LAST SATURDAY OF THE DECADE!! VIDEODROME

Tonight we celebrate the last Saturday of the decade at El Dorado with a very special Videodrome edition of Young Guns. For those who dont know, Videodrome employs cutting edge video DJ technology to project your favorite music videos live onto the dancefloor in sync with the DJs mixing. It will blow your mind. Lets have a good time!

TO GET IN FREE B4 11 EMAIL FULL NAMES TO:
groundflooronline@gmail.com

OP: ELDo BITTERS (aka Schmidtters)

On a recent trip to Chicago, I was lucky enough to check out an awesome cocktail lounge: The Violet Hour. If you happen to be in Chi-Town, I highly suggest you mozy up to the bar and let the good people behind the stick work their magic.

While there, I was inspired. Ya see, they feature more than 30 housemade varieties of cocktail bitters.

"Why bitters?" I asked.

Mike Ryan, one of their esteemed staff members replied, "It's the salt & pepper of cocktails."

Well put, sir!

That being said, I had to create our own little batch at ELDo. I mean what's a cocktail bar without housemade bitters, right? (read as: another way for Anthony to fool around and experiment on weird shit) :)

So, with the guidance of our new friends from the Violet Hour, and several OUTSTANDING bloggers (namely, this guy, this guy, and this guy... not to mention this awesome convo on eGullet) I set out on my maiden "bitters making" voyage. The experiment proceeded as follows...



Gentian 2.5 g
Calamus 1/2 oz
Star anise (4)
Cinnamon (1 stick)
Whole Clove (10)
Ginger (dried) 1/2 oz
Cardamom 1/2 oz
Coriander 1/4 oz
Juniper (whole) 1/4 oz

The above ingredients were set to rest in 750ml of base spirit for two weeks. We tested two base spirits: Rittenhouse Rye (bottled in bond - 100 prf) as well as Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum. The high proof spirits help extract the flavor from the ingredients. They also add their own unique flavor (hence the two-spirit test). We shook the jars once daily to agitate the mix and help the maceration.



After a week the color of the rum mix really started to darken:



After two weeks, we filtered the stuff through a britta and added simple syrup (1:1, sugar:water - didn't want to over sweeten the deal) to bring down the proof and round off the flavors. When I made the simple syrup I first boiled the leftover bits and twigs from the maceration. Then, I filtered and added equal parts sugar.

The Result?





I'm very excited to announce, 'they're Not that bad!!!' I was expecting something much worse. Granted, I had a couple of the best teachers a guy could get.

Now, they aren't exactly the greatest either... the star anise is too dominant. The clove is somewhat lost. And a bit more cinnamon might not hurt. I think the whiskey is better than the rum, but I'm the minority... most dig the rum. In the next batch I'm planning to add a couple more herbs/spices that compliment each other while adding some complexity. I'm also planning a little orange bitters experiment, too.

How might you change the recipe?
___________________________________________

And a cocktail to complete the test?

Schmidtters and Rye OLD FASHIONED - has a nice ring to it, huh

2 barspoons simple syrup (1:1... preferably the leftover syrup from the batch)
4 dashes Schmidtters (Rye base)
2 oz Rye Whiskey

Add ingredients and Ice to a double old-fashioned glass. Stir. Taste. Garnish with Lemon zest. Enjoy.




Happy drinking and Happy Holidays, y'all!

- Anthony Schmidt



PS: if you're trying this recipe at home, some of the ingredients can be tough to find. Here in SD, if you're impatient (like me) there's a great little herb/spice shop called In Harmony. Another shop, Tenzin Momo, will have everything you could ever need at screamin' deals, but they're in Seattle. Either way, you'll be set //// Have Fun and let me know how your experiment goes!

Too Much to Include In the Title

Ok people, it's thee last Boys & Girls of 2009, and it's going to be ridiculous. Too much good stuff - Tescia's going away party (she's off to NYC) and Erick Diaz's 41st bday bash. Poppin' bottles.....of cheap champagne. Plus we are doing a little sweater party, so come tacky. 4 peeps providing music - Erick Diaz, Mr. Biggs, Gabe Vega, and Adam Salter. Click here to RSVP and get in for free before 11PM. Get there early!

Check out the latest Boys & Girls video by none other than Mac. His work gets better everytime. Click play to view the madness w/ DJ sets by The Rapture, Richie Panic, Adam Salter, Mr. Biggs, Erick Diaz, and Ms. Toats.

Boys&Girls RapturePanic from mac nguyen on Vimeo.

