Be prepared to lose your $hit.
1700
The atmosphere transforms. A new presence is felt. A new spirit arrives. Although he nor his fedora are visible from the rear of the dance floor adjacent the bar. No longer Little Louie, Vega gives life when playing the Dance Ritual chart-topper from the early aughts. “Brand New Day” never sounded more engaging. As a tidal wave of optimism floods over the gathered faces of brown, tan, and peach. Appreciating. The King’s preaching an uplifting sermon; Raul Midón’s “Sunshine (I Can Fly)” (Sacred Rhythm Mix), Elements of Life’s featuring Anané’s “You Came Into My Life” (Louie Vega NYC Mix), Lil Louis’ “Fable” (Director’s Cut Classic Club Mix) with those uplifting piano riffs that floors everyone including the woman with tatted sleeves waving her limbs uncontrollably at the classic, Barbara Tucker’s “I Get Lifted”-all songs Texans need to hear.
“Pick it up. Pick it up.” Your friend yells while popping and locking and dropping to his knees as Leon Ware’s “Rocking” slays. The Souldynamic Boot is smooth, soulful and buttery beautiful that lifts dancing feet off the ground.
For what comes next. Feel the pulsating four-on-the-floor that jolts the heart. When the kick drum hits harder. The snare drum hisses louder. And the bass wobbles. The music goes straight house, no chaser.
The big ticket that is Louie Vega.
Louie Vega is the big ticket. Melomaniacs don’t think twice about dropping over $30 for the experience. And the space is packed with folks, not sandwiched packed, but just packed enough to dance and spin in between bodies, that just right packed. After all, Vega doesn’t do journeys. He takes people on adventures. Take, the Masters At Work’s “Moonshine” that kicks ass. Leaving the dance floor littered with smoke and groove. Followed by the Jersey killer Mr. X’s “Curse.” One dancer side kicks, drops to the floor, jumps up, and spins around simultaneously. As if possessed by rhythm and drum.
You feel privileged to experience these songs playing at a day party. Where you dance betwixt the multiverse of music genres. NYC disco; “Cosmic Witch,” house/garage “I Get Lifted” and Afro-Latin “Apaga la Luz.”
Think an epic summer blockbuster. Explosions. Car chases. The money-shot. Vega’s soundtrack is epic. The hits, “Dance.” A star-studded cast, 3 Winans Brothers featuring the Clark Sisters. EFX, the a cappella of “Dance” playing over three minutes of steady beeps emitting from a portable electrocardiograph and thumps from a beating heart pumping oxygen on Fiona Kraft’s “Deeper Feelings” (Manoo The Dub/Piano Interpretation by Bacanito) that doubles as an unreleased remix. Dub it marvel music. King Louie shatters boxed-in expectations. He pivots the paradigm of how dance music should sound and does sound.
“You’ve got to give me this song.” Your friend requests. Sadly, the song is unidentifiable. The beat is a disco burner, a cross between Vega & Spinna’s “Atmosphere Strut,” and a stirring ensemble of horn and string. Suddenly, Inaya Day’s “Feelin’ Feelin’” drops into existence. And the people lose their shit. This is what the King does throughout his playlist, dropping exclusive beats and then fire acapellas for an on-the-fly mix available, nowhere.
At It’ll Do Club’s fortitude where mixed drinks meets disco, the soundtrack of bell bottoms and blue lights is widely welcomed. There plays Sheila Ford scatting on the Thommy Davis and Tasha Larae’s cover of Karen Young’s “Hot Shot” from 1978.
“You want me to drop it and get back up?” Miss Puerto Rico replies with her hourglass frame and youthful smile. “I’m over forty years old.” She cha-chás. Her feet stepping in three quick and two slower patterns across the floor, left to right, front and back to “Lovin’ Is Really My Game.”
“Some of these cats too young to remember this music.” True, you yell to your friend over the Brainstorm disco classic. Gen Zers are too young to remember the classics but not track number seven from “Expansions In The NYC” released nearly a year ago. Vega featuring Karen Harding singing “Free to Love.” Perhaps, thus far, the most significant song to play of the party. The David Morales Disco Juice Vocal Mix has one sister with eyes closed singing as though every lyric is a heartfelt affirmation. The music people need to hear continues with David Morales featuring Michelle Perera’s “Life Is A Song.” The Philly Mix pulls a young duo wearing twisties and headscarf into a cropped circle. Their hand stand spins and freezing draws spectators, namely the guy wearing a black cowboy hat. As Duane Harden’s vocal riffs on “Never Stop” brings smiles, jumping feet and arms waving in the air in the afterglow of black light. Glowing white. After the cropped circle closes. One guy wearing a black tee attempts to gather others to electric slide to Vega featuring Unlimited Touch’s “Music Is My Life.” Epic fail.
Immediately, the music disappears. Ears hear a ghostly howl. A cackle breaks forth through the soundsphere. The steady buzzing of a swarm of bees heads towards you. Against the sputtering of percussions. The pitter-patter of heart pounding thumps are felt. All playing the soundtrack of the apocalypse.
Yo, it’s over. Hands down. When your white sweat towel comes out. You wave the towel. That guides your movement of circle spins and floor swipes. It becomes a flag, a symbolic gesture of communication with the arriving ancestors.
“1,2,1,2 an auto-tuned voice declares. The familiar alto proclaims it’s time to turn off the lights. A sea of cheers resound throughout the space. All welcoming Tony Touch’s “Apaga la Luz.” The Vega exclusive with the first verse rapped in English and where the Pablo Fierro Raw Mix becomes the OG Main Mix.
The room is destroyed. People that never thought they could dance are dancing. Arms are in the air as if worshipping at Sunday church service. Dancers are bent over at the waste. Screams are heard when Roland Clark preaches, “He takes all the bass out of the song, And all you hear is highs” on arguably the most over sampled vocal “I Get Deep.”
The ancestors speak when the Rhode organ sounds. Staccato jabs of chords overlay a sweeping thump. Your right sneaker lands on the edge of a table as your back drops in reverse. The music builds and builds until the climax. When the room goes black. And completely silent. A loud cheer erupts. Casual observers take note. Deep house crowds cheer when the music is pulled out beneath them versus EDM crowds cheering when the beat drops on their heads.
The King destroys when playing Black Coffee’s “We Dance Again” (Dub). He drops bombs. One wonders if the Hightower building is standing. As It’ll Do Club falls in shambles.
“Wow, Dallas it has certainly been a long time. There are young people here. The old heads are here. My friends, some traveled from Austin and Houston. Can you believe dat? Thanks for showing up. Dat’s respect. The King continues with his Bronx accent. “Dallas will you have me back? We have to do this again. And next time, maybe I bring some of my friends with me.”
Encore
Horns. Filtered. Bass. Reverb. “Deeper. A little bit deeper,” a voice croons repeatedly. That all builds to a climatic refrain before exploding into beats and boom! Latin soul makes dancing feet salsa and meringue to Domo Domo’s “Happening In The Streets”. Luminaries Yas Inoue and Dj Takaya Nagase’s Domo Domo Rework is a lofty tribute to the original by the Voltage Brothers. Championed by King Louie and released on his Vega Records. The high octane encore ends a most illustrious adventure that ushers the shining of bright and white from the ceiling above. All before you step outdoors into the setting of the sun having experienced the best birthday gift ever.
wrds: aj dance
grphc: aj art
Share this:
Tags: #dancefloormagic #housemusicexcellence, afro house music, Dallas TX, deep house music, Demarkus Lewis, elements of life, house music, house music dancing, It'll Do Club, Louie Vega, masters at work, nuyorican soul, soulful house music, vega recordings