Daptone Studios Broken Into

Hi. I know I've been pretty MIA lately, lot of stuff going on. I will fill you in, I promise, as things settle. But I am not important now. 

Daptone Records was broken into! 

This is NOT COOL. 

I don't mean to wax poetic here, but Daptone records is more than a record label/studio, it's approximates my favorite kind of community - the kind that does their thing, and to hell with the rest. They're a cultural model ok, so don't get me started. And I'm so flustered, it's making ME inarticulate.   

I know times are tough, and we're all feeling cold, Februaried and depressed,  but out of adversity comes opportunity -- to save Daptone! Charity concerts, whatever -- if you like things and people with SOUL, you know what to do. If there ever was a cause that encapsulated every other cause I stand behind, well there ya go...

Read more below (and set up some RSS feeds on nyc craigslist, ebay, etc... to make sure none of their stuff slips through) 

Sigh. 

"Friends and associates,

As you may have heard through the grapevine by now, Daptone was broken into last night. Unfortunately, there was a lot of equipment (mics, pre-amps, monitors, turntables, guitars, amps, computers, etc.) stolen and damaged. It is going to take us a while to go through everything and take full stock of what was stolen, and we are not supposed to touch anything until the cops come back to collect fingerprints so we can only guess what’s missing from some mic drawers and cabinets.
And, no, we did not have insurance. We had been shopping around with different companies earlier this month but had not signed a check, so nothing was insured. We are working on replacing the gate in front, installing an alarm system, and getting insurance, but it is President’s day so it’s not going as quickly as we would have liked.
Nydia’s computer was stolen (which wasn’t backed up) and the modems/ phone system was ripped out, so we’ll be relatively out of commission for a few days.

I would like to ask for everyone’s help first in keeping an eye out for all of our stuff showing up on ebay/craigslist/local music shops, and secondly (and more realistically) keeping an eye out for good deals on headphones, mics, pre-amps, etc. I could really use a heads up on any kind of studio package for sale or studio equipment to be possibly bought or borrowed as soon as possible. We have a session scheduled for Friday to lay down some music for (I know this sounds
surreal) Rod Stewart, and I’m going to have to get the studio running by then. I know I’m going to need to find headphones, cables, mics, and pre-amps by then. I’m not sure what else yet.

Upon first glance we are definitely missing:
Fender Super Guitar Amp in case
Fender Deluxe Guitar Amp
A whole bunch of headphones and wires
Nydia’s HP laptop computer
One Desktop MacIntosh Computer
One Purple Audio API style lunchbox with
four Purple Audio Biz mic pre-amps
2 Yamaha NS10 monitors
Vintage Harmony Rocket Guitar
One steel string acoustic guitar
Martin Tenor sax in a gig bag
Technics 1200 turntable
Ion USB turntable
Teac Receiver/stereo amp
Sony dual deck CD burner/player
All of our modem/phone system stuff was ripped out and taken.
A whole bunch of condensor and dynamic microphones (I still need to
figure out exactly what’s missing)
The power supply for my Trident console was tossed and the board was
moved (probably not gently) so the status of that is still questionable.
A baldwin organ was tossed and is probably broken.
Lacie External hard drive

Over the next few days, as we sort out the rubble, we are going to
figure out what else we lost.

We are putting in a roll down front gate, alarm system, and finally
getting our insurance happening this week. We are also going to hire
a security guard to watch the house for tonight as the cops and alarm
guy seemed pretty confident that they will be back with a truck now
that they’ve seen what’s in here.

Thanks for keeping eyes open for us. AND PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE
ALONG TO ANYONE YOU THINK MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US.

Thankfully, we all still have our health, ambition, tape machines, and
sense of humor in tact. You can slow us down, but you can’t stop
us. Sleep well knowing we here at Daptone will continue to…

Keep putting Soul up,

Gabriel Roth

P.S. On a lighter note, it seems like the burglars did drop a few
items in order to lift Alex’s old safe out of here, which was VERY
heavy, VERY unwieldy, and also VERY EMPTY!"

If you have any info to help, try contacting Daptone.

Magical Missouri

I TOLD the band Missourians liked to dance.

I'm number one.

Guess I'd better keep up the blog if I expect to keep my number one position (much love to Lori White, Inspirtational Speaker, Singer Humorist...I seriously have GOT to catch one of your shows soon.) I've got a little different perspective happening of late, may end up rather interesting.

Plenty going on as I find myself far far from the Mississippi river valley, sigh.
Updates soon as something update-worthy happens!

Until then, there's always twitter.

I see America

This picture makes me so happy

Fresh Paint was powerfully awesome.

Are you there Jane Jacobs?

