_zuqZpNIRU_dNIcAyBmd2Vu7jlyoD5bcmcyRmyOWLPkCldnrzLKADZ1UTXExSGHFBkeJNW827FrD9LJWXY2UAmNb-gldkQ5KojaH1XfaB6tv2I/s1600/DSCF5688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHV6Om7HuEvCBc9PKS5NoKY10xrsni_zuqZpNIRU_dNIcAyBmd2Vu7jlyoD5bcmcyRmyOWLPkCldnrzLKADZ1UTXExSGHFBkeJNW827FrD9LJWXY2UAmNb-gldkQ5KojaH1XfaB6tv2I/s320/DSCF5688.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This Subway sandwich shop used to be home to a video arcade. Any monies not claimed by the Circle K were wasted here. I mentioned addictive tendencies earlier- looking back with some maturity, I was addicted to those early video games too. Video games have come a long way since Pong, but at their core, they can still be addictive waste of money to a teenager. If I had saved $2000/yr from my paper routes, mowing neighborhood lawns in the summer, and my money from the Root Beer Stand, I would have never had to save again!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7otUnfLzJl3PkOj43Uw6GI_g4ksA2TOkR6IrQRBwiXQn799gpJciq8vQkhdh9sIjLfDGZ-MXsi1oxDel_e6f2ILPw6hl-_OYaxLtKommSn41ptkIum2RIiUbM_SVH_VEoSgJ0NjxLv6k/s1600/DSCF5686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7otUnfLzJl3PkOj43Uw6GI_g4ksA2TOkR6IrQRBwiXQn799gpJciq8vQkhdh9sIjLfDGZ-MXsi1oxDel_e6f2ILPw6hl-_OYaxLtKommSn41ptkIum2RIiUbM_SVH_VEoSgJ0NjxLv6k/s320/DSCF5686.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This place is still a barber shop. It has been since the 60s I think. It was the Smith Brothers when I was a kid. Two old-school barbers that would shave men's faces with a hot towel and a straight edge razor and they'd stretch your skin out and do it so well that you wouldn't have to shave again for three days. (I wasn't yet shaving) I think hair cuts were about $2 or $3. They did one style of haircut and everybody in town got the same one. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvy-t_jqPyLO5vB5-L7-oTOiq2-CCKkkWtKJLZJJhD31Rib04FaiVhYFI2yh9aGQgzQct8mqExvTSrRMtz0cRsrAH6t_RH1VDfeTcmgv8nNtLaqZw9zx45S79Ct2EtanQRpdZuDuq5n8s/s1600/DSCF5689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvy-t_jqPyLO5vB5-L7-oTOiq2-CCKkkWtKJLZJJhD31Rib04FaiVhYFI2yh9aGQgzQct8mqExvTSrRMtz0cRsrAH6t_RH1VDfeTcmgv8nNtLaqZw9zx45S79Ct2EtanQRpdZuDuq5n8s/s320/DSCF5689.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was part of the National Guard Armory out by the airport when I was a kid. It's a broken down hangar now and it looks like the Forest Service is using it to store junk parts for fire fighting aircraft. Several windows are broken out so I don't think it's anything important going on in there. The airport is now named "Winslow-Lindbergh" after Charles Lindbergh who designed it. When it was built, and for several decades, it was the only all-weather airport between Albuquerque and Los Angeles. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuToJNUHLVkkFOr0NamnnbwvmMyJm5yVHNTVYU863_J6U1yt8hH6U-Nl2i_KbV41BjMv5eC3HHu4XurOsivOZ5DlVnCxqbezK0YGuYakbuBtHqXhreCfjG5tyPVeGfL7jwftrcTZ-DsE/s1600/DSCF5694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuToJNUHLVkkFOr0NamnnbwvmMyJm5yVHNTVYU863_J6U1yt8hH6U-Nl2i_KbV41BjMv5eC3HHu4XurOsivOZ5DlVnCxqbezK0YGuYakbuBtHqXhreCfjG5tyPVeGfL7jwftrcTZ-DsE/s320/DSCF5694.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My first kiss was in this house. It was a dance party for about 15-20 teenagers when I was 15 or so. We had 7 of those 45rpm 7" single records that we played over and over in a rotation and it seemed to work. One of them was Commodores "Sail on" which I still play sometimes in my piano set. I was dancing with a girl that I had the warmies for and we turned our heads in for a kiss and I'm not sure I even got her lips but when you are 15, it still counts. I have 35,000 songs on my DJ hard-drive now. The question is, do I have the right 90 songs for THIS event? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J0GbFddc-ta0-7ieGVoJmv0nP7yy7x0hON7nNSQGse2pqyIZI60pZe39VBLGl3o1W_fn32CbGU_64NXa9dL_9o3I9VPkZpB-DOnO7lueUPux-wGtA_0SQIflcyQEGBSXwTPdqFpB2so/s1600/DSCF5690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J0GbFddc-ta0-7ieGVoJmv0nP7yy7x0hON7nNSQGse2pqyIZI60pZe39VBLGl3o1W_fn32CbGU_64NXa9dL_9o3I9VPkZpB-DOnO7lueUPux-wGtA_0SQIflcyQEGBSXwTPdqFpB2so/s320/DSCF5690.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here are a couple of shots of the older Whipple's of Winslow store on Route 66. The sign is still there but I don't think there have been any panels in it for years and years. The panel in the middle with the male and female icons doing some shopping have a very 60s/Mad Men-esque quality to them. <br />
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This place used to be a Coca Cola bottling plant. In the early 80s, the Federal Bureau of Printing and Engraving was considering a new printing plant to print paper money and Winslow was among a half dozen contenders in the West. The Whipple's stores had just gone out of business and my dad had been hired as the City Administrator. He got a committee together to wine and dine the advance team that was coming to check Winslow out. Part of the festivities included tour of the city, including this closed plant that could house the printing operations, and a reception/barbecue in our back yard (house pictured earlier.) He hired a local bar band with the instruction that they needed to know The Eagles' "Take it Easy" The band dutifully played it as the lunch was winding down and they did a great job as I remember. Then my dad got up to speak and espouse the beauties of Winslow, Arizona and to invite them to bring their operation here. As part of his remarks, he talked about a song as if it was ancient history- the song was about 7 years old at the time- "The kids used to sing a song about 'standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona' and the song was about taking it easy" I never told him that the song is not actually complimentary. Ultimately, the government not only chose not to come to Winslow, but not to add a printing plant at all. This building still sits vacant more than 30 years later. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJ45j_d0WYuHUXIXqnbfpGQTSsxszneLuOczMYegF_dMXZV5L9zDhVQi56F_66XL7Nw44W9DUXQ9CrrdaNgcGz25eQ-MMQEI4qAFioUuKekqHPKBrqwn-FjnU10JjXsc1-oAopoKxrGA/s1600/DSCF5695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJ45j_d0WYuHUXIXqnbfpGQTSsxszneLuOczMYegF_dMXZV5L9zDhVQi56F_66XL7Nw44W9DUXQ9CrrdaNgcGz25eQ-MMQEI4qAFioUuKekqHPKBrqwn-FjnU10JjXsc1-oAopoKxrGA/s320/DSCF5695.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There were some monument signs placed out at the freeway ramps at the time also that said "Take it Easy in Winslow Arizona!" Those are gone too. <br />
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Well, for better or for worse, I stood on a corner in Winslow Arizona. Nobody in a flat bed ford slowed down to take a look at me- girl or otherwise. Whether anybody from the Eagles ever actually stood on any corner anywhere in Winslow is kinda irrelevant, they were making the point that they were down and out. It could be any number of places that could make that point in a song, but you gotta admit, Winslow, Arizona does kinda fit the bill. I was never one to wait around for someone to save me. I left Winslow at 4AM on the morning after high school graduation when I was 17 years old. I left Winslow and all things Winslow behind. I regret not nurturing and protecting friendships and family relationships that I should have nurtured and protected. It sounds shocking now as a grown man saying so, but I didn't know that I was supposed to. Thank heavens for Facebook getting me reconnected with people who blessed my life in the past. I'd like to hope that my contribution will bless their lives going forward. A friend of mine from California actually took this next shot of me on a previous Winslow visit. Note what a great job the artist did depicting a flat bed ford reflected in the window. There's an eagle perched on the window above and two lovers embracing in the window on the right- it's just a painting on a wall!</div>
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Here's one of hundreds of tourists who stand on this corner in Winslow and take pictures like the one you see above. Note that a tourist or other enthusiast has parked a Ford on the curb there... in the left of the shot? </div>
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I mentioned my Sunday School teacher from all those years ago. I didn't see her on this trip, but I saw her a couple of years ago when I was up there for a funeral. I asked what it was that kept people living in such a tough place. Everything that those Mormon settlers said about it all those years ago is still true. It can seem so God-forsaken sometimes. She said that Winslow is a seed bed. There is fertile soil there (good people) and it grows good strong people who then go and do the things that the world needs done. Some of them stay, some come back, some of them go and do those great things in other places. <br />
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The great philosopher Popeye once said, "I am what I am and it's all that I am." (He also said, "I'm strong to the finish, because I eats my spinach!") Instead of fighting against it, I just AM. I'm from Winslow- and that fact damaged me terribly in some ways, but in other ways, I don't think I could have made it through my hard-times without some of the lessons learned there. It's not always people committing evil acts against us. It's just life happening to us. <br />
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You may not believe this, but the thought actually crossed my mind as I took a day to reflect on my time in Winslow and look at the place of my primary years with more mellow and seasoned eyes- I thought that I could actually live here and make a go of it.Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-71224262481280114772012-06-07T16:05:00.000-07:002012-06-07T16:19:22.296-07:00Welcome to Arizona!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I don't know why it's taken me so long to write about this event- it took place on March 14th. My Facebook page seems to be more current and interactive and I use this blog to talk about things near and dear to me that maybe require more verbiage. I guess I had to collect my thoughts on this one. </div>
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<br />In March, I headlined the largest event I've ever played. I've done larger events but as secondary entertainment or on a "second stage". I'll share my thoughts on the subject as we go through the pictures. Citibank was in town for a reward retreat for top performers throughout their company. People came from all over North America. </div>
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This is load in at 11AM in the Gold Room at the Arizona Biltmore. The hotel staff were incredibly concerned about my lighting rig getting close to the ceiling. It was still a foot away but that's actually gold leaf pressed up there. It's LED lighting so, thankfully, it doesn't get hot- that was another concern. Old school theatrical and nightclub lighting can get very, very hot. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_HCa-FfA3O-klVFi-gQAEkEXgDMwdPQoZBuCqd3cMOWpow-r3A7TK9etZBqUrmvdYUP277-9J7KA5cGGClqeuQU-nlJerieszkXamVsZ7ODcjnEs0fishEtZdXt0-1XEY1iL6r8s_IY/s1600/IMGP7046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_HCa-FfA3O-klVFi-gQAEkEXgDMwdPQoZBuCqd3cMOWpow-r3A7TK9etZBqUrmvdYUP277-9J7KA5cGGClqeuQU-nlJerieszkXamVsZ7ODcjnEs0fishEtZdXt0-1XEY1iL6r8s_IY/s320/IMGP7046.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
That's percussionist, Bopa King Carre from New York City in the left of the shot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideSiC1WW_7nxq8g1xWlf_phyphenhyphenx_YxMv_yb-h4wj55sajkd0C3suwhJE_ayiPxHLLGvVD2cTApsu216TNUePXtHgixN7u_KmmeKPXxLTRKeKz0nQC1rHoEX9uAXPgKp8DMuF5krX0C1JaQ/s1600/IMGP7049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideSiC1WW_7nxq8g1xWlf_phyphenhyphenx_YxMv_yb-h4wj55sajkd0C3suwhJE_ayiPxHLLGvVD2cTApsu216TNUePXtHgixN7u_KmmeKPXxLTRKeKz0nQC1rHoEX9uAXPgKp8DMuF5krX0C1JaQ/s320/IMGP7049.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Doing sound check here. That's electric violinist, Grey DeVio also from New York City listening to himself. I was to be center stage with my DJ workstation, Bopa on my right with a set of Latin drums and other percussion. Grey was to be on my left with his electric violin. I would take the lead as DJ and they would add live elements as the mood/energy presented itself. <br />
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Here the three of us are being scolded about how loud it is. (When there are 1000 people in the room, we will be hard pressed to equal the volume that they will be making) We were a bit loud admittedly, but there was an energy level and an attitude about what we were doing that made it seem louder in the middle of the afternoon than it was in reality. Sometimes, I think my stage clothes and leather and chrome boots make it seem louder than it really is. Live acoustic drums don't have a volume knob. To a certain degree, we had to match those or be drowned out. <br />
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This part of the event is actually going to be the "after party"- more of a straight up night club experience from 10P to 2A after the Hoe Down earlier in the evening which I'll describe next. When the afterparty stage was set up, I unplugged my work station and moved that out to the Squaw Peak Lawn and plugged it into another sound system for the Bar-b-que/Arizona/Hoe Down/County Fair thing they were doing from 6P to 10P. <br />
<br /><em>Side note- Many years ago, when I was still living in LA, I came to Scottsdale AZ for a big grand opening for a regular corporate client. In addition to me, they had hired a couple of local entertainers. There was a trash can percussion band and a belly dancer and a caricature artist if I remember. The trash can band was to go on first. They had filled the stage with barrels, trash containers and various other interesting junk that they could make sounds on. The 3 percussionists had ragamuffin/street urchin costumes that they wore well and they certainly knew their stuff. Several hundred event attendees gathered in anticipation because it did generate some interest. They started the show and within 30 seconds, they lost the crowd. They had no showmanship, no stage presence and there was no amount of cool costuming or interesting gadgets on the stage that could save them or the show. It was a shame because I did enjoy the crazy beats they were creating. The event coordinator shut them off early thankfully. It was up to me to get the event back on track. I played one number at half volume as they were clearing the stage and then I shouted "Hello Friends!" and went into the next track at full volume and I danced and smiled a bit. I had no lighting or any specific stage show, it was me filling the stage with my personal presence. It wasn't even my music, it was someone elses songs, but it was as if I had turned the switch on for that event. The mood changed immediately to what it should have been for the occasion.</em> <br />
