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First Person Op-Ed #2: El Gant

Why Am I Still Looking For Something To Do?
OK, so at this point there’s about 10 million people living in NYC, fighting for space on trains, and paying way too much for apartments that most out of towners wouldn’t deem livable. Most of us, especially those involved in the music industry, are out and about on any given night “networking”, listening to somebody’s album, or watching somebody’s showcase. Depending on who you talk to, hip-hop is currently alive and well. So why the hell am I still looking for something to do?

It’s not like I have the opportunity to actually relax and go out without any strings attached. I’m talking about a night where you can actually go out with a few friends, listen to some good music, and keep your two-way in the truck. I’m talking about a night where you don’t have to publicize, promote, perform, or pretend your doing one of the three. When you actually have a night to go out, especially a weeknight, something entertaining is getting harder to find.

Possibly this could be because of my personal tastes. There’s more than a fair share of clubs in NYC. But that’s not what I’m looking for. I’m over it.

Of course there’s the occasional underground event but most are so poorly thrown together and promoted, it usually consists of four dudes at the bar, two with girlfriends, two guys battling outside by a Ford escort, and one guy handing out fliers for the next exciting event going down there.

It just really strikes me as odd that with as many people of different tastes we have, there are not more cool places to hang out. I’m certainly not saying that there isn’t a few. In fact, my one usual day off is Monday, and if I get a chance, I always head to the same spot in the meat packing district, head down the stairs and bang. Dope funk breaks for the first few hours, followed by music that I grew up to but now, regrettably, is referred to as “old school”.

I’m not talking “O.P.P.” and “Wrecks-n-Effex” old-school, I’m talking Pete Rock remix to “Shut ‘Em Down”, Ultramagnetic “Poppa Large” old-school. Good crowd; beautiful white, black, brown and asian women. Sapporo flowing like whoa. If parties like this went down on more nights I’d be…well probably an alcoholic, but I’d be having a lot more fun.

Apparently even this escape of mine isn’t as good of a place as I imagined it to be because after bringing over 50 people with me and spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars there over the past year, a few weeks ago my friends and I were met at the door with an attitude by the hostess and that this Monday, it was a “private party”.

Which left me back at square one asking myself, why the hell am I still looking for something to do?

Message El Gant and tell him what you think

By El Gant on 7/27/2005[read on] [5 comments]

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