groovefire Posted August 15 Report Share Posted August 15 Hey all! At the risk of seeming like a self-promoting whore, I'd like to share this with you, because, admittedly, we're pretty excited about it. From the pages of today's Boston Globe:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Post-rave but not post-party By Kimberly Atkins, Globe Staff, 08/15/2002 OK, let's face it. The scene at Boston's most popular dance clubs, Avalon and the Roxy, for example, leans to the younger side. The urban professional's idea of a great dance spot usually does not include an international trance DJ, glow sticks-wielding 19-year-olds, energy drinks, and platform-heeled go-go dancers. But take heart. New resident DJ duo Phil Jakob and Todd Hanna are giving Boston 20-somethings, and those a tad older, a place to groove. ``We are part of that crowd," said Hanna. ``We are in our mid '20s, we are professionals, and we enjoy going out and dancing as much as a raver kid. But the focus is different." Glo Fridays at Pravda is the anti-raver experience. The club, which once catered to a Euro see-and-be-scene, has been transformed into a comfortable place for people of all backgrounds to gather and dance to a fun and funky blend of familiar tunes that draw you and rhythmic house beats that move you. At the inaugural Glo Friday night last month, Hanna and Jakob's immensely danceable mix of funky, Latin, tribal, and progressive house music kept the dance floor full until closing time. Hanna's description of their style - sophisticated but not stodgy, edgy but not abrasive, and fun but not annoying - was right on, and the crowd responded. ``We aren't going to play a bunch of stuff that nobody has ever heard of," Hanna said. ``But we also want to give people something new." Hanna and Jakob are unlikely rising DJ stars. Hanna, a Providence corporate attorney, fell into spinning by accident. ``I adore being a corporate lawyer but it lacks a lot of creativity and it lacks a lot of quickly identifiable recognition," Hanna said. After law school, Hanna began testing out his beat-matching skills for small groups of friends in Rhode Island. His popularity grew, and with the help of his brother Erik, founder of the Providence-based DJ promotion group Groovefire, Hanna landed a monthly residency at Newport's Club Pink. In early 2001 Hanna met Jakob, a West Point graduate and former Army helicopter pilot, who had been spinning in clubs in Boston and Rhode Island. Jakob's interest in music was piqued while stationed in Germany in the late 1990s. ``When I came back to the States I went out a couple of times, but I wasn't really happy with what was out there," Jakob said. ``So I bought a board and turntables." Inspired by Dutch, German, and Spanish DJs and promoter friends, Jakob landed a residency with Hanna in Newport and ultimately in Boston. The two tag-team behind the decks, Hanna spinning house with a Latin flair, Jakob focusing more on funky house music and techno, with splashes of remixed vocal tunes from recognizable artists like Prince. They hope to continue to draw the 25-plus clubgoers seeking a Lansdowne alternative, a demographic Pravda and La Boom (around the corner) are wooing. ``A lot of people are looking for a place that has a good environment and that has music that you can have fun to," Jakob said. ``That's what we are trying to give them." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------As always, email us for reduced door at Pravda's GLO Fridays, VIP@groovefire.com.Thanks, peace! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamj5 Posted August 15 Report Share Posted August 15 Nice !Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaydup Posted August 15 Report Share Posted August 15 Congrats :D On my list of places to hit this fall:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovefire Posted August 15 Author Report Share Posted August 15 Originally posted by teamj5 Nice !Congrats Thanks, and, hey, for what it's worth, let me clear up one part of that article...I swear, Phil rarely plays Prince, and when he does, I rip him a new one for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyzard Posted August 15 Report Share Posted August 15 congrats on the write up!!I gotta come out to Pink sometime soon! @Phil rarely plays Prince, and when he does, I rip him a new one for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poccnr Posted August 15 Report Share Posted August 15 Big Congrats! Well deserved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyis4meatheads Posted August 15 Report Share Posted August 15 That is some damn good press right there. Congratulations!!Hmmmm, maybe I'll make a trip out to see you guys on Friday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.