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<br />Back to this event. I gotta say, I was feeling very naked and exposed on this big stage. I usually have my lighting rig and my speakers close by. All I had was my work station/podium like back at the Scottsdale gig all those years ago. I was feeling the pressure of 1000 people. I was feeling my 46 years. I was feeling the pressure of the largest professional fee I've ever collected. I dug down and FILLED that stage with myself, that's what stage presence is. </div>
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<br />The sun is setting on Piestewa Peak in the background. The new politically correct name is "Piestewa Peak", but it will always remain "Squaw Peak" to me.</div>
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Somebody snapped a pic from the stage. I was leading the masses in a line dance of some sort with my wireless headset mic. I'm in the front there just to the right of center in this shot. </div>
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I'm usually pleased when I have more than half of a room dancing. I connected with virtually the whole crowd of 1000 people. </div>
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Here's a little bit of video that I shot from the stage. That's a LOT of dancing bodies. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyAO0wYX2QvMOYtBvwSVZZfjXVt4O85FTQ4QFzsbE4ok7F0zMLNPc_0VU_7E34Ls9DTiTqcaaOTmBcGYT6iiQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
The event planner and the corporate client were telling me early in the evening about a local dance band they had on opening night of their conference/retreat, three nights before, and how good they were and how many people danced and danced. They came back to me later and said, that they didn't know what they were talking about. They had been pleased with 150-200 people dancing with a great band and a big lighting rig and everything. They had no idea that I could connect with the WHOLE crowd with just my personal presence and recorded music.<br />
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<br />My only regret here is that when I say so, it's boasting, but if somebody else were to say it, it would be a compliment. It's MY blog and here's the video to prove it so I hope I don't come across as arrogant. </div>
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One more thought before I move on to the afterparty: Part of "reading a crowd" music-wise, is how they are dressed. When the event planner from New York hired me, we chatted at length about not wanting to do the obvious Arizona things because they are usually stereotypical, not authentic, and could come across as cheesy. I only know a tiny handful of people who wear cowboy hats or boots around here. They had distributed cowboy hats and bandannas to the attendees for this bar-b-que dinner and, in a strange way, it threw me off. I probably played more country music while the food was being served than I should have. I didn't even become conscious of it until after the meal was winding down. Reading the crowd is something so second nature to me, I just did it automatically even though I had consciously intended to go light on the country music. Since the wearing of cowboy hats was artificially disproportionate to the actual number of country music fans, I almost blew it. I caught myself in time thankfully. </div>
<br />The lawn element ended at 10PM and I quickly rolled my workstation back into the gold room and plugged back into the other sound system and lighting rig and they let everybody in 5 minutes later. Everything sure looked good!<br />
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I played for about 30 minutes to find the groove and get every body settled in for the long haul and then I introduced Boppa and Grey. It was so good, it almost immediately changed from a dance party to a rock concert. People rushed the stage to feel the energy we were creating. It was at a level that was off the charts! We hadn't rehearsed anything. We had chatted by phone and exchanged a couple of emails on the subject and had decided on a basic direction to go but we wanted it to remain free-form so that it could live and breathe and respond to the crowd. <br />
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Sadly, we got to play for about 20 minutes and because of the volume of those live acoustic drums, we had to go back to just live DJ work by myself... at a little lower volume. The event was scheduled to go until 2AM but it wrapped up just before 1AM. I like an event to end instead of die out. 1AM was a good END time. Left them breathless and wanting a bit more instead of a dozen drunken hangers-on. It had been a long week for the attendees as they had done a community service project early that morning and many had early flights to catch the next day. </div>
<br />I gotta give some love to the best roadie/sound tech/stage manager/wardrobe mistress/personal assistant/right-hand-man in the history of the craft. I couldn't have pulled off this event without my best buddy, Scott Blood, from Orange County CA. His work was brilliantly intuitive- he just anticipated what I or what the event would need next and he took care of it. He and I were loading equipment at 9AM, rolled on to the site at 11AM, loaded out at 2AM and got back to the shop and 3AM. Even after 18 hours, I didn't hate him. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SLZSIR0OoF3HCxk6Qu_GRUrwFAB4OUX8DrVnTK_JGgHciDSxGtJA0pgbsRukpqU4OTaOIXgpRVoSwHXxAh9SU4OlNWoZ83cuqXo_HKthbbuk2JZR3rP7YJuoo4w8whCSMm6oI5jVMRs/s1600/DSCF5028_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SLZSIR0OoF3HCxk6Qu_GRUrwFAB4OUX8DrVnTK_JGgHciDSxGtJA0pgbsRukpqU4OTaOIXgpRVoSwHXxAh9SU4OlNWoZ83cuqXo_HKthbbuk2JZR3rP7YJuoo4w8whCSMm6oI5jVMRs/s320/DSCF5028_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-76320447827635534562012-03-05T17:51:00.000-07:002012-03-05T18:03:06.801-07:00Wedding in the round<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
I've waited for some time after this wedding to post this. I regret that I'm not a photographer- first, I don't have a great camera and second, I'm there to do DJ work and not take a bunch of pictures. I try to snap a couple here and there to post interesting things as I see them. I've waited for some time because this particular wedding looked so much better in my mind and heart than my photo abilities could capture. </div>
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This photo was taken before all of the fresh flowers were placed on the chairs. After the flowers were done, I was busy doing my work as a DJ and guests were arriving- no more time for snapshots. I had seen this type of a set up on some wedding blogs and on pinterest but this was the first time I had seen it in practice. </div>
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People, individually, are pretty smart, but as a crowd, there seems to be a separate mentality and they need some direction. Although everybody thought it was really charming, it completely tweaked their melons as to how to work it. "OK, so where do we sit?" "How do we get in?" Even though I wasn't an usher or anything, I had to explain to several people that the 10 or 12 chairs at the center were reserved for the parents and the bridal party but other than that, they would just enter the spiral right there on the left and go in as far as they'd like and sit themselves down. When the ceremony started, it made so much more sense to them. Everybody had a front row seat as the bride and her father made their way AROUND the aisle, not down the aisle... It was a beautiful thing. </div>
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Instead of a guest book, attendees were invited to write their good wishes on these tags and put them in the antique jewelry box. </div>
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I express my regrets again that I'm not a great photographer- I couldn't have captured this young woman's beauty.</div>
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There are 'strata' of people. There are those that are beautiful as measured by the standard of the the glamour magazines. There are those that are beautiful because of their humor, their kindness, their generosity... there are some people that are rather 'homely' Please don't take offense... I've often wondered too if my life in entertainment might have been different if I was a homely man perhaps? At least I don't have a big goiter growing out of the side of my neck with a greasy eyeball sticking out of it or anything... <br />
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I've seen brides of all kinds over the years. I am usually able to weed out most 'bridezillas' in the consultation process so my customers are mostly wonderful people. I don't care how pretty or rich someone is, I won't put up with abuse. This bride was not only charming and sweet but beautiful in the physical realm as well. That said, I've seen some physically beautiful brides blow it with the wrong dress or with a bad make-up job by a friend or family member as opposed to a professional make-up artist. I've seen others that were rather ordinary when I met them during a consultation but who really shined on wedding day with great hair, makeup and the right dress. <br />
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This was a Vera Wang gown and when I heard that she had altered it with a thing on the hip and some other adjustments, I thought she was crazy but when I saw it, I knew she was exactly right. She chose the perfect dress, she changed it up slightly and made it her own, it was the perfect hair, the perfect make-up, the perfect veil. <br />
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To top it all off, she was/is just an absolute sweetheart. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexLN_YBNueUnqmxO1Ll5jZjCwSGNoqcXyEuFKCrj7Z0oxYuY3FdMtyya_hI6JVWsyLLzYyNlsqM3lkz0fb2vb9ZB3pgiZMAaR1pKQNukhOLsxriF7yJU2qBtqhb1nmQdp4JAZk8O5fvc/s1600/DSCF4478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexLN_YBNueUnqmxO1Ll5jZjCwSGNoqcXyEuFKCrj7Z0oxYuY3FdMtyya_hI6JVWsyLLzYyNlsqM3lkz0fb2vb9ZB3pgiZMAaR1pKQNukhOLsxriF7yJU2qBtqhb1nmQdp4JAZk8O5fvc/s320/DSCF4478.jpg" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-38135437472318756102012-01-12T15:47:00.000-07:002012-01-12T15:53:45.357-07:00Behind the scenesMy father spent his life in retail and was passionate about things like going to a fashion show in New York and finding things that he could sell in his stores in northern Arizona. They would arrive, he'd put an ad in the paper, make a display and people would come and buy the things that he planned for them to buy. He loved it! <br />
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I love what I do and I enjoy all of the equipment and services and artistry and other things that go into an event behind the scenes. I'm kinda like my father, I enjoy seeing people come to an event and have the good time that we all planned for them to have. </div>
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Setting up an LED screen behind the stage and some testing in progress. </div>
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Somebody snapped a shot of me setting up some sound equip but it became a silhouette with the screen being tested. <br />
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"Recharge!" was the name of the event. You can see my DJ workstation behind the pillar in the right of this shot. <br />
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I snapped this one just before the event was to begin. Room is all set. This event had 500 people but this venue holds about 800 for concerts and such. The balcony on the right and behind my head has more space than is evident in this shot. They are doing an expansion that will accommodate about 1500 soon.</div>
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My friends- The Lisa Pressman Ensemble playing some great jazz for about 45 minutes. I played most of the night before and after them. <br />
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I love that I get to be the "face" of an event and people will often come and thank me for the good time that they had not realizing all of the various trades that made it happen but that did NOT get to be on stage to be recognized for it. There's technical crews in sound and lighting, tables, chairs, linens, china, photography, flowers, caterers and it goes on and on. </div>
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Here's another part that the guests don't see- the load out. All of this stuff goes into road cases to go to another event on another day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptoHlQUQc3ZJ2eAUeANwEriEZltjWId-4pfFzo6fmidXPQUKOAdB0S6R8OSb4OPzuH-MgEd_m-yBccWBfBiJkodN9DUHOvelY1lL2dlnF_g39F3u0K0txvwZIOgAadU9yE9r6jKrpMAI/s1600/DSCF4546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptoHlQUQc3ZJ2eAUeANwEriEZltjWId-4pfFzo6fmidXPQUKOAdB0S6R8OSb4OPzuH-MgEd_m-yBccWBfBiJkodN9DUHOvelY1lL2dlnF_g39F3u0K0txvwZIOgAadU9yE9r6jKrpMAI/s320/DSCF4546.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-52642835245781620792011-12-01T22:26:00.001-07:002011-12-02T08:01:22.109-07:0032 years as a DJ.<br />
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Last month I celebrated 32 years as a DJ and entertainer. Technology has come a long way since I started and evidenced by the fact that I'm sharing my thoughts on the subject of professional anniversaries on this fancy-schmancy, electronic, new-fangled, on-line journal. Click <a href="http://curtiswhipple.blogspot.com/2010/11/31-years-as-dj.html">here</a> and <a href="http://curtiswhipple.blogspot.com/2009/11/that-was-then-and-this-is-now.html">here</a> for previous commentary. I have noted before that the first song I ever played as a DJ was Gary Numan's "Cars". It was a brand new song then and it's almost 33 years old now. I think I played it on a cassette tape the first time. You young-uns may not know what a cassette is- it's pictured at the top of this photo. There would be about 20 minutes of music on one side and then you would take the tape out of the player and flip it over and play 20 more minutes on the other side. (The cassette pictured is not the Gary Numan tape that I played.) <br />
