And... Go.

Matthew Farrell. Self-created raconteur, impresario, dandy, sponsor of the arts, cheerleader of creativity, perpetual inspiration. Our dear ice cream server Grace once jokingly referred to him as “the winner, and only contestant, of Charlottesville’s Oscar Wilde Lookalike Contest”, and y’know, she was pretty spot-on. Matt (I was told at various times to call him Matt, Matthew, or “just Farrell”, so to this day, I call him all those things) had his own style that was clearly modeled on his platonic ideal of a perfect gentleman. And this gentleman dressed like a Fitzgerald character, talked like a continental aristocrat who summered in some undefined New England coastal village, and walked like Groucho Marx. He smoked unfiltereds, often two at once, just for kicks, which he would hold when gesticulating excitedly as he greeted dear friends or total strangers. Pretentious? Yeah, a bit. Sincere? Always. Distinctive? Absolutely. At some point, I think I recall him saying someth...

David Berman has left the stage, made his exit, delivered his final observations on the state of existence.   I feel like it’s dumb to be tearing up at the thought of a Berman-less world, so I guess I’m dumb, and I guess I don’t really mind. I can't claim I knew him very well, but I thought of him as a friend. You know, the sort of friendships that form when you're both part of an amorphous social circle of weirdos in a small town at a certain point in time? Like that. Actually, exactly that. Everyone ends up at the same places, and it’s all a sea of get-togethers where everyone ends up in the kitchen, and a tiny club and a sushi bar and a Thai restaurant and a coffee shop and a bunch of patios in the summertime. You see different combinations of the same people, and there’s always beer and whiskey, and every wall is decked out with Steve Keene paintings, no matter which house or shop or café you’re sitting in. Now, a couple decades removed, defining specifics is onerous, an...

Here's the set from last Wednesday's gig... Another week, another fun throwdown at Pianos . This one was a bit mellower than previous weeks, and I was once again kinda pushing to see what I could get away with. Trying to mix my familiar tunes in different ways, incorporate different material, and only reaching for the standby songs/segues when I got myself into a jam and needed a second to breathe. The Rulers- Wrong 'Em Boyo Lafayette Afro-Rock Band- Hihache King Curtis- Sing A Simple Song Cymande- The Message Gang Starr- DJ Premier In Deep Concentration Marlena Shaw- California Soul Blackalicious- Deception CSC Funk Band- Bad Banana Bread The Meters- Chug-Chug-Chug-A-Lug The Soul Lifters- Hot, Funky And Sweaty Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band- Cissy Strut 6ix- I'm Just Like You Rudy Robinson & The Hungry Five- Get It Together (pts 1 & 2) Charles Wright- You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin' The Jackson 5- How Funky Is Your Chicken James Brown- Funky Drummer The Mighty...

Here's the rundown of my set at 151 from a couple weeks ago... Or at least the first couple hours thereof. It was a slow night, and I decided to kick things off with a lot of stomping-skanking-honking grooves. Stuck in that vein 'til midnight or so, then transitioned to a funk/soul blend; cueing tracks back and forth between a few compilations, trying to get familiar with some reissues I'd recently acquired (and I stopped keeping a record of what I was playing at that point). So. A set of ska/garage/r&b/soul titles for your perusal: The Wailers- Tall Cool One Baba Brooks & His Band- One Eyed Giant Prince Buster- 7 Wonders Of The World Shane Kai Ray- Jungle Talk Calvin Cool- El Telecote The Savoys- Slappin' Rods & Leaky Oil The Four Sounds- Mama Ubangi Bangi Baby Huey & The Babysitters- Monkey Man The Maytals- Monkey Man The Shardells- Black Crack The Tennors- Ride The Donkey Skip Cole- Do The Whip Prince Buster- Madness Clarence & Calvin- Rooster...

