By: Brian Crisp
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Related Links: http://www.beatworld.com/events.html |
Where the Action Is: beatopia
It's a Friday night and people all over the world are practicing a familiar ritual: getting ready to go out, shuffling through a myriad of t-shirts, trousers and belts, making last minute phone calls while speakers blasts sounds that range from classic Serge Gainsbourg to 1979 boogie down Bronx jams heralded by Funky Four plus One. This catalyst continually takes the Parisians to Queen and the Berliners to Tresor. Yet, there is no need to abandon the Midwest because in Minneapolis, the house music connoisseurs flock to First Avenue's VIP room for beatopia.
Friday April 18, in many ways, was no different from the previous four and a half years of beatopia Fridays. The small one time storage room turned danceteria of First Avenue is bare of elaborate video screens and plush columns found rampant in other Minneapolis dance clubs. In fact, few lights and a lonely disco ball decorate the low ceilings of this attic space. The décor of the space resounds solely in its patrons: a few hundred folks spanning racial and economic boundaries united for soulful house music. This week's featured deejays, Bryan Gerrard and David Drone, did not disappoint.
Drone and Gerrard have impressive backgrounds and individual careers. Drone has worked with everyone from David Bowie to Prince and pioneered Minneapolis's first all vinyl record store, Bassment Records. Gerrard, a true aural aficionado with taste ranging from Roy Ayers to N.W.A, holds several club residencies in the Twin Cities while traveling around the country. The two, now known as the DeeGees co-own the Celebrity Records label. Taking the turntables by midnight, the DeeGees tag-teamed a three-hour set of uplifting and soulful tracks. Highlights of their set include Andy Caldwell's "I Can't Wait" remixed by Marques Waytt, India Arie's "Heading in the Right Direction," Gerrard's soulful "Higher Ground" featuring vocalist Alexia and the DeeGee's remix of Brent Laurence's "Build it Back Up." Amidst the always vibrant house sounds, Gerrard and Drone never cease to offer surprises in the form of tongue and cheek pop phenomenon. This set was no different as the two dropped two salacious samples of Justin Timberlake singing "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body." In the past, Missy Elliot, Prince and Sheila E have found their way into their mixes.
beatopia's triumph is not the sole responsibility of the talented roster of weekly deejays. The success is also attributed to the weekly congregates that support the local house music scene. Unlike many other cities, pretension is no where to be found in the VIP room. Patrons gather for one reason: house music. The crowd has its local celebrities known in the music scene. Yet, these inhabitants dance and commune freely with first timers, regulars whose Friday night rituals focus solely on beatopia, local deejays gathered to support and hear other local deejays and the friendly staff of the VIP room bar.
Fortunately, Friday, April 18 was not a one-time event. beatopia, thanks to the foresight of Alan Freed, is a weekly event. The programming of deejays changes weekly and features four deejays in the VIP room with free crossover to hear the resident deejays of the main room. The schedule of beatopia events can be found at www.beatworld.com and beatopia hosts an annual Anniversary party in September and has hosted international deejays such Jerry Bonham. The Beatworld site also lists other dance music related events and features a link that will put attendees on the VIP room guest list. Yet, the minimal cover charge is well worth the Friday night experience.
Yes, Paris has the infamous Queen and Berlin has Tresor. Yet, deep in the heart of the Midwest we have our own dance music phenomenon: Minneapolis's beatopia. In terms of house music, it is simply where the action is.
Location Info:
First Avenue
Artist Info: Beatopia
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