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But I did play those two 8-track tapes by Styx that night- in addition to others. Come Sail Away, Blue Collar Man, Renegade etc. It was my Dad's stereo and I frankly never intended to be a DJ. I was a keyboard player dog-gone-it! A few weeks later, somebody who was there wanted me to do their party too and I resisted, citing the fact that it was 8-track tapes that had to be cued in advance and it was my dad's stereo yada yada yada. They insisted- "No, we loved what you did- you really rocked it and made it fun!" It's 32 years later now!</div>
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8-tracks and cassettes are very difficult for DJ work and I switched to vinyl- mostly "45s" which had one song on either side. You can see one of those too in the center of the picture above. Vinyl is making a comeback in recent years. It has a warmth that digital is missing sometimes. There is also something to be said about the fact that you have to invest in the listening experience with vinyl. It's not as convenient as an ipod. You actually have to set aside some time to listen- it's difficult to do something else like work out, send emails, groom your nails... you have to get the record out of its sleeve and put it on a turn table and put the stylus down and listen to 20 minutes of music and then... you have to get up and flip the record over and listen to the other 20 minutes. You are almost required to stop down and listen to what the artist is trying to say. It's even better when you just surrender to the experience willingly. Some songs become more profound when they are played after a couple of other songs that might set the mood and then a musical experience can ebb and flow. There are liner notes and album artwork and lyric sheets to read and study while you listen. </div>
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In the middle of my career, CDs came out. I resisted mostly because I already had a huge investment in vinyl, already a decade in, and didn't want to buy another collection. Once I finally made the switch I wondered why I hadn't done it the day that CDs appeared. I could carry far more music and have quicker access to any given song on the fly. Sadly, there are tens of thousands of artists and albums that never made it to digital and may never be seen again. Gary Numan made it. You can see that I had him sign this CD copy when I saw him in LA in 1997. I've met him a few more times since.<br />
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On my 32nd anniversary as a DJ, I played his song again at a very large singles mixer/dance in Tempe AZ. The song still seemed fresh and energetic- it packed the dance floor with about 300 dancing bodies! You may want to click on the picture to see my work screen with "Cars" highlighted on the right. Actually, the computer file I'm using here was made from the CD pictured above. I carry about 20x the music that I used to carry with no extra weight and space and even quicker access to any song- usually about 8 seconds to find anything. It cues in about a quarter second but it takes me 8 seconds to find and select it. <br />
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I actually resisted switching to digital in 1999 mostly because I'm not a computer whiz and it was hard for me to imagine showing up for a gig without a disc that I could hold in my hand. MP3s were cutting edge at the time and I bought a computer and adapted it to the purpose of DJ work. The industry moved that direction very quickly and my workstation pictured was the first commercially available computerized DJ system. It's nearly 6 years old now and is becoming antiquated. I like it though. It has really been a battle axe. </div>
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I think that Bing Crosby and Beethoven and Glenn Miller and Carmen Miranda and Bill Haley and Handel and John Lennon would be thrilled to know that I think their music is important all these years and centuries later and that I carry it on an electronic device and that I play it regularly. </div>
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I'm not sure what the next format will be. I don't think we will "own" music anymore in the way we do now and I'm not sure how artists will be paid for producing it but I do believe that however that turns out, an entertainer like me will still be able to make a living by adding entertainment value in the playing of the songs.<br />
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Styx's Tommy Shaw wrote what I think is one of the great metaphors of rock music in a song called "Sing for the Day". In the song, "Hannah" is the embodiment of everybody who has ever loved a song. The song is written in the first person and so the "I" is the song itself. It invites Hannah out at night to sing and dance. It knows how a song can change a nation, it knows how to heal, it knows how to express the things that people have a hard time verbalizing otherwise. It also realizes that if the musicians don't play it and the people don't sing and dance to it, the song is forgotten and it dies. It has no life on its own apart from those that love it and keep it alive. The song even pleads that Hannah won't forget it when a new song comes along. I love playing a song like Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and seeing people who weren't even born when that song was written sing along with every word. I can cut the music for fun in key places and hear 300 voices singing in unison as loud as my sound system had been. <br />
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Live music is still alive and well and viable. Just this week, I journeyed to southern California to see my son Javin play guitar live at the House of Blues in Anaheim. </div>
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That's him on the left here. </div>
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As I mentioned above, my first event worked well and became the genesis of a career in music and entertainment because I was an entertainer, not because I was simply playing somebody elses songs on 8-track tapes on my dad's stereo. Just a reminder that all of the brilliant technology in sound and lighting won't save an event if the DJ stinks. This will sound cocky and arrogant and that is not the intent, but I could go in to an event with an ipod and a couple of speakers and make it happen. I sure love having all of the brilliant equipment and lighting to make my job easier, it frees me to BE the entertainer, but my job is not to simply run the equipment. An ipod playlist won't respond to the crowd and the moment, it will just play the next song. A good DJ will feel the moment. My job is to add entertainment value to those songs by playing them in an order that makes sense and creates energy and by highlighting dramatic elements of the songs with cool lighting effects and by giving voice to the emotions of the occasion and taking attendees on an adventure and helping them release. They will heal their hearts and make sense of the troubles in their lives and they will celebrate a landmark event in their family or in their company and they will mark the times and seasons and they will feel better when they leave. </div>
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Sometimes when I'm at a piano event, the opening notes of some songs are met with absolute jubilation. There are lots of songs have entered the collective consciousness and have been a constant to people through good and bad times. Three and four generations of people know those songs. They know every word, they sing along, they are hugging each other, dancing and getting in to it. I feel their energy and I dig down and nurture it and add to it and send it back to them and they feel the renewed energy and they start getting down and laughing and singing and dancing and they send it to me and I send it to them. It's a love fest! People become comfortable expressing themselves in ways that they otherwise are uncomfortable doing. Tears can be shed comfortably. It helps let go of the hurt. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIS_cS5ZAoBOui2sQoP3BjgA0yuEezRhtMeyMgNaxSg0S9bmTBkvszh6aBIzyMrfFlUBhCwNvXS_xO17StxD4jTUysvnMOttpwY-ybBdqpJdI1p8dTAltPYjPN3fwEbg__YhYMArqI2o/s1600/019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIS_cS5ZAoBOui2sQoP3BjgA0yuEezRhtMeyMgNaxSg0S9bmTBkvszh6aBIzyMrfFlUBhCwNvXS_xO17StxD4jTUysvnMOttpwY-ybBdqpJdI1p8dTAltPYjPN3fwEbg__YhYMArqI2o/s320/019.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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I really do count myself blessed. If you have read this far, thanks for that. If you have read this far and you are one of those that has been blessed by music in your life- carry on! If you are reading this and you are one of my industry mates or mentors- thanks for the love and thanks for the things I've learned from you, you ROCK! If you have read this far and you've contributed to my career and happiness by hiring me or having attended an event where I played- thanks, Keep Rockin'! Here's to not only the 33rd year, but a lifetime of love and music. </div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-79387180143292750812011-10-05T07:01:00.000-07:002011-12-02T10:15:02.886-07:00POSH!I was invited to play at a very POSH industry mixer for the Destination Management and Corporate Event world tonight. These models were on either side of the stage on stools and a costume skirt that went to the floor with a hula hoop hem. <br />
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I put a blue LED moonwash effect along with a red and green laser matrix that really made the sparkly costume sparkle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeoKAdnX7nxKE3Udc2d6d4SHwja_-0Y7F4bXQWRCuYwLj8nIHMi9MW4_NSzEN0sVLVYxWg5Xhq9DnCfAlONWGK7ndYj8bS4lyRAUqVagv6aeglY8_7q_6_TsihhJF-aHOJjWn_AaQaMo/s1600/DSCF3793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeoKAdnX7nxKE3Udc2d6d4SHwja_-0Y7F4bXQWRCuYwLj8nIHMi9MW4_NSzEN0sVLVYxWg5Xhq9DnCfAlONWGK7ndYj8bS4lyRAUqVagv6aeglY8_7q_6_TsihhJF-aHOJjWn_AaQaMo/s320/DSCF3793.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
LED screen at the back of the stage. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid78vGZTA0UVFEAMLuKzM-lJhkXdHQsnbbXitdnpLDFJOIxluMeCUK6RX0ua5JFZYdnmVyfdXJ71EV1oEhkMz4L-irQp42GPpZ2-qmNuBGyiEWh7wvoPp54xP3_TS4VEOrHqbocxREALs/s1600/DSCF3796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid78vGZTA0UVFEAMLuKzM-lJhkXdHQsnbbXitdnpLDFJOIxluMeCUK6RX0ua5JFZYdnmVyfdXJ71EV1oEhkMz4L-irQp42GPpZ2-qmNuBGyiEWh7wvoPp54xP3_TS4VEOrHqbocxREALs/s320/DSCF3796.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
You can see my logo on the wall off to the side of the stage and above the bar. As people moved about the event from this room to others, they all saw it and I know there were some technical types that were wondering how I did that. <br />
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I didn't know in advance that Harley Bonham would be behind the camera for this event. He's the nicest guy around and a pleasure to work with. We did a wedding together recently and we have another event together coming up in November. He took some photos of the event that will knock your socks off- don't confuse my snap shot at arms length photos with a professional photographers work. Harley is one of the best. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYbOpWSNU09iso3lilDZLPfVFr25yAug5kwEPLchFeT_zc7R92A5v_t5OcLOmE9iei1cyA32kNgBaEP4mOw4ddlzk3aTDAc3gaUFCpSLr1OoZaH8sKr-osjSlyoNxyTW8AikO-mypNDg/s1600/DSCF3802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYbOpWSNU09iso3lilDZLPfVFr25yAug5kwEPLchFeT_zc7R92A5v_t5OcLOmE9iei1cyA32kNgBaEP4mOw4ddlzk3aTDAc3gaUFCpSLr1OoZaH8sKr-osjSlyoNxyTW8AikO-mypNDg/s320/DSCF3802.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgT_RAl-VBw_DTuea0s6vgHu9DS518WQZvfn-JmI3j_YgZo1CB5uA-rf5iYdB037VteiCO9r9lBycM6SBRATwN-aLP_CTq11xRn6e9i_5_CVQo77PHgbpiADVnKL7Ji0rQglTVpFmUJw/s1600/DSCF3808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgT_RAl-VBw_DTuea0s6vgHu9DS518WQZvfn-JmI3j_YgZo1CB5uA-rf5iYdB037VteiCO9r9lBycM6SBRATwN-aLP_CTq11xRn6e9i_5_CVQo77PHgbpiADVnKL7Ji0rQglTVpFmUJw/s320/DSCF3808.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yw-y0WGb0jNjJbHrd4CCD4hEHnqfn3wZNR0tY6ucSQRudqgVT2xsnDRIH7r3CatdHZLkCeAwnqaOzDwFZdKW1jKaS3cCszv8xwcoJ9pIjwnhckvsXuPEmql1bUyIZzciJEitDhtEbk8/s1600/DSCF3810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yw-y0WGb0jNjJbHrd4CCD4hEHnqfn3wZNR0tY6ucSQRudqgVT2xsnDRIH7r3CatdHZLkCeAwnqaOzDwFZdKW1jKaS3cCszv8xwcoJ9pIjwnhckvsXuPEmql1bUyIZzciJEitDhtEbk8/s320/DSCF3810.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In addition to the ten foot tall models up by the stage, this champagne glass model was opposite from me on the far side of the room. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXotY0epj4p-lSL8Re3Lg3ohNYRbfHyqmiGeAUNXOZbLOQVoBBLWdP6CVSDB4nAE2GIuoP3wFoBFYkfu3I7Mail3Xw_JhuHP3wCOudByDw1mo6mG9FGkUsXkHo1IZPrgNP69mHKvnEvM/s1600/DSCF3788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXotY0epj4p-lSL8Re3Lg3ohNYRbfHyqmiGeAUNXOZbLOQVoBBLWdP6CVSDB4nAE2GIuoP3wFoBFYkfu3I7Mail3Xw_JhuHP3wCOudByDw1mo6mG9FGkUsXkHo1IZPrgNP69mHKvnEvM/s320/DSCF3788.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This last picture cracks me up because it's kinda like one of those snapshots that tourists in Italy take- pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa... I was just taking a shot of my work station and I think this guys was checking his phone but it looks like he's about to drink the champagne!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEide3cOHWvdOnKDi-ylobKsPtY5g8qbOUlx6h4eUtRDUCK9GSkTYLoqzeKjLz1TAnMxPQG7uJjFRiS7ccuEsbHqPD2h48NsNdv939zLaquh0jb-6ew0_nohKuFQpFunFy4x4rZ_bWu0o88/s1600/DSCF3812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEide3cOHWvdOnKDi-ylobKsPtY5g8qbOUlx6h4eUtRDUCK9GSkTYLoqzeKjLz1TAnMxPQG7uJjFRiS7ccuEsbHqPD2h48NsNdv939zLaquh0jb-6ew0_nohKuFQpFunFy4x4rZ_bWu0o88/s320/DSCF3812.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-1584139512682965112011-09-11T17:16:00.000-07:002011-09-11T17:22:37.854-07:00Rockin' San DiegoI haven't posted anything in some time but it's not for lack of DJ adventures to post, it's just that the DJ adventures have consumed my time and secondly, I really do focus on my DJ duties at each event and not photographing each event for my blog.<br />
