It’s rare that when traveling for gigs that I get to combine multiple passions into one trip that sees my love of movies and film connect with the analog sounds of funk and soul vinyl being played. If you take a look back to 2007 during the era of doing my Hot Peas & Butta parties, the foundation of the nights were both a visual and sound experience on both analog formats of 45 and VHS. Even certain nights in the city of Köln Germany, the main focus of visuals would be screened on both Super8 and 16mm with an array of trailers, shorts and films being shown as backdrops to a funk & soul party to connected both mediums. What’s even more rare is meeting someone that’s equally as passionate and geeked out about both film and DJ’ing that goes the extra mile to present his community with something special and unique. And a few weeks back while in Salt Lake City, I got to experience that special something courtesy of homie James Ramirez, a DJ / digger, film lover and historian, wine and food lover and all around preserver of the right culture that needs to be spotlighted in the city.
While in SLC a few weeks back, I had the pleasure of curating a film screening of one of my favorite Kung Fu films on VHS at Brewvies Cinema Pub for a Kung Fu Theater SLC x Beer GoGGles collaboration screening. Brewviews is a cool cinema pub as it states in it’s name where James does a monthly screening of Kung Fu and Hong Kong Action Films. Each 4th Wednesday he digs into the archives to showcase a classic flick on the big screen From Shaw Brothers to Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan to Chow Yun Fat, you can guarantee that you’ll always be in for a treat and what better way than in a theater like the good old days!? For this particular night, I chose the film Snuff Bottle Connection which was a thrill to finally see projected on the big screen to a packed house of movie-goers. The reaction from the audience during the fight scenes was nostalgic in every way and felt just like the early 80’s going to catch a Saturday matinee. What other DJ besides myself would even consider doing a night like this? Welp, no one else besides the man himself, James Ramirez.
Not that I needed any convincing that my time spent in SLC was going to be something amazing, but for the second part of the double-header experience which took place on Friday evening was playing the Caviar Club X-Mas Party which once again combined two things that James (and of course myself) love, music and food. His monthly Caviar Club party is always something special as he brings in chefs as well as wine specialists for the foodie crowd during the early part of the night while DJ’s play a range of music depending on the theme of the night which could be a night dedicated to acid rock and psychedic funk, 90’s Hip Hop or Funk & Soul. As the food portion winds down, the sounds get turned up and Caviar Club becomes the music lovers dance party which turned out to be everything that I expected and connected multiple scenes that otherwise are never in the same room. Being able to play a night of funk & soul 45’s to an audience of foodies and Hip Hop heads, Bboys and Bgirls, graff writers, doctors and other professionals was amazing especially with everyone being in such the holiday spirit.
Video (c) Alma Specialties Video / Photo