Academik

Friday night was a big night.

1 Long Island Iced Tea + 1 Jack on the Rox + 1 Red Bull + 1 Ticket to 2 Many DJs/Soulwax + 2 friends + 1 random guy + 1 club manager’s sister + 2 Many DJs = magnificence

Friday night I was out at Cellar in SF for a friend’s good bye party. Cellar rocks because their happy hour includes $1-$2 Coronas depending on what time you get there. Then it was off to Mezzanine for Soulwax + 2 Many Djs with a French guy I met named Solon at Cellar and my friend Paul and his date. We arrive at Mezzanine for the first time and the place is really well laid out - big enough to accomodate a roomful of screaming fans and still have room in the back to dance in the fashion and style that I’m accustomed -at least 5 ft diameter in space. There’s also an upstairs that has a decent view of the stage from everywhere upstairs.

As the night progresses people move from the lounges upstairs down to the dance floor… Soulwax comes out in all white - a drummer, a guitarist, and 2 keyboard/synth guys proceed to rock me until I’m not sure where I am or if I have taken any illegal drugs - surely it must be illegal to feel this good. 45 minutes or so passes and I wander upstairs to watch the crowd and generally catch my breath.

I’m bookended by a tall brunette and a cute blond. Brunette looks way too high maintenance. I should also mention that I’m wearing white pants, and my yellow Hose down, G’s up shirt. The blond, Jodie, and I start talking. She asks if I’ve been here before and what I think of the club… I’m honest and say it’s cool, but I’m not overly excited about it. Her sister helps run the club. shit. lol. She’s really cool and I find out that it’s her birthday, but that she’s being a loner and hanging out here so that she can watch the group/crowd - VIP faces the crowd, but there’s only a small bit of railing where you can see the band.

Anyone who can appreciate this type of music is good by me. We go to the VIP to meet her friends and fam and grab a drink. I grab a quick glass of red bull because I know that my energy will be soon crashing, and somehow manage to get in on a Champagne toast to the birthday girl (thanks Jill!). We talk for a little bit more and then 2 Many DJs come on. I try to get Jodie to come down to dance with me - but she’s not having any of it, strange for a birthday girl not to want to dance, content to watch from above - I make my way back down to the dance floor and begin the immense set by 2 Many DJs that hits on many of my favorite songs of the moment. Although one gripe - they played the original track by Digitalism, Zdarlight, instead of the Axwell remix - big disappointment. I want my Bucky Done Gun!

I dance my tookesh off with all the other people in the front of the club. It’s great when you know the songs that are coming because you get even more excited about the build-ups and breakdowns. I remember standing just in front of the stage yelling come on! and moving my hands front to back like I was a bull-dozer throwing the contents of my basket over the top of my head - Come on! Come ON! GIVE IT TO ME! YEEEEEAAAAHHHH! Highlights included Popper by Christopher Just, Walking Away (Tocadisco Remix) by The Egg, We are your friends (Justice Remix) and the aforementioned Zdarlight by Digitalism. And I’ve got to hand it to 2 Many Djs - there was never a moment where they weren’t doing something - playing with the sound, mixing, sampling, getting psyched. It was awesome. I went home thoroughly enthused and looking forward to the next event at Mezzanine - which I’m now a big fan of.

It always helps to know people : ) Now that the place has a face to it, I’m much more likely to go back.