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I had a two night event in Southern California for Labor Day Weekend. It was a big Christian Singles weekend retreat with seminars, activities, speakers and a mixer dance on Friday night at the church hall and on Saturday night at a local amusement park. They had about 1000 people from all over the southwestern U.S. <br />
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This Gobo (go before optical) ummm... anyways, it's a projection thingy in white light that was front and center on the dancefloor. </div>
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<img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtGoIWVKgJ7bV1T06tqlkzXXc8H83kBWyi1Gp1PG3NYiXAO5NwG3QCp6xvp-svdyvEyTpmRk82LNBwT9a6Vdo1NwPmuHPVPIJhyJOkTbh0hiutJbT-I5IlxAH9tzzSKDXY82KSlfyS3M/s320/DSCF3493.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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Here are two of my best buddies from California. That's Bill on the left. He was my neighbor when I lived in Upland CA. He's about the nicest and warmest man you'll ever meet. Scott is on the right. We've been friends for about 15 years now and my life is certainly better because I know him- he's full of wisdom and he's always a good house guest at my place or host when I'm staying at his place. These two guys are quick to jump in on roadie and technician duties whenever I'm working in CA and need a bit of a crew. Scott and I have done "dueling DJ" events together in LA and here in Phoenix a few times. He's coming to Phoenix to help me with an event at the Arizona Science Center coming up in October. It was sure great to see you guys. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTgaz-w7xXgVqdFCagaERchLOwGOJB7itMF66kacQ9jj2FaAsBnzy0Rhcv6LDYN-3UMJNFo5f7t9WCeGzCEkJ-YW2znLp2LUukTp1-InG4bGTw7I2hwL4eVyxTiNna7HD4TXWigwm5yE/s1600/DSCF3528_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTgaz-w7xXgVqdFCagaERchLOwGOJB7itMF66kacQ9jj2FaAsBnzy0Rhcv6LDYN-3UMJNFo5f7t9WCeGzCEkJ-YW2znLp2LUukTp1-InG4bGTw7I2hwL4eVyxTiNna7HD4TXWigwm5yE/s320/DSCF3528_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtGoIWVKgJ7bV1T06tqlkzXXc8H83kBWyi1Gp1PG3NYiXAO5NwG3QCp6xvp-svdyvEyTpmRk82LNBwT9a6Vdo1NwPmuHPVPIJhyJOkTbh0hiutJbT-I5IlxAH9tzzSKDXY82KSlfyS3M/s1600/DSCF3493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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Spent some time Saturday at the beach and at the San Diego Mormon Temple site with Scott.</div>
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Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-33690709534532739012011-06-30T08:25:00.009-07:002011-06-30T09:29:26.248-07:00Various and sundry DJ adventuresI played recently at a great wedding at a photography studio/artist loft at an old warehouse in downtown Phoenix. Here's some behind the scenes preparation as a chandelier is being installed right over the guests for the ceremony and later, the the banquet table will be right under it.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624034899790927106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYfL8npx5V2oH2Y1nckwEFLQd7Ht9VV89j0PhlizkUwEoIgW0bIi3Oq4gRtq9VLuPhNRNQ8mgGjg-MRe2TcRC9wUR1yNAasOeABiwbG3KRqjeEVaRzB5xync0pxC4UWhktw4c4FANuDs/s320/DSCF2665.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624034905509603218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iPXt2nitmYcJC6o6m-O0emI6yjjj5pvFZS6-TIxVIYgN9gOW_UgcLJgqtXqCi9rjC1uy6PQ30Q8wIiedbP0aqeCjxVKOGAnqOLkqfknnp7-hh2yoCxRkEkYxqNarJ-JWE3DRI-GdjPs/s320/DSCF2667.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624034911075890610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGmRe_YM-mbp9KgqS3MFHZBFMXN41-e6ayZFdXR1c29vv1bTLWJ6AWJp6WuWPYhb8IUDMR4wbqIYgDJd5ndiokU5lbobqXNoW3s7RkSpCTOB77ogl6k2O9Xmmfb_1O5RdMc4tb7_x75I/s320/DSCF2670.jpg" /><br />This is Hank- one of the groomsmen. He's ROCKIN' that bowtie! He and I are Facebook friends now too.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624034915824220242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGe42vZvPLKH7XnLD7SVkFV8aQ6f_NKwUNQ2QMxLB1So5DSKhsLCeP9En5dIJTuNn6KhyphenhyphenfIz-X-XVBZ_lcRc11tkppETMolheZ3QJas4xvRAMBSzui-hQDLEKSB2KsrdpjDXF1oSkq8sg/s320/DSCF2672.jpg" /><br />Incredibly well-behaved. He's sitting right where he's supposed to during the ceremony.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624035609967580978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0Nd0hPLPH7lpncGvi6_blGUtSmliTebUF2ArVqHCkch2XJmamzco7_jLlCRPW00_VdaI-lHHN8lpul6cuzLiWcRx2vJW-xxwuj0nVx-d2KMe1yRgeJF9z4cFcNELWSrpanysXlgkWxs/s320/DSCF2683.jpg" /><br />Here's a shot during the ceremony. You can see the chandelier overhead. That's my lighting on the wall where the dancing will be later after they open up that divider with the "LOVE" sign on it.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624035607763318690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7MrN7f8tYo3ZXzOKeXVWjbUnJSlMy0GOeRoEJhquumvLssFoRhyphenhyphenDBpa3ZxFsjuqXqHsnBmznJXXyVgNEL4NSaWpamlweulRzpmk_L413hIDkPNLfPIyGbFAgCJ-8R7ui_xAv2gz44LI/s320/DSCF2682.jpg" />This is the room all reset for a dinner celebration. The chandelier is looking good- the bride and groom will sit right under it.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624035615925803186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgGnDSXZr5N-vtoF8WgVnK7yv41rCMVEkg0GjzRIT9zgsbSuM8k0pe1mE21BTFnMOMZtZq9lT7Ryc_QxE-65OwC9dcFIOjlx38qEYfqKdHDBBVF0yTDkg0N4x8S2dMZN40Ua5fRz94Ps/s320/DSCF2686.jpg" />I loved this bride and groom- the guests are having some cocktails in one of the galleries on the other end of the building and the photographer is taking care of the professional shots with the family and bridal party.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624034925188478690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtEIO3DvDSTJehyphenhyphenxo6_3ak4dNOStFZFZCh0iTF12g05g9Dm-E1FXBOWWAYeu4vqyva8qzXc8r8wDozdnokZgeHr0pbbIUJpNk-joRaUAynPRlPh5u64JBK0s7LrwmUc3LHSfygq_Eivk/s320/DSCF2675.jpg" /><br /><p>When it was time for dancing, I changed the lighting from the amber spotlights to some LED/laser effects with a gobo projection in the middle of it. The dancefloor seemed to float in space. </p><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624039364592667522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlbLf8rYHnqAcU2jaQ4dFXLXphiog99cwzi2AwWxq5qFgxUiBvCQ3qk2jR4exlqbIRdFJR444XQpJUCrNhSxf3tfea8-zOch5jokb5kUXIf6zoN7_JxNhSRxEiYW5qTlEm8aP_ktD1Ro/s320/DSCF2691.jpg" /></p>My little camera mic is no match for high powered speakers. It's not as loud as it seems. It's interesting as I rotate around, you can see the effect kinda go flat- looking from the dancefloor away- it's just a room, but the guests looking toward the dancefloor, it was floating! If you think that the blue moonwash effect seems to be moving, it IS. It's great new technology.<br /><p align="center"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzn6Ad1ojDz86HZtxZBJCU9ZMnrfwZcNqDrSqknbQptDqtoxxIjYoTUumtjr7p5eHClDrClCKhi7xQd96Xp_Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-38871219861702014712011-04-03T07:45:00.015-07:002011-04-03T15:38:01.430-07:00The Princess BrideI played at a great wedding at <a href="http://www.verradoweddings.com/">Raven Verrado </a>yesterday. This was a workin' family and the last daughter of the clan to be married off and the father of the bride was a bit emotional about it. In his toast, he commented that the wedding plans had been rather matter-of-fact and mechanical. He was just writing the checks. When the song started for the bride's processional, it hit home and he crrrrrriiiiiiii-ed like a weeeeee bay-beee! I'm well aware of the power of music too. I've been at this for 31 years now and even though I love to love my customers, I don't really have a vested personal interest and I don't know the history of their family etc. but I get emotional too when I see them celebrating something important in their lives and my music selections help give voice to the emotions of the day. It's very gratifying to me. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591368977897651266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9Wx2mFj4PC4XCX7LwL3uHWj1N4Bcg7eLJw5Hp07rGyoElzmwYIhbkEgfJc2LDgs3EoK5-4XVOrehgiDYGeA2Re9CElXeqJzPpB-gG9dTTPbiGj74p2kbe6TYzeTrsyLp8Qo0l7qBJYc/s320/DSCF2383.jpg" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591368985794571570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYBpP8mRhhxd9MpymHd9q0irCrXKhdAlRrFMi9bl_xNB6Jl1p-WKRVORpsVdXpm9QO5NVoa5fCjpDd0hih9K9IqWsLIfSG726xjcgzhrsYKEdVJ66KhgVCKluTzCgIp_oiPeJXJSLbOY/s320/DSCF2385.jpg" /> The stage is set. <br /><br />I always enjoy all of the behind the scenes preparations, the setting of linens and dinnerware, the sound and lighting equipment, food, flowers, photography, musicians etc. The payoff is when guests arrive and have the good time that we planned for and worked for them to have. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591368986769078434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhKfXnesIFOiJiUssmph7-LeRwHaZ3WNzIjm-jlXk33ftppyJ_qvBEI33Ll2VQ99ehSa2UMFn0GAgkiykjb45le1_vLmXaf8J9n3yLzK94PO6L0383DqPn-V9Wt2Pzx_0CVlImmVWiPo/s320/DSCF2386.jpg" /> The bride arrived in a horse drawn carriage but I should have photographed the horses left profile. Let me 'splain... <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591368993225336994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI91PL3ZlUSgV3_IPCV7KFfwnQDfMumJB0QEFqFkMwB7h5E2gunJgPpq4VQ_m-WASsxFOBdh8YTbNb_CZc-uWdWLphqbbXP2k-am9fKPJlok6ghtwGNy82USGsx1UVo8RlD2W2tRpV_HE/s320/DSCF2389.jpg" /> The carriage was supposed to come from off in the distance and cross this bridge and arrive in front of the wedding party and drop off the Maid of Honor and the Best man and then the bride and her father would continue around behind and disembark and come up the aisle from behind. The horse couldn't navigate this bridge though. He made an attempt and as he got to the top of the hump he was now pulling the weight of the carriage and 5 adults and one kidlet. The driver helped the horse back down and they gave it a bit of a running start this time. He got to the top again and had no traction because of his steel shoes against the stone pavement. I was playing Pachabel's "Canon in D" which is a 5 1/2 minute song and if you know the chord progression, it goes on and on and on and on. I've already played it twice at this point and the bride isn't even in earshot of it yet! It was a song that she had chosen for this moment. A third attempt was made. <br /><br />A few burly men dispatched themselves to see what they could do to help- perhaps pushing from behind. A couple of golf carts from the clubhouse were dispatched to assist as well if needed. I couldn't bear another round of "Canon in D" so I rallied the troops and played the "William Tell Overture" (Theme from the Lone Ranger) to an eruption of cheers and laughter. <br /><br />Rather than risk the liability of someone getting hurt, it was ultimately decided to turn the horse around and go back around the lake (a substantial distance) and come in from a direction that didn't require crossing that bridge. When the bride got into earshot from the reverse side, I played her song again. The attendants disembarked and now the carriage had to go around the far end of the golf club (another substantial distance) to get in place behind the guests. This required the 4th airing of Canon in D. That's 22 minutes of that chord progression, plus 4 minutes of the Lone Ranger Theme and finally the bride's processional- Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." The bride and her father could have walked from the bridge but she wanted to ride that carriage. She'a a Disney fan and her recessional song was "So this is love?" from Cinderella. The guests were equally patient and gracious. <br /><br />The ceremony got off nearly 45 minutes late but it was sure an adventure. In a strange way, things like this end up being rather charming in memory. It was not an ugly incident that would be remembered negatively but it will add some spice to things and it provides a story to tell. All of the kidlets and other interested guests got to go for carriage rides around the local streets during cocktail hour and into dinner and that was a real treat.<br /><br />It dawned on me later... look at the pic of the horse again... I'll wait... muscular, fit, trim, beautiful... It was a one-horsepower carriage. I think that the steel shoes were the problem more than the strength of the horse. I overheard that there are rubber shoes for horses for such situations. I heard that something similar had happened a few weeks ago on that bridge with another carriage company but that a horse almost lost her footing and went in the lake. I think the venue should advise brides going forward that this may be the case. I wouldn't want the liability of anybody or a beautiful animal getting hurt and marring an otherwise lovely occasion. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591368996917156002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNop31m-y30ps_RmvFOdZJvnnqQuZT7yIkKK5tRCiewXQEuLiH7-mueTGXwWbP6myy4WRWg3qY3zInDcBs5R6W74eBen1j_Kyoef6KVBj0J6s21OIhE67vhufeTtaFnZGxLVfbApETnk/s320/DSCF2391.jpg" />One of the groomsmen played an original composition for one element of the ceremony. He nailed it! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591369121906766738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokf2lQF96wNsQeZZ-8tggs2snAOd74wc6nA4PkDmDumsUIYLQlgaeoCzfCTU2BE4OWkfwjB0Zk_F8ptIDiibR4QvXivwL8IthtUKSWL8fNu4QVnNzXCL8E6bUY9UrdEC4dbzaCXeE1no/s320/DSCF2392.jpg" /> I provided lots of theatrical lighting to showcase various elements of the room. I'm not a professional photographer so my camera doesn't do it any justice. This really framed the cake when viewed with one's eyes but the cake looks lost here. On that subject, I usually don't put pictures of the wedding party that are identifiable because there is usually a professional photographer on hand and I don't want a casual reader to think that this represents the professional photography for the event. <br /><br />Also on that subject... the photographer was none other than <a href="http://www.harleybonham.com/">Harley Bonham</a>. He was recommended to the <a href="http://www.wenaz.com/">networking group </a>that I own a couple of years ago and I liked him in the first two or three minutes that I got to meet him. We have crossed paths several times at industry functions and we've shared the stage on opposite pianos at a dueling piano club a couple of times but this was our first time working together in our professional element. I was at once intimidated but also really excited to work together. He has referred me to several of his customers and he did that blindlly trusting in my reputation and what personality he could detect in me in other settings- he had never actually seen me work and I feared he may discover that I am completely mediocre. It was as great as I had hoped it would be! He may be the nicest guy in this industry and he proved that he was also a brilliant professional to work with. We already have another common customer coming up in the fall. <br /><br />Congratulations to Courtney and Eric. You guys ROCK! Thanks for letting me take care of the music for your wedding celebration.Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-77177456073041332752011-02-14T07:50:00.003-07:002011-02-14T08:07:00.543-07:00Valentines Dance at the Mesa Academy<strong>Before</strong>- It looks <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">suspiciously</span> like a school gymnasium...<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573558924844518754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXOoGzEq2FZma84L4ZiS1WVgOnFd6xy73kzSRV8Zrw1GcBd2mW1knNuD6rh8Xq13Rbm86WWZT8syXG5NyGap95DkgA0Mdk5D1_gkSV2XoINTY55LXNQ3vWFzjTIkcAdpfHEQ30vf9gA0/s320/DSCF2008.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong>After</strong>- There's nothing like some cookies, punch, lights and good music to make a bunch of teenagers dance.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipy1ALpA2p6MgfLkGeV5iyYmJtMopIGUKlBxAgDz2tPyxvJQEwZGG8BeWIoHntRyRVHG2VPWqKcCiAdcsqhaskZ7AIAuoo0G1S3lFX691ncTx8pbHzGAqvi0goF9u17nr11AR4qdD7qHM/s1600/DSCF2014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573558930303590594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipy1ALpA2p6MgfLkGeV5iyYmJtMopIGUKlBxAgDz2tPyxvJQEwZGG8BeWIoHntRyRVHG2VPWqKcCiAdcsqhaskZ7AIAuoo0G1S3lFX691ncTx8pbHzGAqvi0goF9u17nr11AR4qdD7qHM/s320/DSCF2014.jpg" border="0" /></a> They say that if you ain't the lead dog, the view is always pretty much the same.... I have a pretty good view in life!<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqk9w2rMbparDCTGXKIGf-8PP80LZxYQhTM_N6TOicQQb0ndF7kyXVa8A0Ru0IoTH9JqcrOM9zKXCdHIb9Ko4hZdVBBR3YKdVwGn8COU-8lPZF7Gg4rbHKfmCYXY8_I-pTg1YE_zJfqY/s1600/DSCF2020cropped.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573558920564349922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqk9w2rMbparDCTGXKIGf-8PP80LZxYQhTM_N6TOicQQb0ndF7kyXVa8A0Ru0IoTH9JqcrOM9zKXCdHIb9Ko4hZdVBBR3YKdVwGn8COU-8lPZF7Gg4rbHKfmCYXY8_I-pTg1YE_zJfqY/s320/DSCF2020cropped.jpg" border="0" /></a> Thanks Mesa <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Academy</span> for a great time at your Valentines Dance!</div></div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-4405513497123792372011-01-31T16:11:00.008-07:002011-02-02T12:09:42.108-07:00The DJs new clothesI had some new stage clothes made this month which is always a good perk of working in entertainment. I can wear some really great stuff and even if its over the top, it's like I get a free pass because I'm the DJ and I'm supposed to wear something outrageous. It's good that I've worn it on stage a couple of times and it seems to have good ju-ju and when somebody says how cool the outfit is I get to tell them that I designed it myself and had it custom made. The jacket and shirt were made in Scottsdale at Jean-Paul Jeune and the boots came from Spain and the pants in this photo were just out of my closet because the pants that I ordered for this outfit were coming from Ohio and they didn't' make it in time. In fact, it's been 50 days since I ordered them and they keep telling me that they are on the case... <p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568492006949705922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIq0GRIyF0NOKYJZg78Vnhoi1KxMbieGFLfXPX9FQBSrqTR9He9SZ589zmiJvI8yMdLXLEMGvVWcR5AG4YtEQhiwgFrr_FozqIK35sften0Wba4RG5JwBomCHb3R3rXDh4skL3NfmEC7k/s320/curtis-whipple-DJ-01.jpg" border="0" />I'm leading the timid masses at a big industry mixer for several professional associations and networking groups within the wedding and event and tourism and hospitality industry. I didn't expect any dancing at such a function so the fact that I got 4 people going was a bonus. I didn't want to bring all of the lighting rig and video projection and everything but I did relish the opportunity to show my industrymates what I had and what I could do. Special thank you to my buddy <a href="http://deloeilphoto.com/">Andy DeLisle </a>for letting me use this photo. </p><p>The trouble with distinctive stage clothing is that I have to be cautious where and when I wear it. If I wear it in front of a particular group, I have to make a mental note not to wear it the next time I appear. Those Hollywood starlets that wear a $10,000 gown and get photographed in all of the trade and gossip magazines can't wear that dress again.</p><p>I played at a really fun wedding last weekend at <a href="http://www.verradoweddings.com/">Raven Verrado Golf Club </a>out in Buckeye. The ceremony actually took place in the city park in the center of town. Here's the bride and her dad walking across the park. She wanted a certain lyric to swell at the moment she arrived at the stairs about 30 feet in front of her in this shot. I nailed it. Even the minister's first comment was "Wow, that was dramatic!" It's sometimes hard to cue such things on the fly because in rehearsal, they walk one speed and at the actually wedding with the nerves and the adrenaline going, they often walk faster.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568491985618655090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnlNR7tnVwe6NMGYUO-gTvIdNfFz06bFg9xrxMnfws67gBO8wnv52PzBFFoa97bxaKp-fDXg-D7OSL3EFt3kdvzsJIqew2HDqbxNxmhedi8UglALN3eUoaGvkCjou3e_ZyAeu25MGjfM/s320/DSCF1947.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568491991841893666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkiNMNjO1aBFeryJHwQrakmhb2XjemU8PsgI8L_EiLV5GA7nL4nuCcqZXXGhdyLSlVbYRx3JImwW_vsA_4jK2iB_C2zgqz9_Avif4J5_uYKcrndyoej1abcFCl3bJlsSGI00eZIpcw_0/s320/DSCF1949.jpg" border="0" /> There is a really warm and cozy banquet room with great acoustics at the golf club but the bride chose to have her dinner out on the lawn and rent a tent. It was pretty charming with my lighting and everything. I would have liked to put up my dancefloor lighting rig but the top of the tent was too low to do it.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568491995016724946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5hhnZVyaR8NOg-kQm3lq8CXEp3Ev_6dzs0w_Y2b_lX9VuQmvXGeDLKolRjibHlhMAYEZUVz6md-aBpapdsjTy5TE3SPOHXTIcirTXkC-u9YbOFNtnQbnZnnt6YntGzi9Mm6CfSP83u8/s320/DSCF1952.jpg" border="0" /> I think a few of the guests were rocking out to a Bon Jovi song here.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwNEHH_x20NW9XzDX5Cnzrk9CtUGM7CGJHVO2bTbpjOdiARveRTWziEeAGgBEhMExVat1CqB59tKx83qnbk93wIH1nJUIb9fqP74m-vxJ2wll80OoliQBNq-ovPUSmT0HwWk94gd4LL8/s1600/DSCF1956.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568492004493171394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwNEHH_x20NW9XzDX5Cnzrk9CtUGM7CGJHVO2bTbpjOdiARveRTWziEeAGgBEhMExVat1CqB59tKx83qnbk93wIH1nJUIb9fqP74m-vxJ2wll80OoliQBNq-ovPUSmT0HwWk94gd4LL8/s320/DSCF1956.jpg" border="0" /></a>That night was the beginning of a string of consecutive Saturday bookings that won't stop until June 18th and they include events in San Diego California, Salt Lake City Utah and Heber Arizona.</p>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-38116077984121379162011-01-09T18:10:00.005-07:002011-01-09T18:56:59.670-07:00Party like a rockstarI played a very posh event at a private residence in Scottsdale last night. It was a victory celebration/political fundraiser for David Smith of Arizona's District 7 which includes Cave Creek and parts of Scottsdale I think.<br /><br />This is <a href="http://www.saxplayer.com/">Tony Vacca </a>on the sax. He just played a couple of numbers with an mp3 file on an ipod as accompaniment through my DJ system. He was too good for his own good I'm afraid. It was so perfectly mixed and performed that I don't think that most people realized they were listening to live sax unless they actually saw him standing there. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560358939059170210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxs0Dzvsd86odrEZmrNiiDFZUsX6GgN5cW0LzFvszYXO9PhjnmNq3qNbuC6sfIrfcYWtN1TDJCptqrp0pqVkn2z2AX5vpu0OpLkk6_phcueWP4T3CXaNJcCgI84YcV_ASCKEqPzP1xXDc/s320/DSCF1787.jpg" border="0" />Here's Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaking to the crowd with David Smith on his left and event organizer <a href="http://www.arizonawomennetworking.com/">Gia Heller </a>on his right. My DJ booth is right behind them but I'm out taking this picture.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIsI9nn1zW3rePwMUnZwI4X3OWEFaDG_qCJ_kz7MOLVbGgSgYRc435tJbEuif0pyY4TG_pgLCQXIPzNVotIm1LGICjgBVD0S9JWfl-79JB-6ndWldZ8BRnUUDCB_cyKRquUwpMTw4jPs/s1600/DSCF1797.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560358946796681282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIsI9nn1zW3rePwMUnZwI4X3OWEFaDG_qCJ_kz7MOLVbGgSgYRc435tJbEuif0pyY4TG_pgLCQXIPzNVotIm1LGICjgBVD0S9JWfl-79JB-6ndWldZ8BRnUUDCB_cyKRquUwpMTw4jPs/s320/DSCF1797.jpg" border="0" /></a> I'm over by my booth this time. Sheriff Joe and Mr. Smith.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7V88O2n9w2KT-S1XEnYn0RH9oGRMezbPN-I5rHBX0Q40L8IRVnR5_bVaf43vdt0R6XEPoJQo6kcykE_nHnSoSghqtilIvzu6Plnk4isW-FOW00oEApjspAw9PvflkIgWi0pyhxa1PO8/s1600/DSCF1796.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560358943416500706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7V88O2n9w2KT-S1XEnYn0RH9oGRMezbPN-I5rHBX0Q40L8IRVnR5_bVaf43vdt0R6XEPoJQo6kcykE_nHnSoSghqtilIvzu6Plnk4isW-FOW00oEApjspAw9PvflkIgWi0pyhxa1PO8/s320/DSCF1796.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>Personal friend and industrymate Lanette Romero- <a href="http://www.thecakecontessa.com/">the Cake Contessa</a>- catered the event and she whipped up some coconut shrimp with a delicious mango salsa- Mmm Mmm MMM! Local celebrity, <a href="http://www.ravenevents.com/">Raven Valdez</a>, was tending bar to raise more money for the cause of the evening and Barry Goldwater Jr. (former member of the U.S. House of Representatives) was also in attendance and gave a short speech. I also met LeAnn Hull who recently ran for the U.S. House of Representatives.<br /></div><div></div><div> </div><div><br />I was brought on mostly to provide the sound system for those couple of speeches and announcements but I can't just do the minimum- it's just not my nature. I fired up some dance music and asked the homeowner if I could move a patio table out of the way and we had some dancing and even went a half hour over. How could you not want to dance when you are all dressed up for dancing? </div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-40435630261402454882011-01-02T15:39:00.006-07:002011-01-02T16:06:52.770-07:00In the beginning...I had a visit from a DJ buddy from LA this last week- spent a couple of days at my house between Christmas and New Years- and we took a road trip up to Winslow where I grew up. We've become really good friends in the last 16 years since we met and he wanted to see if a visit to the place of my primary years could help him figure me out. Had a great chat on the drive up and back but I'm not sure he knows me any better than before. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557722692750000466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8tZLt7WbU7GQhgDHh4W489ls-3AUw2t2TFgfetYQnhRA38M0r39fFYkIQD3E94LMf6IE632qVYuq9AbgGGu_tUPpP3lATo72tLBWmTUQ6TfNVKic0-fn4O1QCOgUDTqhpsm-guQ72Vg/s320/DSCF1744.jpg" border="0" />If you know pop culture or at least classic rock music, you know that Winslow, Arizona was immortalized in the Eagles song "Take it Easy." I'm not sure the song writer ever actually stood here or anywhere else in Winslow but the town has declared this corner to be the place and provided a photo opportunity. This is just a brick wall- a remnant of a building that used to be there. An artist has painted the windows and the signage and everything. If you look at the window on the left, there is an eagle perched, two windows over are two lovers embracing, the lower window reflects the flat bed Ford (remember the lyric, "it's a girl, my Lord, in a flat-bed Ford, slowin' down to take a look at me.) Just click on the photo to study a larger version of it. <p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557722695658981602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxvwQS7tpFIbiJ1Vq2t6gW9HtNy0pcaFOxmrdidt5zhZPZUUlaXZQSbkWgh0yXBSrxi-i36ZERdkgxToLucPYOFZXmAPkTwCwS6I8FvT7zqVG_lwb3JuddCAGhifyyGGYpw4KCXuhEVU/s320/DSCF1746.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>This picture is where the Whipple's store used to be. The Burlington-Northern-Santa Fe railroad has an office on the left and Family Dollar is on the right but the two used to be the nicest department store in northern Arizona. Just out of the shot on the left- in the corner of the mall- was the corporate office for Whipple's. It's vacant now. </p><p>I'm standing on the spot that sparked my imagination and ignited my passion for the entertainment business. My DJ career started right here. It was a big retail promotion that my dad put on that was the biggest thing Northern Arizona had ever seen and probably hasn't been matched since. There was a 45' flatbed trailer parked on that spot for a stage and I got to introduce an appearance by Arizona TV legends, Wallace and Ladmo. There were about 1500 people there and I cracked a little joke and they laughed and when I told them to cheer, they cheered. </p><p>That moment changed my life. </p><p>The only thing that could have made that trip better would be if the Root Beer Stand had been open. I had a major hankerin' for a Taco Tangle. </p>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-26611949016386681262011-01-02T15:03:00.006-07:002011-01-02T15:25:10.972-07:00Double Whammy!I did two weddings on New Years Eve but I was home at 11PM. Try to figure that one out. I had a brunch wedding out at Raven <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Verrado</span> in Buckeye and then hustled out to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Dobson</span> Ranch Inn in Mesa for an early evening wedding reception.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV94dwcr7F5LNStLD1w8JS09KysUlATRtbTEVHq7t4Pcyx2Co_mUpmrV_DYALEvbj3NmU-dMEMlkEvHRpZwbHw2iQTdBw3oYgciKB8vJZg-jMerzeA5BxZDnUhS_L8nqh9uhKYNAaXMVw/s1600/DSCF1765.