Bling Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 ck cj out for the official review from one of our other fine reviewers It has been called “The Hounds of Zeus.†It has pulled the chariots of kings and has been emblazoned upon the shields of knights and on the coat of arms and royalty. It is graceful and swift, monstrous and divine. It dominated both the earth and sky, due to its lion’s body and eagle’s head and wings. I speak of the Gryphon!Fast forward to modern day times. Michael Ault and his partners Thomson Murray and John J. Surgent decide to create a nightclub befitting the grace and power of the mythological Gryphon. Just as the Gryphon was the fabled creature to pull the chariots of royalty, Gryphon nightclub became the “ordained†club to receive the acclaimed Aquabooty party on this night. The Yoruba Soul Sessions Party feat Osunlade was in full effect. Arriving at the Seminole Hard Rock complex was a mission in itself. The line to enter the parking area stretched as far as the eye could see. Tourists and locals alike flocked to the Hard Rock to dine at one of its many fine establishments, gamble in its mega-casino or party in one of its multiple nightclubs. After walking through the mall complex, distracted by many of the gorgeous blondes throughout, I arrived at Gryphon. A wall of torches and the powerful image of the mythological beast greeted me as I entered. As you enter the mid-size venue, the first thing one notices are the crystals overhead. Unlike any other club, Gryphon foregoes the extra lights used by many nightclubs and opted to go for hundreds of crystal shards upon the ceiling. When the lights reflect upon the crystals, it truly is a sight to behold. The large V.I.P. area is replete with luxurious red leather couches available for those willing to shell out an extra “few bucks,†for a bottle. Looming majestically in the foreground of the V.I.P. area, is a “Grass wall,†where strobe lights flashed on and off in rhythm to the beats throughout the night. A central bar is located on the left as one enters, with a smaller bar located in the center back area and another in VIP. Overhead on the back wall over the “smaller bar,†is the “lights†booth where all the glitz and glamour of Gryphon is controlled. The “sunken†dancefloor packed with patrons dancing upon its shiny hardwood floors, is surrounded by red leather couches. The small DJ booth set up directly in front of the dance area, had a chain link fence behind it separating it from a ramp leading to the V.I.P area. The “King†for the evening being lead by the mighty Gryphon? Aquabooty!!! Escorted out by Joe and Tomas, the Aquabooty DJ’s , lead a flock of “educated House†followers to the “Great White North,†of Hollywood, Florida. These “educated clubbers†have not only supported Aquabooty for the past four years, dancing away to their quality soulful, funky and straight up house, but has helped to forge that “Aquabooty vibe,†which is second to none.First to take the reigns of the mighty Gryphon towards the “dance arena,†was DHM’s Omar. From Jon Cutler’s “You Groove Me,†to Blaze’s “Lovelee Day†with its smooth and silky female vocals, the Aquabooty opening DJ excited the crowd into a dancing fury. The mighty “Gryphon†was indeed “flapping its wings†and proudly displaying its ferocious might, thanks to its handlers for the evening. As the cheers from the approaching “dance arena†further excited the graceful and majestic Gryphon, a more energetic handler assumed the reigns.Yoruba Records and Aquabooty Miami’s Djinji Brown counter-balanced the might of the Gryphon with a pounding Afro-Tribal/Soulful house set. Decked out in modern “regal†fashion, wearing a flashy gold silk shirt, blue hat and ornate jewelry, his attire truly matched his exuberance upon the decks. The DJ lead Gryphon finally entered the main “dance arena.†Much to its surprise, the arena was covered in a vast jungle. Tribal sounds could be heard off in the distance… the songs of the natives interspersed between nature’s sounds. The Gryphon extended its claws ready to strike. Osunlade now took control of the “beast†for good.Born in St. Louis, Jerry Rodriguez (Osunlade), was first introduced to electronica courtesy of the Chicago house scene. At 17, he moved to Los Angeles and started to work for well known artists such as Pati Labelle, Freddie Jackson and Eric Benet. His hard work soon paid off as he soon created his own label known as Yoruba Records. Osunlade’s artistic approach to music was further enhanced through his spiritual inclinations, as he decided to become a priest of the traditional African religion of Ifa. As a result of his background, his “sound†became as unique as he. From tribal percussion to soulful and deep house interspersed with Latin and Brazilian rhythms, he has kept music enthusiasts worldwide enthralled at his “simple†complexity. Upon his arrival to the “dance arena,†a latin track reverberated throughout. A frenzied fan proudly displayed a Puerto Rican flag in honor of the island which Osunlade has called home. Osunlade took control of the mighty Gryphon from the get-go. In a way, Osunlade was “ordained†to