This is a bonus post to my full review of the event, including the story of how I came to be a resident DJ at the Phoenix Landing.

Phoenix Landing 15th Anniversary Boat Cruise

In 1996 I was a college student and DJ of underground electronic dance music based in Boston, USA. Though I had at that point achieved some success as a DJ in my short career of 2-3 years, having performed around the country for crowds of thousands, I was feeling that the meaningful experiences the rave scene had provided were coming far less frequently than they had before, and that a more superficial, less music-oriented attitude had become common place amongst promoters and patrons of those events. I yearned for an opportunity to play for crowds who appreciated the music as much as I did.

In late Fall of that year a good friend from school suggested I bring records to a house party he would be attending. I did and the other djs kindly gave me the chance to play. I remember having a great time, turned out a good set for a small but enthusiastic crowd, and afterward was introduced to a gentleman named Kevin Treanor.

Kevin said that he enjoyed the music I played and that I should come by a bar he owned called The Phoenix Landing. He told me that on Sunday nights DJs played proper dance music and I might be invited for a guest spot at the party if I played an opening audition set and the residents liked it. At that time I had been attending dance music events multiple times per week for four years and never heard of the bar or the event. I was quite curious so I thanked Mr. Treanor and told him I’d be psyched to take him up on his offer.

I believe it was late November, 1996, when I showed up for my audition at The Phoenix Landing. Several close friends came with me that night. The Phoenix is a charming pub with a nice open feel for its size. It has a long bar on the left and a bench all along the right wall which wraps around a large booth at the back. Carpeted wooden panels have been built to span the benches in this booth, forming a small stage. Throughout the bar are tables and chairs where lunch and dinner is served; these are cleared out by 10pm, turning the bar into a music venue.

I played a set of house music I felt would be appropriate to get a party started and by the end of my set around 11pm a decent crowd had gathered and folks were grooving. I turned the decks over to the resident DJs, Peter Bailey and Foxy John, and stuck around to check out the scene. What I witnessed inspired me in a way I hadn’t been in some time. It was exactly what I had been looking for.

Sunday Service, as it was called, was an epic party every week flying under the radar of the Boston rave/club underground establishment. It was a completely different crowd made up of mostly Irish nationals, older on average than the American club/rave crowd, and these folks knew how to party like it seemed no one did anymore at the parties I was going to. These were experienced house music fans, having come up in the golden era of the late 80′s and early 90′s at legendary European venues such as Sir Henry’s in Cork (a club Laurent Garnier has cited as his favorite place to play in the world). They packed The Phoenix on Sundays and danced on the benches, on the tables, and even on the bar, punching in the air and grinning from ear to ear. They cheered and screamed for every good track; every good mix. The vibe was electric. I felt like Indiana Jones discovering the Ark of the Covenant.

Peter and John invited me back to play their party during peak hour several times that winter. Those nights were mad, raucous, and ecstatic. It seemed like the crowd could eat up as much as I could dish out and feed it back tenfold. It was a joyous release to share my passion with such an enthusiastic and welcoming audience.

Several months after I first auditioned, Kevin Treanor asked me if I’d like to do a weekly party of my own at The Phoenix Landing and offered me my pick of a weeknight. At that time there was a popular party at a big nightclub on Thursdays so I chose Wednesdays. My close friend and music partner, Chuck Caseroc, was living and rocking dancefloors in Denver then and I called to invite him to share the residency with me if he could move back to Boston. He agreed and Wednesdays @ The Phoenix Landing opened on March 7th, 1997.

What transpired over the next seven and a half years is a topic for another post. Suffice to say the experience was a defining chapter in my life I hope to never forget, and I will be forever grateful to the owners, management, staff, and patrons of The Phoenix Landing for welcoming me into their family and for the support I was given to share the music I love.

The Phoenix Landing has now been the hub of underground electronic dance music in Boston for 15 years. Every year the venue has organized a dance party on a cruise ship in the harbor with music provided by current resident DJs. For the 15th Anniversary, five past residents were brought together for a very special edition of the event: Peter Bailey and Foxy John from Sunday Service, Caseroc, myself, and Randy Deshais. I’ve been looking forward to this event for months.