It's me, Lori.I'm not usually one to lament, and maybe it's the full moon... but all these pictures of the old stl riverfront/french quarter (as much as the Arch is pretty much amazing) makes me think of singing a different tune for just a little bit. Look at all the places you could walk!

hat tip to dotage

PubDef on twitter

Why are more people not following him?
His live-tweeting of the alderman meeting going on RIGHT NOW is pretty much amazing.



May be preaching to the choir here, but give him a look on the Twitter, and go to pubdef.net if you haven't already.

50 people, 1 question

By the end of today...


Fifty People, One Question: New Orleans from Benjamin Reece on Vimeo.

ht blake and voodooventures

Good song

powered by Splicd.com

Not the kind I usually like best, but today I like it.

Interviews comin' up

So I've always been really into (in case you haven't noticed...ahem) the mythical, imminent convergence of the great cities along the mississippi into a "mega region." It's gonna happen in the next 5 years, just wait.

So, now I get to talk to people about it. This is truly wonderful. First up, the venerable Chris Schultz of New Orleans' Voodoo Ventures. He recently posted about a tipping point that's been happening in Louisiana ...

I was having the conversation on Friday night about if we are getting close to a tipping point here in New Orleans and in Louisiana with regards to technology and startup culture. As I’ve been talking about for a while, we need an ecosystem. Entrepreneurs need to know one-another and they need to know whats going on. We need organizations and a government that support startups. Its happening right now.

Don't ya think that's interesting? I'll be sending him questions soon (and posting them soon-ish), so if you've got some questions about startups, technology, social media, gumbo or humidity (or perhaps you'd like to discuss the better merits of dixieland trombone, or the best way to have a crawfish boil...or maybe you'd like to ask him just what it DOES mean to miss new orleans.) ...he may have some insight for ya.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing different kinds of people hang out in real life, thus my enthusiasm for barcamps, coworking, and bar-hopping -- reminds me...were you at the record spin? b/c yeah, it was like that, so maybe you should've COME! ---so hey, the time is now for this site to be a place for me to bring all the people that I think should meet -- in REAL life -- to meet in the almost real life of the Mississippi River Valley Girl blog.

I've emailed Dick Fleming of the The St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (RCGA)-- so here's hoping he takes a break from his busy remarkably connecting and pod-casting schedule to answer some questions, too.

Stay posted. Send questions! Send suggestions. It's Fine in '09!

Top 5 People who have changed my life through dance

So for a while there I was in a musical (High Fidelity, the musical, to be exact), and I blogged about it. In an effort to share all that subjective goodness, I'm going to re-post some of those old posts here. Just b/c I read them recently, and hey, they're relevant. Be warned. It's youtube time.

Straight from June 21st, 2008...the Top 5 People who have changed my life through Dance

…in no particular order.

1. Paula Abdul


2. Robin Berger of Leaping Lizards Dance Studio

3. Britney Spears
/>
ps it is a BLESSING that such as site as The Briney Vault exists.

4. Fatima Robinson (choreographer of Dreamgirls)


5. Frankie Manning (old school lindy hopper from the 30’s I met when I was 16 at the CASA LOMA BALLROOM)


also...



DUH.

Don't get me started, there's more youtube out there. I will refrain.

Petition Will Ask City to Cede Land for Homeless Camp

From the RFT -- St. Louis - Stlog - Petition Will Ask City to Cede Land for Homeless Camp

photo c/o The Riverfront Times STLog

Adding flame to the (inside my head) fire that St. Louis is really like the Village in the 80's. Doubt me? Check in to the film 200 Cigarettes (especially when they're "past avenue B") and/or the part of RENT where everyone's protesting to keep "Tent City" ... indulge me briefly.

Benny, that attitude toward the homeless is exactly what
Maureen is protesting. Maureen is protesting losing her
performance space, not my attitude.
           
CIose-up: Benjamin Coffin III.
Our ex-roommate who married Allison Grey
of the Westport Greys. His father-in-law bought
severaI buildings on the block and a nearby vacant Iot,
home to Tent City.

I'm not a RENT head, and I'm not trying to torture you via outdated musical theatre and odd parallel worlds...but think about this. Substitute some words and what have you got? If you're a friend or a rando reader (which means you're a friend, sorta!)...let me know what you think. Blythe? Weigh in! Is STL just NYC but 25 years ago? What's that mean?

Also like, check old newspapers about NYC in the 80s (when it was "scary") and valid sources and whatnot b/c that's *maybe* better than a movie only you and your High School friends watch and a musical.

I'm right, though.

iTap in the Gumbo Flats*

500-beer bar coming to Chesterfield Valley | Off the Menu | STLtoday:

"Just got a very interesting note from the PR person for Brad Lobdell, who intends to open a bar called the International Tap House at the corner of Edison and Long roads in the Chesterfield Valley by the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.