Happy Houred wants to celebrate... Dec. 17

Happy Houred is a new search engine/iPhone app that tracks... well... Happy Hours! They're focused in major markets like NY, SF, LA, Chi, etc. Now, after a bunch of fan requests, San Diego is gettin' theirs!

SD folks can now use the iPhone app/Online features to find the best local happy hour deals as well as other great features like geolocating/google maps, bar type, specific drink and food offers, and easy-to-use cataloging.

To celebrate, Happy Houred is coming to El Dorado and hosting a kick-off soiree, Thursday Dec. 17. Thanks to our friends at Alchemy there will be FOOD! Thanks to DonQ Rum there will be BOOZE (in the form of seasonal cocktails). AND... Like the iPhone app, food stuffs and drinks are on the Happy Houred crew's tab – OPEN BAR FROM 6-8p – So, bring friends and catch some truly awesome savings before the xmas spending spree!

Hope to see you there

xoxo

– The Happy Houred crew & ELDo

PS:

What would an ELDo iPhone app be like? interesting...

ALL THINGS RAD COMMERCIAL...

All Things Rad from Garvin Ha on Vimeo.

ALL THINGS RAD PT. DEUX... TWS & IRON MIKE'S B-DAY JUMPOFF!!!

We're BACK!!! ALL THINGS RAD PT. DEUX... After the success of the first ATR, Profile, Iron Mike & the Gang have teamed up with Transworld Skateboarding Magazine and Dj Blairely Legal to help celebrate one of SD's favorite sons, Dj Iron Mike's B-Day JUMPOFF!!! And we are asking you to bring whatever canned food or non perishable items to help support the Alphanumeric / Transworld / St. Vincent De Paul canned food drive... It's gonna be a MONSTER!!!

YOUNG GUNS THIS SATURDAY!

Young Guns is back this Saturday and its the last one of the year!! 2009 has been a great run with so many awesome guest DJs and high spirited party folk. We are gonna end the year right with both of El Dorado's Saturday night residents, Groundfloor & Adam Salter!!

To get in free b4 11 email full names to:

groundflooronline@gmail.com

El Dorado wants to celebrate its Bday with you...

Hello there!

If you're reading this message, you're one of our favorite human beings!! Seriously! It's due to the support of folks like yourself that ELDo has reached it's first Birfday. Thank You!

To celebrate your efforts, and our growing business, we've decided to buy you HOT DOGS!

Be warned: This is not a joke. This Thursday night (Dec. 3), we are seriously parking a hot dog cart on our back patio and letting y'all have at a couple "Seattle Style" Cream Cheese Dogs!!! We know packing down a couple of these bombers can be a daunting task, so we're also offering a bittered tonic (of sorts)... from 8-10p we'll be featuring a hosted Mule bar! That's right!! as if you needed more exclamation marks - well, friends here's a couple more at ya!!!!!!!! We'll be serving our standard Moscow Mules as well as Bourbon Mules AND Dark & Stormies (Rum Mules) ON THE HOUSE*

What about music, you say? Food and drank is good-&-all, but we've sorta gotten a name for fun music too... we've invited some of our best DJ's to help host the party. From 8-9:30 Rat.Star (Dj Ratty) will kick off the night. Then, Saul Q will follow-up with a set. And last, but definitely not least, DJ Groundfloor will close the festivities.

The details:

(click on the flier or here for facebook rsvp)

ELDo's First Anniversary Party

Thursday, Dec. 3

Hosted Hot Dogs and Mules from 8-10p (sounds kinda bizarre)

DJ's ALL NIGHT

**This event will be a first-come-first-serve type of shindig. Mention this message at the door, and get here early if you're looking to take advantage of the sweet deals**

Come hungry/thirsty and bring friends who might also appreciate us the way y'all do.

So, thanks again for supporting our endeavors and hope to see you Thursday night!

xoxo,

The Management

Sat., Dec 5: Boys & Girls brings RICHIE PANIC

Here are some pics from the last Boys & Girls w/ The Rapture

Boys & Girls brings you another night sure to be ridiculous! RICHIE PANIC of the legendary Blow Up San Francisco, and Frisco Disco parties, will be there to show us why he is the face of indie dance music in SF. Last time he was in SD he tore the roof off of U31....so come prepared. Mr. Biggs and Adam Salter will be on decks as well to get the party started......RIGHT!