Adriene and I had a soul-crushing, 15-hour journey from San Francisco overnight; finally arriving in Boston around two hours before the ship was set to sail. Many times we thought there was no chance we would make it and even if we did I was nervous I would be too exhausted to enjoy it, much less turn out a good set. But we finally made it, and with time to spare for dinner. It was raining but the boat was still on schedule to leave and with food in my belly my spirits were lifted.

Things could not have turned out better. The event was completely sold out. The weather cleared and we watched the sunset over the city. Later we saw fireworks from the shoreline in every direction. The breeze was warm. The sound system was kicking. People came out of the woodwork I hadn’t seen since the Sunday Service days. So many old friends and friendly faces. All DJs played brilliantly and the flow of the music through the night was perfect; a graceful arc from grooving to ecstatic and back to grooving.

Trainspotter tidbit: In his closing set Randy Deshais rocked the now classic DJ Gregory remix of Cheek’s “Venus”. It so happens I played this track in my audition at The Phoenix Landing in 1996. It also appears on my 1996 demo mix Shannon Shalako – The Freaks Come Out At Night. Love that track.

Below you’ll find links for streaming, download, and a tracklist for my set from the night.

Updated 7/30/2011: I’ve also added Youtube videos taken by Mike Wilkins and Deepstate as well as a gallery of photos taken by Evan Smith and others.

Shalako – Live in Boston 2011

I have also posted the continuous recording of the boat party in its entirety, including sets from Peter Bailey, Chuck Caseroc, myself, and Randy Deshais.

Tracklist

	Artist	Title	Label
00:00	Lovebirds	Want You In My Soul	Winding Road
06:11	Burnski	Sometimes Takes Longer	Dessous Recordings
11:29	Humate	Love Stimulation (Vincenzo Remix)	Grand Casino Recordings
15:33	Mr. Statik	Ganymedes	Bpitch Control
20:34	Royal Sapien	Do It Now (Opencloud's I Don't Know Mix)	Proton Music
27:17	Steven Peters	Acid Sunset	Wolfskuil Records
32:11	Joris Voorn	Blank	Green
37:14	Blade	Talkin' About The Power (Super Diva Dub)	Amoco
42:16	Kevin Knapp	Like This (Audiojack Remix)	Leftroom Limited

Gallery

Lots of early west coast magic here but the tape that always stood out for me was Garth’s. This eclectic mix of acid house, progressive house, trance, deep house, and disco funk made a real impression on me. I very much appreciate that many styles are represented here and that, even for the time, he’s playing a mix of both new and vintage. I assume that this was the closing set, for on the second side of the tape (beginning 48:05) he brings the party into a really nice landing with some super tasty house and disco classics.

Garth – Live @ Vision

Tracklist
00:00 Underground Hop “Make It Without You”
04:30 Colm III “Take Me High” (Mansion Mix)
08:08 Brothers Love Dubs “Right Up There Forever”
12:04 DTR “How Many Times? (Unity)” (Time Wharp)
15:52 unknown
17:54 Twin Hype “Do It To The Crowd” (Instrumental)
21:28 unknown
24:28 Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson “The Best Things In Life Are Free” (C.J.’s Vinyl Zone Dub)
29:39 Ray Love “Holding Out In Lagos” (D.J Techno Remix)
32:10 Man Machine featuring Zen “Robot-To Okoku” (The Robot Kingdom)
36:05 Code 6 “C.O.D.E.S.”
39:06 Man Machine featuring Zen “Denkimi-Shakuhachi” (Electro-Shakuhachi)
43:08 Eden Transmission “I’m So High”
48:05 Peacetime “The Truth Will Set You Free” (Free Time Work Mix)
50:44 FM Inc. “Dub Me Anytime”
54:30 Lemon Interupt “Eclipse”
59:53 Code 718 “Equinox” (Total Eclipse Of The Dub)
1:02:49 How II House “Unlock The House” (Acid Mix)
1:05:49 Fierce Ruling Diva “You Gotta Believe” (Garage Version)
1:09:20 T. Rodzo “Make It Right”
1:12:44 Kevin Irving “Children Of The Night”
1:17:11 Colonel Abrams “Music Is The Answer”
1:20:35 Wood Allen “Sound and Freq. Scratching”
1:20:55 Stone “Time” (Instrumental)
1:25:05 Unfinished Business “Out Of My Hands” (Club Mix)
1:32:13 Stone “Girl I Like The Way That You Move” (Dub Mix)

Thanks for your help with the tracklist: Dope Jams, Overload, Tee Kay, Coop.

The first side of this tape is certainly Jeno (of San Francisco’s legendary Wicked Crew) but I’m not sure who’s on the second side (beginning 44:50). It seems to me that the sides are not contiguous; that is, the second side could be a recording from another time in the night. The second dj does a bit of scratching and my first thought was this might be Overload, but upon hearing it Shawn confirmed this was not him. So, that leaves another mystery open to the trainspotters.

Jeno – Live @ Wonderland

Tracklist
00:00 Sultans of Swing “Move It To The Left” (3rd Level Banji Mix)
03:08 Sax “Give Yourself To Me” (Rubber Dub)
06:30 Rio Rhythm Band “Carnival Da Casa” (which mix?)
10:27 unknown
12:20 Bad Boy Orchestra “Hip Hop Salsa” (Dub Mix)
15:15 2 Guys On Acid “House Music All Night Long” (Call It Acid Dub)
18:30 The Dynamic Duo “In The Pocket” (Hip House Mix)
21:12 TC 1992 “Funky Guitar” (which mix?)
24:37 Eagles Prey “Tonto’s Drum”
27:19 Leftfield “Release The Dub”
30:20 Original Rockers “Rockers to Rockers” (Come Again)
35:18 unknown
39:14 M-D-Emm “Get Angelic”
42:12 Drum And Bass “Claw Acieeed!”
Second side is another DJ, but who? I’m inclined to guess Onionz as well.
42:49 unknown
47:20 Coco Steel & Lovebomb “You Can’t Stop The Groove”
50:25 unknown
53:46 Mix Masters “In The Mix” (Fast Eddie’s Mix)
55:55 unknown
59:29 Bizarre Inc. “I’m Gonna Get You” (Todd’s Rubber Dub)
1:02:11 unknown
1:05:36 unknown
1:08:54 unknown (vocal samples: “I just can’t it I just lose control”, “I need a rhythm”)
1:12:12 MK Feat. Alana “Burning” (Underground Vibe Mix)
1:15:42 Leftfield “Not Forgotten” (Hard Hands Mix)
1:18:32 Tricky Disco “Tricky Disco”
1:22:46 Armando “We’re On The Move” (which mix?)
1:25:23 unknown

This was the first New England party I can remember having a strong New York influence. Seems it was the first to sell tickets in NY and New Jersey, work with promoters there to publicize the event and organize buses, and to hire a large contingent of NY djs. Primary knew that to throw an event of this magnitude they’d have to “unite the tribes.” Up to this point, New England parties (especially those in Maine) had a very different vibe than was found in NYC, Baltimore, DC, and Philly. Up north it was more innocent and carefree; in NYC and south it was a lot more serious. When the crowds came together I think it made for a great mix, though with the NYC crowd came a darker, shadier element. As time went on this shady, “hoody” element became synonymous with Connecticut events and could be found often in Massachusetts but for the most part the beloved Maine vibe was spared.