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557713418769098818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV94dwcr7F5LNStLD1w8JS09KysUlATRtbTEVHq7t4Pcyx2Co_mUpmrV_DYALEvbj3NmU-dMEMlkEvHRpZwbHw2iQTdBw3oYgciKB8vJZg-jMerzeA5BxZDnUhS_L8nqh9uhKYNAaXMVw/s320/DSCF1765.jpg" border="0" /></a> This may be the cutest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">flowergirl</span> in the history of cute <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">flowergirls</span>. She was the niece of the bride and probably believed all day that SHE was the bride. If she has any memories of this day I hope they are fond memories. She was really well behaved and charming and cute. She was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">wwwwWWWORKIN</span>' my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">tambourine</span> on the dance floor in this shot.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdMjdEe88aIN4A9PX9FPrv1yIAAktl5vCSe5mDXvZ1kinuIbZXhG5GtR5RteYvTaIFUyGopWWi55XUEKO_bqz-5EH9oeGfRpqlskhPWMgzZI1plYGDUnr5jrmO3aK_HcX49k9eMR77Cg/s1600/DSCF1762.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557713407084601938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdMjdEe88aIN4A9PX9FPrv1yIAAktl5vCSe5mDXvZ1kinuIbZXhG5GtR5RteYvTaIFUyGopWWi55XUEKO_bqz-5EH9oeGfRpqlskhPWMgzZI1plYGDUnr5jrmO3aK_HcX49k9eMR77Cg/s320/DSCF1762.jpg" border="0" /></a>The bride knelt down beside the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">dancefloor</span> while her new husband was dancing with his mom and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">FGIQ</span> (flower girl in question) laid down beside her to take a break. They had to be done by 4P because another New Years party was coming in to that room for that evening. The wedding had been on the lawn at 11AM and lunch was served at about 115 so wrapping up at 4 was just right.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnQ4q0dU6k7u81xvMcEqQ_-8MXBw4UoO0J9ZWyElG5y14EERkz_V60V-_qflOWLO-BpRPhTbs4-RpqpLgONoXGR8-jf8j8aRpbgHroMSi15ShblFNGTlkODnHr776Fxya1M3q8P-qLJU/s1600/DSCF1748.jpg"></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557713917119968322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2bkiokqP8DaRD3gfjljG4WOQJrRmV3EAsJtSM7aUcqO8AfJ_isQ-TBqii5fOuYI_GYIAuNEFuGGXgl87nvN5kvoHRo6lqyFGYQ3_IsA6R_huco47ITc48k0HNvU3lFhBsSHm2enW2aU/s320/DSCF1769.jpg" border="0" />This was the evening couple- a second marriage for both of them. They had been married in the Mormon Temple in Mesa that morning and participated in a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">religious</span> service and then friends and family gathered for dinner that night at a nearby hotel restaurant. We had family introductions and a couple of speeches and a prayer and some dinner and dancing and when the evening was winding down, we did an arbitrary New Years countdown and lit some sparklers and sent them off on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">their</span> honeymoon. </div><div></div><div><br />It was a long day with some equipment and music logistics to be concerned with but I planned well and executed it well and had some satisfied customers at the end of it. </div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-27854715772349405052010-12-09T10:11:00.027-07:002010-12-13T13:50:58.518-07:00unrelated brain doodles in no particular orderHad a corporate gig in Scottsdale a couple of weeks ago and shared the bill with a great magician. We had lunch together last week. The event was for an engineering firm. This was my 3rd Christmas event for them. There was an engineer type who came up during cocktail hour, sucking on a soda through a straw, wearing an ill-fitting, out-of-date jacket and he looked incredulously at me and my equipment and asked if I really make a living at this. I got really serious and lowered my voice and tilted my head downward to his, squinted my eyes so they pierced him and I said, "I make more than you..." It frightened him and he walked away. I bet I DO make more than him. He's lucky I didn't respond with, "Do you really make a living sitting around an office doodling?"<br /><br />People often approach me, who may be somewhat interested in what I do or how I do it or how the equipment works and there also seems to be some romantic notions about the life of a travelling entertainer with the lights, the stage clothes and everything. I know that what they are saying is, "This is really cool, you must have a great life, and I want to be close to you for a minute." But what comes out is, "Do you really make a living at this?" Or worse, they have to tear it down because it shines the light on their boring or otherwise out-of-control life and then what comes out is "When are you gonna play something we can dance to?" or "We can't dance to this, what WE want is..." I look at the dancefloor filled with 75% of the attendees and wonder who elected them spokesperson for those who ARE dancing? I just try to remember that what they are trying to say is- "This is really cool." I DO love my life and my chosen profession.<br /><br />Since I'm on this subject. I have had two people in the last 2 weeks come up and request the very song that is playing. Are you even listening? They must have really thought it was cool and wanted any reason to come up and say hello. <br /><br />Made a road trip to LA last month for a concert.<br /><br />While in LA, had lunch with my son, Javin, he turned 20 this week, met his girlfriend, liked her.<br /><br />I don't mind what speed people go out in the desert, but I'd like them to maintain it fairly consistently. The left lane isn't really called the fast lane- it's the PASSING lane. If you aren't passing, GET OUT OF MY WAY and let me pass! Don't use the argument that you are going over the speed limit anyways and I should just deal with it. I don't have cruise control in the DJ van but I can maintain a pace within about 2 MPH pretty well. I was in my car for this trip and used the cruise control and it was painfully obvious that people were more interested in texting and yakking than watching the speedometer.<br /><br /><div><div>Gary Numan sold out two nights at El Rey Theater and melted some faces! He played the entire Pleasure Principle album to celebrate 30 years since its release. It's an important album because it was the first rock album devoid of electric guitars. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548734163300007506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxcIQtoZCquIGsSNPx5xzFv2gLKXEWbwhhbpfi86mXK2qTXIQGjNM23QWbo56nYNO24loHfr1ArWt7BdUhJwxAsEyQwD8YBTJtNMpvxUygJ67h1it0WYH8EUmWbjGwW6vKKgrWmkvFBY/s320/DSCF1247.jpg" border="0" /> They strapped on some guitars for the 2nd half of the show and played some current music and other fan faves from the catalogue. Steve Harris is an unknown treasure in the guitar world- a madman on stage and I almost took a guitar to the face more than once. A few years ago at a show in San Diego, he almost took a tumble off the stage but I caught him. He looks fairly normal here. He's a specimen of manhood, the last time I saw him, he was shirtless and had a black line painted down his face and neck and chest like a zipper- pretty scary. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548733296794282866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wRO3-AQW275CxS4Y4j9BdxR_9ZSe6lrwnvjb2j9yb8M6oHscCG53uU-sKUI8FqvDJxgPMeCks3ohyYpkFJN3iFPgCv4iJnmJD2iPNPYhESQts1YjZ2FgSfyzyIWSd1aKBYaxgRLD1Fk/s320/DSCF1295.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548733014324532674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sPB3kG7InUYt8_GurT94UnsN7-2RRIxAt36KX7MMWJ-a5UGv4Tya9cE9PD_PqWTJ3XrTGFm3SY0loUK9h8bFhSslw5EgzUkZVw3l3NWAdVqxw3E9-ZxdYyCwQ-3NEmmEXiSmG3eU4dA/s320/DSCF1316.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><div><div>I had a backstage pass and I got to go to sound check and talk to Gary Numan. I pressed him about bringing the show to Phoenix in the spring when the new album comes out and he said he' would have liked to come this time- they did have some interested promoters- but that he has kids now and doesn't like to be away from them for so long. Next tour, he said he'd do the east coast and then spend some time with family and then hit a few more cities in the west than he did this time. He did thank me very genuinely for driving 6 hrs each way for the show and promised that he'd work hard to make it a a good one. It was. </div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />I know he doesn't particularly like meeting fans but he does it because it means a lot to fans. I just thanked him for the music, got an autograph on a DVD and I let him go. At the height of his stardom in the 80s, he received a live bullet in the mail from a "fan"- a bullet is really hard to get in Britain. The note said that the bullet had been in a handgun (even harder to get in Britain) that was snuck into Wembley Stadium and he had intended to kill him but had such a good time at the show that he decided not to...<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548735669216905650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 265px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDaUZgP65kQ2lq5C8q9wbN5sXsFg3dL_kbL6Xa1cRpZnb9RPWfo3Bl8DAxnMFLZXzdHm3Gd61fh6686mYu2bkKi30kMbUPcw9EhyphenhyphenjbFAE2tyDDAnOEjK6sW9VeTHLJY0SYr0n5C7XLvQ/s320/cropped.jpg" border="0" /></div></div><div>There was a photographer with the local music press up in front of the barrier at the Numan show that was a fit and trim guy but still looked a bit like a nerd. He had a shaved head and there was a glaring, long, curly hair growing from the top of his ear. Not a spot on the side of his head where he mistakenly missed shaving, it was ON THE TOP OF HIS EAR. It would seem that a photographer would have good enough vision to have spotted that in the mirror each morning. The stage lights made it really shine.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />The opening act sucked. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />I have about 6 little cases of ear plugs in my desk in my home office. I always buy a set for each concert I attend because I always forget to bring the ones I have. I protect my hearing pretty religiously. The drug store a couple of blocks down Wilshire Blvd from the El Rey Theater sold me a case of about 10 pairs of ear plugs. A few fans in the front row with me were plugging their ears in the first couple of numbers from the sucky opening act and I offered them my extra plugs. At first, they thought I was offering drugs or something. I had to point to my ears with the purple ear plugs in them. They accepted my offer.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />My buddy Scott from Orange County was going to try to buy a ticket after the start of the show when the ticket sellers may be a bit more desperate. Out front, he had offered to snap a pic under the marquee for a dad with two teenage daughters attending the show. He got down on his knee and really framed the pic nicely. For his gesture, he got a spare ticket intended for the mom who was sick. Scott is 6'4" and he pressed/wrestled his way right down front anyway. You suck Scott! </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Said hello to a fellow fan that I've seen at shows over the years... he's now a she. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Talk show host, Craig Ferguson and U2 guitarist, The Edge were in attendance- both proclaim Numan fandom. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Gary Numan was supposed to have headlined the Coachella Music festival but was stranded in Britain because of the Iceland volcano last spring. Craig Ferguson had purchased a $270 ticket for the festival and ranted on and on in his opening monologue the next night about not getting to see his hero Gary Numan.</div><div></div><div><br />Did a corporate gig for CelllularONE at Hon-dah resort up in Pinetop last weekend. They ain't never seen nothing like me up on the mountain. I sent 'em home in body bags. They had a singer for dinner hour and the hotel staff had man-handled a beautiful white Young Chang grand piano (rather expensive) into the space right beside me. I would have never climbed up there if it was in better condition but the hotel crew had no idea how to handle a piano and it was already pretty scratched up on each corner. It was the perfect platform for me to dance/rock out/do my Baptist preacher routine... They called me on Monday AM and booked me for next year. </div><div></div><div><br />The spouse of an attendee came up and told me that he's a DJ too and made a couple of requests that were way out in left field from the format of the evening- THE SONGS I WAS HIRED TO PLAY- I always wonder how good a DJ is when he's talking to me on a Saturday night and not working... Hmmm.... I think he was using cocaine too. I know I talk fast but this guy was going 100mph and couldn't hold still for a second! </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Picked some limes at Uncle Dave's house in Pomona CA. Limeade for the last month or so. Juiced it all and made ice cubes out of it. They are in a freezer bag now. </div></div></div></div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-56756572541283345062010-12-01T18:27:00.014-07:002010-12-15T19:40:16.457-07:00The greatest Christmas songs everThat's right, I said that and I'll say it again because I'm controversial. I'm like Geraldo.<br /><br />Here they are, the GREATEST Christmas songs ever:<br /><br />10) Styx- All I want<br /><br /><ul><li>Most artists either cover an existing song from the 50s or 60s when most of the really good Christmas music was written or they do an overwrought, contrived and unimaginative "original" song about how "it's Christmastime and the snow is falling down..." Falling down?!!???! As opposed to...? This one is a great original by a great band. My only complaint is that it uses sleigh bells. They are used very well mind you, but sleigh bells do not necessarily a Christmas song make and in the same way, merely declaring that it's Christmastime in the first line or two does not make it a Christmas song. In light of the fact that it is an otherwise solid, well-crafted, arranged and performed song, I'll slide it in at number 10.</li></ul>9) Randy Travis- Jingle Bell Rock<br /><br /><ul><li>It's been covered several times but the song just lends itself to a country treatment and there's none better than the deep and smooth voice of Randy Travis.