4 Other Reasons Not To Miss Saturday:

+Norton - Behind the Lens
+Mac - #1 Videographer
+Carla - Party Extraordinaire
+Daniel - Party Officianado

RICHIE PANIC INFO:
http://www.richiepanic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/richiepanicisagenious

INFO ON MR. BIGGS
http://www.myspace.com/coreybiggsevents

INFO ON ADAM SALTER
http://www.myspace.com/theanalogshow

Sazerac 18yr rated #1 by Whiskey Bible

The Sazerac 18yr vintage rye whiskey was just named the Best Whiskey of 2009 by the Whiskey bible

This is kind of a landmark event in the Whisky industry. It's the first time the annual publication has afforded a Rye whiskey the honors of "Best in the World," an honor typically afforded to scotch. This further emphasizes the worldwide recognition of rye whiskey. As the article describes, Rye was THE whiskey of choice before prohibition. Following prohibition, the major marketing campaigns of Vodka – a flavorless spirit must rely on crafty marketing as opposed a testament to quality – quickly influenced bourbon manufacturers. Those manufacturers would quickly become profitable enough to purchase and control the weaker, prohibition-stung, rye distillers and effectively manipulate the industry in the favor of bourbon.

Why is this award a big deal for ELDo in particular? For starters, we offer the Sazerac 18. Also, any recognition rye whiskey can acquire is good for the cocktail industry. Over our last two menu rotations, we've switched gears and now focus more on rye whiskey.

Why is a rye whiskey so important in cocktails? When compared to the rather smooth and sweet notes of bourbon, the spicier/dynamic flavor of rye whiskey stands up against competing flavors. When using several modifiers in a cocktail – e.g., citrus juice/zest, syrups, vermouth, bitters, liqueurs, etc. – the rye's flavor will remain distinct, imparting maximum deliciousness. Without a doubt, rye whiskey will be one of the – hopefully theeeee – most coveted spirit(s) of the next decade. Let's do our best to help this become a reality.

We're not the only folks yapping about the ressurection... The NY Times, LA Times, SF Chronicle have all chimed in, as well as various cocktail blogs (notably the blind tasting efforts of Mr. Clarke at Cocktail Chronicle and Mr. Huegel of Drink Dogma... both present bars with essential details for stocking).

Now, let's get back to the cocktails...

Here's our latest Rye menu offering:

BUSTER BROWN

3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz rich simple syrup
2 oz Rye whiskey
1 dash Angostura Orange bitters
Preparation: Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon zest and serve with a big smile!
Notes: Got this recipe from David Embury's outstanding bartender's guide 'The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks' (an essential purchase for any aspiring bartender!!!)



What're some tasty rye cocktails you've tried lately?

xoxo

- ELDo

Appleton tastes good

Last week, we had a great rum tasting with Appleton Rum and Willy Shine from Contemporary Cocktails Inc.

Here's a the rest of the photos from the event...

And here's the list of cocktails they were foolin' with (very delicious! Particularly, the Dub Treo)

Dub Treo
1.5oz Appleton Estate Reserve
.75oz Carpano Antica
.75oz Aperol
Dash of whiskey barrel aged bitters
Garnish: Orange Flame
Glass: Cocktail glass
PREP: Build all ingredients over ice, stir till freezing and strain into a chilled coop glass and garnish



Appleton-Ting
1.5oz Appleton Estate Reserve
Juice of half a lime
Bar spoon Agave nectar (1-1)
Ting (Jamaican grapefruit soda) -- VERY IMPORTANT!
Garnish: Lemon thyme or pink grapefruit skin
Glass: Highball
PREP: Build in the highball glass



Reserve Luxury Daiquri
2oz Appleton Estate Reserve
1oz Demerara syrup (1-1)
1oz Fresh lime juice
1 blackberry
.5 Pom Wonderful
1 Bar spoon Maraschino liquor (luxardo)
Garnish: Lime wheel
Glass: Cocktail glass
PREP: Muddle the blackberry build the rest of the ingredients shake and strain into a chilled coop glass and garnish

Wednesday, Nov 25th = Debut Party for our Fall/Winter menu!

This Wednesday, Nov. 25th, we'll be unveiling our Fall/Winter Cocktail Menu! We're very excited to showcase the newbies! Why? Well, we've worked very hard to get these tasting great. However, our taste isn't the end-all-be-all of cocktails. So, we're hosting a cornucopia of fun, and discounting all our new cocktails!!!

We're feature our new menu items at $5 a piece ALL NIGHT LONG! Our goal is two-fold... (1) looking for your feedback on the new batch, and (2) we wanna start the holiday season right by offering thanks/discounted booze to y'all for supporting our endeavors.

Check the new list:



Hope to see ya Wednesday! Thanks again and Happy holidays!