Here's my Wednesday evening set from two weeks ago, starting pretty heavy on the soul/bluebeat/ska/funk, and branching into more classic hip-hop and block party tunes as it goes... Been picking up lots more reissues lately, and trying to push myself a little harder to play less of my standby tracks / play familiar things in a different order. So, there's still plenty of faves, but not as I'd normally use 'em... Good to aim a bit out of the comfort zone once in a while. Rico- Sea Cruise King Curtis- Sing A Simple Song The Paragons- On The Beach Eric Morris- If I Didn't Love You Alton Ellis & The Flames- Girl, I've Got A Date Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm- Getting Nasty Tim Armstrong- Hold On The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band- Watts Happening The Harry J Allstars- UFO Eric Donaldson- Cherry Oh Baby The Selecter- s/t Don Covay- Sookie Sookie Roger & The Gypsies- Pass The Hatchet The Houseguests- What So Never The Dance (pts 1 & 2) Sly & The ...

If you are around in central Virginia tomorrow, you should come check this out. ...And if you're not, you should still look at the lovely event poster that my buddy James K. Ford and I made. The best imaginary vintage paperback cover never made, methinks. Very "Ace Double", in color scheme and layout. Anyhow, DJ gig. In the hometown. With my buddy James (AKA DJ Hummingbird Feeder) and me. We'll start around 9/9:30/10pm and go 'til last call. It will rock, and funk, and do other genretastic verbjectives... And it would be great to see you.

My first DJ set of the new year, from Camino in Charlottesville, Virginia. Starts out with a mini-set of mellow Beatles covers, builds to a pretty solid run of funk and hip-hop tunes, wraps up in much the fashion it began... Lotsa classics, lotsa rare stuff, a few random bits of whimsy, and one point where the amp overheated and everything went quiet. Pretty alright. Jimmy Ponder-While My Guitar Gently Weeps Booker T. & The MG's- Lady Madonna Overton Berry Trio- Hey Jude Ramsey Lewis- Day Tripper Harry J. Allstars- Don't Let Me Down Booker T. & The MG's- Michelle Harvey Averne- I Feel Fine The Selecter- The Selecter King Curtis- Memphis Soul Stew Lee Dorsey- Four Corners (pt. 1) The Fantastic Johnny C- Boogaloo Down Broadway Marvin Gaye- Stubborn Kind Of Fellow Jamie Lidell- Multiply The Houseguests- What So Never The Dance (pts 1 & 2) Johnny Cameron & The Camerons- Funky John Tony Alvoin & The Belairs- Sexy Coffee Pot Freddie & The Kinfolk- Mashe...

My set from Wednesday the 16th, 5-10pm, first of a two-night run of happyhour gigs. Mostly funk and hip-hop, with a bit of soul and ska and other surprises: Maceo & All The King's Men- Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin) The Impressions- Why Don't You Check Out Your Mind The Temptations- Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down King Curtis- Memphis Soul Stew Pete Rock & CL Smooth- T.R.O.Y. The J.B.'s- Pass The Peas Milly & Silly- Getting Down For Xmas Bob James- Take Me To The Mardi Gras The Emotions- Blind Alley Curtis Mayfield- Power To The People Jimmy Cliff- The Harder They Come The Harry J Allstars- Je t'aime Bobby Williams- Funky Superfly (parts 1 & 2) Big Daddy Kane- Ain't No Half Steppin' Electric Jungle- Funky Funky Christmas Jeff Beck- Come Dancing Beck- Lloyd Price Express Das Efx- They Want Efx Nice & Smooth- Hip-Hop Junkies Kid Cudi- Make Her Say The Pharcyde- Runnin' Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band- Y...

I'm breaking a long silence here to mention a film that just opened in three cities. And if you know me (and if you're somehow reading this, I bet you do), please take my recommendation. The film is called "The Boys". It's a documentary on Richard and Robert Sherman. Now, odds are you have no idea who those people are, but I'd bet good cash you know many of the songs they wrote. "It's A Small World". "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers". "Tall Paul". "You're Sixteen [you're beautiful, and you're mine]". "I Wanna Be Like You" (from The Jungle Book). All the songs from "Mary Poppins", "Bedknobs And Broomsticks", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Charlotte's Web", and oodles of others. And it's a film that shines a light on unsung giants of pop culture, provides a great portrait of painful family dynamics, and (vitally) pulls at the heartstrings wit...

