It's the Beat - SMD at the Gramercy Theater

We (Eddie, Chuck, Greg, me) arrived around 10 in the middle of JDH & Dave P's set. I see them a lot between their monthly Fixed parties and supporting other acts...I kind of take them for granted. One of the reasons I wanted to start dj-ing in the first place, way back when, was because the opening dj's I would see were just SO horrible. I couldn't help but think I could do better if I just knew how to work turntables and a mixer. JDH & Dave P are way better than the vast majority of openers I've seen over the past 5 years, but I'm always so pumped for the headliner that I kind of just wait through their set. I usually note a few standout tracks here and there (like the ridiculous remix of the Chemical Brothers' Salmon Dance that they played) but don't usually get down even though I like most of what they play. Chuck and Greg were pretty into them though which kind of got me thinking that I short change them a bit. They're actually good djs.

Anyway...after a bit of banging from JDH & Dave P, Invisible Conga People went on. Shockingly a lot of people around us seemed to think they were Simian Mobile Disco...maybe because one of the guys' hair was a bit like James from SMD's?...I have no idea. One would think if you had enough sense to buy tickets to the show you would at least realize what a far cry Invisible Conga People's sound was from SMD's. Invisible Conga People...I don't know if I would say they were bad, but they were not what the crowd needed. JDH & Dave P had everyone happy and dancing...and then the two dudes from Invisible Conga People came on with some really mellow electronic, droney, lullaby shoegazey stuff. It didn't make sense for that place and time. They finally stopped close to 11.

JDH & Dave P got everyone moving again (which I think everyone was eager to do after Invisible Conga People). By the time they finished and got all their stuff cleared out, it was midnight when SMD hit the stage. And they hit it hard for about an hour straight. Out of my little crew I had dragged out with me I was the only one who had caught their show at Studio B a few months ago. I had tried to convey the loud analog explosion that was about to happen, but apparently I didn't do a good enough job. We all emerged from the show pretty fucked. The little bleeps and blips they opened with from Sleep Deprivation gave no indication of what was to come, but I knew once the bass and beats hit they wouldn't stop. Jas and James covered most of what's on Attack Decay Sustain Release including Hustler, It's the Beat, and Tits & Acid. I'm sure they also hit some of the lesser known tracks on the album, I just can't i.d. them upon hearing yet. They also threw in the excellent non-album track Animal House and their remix of the Klaxons' Magick. There was a super quick break during which everyone went crazy, and SMD returned the favor delivering the excellent "I Believe" along with a lot of on the fly bang to close out an awesome show.

We had all intentions of hitting the after party for what I'm sure was an amazing dj set, but after sitting there dumbfounded after the intense hour of bang SMD brought I think we made a wise decision in deciding not to go. I feel like I have been over extending myself lately, trying to do everything resulting in a shittying up of otherwise awesome evenings. I felt especially better about skipping SMD's dj set when I saw this yesterday: