Low Key at Surface

[sugar]

I can't believe there hasn't been a review of this yet!

Absolutely everything was enjoyable--no complaints from me for a change--and contributed to making the night a great one.

The space was nice---lots of couches for lazyasses like me, but also lots of room to dance comfortably. Most importantly, the washrooms were clean and well-equipped all night.

The music was great in the back room all night--lots of nice, funky tunes that were great for dancing or head-bopping to. I was wrong---I do have one teensy negative comment: the cheesey hip-hop/R&B in the front room has got to go. No Janet Jackson and her inane lyrics, please. The flyer said "slick hop", but this was more like "sick hop".

What made the night best of all, of course, were the people. Not only were there a gazillion tribers there, but I also ran into some friends from highschool that I haven't seen in years. Isn't this typical: one of our old friends is getting married (in Vegas!), and another was arrested for drug possession at the US border (for one roach and some pipes).

My only question: where the heck was the afterhours? As far as we could tell, the address didn't exist.

 

[Guest]

I am so lucky I was able to smoothtalk not 1, not 2, but 3 of the bouncers to get in at 2am. I would have been *fucked* otherwise.

I even offered a bribe when all hope seemed dim, but the guy (to his *gasp* ethical credit) said "how long you gonna be" to which I replied 5 mins. He let me in, and I didn't leave till it shut down. I'm sure he didn't really care how long I was in there, just towing the line, so to speak.

Nice to hear some sweet chillin' house after the aural assault of S&D the night before.

What a fucking weekend.

Great to see so many out last night, especially meeting Bigbadbaldy and Hal9000 for the first time.

And thanks to Timo and Allison for the crashpad and hangtime of course of course.

 

[DJ Doublecross]

Well Andy Roberts played "The Whistle Song" by Frankie Knuckles, so therefore it was the greatest night ever. If he had just thrown in House 4 All by the Blunted Dummies, it would have been the greatest thing in the world. Ah well, maybe it'll happen someday...

Rob

 

[MoFo]

I was SO disappointed that I missed the Brazilian drum and bass. I really wanted to catch that but it finished when I arrived. I went into Surface expecting some experimental stuff but it ended being Michael Jackson's new single followed my Missy Eliot. I mean, I like Missy and I think she's quite avant-garde but I wanted to hear some old-skool hip-hop mixed with some reare vocal stuff or something. Not ODB (which they also played).

So I hung out in the backroom mostly where Roberts played some REALLY sweet sounds. A lot of it was too slow for me to dance properly but it's great music to shake a little booty to. I was enjoying the old Frankie Knuckles track, haven't heard that in ages. Some of his mixes were quite good and his track selection was diverse considering the deep house I hear is usually contrived and pretentious. But the vibe was definitely there.

But the best part of the night was Everfresh's slick set in the front room. Pounding drum & bass sampled with hip-hop vocals... that guy really knows how to mix. In his set, I heard booty house, jungle, hip-hop, drill & bass and a shotload of other really canonical tracks. Much respect Everfresh. Loved your voice on the mic too. Too bad you couldn't MC and spin at the same time.

Anyway, a great night after Kids in the Hall, I might say.
Thanks to Timo and Allison for the ride home. We'll have to find a booze can next time since I've never been to one. I LOVE your banter! Timo and Allison are like Lucy and Desi. \

And a thanks goes to Josh's tummy for being so comfy.

Wicked to see Kate, JayIsBored, Cheeka, Booty Bits, Janie, Nat, BBB, CC, Kickit, Libradragon et al. Really great to see everyone out for Ryan's b-day. Too bad for Kife, I was really disappointed when I saw him and Echo get ushered out.

More events like this, please sans the BET tribute. And why was the place full of thin, Aritzia-wearing girls? This was definitely not a sausage party because I was getting checked out by chicks (no joke)!

 

[MoFo]

Originally posted by DJ Doublecross
Well Andy Roberts played "The Whistle Song" by Frankie Knuckles, so therefore it was the greatest night ever. If he had just thrown in House 4 All by the Blunted Dummies, it would have been the greatest thing in the world. Ah well, maybe it'll happen someday...

Rob

Newly learned fact: Rob doublefists to meet his quota. Btw, when was "The Whistle Song" produced?

 

[MoFo]

^^^
LOL. DJ Doublefist.

 

[kennyboy]

Originally posted by DJ Doublecross
Well Andy Roberts played "The Whistle Song" by Frankie Knuckles, so therefore it was the greatest night ever.
Rob

Still one of my all time favs. I rarely if ever hear it played out, but when I do, it sends shivers down my spine. I was around when this track first came out and I can still remember the first time I heard it. Absolute perfection.

 

[sentence]

*gasp*

The horror, the horror. The Whistle Song was played and I missed it. I haven't heard that song out for so long.

*living vicariously through this thread*

 

[CC]

the night was pretty good. i was only there for an hour, but i still had a pretty good time. the house in the back room was really good. the other room however..... not a fan of top 40 hip hop and crazy old school jungle.

overall, i am glad i went would have liked to stay a little longer, but my ride was getting tired, so i had to jet early.

i'll definitely be out next time.

Shawn

 

[Rosey]

i had a pretty good night. the whistle song threw me into a nice smooth grove which lasted to the end of the night and well into the early morning. i actually danced to house (but i didn't really like it too much ).

thanks to ryan, jane & stu for the hospitality (and for enduring my babble)

 

[Aphrodite]

drill and bass?

wow how long has it been since I've hit a jungle party?

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by MoFo


Btw, when was "The Whistle Song" produced?

I believe Naomi said it was made in 1988.

I recognized the track for sure, but I have no idea from where, unless Frankie played it when I saw him at Stereo.

 

[Cheeka]

I had such a wicked night !!
I stayed in the back room pretty much the whole night - and was extremely happy with the sweet house they were throwing down!!!

the only shitty part of the night was when we tried to find this ****ing after party later on richmond....
Sugar it was Richmond EAST I found out later
I was pretty miserable out in the cold at 4am trying to find it but oh well.
we ended up having our own little after party later... ... oh my, oh my!!!!

I had a great time... I will definitely be hitting the next Low Key!!!

Chrissy

 

[Libradragon]

Originally posted by Cheeka
we ended up having our own little after party later... ... oh my, oh my!!!!

what, that's all you have to say about the afterparty, cheeka?!? (kidding, just kidding)

Well, this is the 3rd low-key party i've been to, and possibly the best one I've attended. Props to Chris, Mao, Steve, and Marijan(sp?).

Andy Roberts never disappoints me. He plays all the house tunes I like grooving to, twenty four hours of the day. Hopefully this won't be the last lowkey party for him.

Everfresh - Courtney Addey from London -- well, what can i say? I've missed his grinning face since i've left London, so i wasn't surprised by his set. I'm not a big fan of the hiphop sets, but he likes to experiment, and a hip-hop guy at heart. I always remembered him for his kickass drum and bass sets. Good to see him in Toronto (which isn't very often) so I really can't complain.

Good to see everyone out, the usual suspects and more....

and JayIsBored ----- tee hee hee...is all i gotta say. K?

 

[Cheeka]

Originally posted by Libradragon


what, that's all you have to say about the afterparty, cheeka?!? (kidding, just kidding)

- hee hee I'll fill you in later....

 

[BigBadBaldy]

How could I be in the same room, AND MISS MEETING CHEEKA AND LIBRADRAGON?!?!? Next thing you'll tell me daddyiwantchocolate was there too, and I'll slip into a crying jag.

I hadn't been to the space since it was just part of Roxy Blu and loooked like an unfinished dungeon. Surface is definitely an improvement. Good rooms to either dance or chill in and talk.

Vespa was spinning some lazy d&b when I got there AND WAITED FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE A FUCKING ETERNITY for my beer from that bartender who looked like she was wearing a slip. She sucks. Good tunes to get the head-bob going.

Met Janeiecakes (YaY!), talked with Pyrovitae and Booty Bits, left the main room when the soul/R&B jam began, met JayIsBored, saw MoFo, met Rosey, Tearer, yaddayaddayadda the house was light, but still the kind of house that makes me close my eyes and dance with a big grin on my face. Which I did for the last few hours I was there. I dug Andy Roberts, but would have liked a harder infusion every now and then.

I had a good time, as much for the people I finally met (the above, plus KiFe, echo, PosTMOd and sugar) as for the dancing. I even met some random friend of Sunny's who I ended up chatting with for a while. What a sweetie.

Anyway, that's the end of my ass review.

BBB.

..and then I had tomato avocado melts! YaY!

 

[Libradragon]

*gasp* you were there, BBB?

shit no one pointed you out. next time.

 

[BigBadBaldy]

Indeed.

BBB.

Oh, cruel fates!

 

[kate]

Really fun, good music, good people.

For once, I felt young, which was nice.

Big up the Chromagnum for getting my ass home, I'm sure I was talking more than my fair share of smack in the back of that car, but hey, someone's got to do it.

 

[Cheeka]

booo - that sucks BBB
next time I hope!

and ditto Kate... it was nice to feel like the young ones !!!

 

[Sassy]

Fun night indeed! Wicked music, people, and vibe - couldn't have asked for a better night. It was great seeing so many familiar faces and meeting some new ones I love Low Key parties, have been to the last three and definitely be catching the next.

 

[PosTMOd]

Mmmmmm... fun.

The music was like fucking sex. Like group sex with all these beautiful fucking women.

And the VIP room in the hip-hop room was fun, albeit weird: for $10, you could smoke crack and slap a ho.

A nice touch, but not like those corporate sponsored events when the VIP room is a private walk-in hotbox with Thai hookers and a butler.

 

[SlipperyPete]

^^^^
what fucking planet are you on and how do I get there?

 

[PosTMOd]

Originally posted by SlipperyPete
^^^^
what fucking planet are you on and how do I get there?

I'm on Planet Hotbox with some Thai hookers and a butler.

Just head down Crazy Lane, you can't miss.

 

[MoFo]

Originally posted by Aphrodite
drill and bass?

wow how long has it been since I've hit a jungle party?

Drill and bass is a term I found in INDEX Magazine two years ago when they did an article with Aphex Twin... Sort of... hard, dirty, experimental, headache stuff...

Still have to get Squarepusher's cd...