In the traditional fashion for this festive season, I hereby present your recommended dosage of holiday cheer: GIANT GLOWING INFLATABLE SANTA BOOTY! Have a wonderful holiday season, and don't say I never gave you nuthin'. -PAR

And then (and yes I know I'm suddenly re-establishing contact after a long silent stretch), I was a bit older. And what remained was a weekend's worth of memories made up of blurred recollections and amazing food and digital photos and falling over giggling and many many many many MANY drinks and old friends catching up and some newer friends suddenly being missed and yet more fantastic cuisine and getting distracted and wandering off and unrequited love and stupid jokes and stolen kisses and immense affection and loose ends and missing polaroids and a few long-time collaborators notable in thier absence and early mornings and late nights and intersecting social circles and intending to go somewhere and ending up somewhere entirely different by mistake and disorientation and selective equilibrium and unanticipated tenderness and music and fun and not a lot of sleep and holding one another tightly and missed connections and happy coincidences and no matter what details we'd ...

Things have been kinda crazy since I got back from California, but I guess I just haven't felt much like talking. At least, not in this forum. More when I begin feeling a little more conversational again. -PAR

And with that, I run off to California. Back soon, getting settled, housewarming, and all that other stuff commences. But 'til then... Ten days of beach and lovely weather and family and recreation. Awesome. More soon (when I return if not before). -PAR

Five days 'til flying to California. Five days of organizing and getting things squared and not having time to spend with wonderful girl and working and shuffling things around from bag to bag so I have proper articles of clothing and other things needed for ten days of goofing off by the ocean. Started making lists of things as I think of them in order to forget as little as possible. Dealing with details of new apartment that will be sitting ready when I return, making sure things like electricity and some manner of sleeping arrangement are in place. It's a stretch of inertia and powerlessness and desperation and heatwave and just-put-my-head-down-and-power-through-it-dammit that I know leads somewhere better, but is really frustrating in the meantime. Having just enough time to worry and overthink while not being able to set everything straight or participate in all the awesome things that're happening all around. But it's only a few days. I keep reminding myse...

Exhausted. Run a bit ragged. Wistful for the ocean. Waiting for a moment to pause and think. In the final stretch to get finances and housing squared. Planning trip west. Up far too late. Trying to turn down the sound and images spinning in my brain. Wondering at the incredible city I live in. Wishing I had more time to devote to family. Imagining how music can fit together, and wondering if I have the means to execute it. Stressed. Stupidly busy. Somehow still moving forward. Excited. Determined. Hopeful. Totally smitten. More soon. -PAR

It's been a while since I wrote anything here. The last few weeks have seen my life turned upside-down in fairly comprehensive fashion, and I expect the next few will continue the trend. The cafe has re-opened, and I'm back making coffee and working seven days / week (between two jobs). I've moved out of the apartment I was in for the past 4 years, put nearly everything I own into a Manhattan Mini-Storage space on the Westside Highway, and am staying on couches and floors of friends for the next few weeks. If all goes well, will have a new (bigger and better) place come August, living with my old pal Will in the Lower East Side. Gonna be DJing at NuBlu on the 20th of this month with a couple friends (which should be AWESOME). Have set August 3rd-13th as the dates for my next swing through California, staying in Santa Cruz with family, catching up with friends, and doing lots of wandering around. And in the midst of all this, I somehow end up dating an amazing girl. D...

The song of the summer will be Kanye West and Daft Punk's "Stronger". In-f***ing-credible. I've so far only heard it as a minute-long clip on a mixtape and as an mp3 taken from a radio broadcast in the UK (which has the DJ talking over large portions of it). It's not officially released for a little while. And it's already my new favorite thing. It tears Daft Punk's classic "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" apart, and then rebuilds it as an unstoppable juggernaut of synth-fueled hip-hop grandeur. A beat to slay the mightiest dancefloor, and the best lyrics of anything Kanye's done by far. "Let's get lost tonight. You could be my black Kate Moss tonight. Play secretary on the boss tonight..." This is the jam. This will be the tune to drop at every party. This will create sex on the dancefloor in a way nothing has in a few years. That is all. You heard it here first. -PAR

It's funny, I've worn through probably four or five pairs of batts since moving to New York. And every time, I've just had to throw the old ones out and buy new ones. If only I'd known that there's a place on the Westside Highway that specializes in re-facking them... -PAR

A quick flip backwards through some pictures from the last few months. (Now that I'm able to get things from my Trekphone to my laptop again...) Lots of crazy. Lots of fun. Lots more to come. -PAR