</li></ul>8) Peter, Paul and Mary- Children, Go where I send thee<br /><br /><ul><li>A great song in the "Twelve days of Christmas" vein where you add an item with each verse and work your way down. You kinda should know your Christianity to get some of the references but if not, you have a reason to do some searching on who Paul and Silas are (in addition to other things) and why they are sung about together. I have a live performance of it and it is incredibly flawed compared to the quantized and overproduced music of today but that's what gives it some life. The song really does live and breathe. </li></ul>7) The Osmonds- Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells<br /><br /><ul><li>It's just full of the joy of the season. </li></ul>6) Jon Bon Jovi- Please come home for Christmas<br /><br /><ul><li>When Bon Jovi was on hiatus and Jon was doing some acting and other things in the 90s, he recorded this song and knocked it out of the park. It's a great vocal performance that only takes 1/2 of the song but he sang what he needed to sing and got himself out. This version clocks in at only 2:53 the rest of it is filled with a respectable guitar solo but it could have just ended early and been fine. </li></ul><p>5 1/2) Amy Grant-Breath of Heaven</p><ul><li>What a powerful song. There is nothing you could do to change it. The reverent and religious message itself causes the chord progression to be what it is. The dramatic pauses are brilliant and it's kindof in a class by itself. It IS a Christmas song but not in the cutesy or secular-ish vein but it couldn't not be on this list... and no, I don't need no English lessons. Amy Grant nailed this one. </li></ul>5) Dennis DeYoung- When I hear a Christmas song<br /><br /><ul><li>I already mentioned that all of the good Christmas music was already written and we just have the new artists rehashing what has already been done and done and done- this is really a new classic. Although it leans on the sleigh bells again, it's an otherwise perfect Christmas love song.</li></ul><p>4) The Chipmunks- Christmas don't be late</p><ul><li>It's a well-crafted song that used cutting edge technology for the time, but still sounds superior to the electronically treated voices used in the recent chipmunks movies and musically it still holds up pretty well. Alvin... uh Alvin... ALVIN!</li></ul>3) Amy Grant- The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)<br /><br /><ul><li>This is another one that has been covered by several artists over the years. Ms. Grant's version just captures the message of the song. It's romantic, it's spiritual and fun. It's a great slow dance.</li></ul>2) The Carpenters- Merry Christmas Darling<br /><br /><ul><li>Karen Carpenter was before my time but her voice is just perfect. It melts me and it should melt you too. </li></ul><p>1) Andy Williams- The most wonderful time</p><ul><li>It's ain't Christmas until ANDY says it's Christmas and he says it so well with this song.</li></ul>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-18264947487094244972010-11-24T13:19:00.015-07:002011-12-01T23:26:13.548-07:0031 years as a DJI just celebrated 31 years as a DJ this last week. My first gig was on November 14th of 1979.<br />
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This is the earliest picture I have of me as a DJ. This was taken in 1983. I was 17 yrs old and already 3 years into what has become my career. I didn't count myself a professional until about 5 years later when I did my first big budget event at one of the local country clubs in Riverside CA and I changed that event from a good event into a great event and that golf club became a regular customer for many years.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcMiYi1V5AplH5UQugCBvoS8jFiyvX9kt3aTGfRa0j07ldmz_1eLQZqHHnpwMLBoEMaB73rLC7B12vdB25dYMc1t-7WN7N8w93TOXSgLFQ3v1qotFfxDUEdHuFz1tpUehpmgwz944o78/s1600/Early+career.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543243586883387026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcMiYi1V5AplH5UQugCBvoS8jFiyvX9kt3aTGfRa0j07ldmz_1eLQZqHHnpwMLBoEMaB73rLC7B12vdB25dYMc1t-7WN7N8w93TOXSgLFQ3v1qotFfxDUEdHuFz1tpUehpmgwz944o78/s320/Early+career.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 274px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> This is my current DJ rig. It can do about 20 times what that mess up there could do.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543247724693488498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdffj5DjUYoy80tWDjWlOiflT9mUVf-fi86Y-LZohOXWfQOF79kJNZbmlompZawRDth3mZr8Tjv88t9oIolnalPpPyVJxlil3CicQsC-FFwxeohM0y5S5U8Bi77pebMEg2GliwjzT-xE/s320/Hip-mo-tized.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 208px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />Here are some pictures from just this past weekend. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543216036841287890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93DNJvWAFH7AL_oL17PTdsDD2zmjaPohjhDcGZkg6R_cL-JhnFysmw5GCDYNQZnlkcYtMBVCmYNZXkC68XIGIlZMPOLLBKI2O1naPypEJ-b_BGMw8_FFu5RTdI20fcqfIxTSRS5XGrR8/s320/DSCF1473.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" />I'm doing the Cha-cha slide with a young bridal party. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543216042850809330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSajvY_-V1_FIAGzUYCR0BrpkiVx1epSwEHluj7Ege7a2qpncaE0J5BNF_KtZdBJNjk-vkCzMXeq63SZeEc87x0D8gAdVeHC9Myto3MEOpGHX3lrL9gZHLRIoSftayLux0SPX4ZOS-zc/s320/DSCF1517.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /> I've got lots of new toys since that first gig back in 1979. This was at King Ben's Pavilion at Golfland/Sunsplash on Friday night. I attracted 200 of the 350 in attendance and I had to compete with Lazer Tag, miniature golf, fried food, a major arcade and a lovely evening with a full moon. Once they discovered that I was there under the tent and I meant business, they packed that space and stayed and danced until the wee hours of the morning.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543215171911817314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQ72HAI6VoJJdnNIfVR91PePWjtex9SeoyPDI8k5CEgF5whD5E99naVJYTfy41ehfQEyjc-Lqxgm9T44BhCY_ljRQr1-hdRem3NqoWCzh-2PlK7QGWzpUYYzXQMT8m0ETForaD25Pghg/s320/DSCF1467.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /> <br />
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FUN FACTS from 31 years in this industry-</div>
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Other than business cards, I never spent a dime on advertising until early 2007 when I was the new guy in Phoenix.<br />
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<strong>People I've met during my DJ career:</strong> Explorer Jacques Cousteau, Rock singer Huey Lewis, President elect Bill Clinton, Congressman Jeff Flake of Arizona, Governor Janet Napalitano of Arizona (now Homeland Security Secretary), Tommy Shaw, James Young and Dennis DeYoung of Styx, Teen idol Davy Jones of the Monkees, Electronic rock pioneer Gary Numan, Arizona TV Legends Wallace and Ladmo, DJ Kasey Casem, TV fashion expert Avril Graham, The Laker Girls, the San Diego Charger Girls, Guitarist Joe Satriani, British DJ/Producer Ade Fenton, Actor Paul Hogan, Director Steven Spielberg, French composer/musician Jean-Michel Jarre, Radio DJ Rick Dees, Teen idol Andy Gibb, Mormon Church leaders Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson, Fox Morning News host Alexis Delchiaro. Countless Mayors, political contenders, magicians, puppeteers, comedians, singers, jugglers, regional musical acts, special interest authors, school Principals and lots of other nice people who are out doing the things the world needs done whether it makes them famous or not.<br />
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<strong>Cool places I've played:</strong> Under the nose of Air Force One at the Ronald Reagan Library, Queen Mary, Disneyland, Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival, California School for the Deaf, The Boojum Tree, Huntington Beach- and I mean ON the beach, Bear Creek Inn, atop a San Francisco skyscraper with a perfectly framed view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Wrigley Mansion, The Sanctuary, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Tempe Center for the Performing Arts. I've worked at events in Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah, Florida, Illinois, Connecticut and Texas.<br />
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<strong>Interesting situations encountered:</strong> A groom was unfaithful with a bridesmaid on Thursday and the bride discovered the encounter on Friday and decided that she didn't want to marry him on Saturday but she kept completely quiet and went ahead with the plans in order to embarrass him publicly at the wedding ceremony. When the officiant asked who thinks this couple shouldn't be married, she let him have it!<br />
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Only two major equipment failures to speak of in 31 years- New Years Eve of 1983, power amp blew up with sparks and smoke and everything. A guitarist in attendance had an amp in his car and we made it work. 18 months in to digital DJ work, in about 1999 or 2000, my computer software froze. I'm not a computer whiz but witnessed a miracle as the software re-loaded at the moment when I was about to announce the bride and groom first dance. I have redundancies in place against that ever happening again. I did have a lighting rig collapse during set up and as one of the truss bars came down, it narrowly missed hitting me in the head but it brushed against the front of my chest and sliced my left nipple rather severely. I'm pretty religious about the safety latches and pins but this was during set up when some of them weren't installed yet.<br />
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Prom at California School for the Deaf in 1993 and 1994. "Hearing" some of those songs in ASL was beautiful and moving.<br />
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A car entered a rural two-lane highway from a driveway and I crashed into the drivers door at about 50MPH and lots of DJ equipment came flying through my back window. I nearly careened down a ravine. Brought the truck to a stop safely several hundred feet down the road. The driver was injured and taken to a hospital for a couple of days. I was a mile away from a wedding venue and two hours from the ceremony start time. The venue operator dispatched someone to come and salvage the equipment from the back of the truck and went and set it in place as best they knew how. (it was a place that I worked regularly) Several road cases were destroyed but all the crucial equipment was intact or at least in working order. I showed up later and took care of the wedding. My truck was totalled. The wedding guests never knew anything was amiss.<br />
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Someone offered cocaine once and I refused and asked him to leave the stage because I was trying to work. He apologized but only thought I was upset that he was offering so openly so he offered again with his hand down by his hip and backwards- a bit more discreetly. I don't do drugs.<br />
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The fathers of the bride and groom got into a fist fight in the foyer in sight of the reception hall. Both left in handcuffs.<br />
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<strong>Music: </strong>I can't say that I've played Michael Jackson and the Beatles at every gig but I've played them at most gigs and I can't think of a gig where a song or two wouldn't fit in somewhere. I never tire of those songs and they always fill the dancefloor. I'm a huge Styx fan but I rarely play them. Not all that danceable. I do a pretty cool DJ mix thing with Lou Bega's <em>Mambo #5</em> and Styx's <em>Too Much Time on my Hands</em> once in a while. First song I ever played as a DJ was Gary Numan's <em>Cars</em>. <u><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://curtiswhipple.blogspot.com/2009/11/that-was-then-and-this-is-now.html">Click here </a></span></u>for my previously shared thoughts on the impact of that song on rock music. Thank you Michael and Paul and John for the music. I love you guys! Honorable mention to Van Morrison and Glenn Miller.<br />
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I love what I do because everybody is always dressed up, they are celebrating something meaningful to them. You've got the food, the music, the lights, the occasion, the anticipation, the color, the heritage, the fun, the electric conversations, the flirting, the dancing and I get to be the Pied Piper and help them release all that celebration inside of their hearts.<br />
