I Taught Him How To Fish.. But He Just Wanted a Meal

Years ago, in another life time before I became a dad, corporate hustler and mortage until-death-debt-note slave, I did an extensive amount of traveling throughout Europe. On one trip in particular, in the mid 90s I visited the town of Lodz Poland.

Mind you, this is the transition Poland era - right after Communism fell and right before Capitalism got organized. It wasn't uncommon to see old babushkas,  tons of gray buildings and alcoholics stumbling about while bright shiny Mercedes coupes lined up at the new night spots emerging around town. Even in 1996.

It was in one of these new night spots that I stumbled upon a scene thick with vibe, with red velvet, candles on tables, the perfect ambiance and lights, quality drinks. It couldn't get any better really... except for the DJ who was playing that infernal sound they called "disco-polo" (which co-incidentally morphed into American hip hop circa 2011-2012 but I digress).

I sauntered up to the DJ and handed him a compact disc I'd bought a week earlier in Hamburg, slipped him twenty USD, and asked him to play the track below. The vibe in the room immediately improved - you could tell people lounged into their seats a little harder, couples tightened up and got a little closer.

I didn't just hand him a track. I taught him how to fish.... but sadly it didn't take, as the next track up he went right back to playing the same old euro pap.

If you're a DJ, if you know how to read a room correctly and let your ego out the door, you can leave people with a memory they'll have for a lifetime. You can create vibe. You can create magic. It's what I miss most about playing out. And it's the difference between hacks and true selectors. One.



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