command the ferocious beast. The Gryphon known as a symbol of dual nature (divine and human) because of its mastery of earth and heaven, could only be truly mastered by one who has one hand upon the earth and one upon the sky. Osunlade not only commands his fans on the dancefloor with his tribal beats but spiritually commands those in the African Ifa religion as well. The Gryphon was tamed (at least for a short while.) Osunlade’s set was replete with Afro-Tribal beats, jazzy riffs and soul. Even the most die-hard of clubbers found it difficult to track id his unique set. Around 3:45 am Osunlade dropped a mesmerizing track that kept building for five minutes causing the massive crowd to dance and jump with unmatched fervor. As Osunlade dropped the reigns at 5 a.m., the Gryphon weary from his journey laid down his head to rest. Aquabooty came…played…. conquered! The mighty Gryphon though never to be outdone, will be back week after week ready to take on all “musical†challenges. Gryphon nightclub truly is a myth in the making! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philippio Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 I had an awesome time on saturday. Great company, very moving music and truly a great vibe (no stranger to Aquabooty events). My only complaint: we needed more dancefloor! So, until Jay-J @ State, it was my pleasure to see many familiar faces:bling, Dave (missionary), the clown responsible for my inebriation (nden1078), Alan & Gina, Miguel (mp3some), Sami Stormo, DJ Aladdin & Natasha, Pod...As usual, bows of gratitude to Joe & Tomas for another AMAZING night and for the love of house music. :bowdown: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bling Posted January 26 Author Report Share Posted January 26 feb 11th cant come soon enuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philippio Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 I just realized that Latrice Barnette will be on vocals which pretty much ensures that we'll be hearing Jay-J's 'Keep on Rising' on Defected (what else?)!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bling Posted January 26 Author Report Share Posted January 26 shweet. defected ownzzzzzzzzzzzz and so does aquabooty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djfrosty Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 You should publish the cliff notes version on your reviews or give a summary in your intro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philippio Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 You should publish the cliff notes version on your reviews or give a summary in your intro.How lazy could you be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djfrosty Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 How lazy could you be? I will admit I am pretty lazy but I felt like I was reading a romance novel.Too much fluff and not enough meat if you know what I mean. Although I will give Bling credit that most of his reviews are on point.Now this is the best review I have ever read...the kind of review that makes me pissed that I missed this event. http://bbs.clubplanet.com/showthread.php?t=152823&highlight=Danny+Tenaglia+Space philippio 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philippio Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 ...I felt like I was reading a romance novel. :rofl:...Too much fluff and not enough meat if you know what I mean. Although I will give Bling credit that most of his reviews are on point.If I was paying more attention (and not so drunk) I might have been able to ID some more tracks that Osunlade played. There may have been others in the same position. I think bling was trying to focus more on the venue (because it has not been reviewed before). I suppose it depends on what aspect of the night you're more interested to read about. I thought the review was quite good (but I've also been known to write lengthy, dissertation-type reviews). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bling Posted January 26 Author Report Share Posted January 26 bumparooo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macboy Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 ck cj out for the official review from one of our other fine reviewers Tourists and locals alike flocked to the Hard Rock to dine at one of its many fine establishments LOL, like what? Hooters? Johnny Rockets? Nice review, Bling. I heard it was amazing from at least ten other people. Apparently the week before he was teaming up with Danny Krivit in NYC. Now when is Aquabooty going to bring down Danny Krivit???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philippio Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 ...Now when is Aquabooty going to bring down Danny Krivit???? Francois K., Timmy Regisford, Danny Krivit and Joe Clausell (hint, hint Aquabooty) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bling Posted January 30 Author Report Share Posted January 30 .... here is the osunlade review mimster..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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