Groovefire @ Chateau ::: 01.29.03

[tweakmagazine]

I've been meaning to roll to the Apple with the Groovefire crew for a few months now. When I got the call from Hoska telling me the boys had a date with Dirty Vegas, and I was expected to attend, my usual repetoire of lame excuses were strangely unaccounted for. So, I folded myself into a car jam packed with 4 other equally insane individuals and we hit the highway, each of us parenthetically humming "I Won't Grow Up", shouting "Vegas, baby!", and coming to terms with the shape and position of our slowly aging bodies for the next 3 hours or so. The trip was largely uneventful.. Oh, there was the license plate which read "Manholz" which we followed for an hour or so.. It spawned a brief alter reality where Groovefire became the world renouned epic-trance sensation "Manholz" from Germany with it's superstar components Gunther Hannah, Franz Hoska & Deiter Jakob. However, before we made a detour to pick up the sunglasses and wifebeaters we wisely digressed..

We made a quick stop at Todd's brother Erik's fat crib for some much needed pizza & beer, and then we were off to the spot.

Chateau is a very cool place. It's four levels.. Two main areas and two balconies. Extremely compact, with the usual ridiculously overpriced liquor and seating areas, but, nonetheless, the vibe is directly on point. The place reminded me of an upscale French ski chalet fused with an east village tapas bar, but with just enough manhattan kitch to satisfy the locals. The sound system was unquestionably the worst that I have ever heard in a venue that charges a cover. The owners would be well advised to take the proceeds from 10 minutes at the bar, which undoubtedly would be more than sufficient to replace it in it's entirety. Rising high above the limitations I just mentioned, Groovefire was in their usual zone. Todd fired it up and dropped some silky joints directed to remove the "it's only Wednesday" premise from everyone's mind. Phil follwed suit, & Hoska reached the stratosphere with his contributions. The Blondie reset was perfectly timed and killed the joint.

Dirty Vegas was much better than I expected. The had some sound issues at the beginning, but soon found a happy medium and made the best of it. The percussion player they had was fantastic. Their song selection was right up my alley.

We all proceeded to get silly drunk. Dave used most of the tables and other assorted furniture to prepare for his upcoming Julliard dance audition. Alas, Hoska was the polution poster child. Poor Todd had to spin for approximately 5 hours after Vegas finished up. He held it down like gravity, though.. And it was definately the best Wednesday night I can recall.

Afterwards, we headed back to Erik's joint. Erik invented an entirely new form of verbal communication. We met the Asshole Champion (ya had ta be there), and Todd's car got towed.

We started the drive home around 5AM. Providence had apparently migrated a few hundred miles north overnight. That could be the only logical explanation as to why it took so god damn long to get home. All in all, it was a great trip. Thanks for including me, guys..

On a personal note, I'd like to commend Groovefire on their vision. There is a severe lack of integrity and honesty in this industry. I'm glad that there are a few talented people who understand how to marry an idea and do whatever is necessary, without regard for personal sacrifice, to make that idea a reality. It's easy to talk about your skills and representin this club or that town.. It's much more difficult to remove the focus from the individual performer and concentrate on building a vibe and an experience that goes beyond an average night out. It's also good to see that that commitment is starting to pay off.

[groovefire]

[whadupg]

Awesome review - one of these days I have to get down there. Wanted to this weekend, but I totally spaced other plans I made (aka allston/brighton pub crawl)...but soon.