The best part about the event of course was the music. Here we have a recording of back-to-back sets by a couple of really talented UK DJs, Tin Tin and Bob Bentley. It has to be said that Tin Tin was a total douche and his support in New England ended six months later at Independance when he decided he deserved more money and punched out Kris Clark, a sweet guy who was responsible for not only the first raves in New England, but a long string of extremely memorable ones that gave Portland, ME, the reputation for having the best vibe in New England. That said, Tin Tin does an amazing job here, throwing acapellas here and there on top of the biggest trance and progressive house jams of the time. The highlight for me is his transition into progressive house using the acapella of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (starting at 44:40). The magic happens at 47:24 when he takes the dance track out completely and lets the acapella ride on it’s own for a couple of bars before dropping the Steve Anderson remix of Paul McCartney’s “Deliverance”. The key changes from major to minor and the mood created by the two records together is something profound.

Two interesting things to note about this recording: first, these DJs have their records pitched up much faster than you could play them on conventional Technics. They were able to maintain such an energetic tempo because the decks they were using had been modified to support +/- 16% pitch control; a modification necessary for the hardcore djs who played earlier in the night.

Second, a puzzle for the trainspotters. This recording was digitized from a cassette tape. I’ve glued the recordings of the two sides of the tape into one mp3 file. The first side of the tape begins with one of my all-time favorite records, “Mantra” by CJ Bolland. There is a possible change of DJs at 07:14 when “Age of Love” is faded out and new track starts from the beginning. The first side ends fading out at 39:09 on another all-time fav, Gat Decor’s “Passion” (Naked Mix). The second side begins with “Passion” being cut suddenly and the acapella of “Fever Called Love” possibly starting a new dj set (pretty sure it’s Tin Tin starting the progressive portion of his set). At 1:05:30 Tin Tin ends his set and Bob Bentley begins (hard to miss thanks to Frankie Bones, who could never get off the mic soon enough for me). Here’s where it gets tricky: the second side ends with “Mantra”. It was common in those days for songs to be played several times in a night (it’s sad that this practice has since become frowned upon but then there aren’t as many memorable anthems being played, either). In essence, the first side begins with the same song as the second side ends, and the first side ends with the same song as the second side begins. So the question is, who is playing on the first side? Does the first side actually come chronologically after the second? It wouldn’t be the first tape I have like this.) My guess is that, based on the use of acapellas, the tape is in correct chronological order, and the first side is Tin Tin. If that is the case, who played before Tin Tin (ending with “Age of Love”)? Amusing coincidence…

Hope you enjoy this as much as I continue to.

Tin Tin & Bob Bentley – Live @ Blue

Tracklist
00:00 CJ Bolland “Mantra”
01:04 unknown
03:37 The Age Of Love “Age Of Love” (Watch Out For Stella Club Mix) fade out
07:14 unknown
10:26 Mukkaa “Buruchacca” (Dub Mix)
14:39 Leftfield “Song of Life”
18:32 LaTour “Blue” (Underground Ice Pick Mix)
21:43 Ege Bam Yasi “Bubble” (Active Ingredients Mix)
25:34 unknown
27:38 unknown
31:29 Pamela Fernandez “Kickin’ In The Beat” (Acapella)
32:59 unknown
37:00 Gat Decor “Passion” (Naked Mix) (acapella unknown)
39:09 tape flips. Gat Decor “Passion” (Naked Mix) record cuts out
39:37 unknown (some beatless remix of Rising High Collective “Fever Called Love”?)
42:02 Shout “Is It Ever Going To End?” (Remix)
43:50 unknown
47:24 Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (A Capella)
47:53 Paul McCartney “Deliverance” (Steve Anderson Remix)
53:36 Spooky “Land Of Oz” (Emerald City Mix)
55:45 Sister Sledge “We Are Family” (Sure Is Pure Remix)
1:00:38 Dina Carrol “Ain’t No Man” (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)
1:05:43 Frankie Bones announces end of Tin Tin, beginning of Bob Bentley
1:05:55 unknown
1:09:11 React 2 Rhythm “Intoxication” (Dubfield Mix)
1:12:37 unknown (sample: “I get so restless…”)
1:15:36 unknown
1:19:24 CJ Bolland “Mantra”

Thanks for your help with the tracklist: Overload, DJ ERX