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Normally people would say <em>"Here's to another 31 years!"</em> when writing something like this. I don't know if I have 31 more years in me- maybe <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9vvPQW9N1c">this</a> will be me in 31 years when I'm 76 years old, but I do love what I do and as long as there are customers who want me to do it I'll keep doing it as best I know how or even improving it as new technology comes along. Thanks to all of you for the great life.Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-34212656341470104302010-10-30T20:39:00.005-07:002010-10-30T20:58:21.252-07:00Halloween 2010Had a great time at the Paul Mitchell School today. I go down there about once a quarter to have some fun. I barter for hair care and other products but it's really just a part of my overall marketing efforts. I just try to get myself in front of people when I can. There are a bunch of twenty-somethings going to school there, about 120 of them, that will likely be getting married in the next few years... I've already booked several events from my appearances there over the months. <br /><br />I made a nice little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">gobo</span> to project right in front of the check-in desk that they all loved.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0t_4IfX7QwSTxcx3jzbos4YhDke2UrS14sc9HqhWQBEFkcR4ld8FKWvXeeiDSnWnYJO1RC_2IkfZ2WrEhjq_mh57BFnNdFiQuDvxdCdAZlGEn4hV6bdZQQf0p8k7EvszxbMxjwgYCGOk/s1600/DSCF1192.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534050917861571474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0t_4IfX7QwSTxcx3jzbos4YhDke2UrS14sc9HqhWQBEFkcR4ld8FKWvXeeiDSnWnYJO1RC_2IkfZ2WrEhjq_mh57BFnNdFiQuDvxdCdAZlGEn4hV6bdZQQf0p8k7EvszxbMxjwgYCGOk/s320/DSCF1192.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is Terry, one of the faculty there. I think I liked her better last year as Lady Gaga...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534050923630072386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-8f3UbZQn9WLASD6MtSRhLADJNEHtWUEDz1LaCh6FalJ_Z71YR0sp3bd3wZI3Y47Ga7LtT3WulerXUO76GD5h55btudbv7q4AkpTwpTHJYvCIUhHoMriFTbg7kgTVpxrYiMH35KHSDM/s320/DSCF1196.jpg" border="0" />This guy works at the front desk. He's dressed as 5-yr old "Stewart" from Mad TV. He's got the voice and the moves and everything.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxP5Ul5u1kK6PpPScWdXH-SYiy7i_Z4bwOxXhye8sCyTZH3RZGcUhh9RkXXswwdPl-DKehXnTogmiqZo8XmagO83rBvCWzzjvh0nCegaZp-UGhdDgeJLAyNXd6pl8DuQBBnd5ITHK4t0/s1600/DSCF1191.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534050914762666930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxP5Ul5u1kK6PpPScWdXH-SYiy7i_Z4bwOxXhye8sCyTZH3RZGcUhh9RkXXswwdPl-DKehXnTogmiqZo8XmagO83rBvCWzzjvh0nCegaZp-UGhdDgeJLAyNXd6pl8DuQBBnd5ITHK4t0/s320/DSCF1191.jpg" border="0" /></a> I don't know this student's name but she slid all the way across the floor in her socks- a la Tom Cruise in <em>Risky Business</em>. She's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">rockin</span>' my guitar here.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvyUoo8AO7o3VNztXpwmzap8vB5TWOMBv7M6nlIGK9Za7_7rnb9ws6f-8IvRWYWprdlBhL4KGmzByvIClKrzkYXAQsHEjvtQ8ywPyeQeBf9KwmsaslBzmz9MJnP99j1nxaxU_EIXNU30/s1600/DSCF1190.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534050912225925506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvyUoo8AO7o3VNztXpwmzap8vB5TWOMBv7M6nlIGK9Za7_7rnb9ws6f-8IvRWYWprdlBhL4KGmzByvIClKrzkYXAQsHEjvtQ8ywPyeQeBf9KwmsaslBzmz9MJnP99j1nxaxU_EIXNU30/s320/DSCF1190.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is student body president Stacy on the left of the shot and also various and sundry other students filling the rest of the shot. They were doing the Cupid Shuffle here.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMiHNfrtdYGDKrgILoFxceXFc2n71t37_hu5xFAvI8fUbT3zGDNTLkYyPKwVCtFHTMp_4QCWKsI4v69Fwsi_Ua4bhLg6_Of9q22gFUC3wlJr4yAASQ62aPcAzlhWzI_iqSFBHIhNC8Yw/s1600/DSCF1189.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534050906950715282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMiHNfrtdYGDKrgILoFxceXFc2n71t37_hu5xFAvI8fUbT3zGDNTLkYyPKwVCtFHTMp_4QCWKsI4v69Fwsi_Ua4bhLg6_Of9q22gFUC3wlJr4yAASQ62aPcAzlhWzI_iqSFBHIhNC8Yw/s320/DSCF1189.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div>Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-29127330284847180682010-10-18T22:26:00.012-07:002010-10-18T23:36:07.330-07:00Off to work I goI worked for a real sweetheart of a bride last month. She wept with joy most of the night and was completely comfortable doing so in front of everybody. It had been a pleasure to have her and her fiance in my home office a couple of times planning the music of the night. Congratulations Nic and Christine!<br /><br />I purchased a new toy this year- I have a gobo projector system thingy that can project a monogram of the bride and groom or a corporate logo on the dancefloor or a wall. I had a very nice monogram for the new Mrs. deKeyser here with their wedding date and everything. She was nice enough to snap a pic with me using my logo on the dancefloor at the end of the night. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6m6j3u3l-ZksynE7rGCbjJwIw0-Bwq8nAHYiXNXnPu6c8xHojLA6-vkpemqzb-sX7DMmGxhiuzE_SajkA04zKQVnHbTRW-YldRSPs1X_aRN0HUQxym0qm9ebORG2QhXdaMqMDdpxBGU/s1600/0742.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529624401406827234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6m6j3u3l-ZksynE7rGCbjJwIw0-Bwq8nAHYiXNXnPu6c8xHojLA6-vkpemqzb-sX7DMmGxhiuzE_SajkA04zKQVnHbTRW-YldRSPs1X_aRN0HUQxym0qm9ebORG2QhXdaMqMDdpxBGU/s320/0742.JPG" border="0" /></a> I also did a retail promotion for Swarovski at Scottsdale Fashion Park a couple of weeks ago. Someone in the corporate office in New York did a Google search for local DJs and they found me even though I'm some distance down on any Internet search. They were looking for something specific and found me. That's really cool. Any event on a weeknight- which is off-peak, is "found" money as far as I'm concerned.<br /><br />The whole store is only 700 sq feet (there are hundreds of thousands of dollars of jewelry and home fashions for sale in that small space) but display counters, cabinets, cash register and storage closet take up probably 450 feet of that. With my lighting rig and full sound system and everything, I take 400 sq feet! We weren't allowed to extend out in to the mall at all. I brought all of the stuff but ended up leaving most of it in the van. I took, two speakers, my DJ workstation console and one tripod to mount the gobo projector for a "Swarovski Autumn/Winter 2010" logo, which I actually projected through the store window out into the mall hallway. I don't think there was anybody that walked by without it catching their eye. This is just a .jpg file of what becomes just white light where ever it is projected.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529627859696583106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fejvVwv-HV4zb-E9IK7f5n31bNZd31huEHl0zy1m5lUuYgMgLQtlREWtKJJh3WlmbTUEMZiRyFXPEua_-jNue4W27NedS62xpyOnn5CrltOCy-l5k9IY4G4KsO1HJlkZ_te69DgtqO8/s320/Swarovski1.jpg" border="0" /> I was able to cram my stuff into about 22 or maybe 23 sq feet and make it work. A caterer brought a tray on wheels to help serve some hor d'oeuvres and drinks and that took about 30 sq feet. The remaining 100 feet of floor space was filled with about 70 customers sipping champagne. There was some corporate staff from LA, and the local Swarovski staff but they kinda stood outside the door (other than a cashier) to make more space. They <strong>were</strong> selling lots of jewelry that night too. I'm confident that my presence added energy and increased the sales.<br /><br />This is Avril Graham. She's a fashion expert that can be seen on the Today show occasionally. She was brought in from New York to narrate a fashion show. Even though we weren't supposed to spill out into the mall traffic at all, the fashion show just couldn't have taken place any other way. We were barely in the entryway of the store. You can kinda see my equipment in the window there, my left elbow is pointing at it.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529631382792723314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhehqCdFFePtibMnUSPxCUBmqz2DPDktOwPXjKa4L2DXaQPvw5YlqldxzMlXS_efWglgcVQ4O4QheB8Zdich5cBSFNFb50qnkVUGOnHl6uqjn1cdve3y69IjTVF1k2oYi3WckLjs91vc/s320/DSCF1154.jpg" border="0" />Here are the two local models that took care of the fashion show. Not only are they stunningly beautiful, they are probably the most professional I've ever worked with. They really complimented the fashions and jewelry that they were hired to display. I sound like a heel saying this, I did ask their names and then repeated them a couple of times as I shook their hands, but I didn't write them down and now that I'm writing this a few weeks later, I've forgotten. I apologize to both of you but it really was a pleasure to be on board for such a great event and to be surrounded by true professionals in each of our various crafts. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529635259499445506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzQD5XFwanvBzz86ADrWLpjl4Fq6x1AKZ9SIb8PoLysyiqyVaMx5NzDD_b4JFYTjrdk5zQcH6VsmsUZRQH75wTJ5_3qDiieFir_CLZ_imD6qBnCt44rWg7Rk9Gmz2ugA-2qNBCXgbhnc/s320/DSCF1155_edited-1.jpg" border="0" /> I forgot to say thanks to Jeff Colling of <a href="http://www.collingphoto.com/">Colling Photo </a>for sending me a copy of the picture from the deKeyser wedding you see at the top of this post. Thanks Jeff, you ROCK!Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1844553264503265070.post-12236208904935495692010-09-24T19:38:00.011-07:002010-09-26T10:47:19.323-07:00Rewriting historyI'm playing at a Class of '65 reunion tomorrow night at one of the best resort hotels in this city- very POSH! I've been preparing my music for the event based on a music survey function that the class committee put on their website that would collect up the most requested songs to be played- if class mates would just take a minute to request a few while they checked for details of the various activities planned for the reunion weekend.<br /><br />I compiled the list and noticed there wasn't any music listed from Bob Dylan, The Doors, The Mamma's and Papa's, The Beatles or Elvis Presley yet they want music from the entire decade representing their high school and college years. I would have thought those artists would feature a little bit more prominently. There was one song by The Beach Boys and one listed from The Rolling Stones. I was born in 1965 and I was hardly a gleam in my fathers' eye while these classmates were in high school, but I've been a DJ for nearly 31 years now and I think I know what to play for this occasion.<br /><br />Does anyone ever notice that when there is a late night infomercial selling a Time-Life music collection of "The Definitive 70's Collection" that there is no Queen or Aerosmith or Elton John included? Do you know why that is? It's about licensing the rights to sell that song. Queen has no problem selling their body of work packaged any way they want it. If you want "Bohemian Rhapsody" you can buy one of the greatest hits packages or find it on <em>A Night at the Opera </em>and you'll pay for the other songs on there whether you want them or not because they are Queen and "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a great song and they can do that! (you can steal it from various nefarious sources on the Internet)<br /><br />Itunes is changing the landscape as the years go by but there are several artist who still won't license their music to be sold that way. If Pepsi suddenly said, we are no longer selling single cans, you have to buy at least a 6 pack, there would be rioting in the streets. The music industry tried to hold on to that dream of only selling albums and full CDs for some time even alienating what should have been their next generation of customers who just wanted to buy one song. They fought it so long and hard that there is a whole generation of people who were teens in the 90s who still think that music is free.<br /><br />I think the big Beatles remastered boxed set that came out a couple of years ago will be the last major CD release of any consequence and it kinda signalled the end of CDs. The Beatles only sell CDs and I think that the bulk of their audience would still purchase them that way. Strangely, there are several "tribute" bands that sell crappy cover versions of Beatles songs on Itunes. Kid Rock had a hit song a couple of years ago called "All Summer Long" and since he wouldn't license it to Itunes, there was a horrible karaoke version of the song that went to number 1 on the Itunes chart for a few weeks. Itunes is the #1 retailer of music in the world now. There are teens discovering music now that have never known anything but their ipod or their iphone for music.<br /><br />I haven't used CDs in over a decade now. I use a music service for professional DJs so I can keep current with the music I need and find songs for occasions such as this if I don't already have the requested songs. (I already had about 85% of their list)<br /><br />I have a hunch that any classmates that took the survey probably did a google search for music of the 60s to jog their memory and several Time-Life collections came up along with some Amazon suggestions and people didn't really search their memory to think of the songs that meant something to them or try to remember the theme song from their Senior Prom. They just accepted what was given as the truth and accepted that the list they saw really was the " 16 Most Beloved Songs of the 60's" or the "Most Requested Songs of the 60's" when clearly the Beatles probably outsold every artist on those collections combined. If the Beatles didn't, Elvis did.<br /><br />15 years ago, my favorite act "Styx" went to put together a greatest hits package. Their first hit song <em>Lady </em>was with one record company called Wooden Nickel Records and then they had a dozen more top ten hits when they left Wooden Nickel for A&M Records. Upon creating the greatest hits package, A&M asked Wooden Nickel in 1995 if they could license the song <em>Lady</em> but Wooden Nickel refused. That was one of the few things they had of any value to sell. So Styx went and recorded a clone version of <em>Lady </em>using the same arrangement and instrumentation and called it <em>Lady '95. </em>This version had the added bonus that Tommy Shaw was included in this recording when he hadn't been on the original; he joined the band later and wrote several of the other hit songs.<br /><br />I think that most music fans could spot the differences between the two versions and certainly the recording quality- 1995 technology had marched on substantially from when the original was recorded in the early 1970's. I also have a hunch that most casual Styx fans would have purchased the Greatest Hits CD anyway- without Lady on it- and just enjoyed the other songs and would NOT have purchased Styx II that contained the original version of Lady. The gods of rock smiled on Styx as their music was featured in a popular Volkswagen TV commercial and in some Adam Sandler movies at the time and the Styx Greatest Hits package sold several thousand copies every week for almost 5 years. Wooden Nickel guessed wrong and they got nothing from those sales as they would have if the original recording of <em>Lady </em>had been included.<br /><br />I know that retail sales and radio play and the impact of a given work on the art form or on society as a whole don't always coincide with each other and that some songs may grow over a period of time, when we get some hindsight on them and can see their place in a larger whole even though maybe they didn't mean as much at the time they were released. Journey's <em>Dont' Stop Believin'</em> is bigger now than it was nearly 30 years ago when it came out. Come Sail Away by Styx is a good, solid song but it probably didn't change the world. It arguably changed my life though.<br /><br />So, congratulations Class of '65! That's a lot of years. I'm sure it will be great for you to see each other this weekend. It's going to be a great night and we'll dance to The Newbeats, The Dixie Cups, The Shangri-las, The Supremes, The Temptations, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five and maybe I'll throw in some Herman's Hermits for good measure.Curtis Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311883531702595001noreply@blogger.com1