For Mirth Only

Mike Simonetti at Love…err, do I get partial credit for turning this in late?

I have to preface this story with the first time I saw Mike play out. Just two weeks prior to his gig at Love, he DJ’d at this bizarre Chinatown venue in a restaurant on the second floor of a mall. It was full of Manhattan hipsters, the kind that frequent the Tribeca Grand, Soho and Nolita. I showed up at around 230 (after a Dope Jams party that fizzled out and chilling at a friend-of-a-friends in bed-stuy). Justine D. was on before him, playing the standard b-more/electro. I surveyed the area, went to the bathroom and sat down near the dancefloor. Walked around a little to hide the fact that I was there by myself, sat down in another spot further out, walked to another spot in the back and sat down – this went on for almost an hour until Mike finally went on. I stood up next to a pillar. By this time almost everyone had left, but there was still un petit fou dancing their hearts out on the floor. I can’t remember his first record, but the next one he turned up loud, as he does, and it was a really fun flamenco-ish record. He walked away from the stage in between records to take a piss or something. I love it when DJs sneak away from the decks when no one’s paying attention. I think it’s funny. It was apparent he didn’t give a fuck. The set was only a half hour, but it was full of classic disco – short but fulfilling.

So yeah, two weeks later and I’d finally convinced a couple friends to come out to see Mike play at Love, a venue that really does have the best sound system in NYC but can never seem to bring in anyone but NYU kids. I ran across town to meet one of my friends who’d arrived early/on time. After bullshitting with the doorman about my friend’s ID, we went in and there was a band I’d never heard of on; it was their record release party. Middle of the first song, my friend says I can’t stand this place and walks out. I didn’t disagree, so I followed him out of the main room. He went back outside to see if our other friend had arrived, and I played tetris on my mobile in that ridiculous mcdonald’s playground-ish room. He called and said she arrived and that they don’t want to come back in. I got convinced to go outside to say “hi.”

“Oh that party is so not cool, why don’t we go somewhere in the LES that’s cool, I know a party there,” he says.
“I want to go somewhere to chill out. Can you guarantee I’m going to like Love?“ she says.
“I forgot my ID and can’t get a drink inside…Let’s go somewhere else,” he says.
etcetera etcetera etcetera.

Normally I would have given in, but I was just beginning my “i’m gonna go it alone if i have to” phase, which manifested from situations like this one and just being generally dissatisfied with life.

Furious – I think my friend had said something to the effect of “Wow, you’re really angry aren’t you?” - I strode back inside and played more tetris for about an hour in the second floor cubby, while the jazz band played whatever it was they played. I was beginning to lose hope as the night approached 1, so I went in to the main room. Good timing, Mike went on just moments after. It wasn’t particularly packed - still the same crowd as earlier in the night, though Kon and Amir were there kuz they were playing later.

First record was a non-dance, set the mood, folky thing. The trick worked again, and at full volume, the second record sent everyone nuts. I can’t really say what he played – stuff that sounded like early house, disco, vocal stuff, a record that had a nice sonic breakdown, which was probably awesome for its time and could only work on Love’s sound system. I had 3 beers, which is a lot for me. One record had this bass melody that kept returning to me for weeks on end, which rarely happens. Turned out to be pointer sisters’ send him back (pilooski edit). The whole room was dancing really hard and Mike was playing shit probably only Kon & Amir knew. The bartender was genuinely interested: “who is this guy?? he’s tearing it up.”

It was another short set, about an hour long. But unbelievable. I want to say it’s the best 1 hour set I’ve ever heard in a club, and I said as much in the phone call to my sister at 330.

I got a lot of friends to come out to Rubulad (his next ny gig) – it was good and I had a great time, but it wasn’t the same level of newness/what the fuck is going on/this is crazy shit – at least not musically.