Some tidbits about the place:
# Serves no food, but patrons can order from three other menus from nearby restaurants.
# Serves every beer in its proper glass (flute, tulip, pint, mug, pilsner, etc.)
# Non-smoking.
# Drink-in or carryout.
# 40 of the 500 beers are on draught.
# The place will go by iTap for short.

More as I learn it."

Oh, now that doesn't sound obnoxious AT ALL.

EDIT July 19th, 2009: Hey, if you live in Chesterfield, you should of course go to iTap! Business is good when business is business. I just wish I could hear about businesses like these opening up in lovely, walk-to-it-able downtown St. Louis neighborhoods. That's all.

*more on the gumbo flats

Printer's Row

I remember one of the things I loved in Philly was that the districts/rows were actually districts...i.e. fabric row actually had loads of awesome mom&pop fabric stores (and I could walk to them/publicly transport myself to them)...now, fabric row i remember in particular --- probably because it contributed to my She-Ra costume and was just south of South street and just north of South Philly (& the awesome italian market).

Which is why I sortof love that Cherokee street is becoming Printers Row. It's charming, it's old school, and I like it. Imagine every old business district in town having a commerce niche. IMAGINE IT! It will be great. Imagine the college kids taking the bus to this row or that row to shop b/c it's clear, and they know what they'll find there and might even wander the neighborhood and buy more things...not like it's never happened. Never in my wildest would i have thought, hey, printing presses will be the start. But life is strange sometimes.

Just found out about Sleepy Kitty (moved on down from Chicago to better weather and better people...oh snap!) via SauceMag's "Sip of the Hip" --- hoping this type of commerce never ever reaches critical mass.

St. Louis - A Place for Entrepreurs and Investors

Hm.


St. Louis - A Place for Entrepreurs and Investors* from lori white on Vimeo.

Made by Invest Midwest, and found (along with a long list of Venture Capital firms in St. Louis ...actually they're mostly in Clayton... via the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association. So many old white guy networks, SO LITTLE INTERNET!)

UPDATE: The whole video's up. If you can sit through it.

“The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing.” -James Brown

On that note, come on by The Royale tomorrow night 7pm-10pm and say hello.
Seriously! My lovely sister and I will be spinning records and WE WANT TO SEE YOU.



We're bringing our tambourine!

London Calling is moving!

To Cherokee. To the new Stable Loft.
Interesting.

AMAZING open mic, Cafe Soul's first comedian - Scott

My pal, Scott (better known to the masses as H. Alan Scott) PERFORMED AT CAFE SOUL LAST FRIDAY NIGHT. OMG.



He is the coolest! Also, DJ Needles was PMA (Pretty Much Amazing) that evening as well. Mr. Needles will be at the Upstairs Lounge (and therefore so will I) on December 26th starting at 10pm. I might get there closer to 11, let's be honest.

Cafe Soul was at Lucas School house for the last night tonight...LSH is CLOSING! :( ... so if you have an event space that's big enough for some amazing talent, you should probably email cafesoulstl at yahoo.com and claim this WONDERFUL evening for yourself. Or you should just email them to tell them that they are awesome. OR MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO TO THE NEXT ONE B/C IT IS AMAZING. sorry, shouting.

Anyway, back to Scott... He'll be at Bill Chott's Improv Jam on the 23rd at the Mad Art Gallery. Scott talks about it (more or less) here.

Bill Chott is great. He is a Good St. Louisan. (also, he has met Dana Carvey & MORE!) He teaches comedy classes on Cherokee Street. He puts on some great comedy Monday nights at Atomic Cowboy, too. YOU SHOULD GO. WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN YOU THERE? sorry, shouting again.

Laughter will be home for Christmas. Well, it's always home, but moreso now for the holidays. I went last year (i wore purple) to the Comedy Improv Jam at Mad Art and actually *won* a raffle and got a coffee mug (a travel one!)...this should let you know just how magical it will be.

Come to think of it, last time I was at a Bill Chott hosted thing - everyone's fav poet/person GAVE me a book! Maybe you will be next to tangentially get something free (besides laughs, which are, i hear, the best medicine) at a Bill Chott event. Maybe, b/c I have not seen you, I am getting YOUR free things! Don't let that happen.

B/c I will take them anyway and not even text you about it.

well, this is awkward

global live christmas songwriting

A little internet magic for Christmas.

I'm sorry, but this is live xmas songwriting business JUST TOO COOL.

Rise and Shine (livestream here) is changing my life and I owe it all to John Cleese. (crazy)

here's the podcast:

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