- ELDo

POSSO GIRLS RETURN TO YOU GUNS!

This Saturday Young Guns welcomes back the Posso girls for some spicy dance party action!! DJ Groundfloor will be playing your favorite indie jams, and Dan Merino will be celebrating his 25th birthday!!

TO GET IN FREE BEFORE 11, EMAIL FULL NAMES TO:

groundflooronline@gmail.com

ALL THINGS RAD!!!

Thats right y'all guess who's back with a BRAND NEW BAG!!!

Thursday night, November 19th, Profile & Iron Mike bring you ALL THINGS RAD!!! This is STRICTLY for those of you that have no where to go hear the music you grew up on, and are tired of getting dragged out to some shitty club just to spend a note on 3 drinks, shitty music and even SHITTIER people!!!! Well come on DOWN!!! We will be taking out the " Downtown " garbage so to speak, and replacing it with ladies and gents who respect good music, good people and GREAT FUCKING ATMOSPHERE!!! We will be premiering and playing skate flics and classic movies all night while Iron Mike & Profile + Special guests throw down the raddest " FUCK THE CLUB " tunes to get your feets a tappin!!! there will be giveaways from some of our sponsors and contests to win FREE SHIT!!! So put on your best Chucks, Winos, Flannels, Vans and 501's and bring a healthy appetite for HOT CHICKS, CLASSIC COCKTAILS, THE BEST TUNES & THE BEST TIMES!!! All going down Thursday Nov.19 th @ El Dorado Bar 1030 Broadway San Diego, Ca 92101... BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!

BOYS & GIRLS SATURDAY 11/7

This Saturday Boys & Girls brings you SAUL Q. VS. ADAM SALTER - PART II. The last episode was straight bananas....broken glasses and stolen guitarras included. We have Squid Vicious opening up again w/ his solid mix of indie dance that all the chicks seem to love, plus Carla & Daniel hosting so you know the party will get started right. Come through....and come through early. RSVP to our Facebook event www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=166573292676&ref=mf or send an email request to asalter1@hotmail.com.

-Salter

EL(Do) Falernum #1

So, the fall menu has brought us to new reaches of cocktail nerdery...

FALERNUM!!

This awesome liqueur is a staple to those seeking expertise in tiki cocktails. However, we're interested in it for other reasons.

Ya see, a major flavor component in falernum is its spices: clove and star anise (some will add others - This is where you take creative license). What better way to usher in the fall/winter with a spiced beverage?

There's several brands of pre-packaged falernum, but, as usual, our curiosity is taking over – we gotta make the stuff from scratch!

So, next step – find a recipe!

For our first attempt we're using RumDood's latest concoction. Homeboy is one of few elite internet gurus on all things tiki/rum. And his falernum recipe? It's relatively basic and obviously well-researched, not to mention, it sounds really tasty! Check it:

RumDood’s Falernum #2

• 8 oz Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum
• 2 oz Lemonhart 151 Rum
• 2 oz (by weight) minced or shredded ginger
• Zest of 8 limes
• 40 whole cloves
• 2 anise stars

Combine the above ingredients in a jar or bottle and let sit/steep for 24 hours After steeping, strain the contents of the jar through cheesecloth or a coffee filter – making sure to squeeze and ring all liquid out of the solid ingredients. Then add the following ingredients to the jar:

14 oz Simple Syrup (2:1 sugar to water, cold-process)
.25 tsp Almond Extract
3.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Shake the new mixture good and hard until everything is thoroughly mixed and you have a greenish-yellow mixture. It’s ready to be used right away!

Unfortunately, we couldn't get our paws on the Lemon Hart 151 before our impulsive tendencies set in! We substituted an extra oz of Wray/Nephew as well as an oz of another Demerara rum: El Dorado Rhum 12yr. As RumDood mentions, folks will often number their falernum... since it isn't quite the same as the Dood's recipe, we'll be naming this potion EL(DO) FALERNUM #1. ha

PS: we're rookies when it comes to this process. Any advice is welcome. If you have any experience in homemade liqueurs and/or falernum, give a shout

PPS: if you'd like to learn a bit more about the history of the stuff, check out Darcy O'Neil's post about what might be the first use of the stuff

_________________________________________

Just unleashed that little jar of tropical fury – WOW – it's fragrant to say the least!! The anise was a perfect touch and definitely adds spicy notes. The ginger takes a backseat to the cloves and lime, but, again, that star anise brings a dynamic aroma and drinking experience. Props Mr. Dood. The stuff is good alone over ice, but we've opted to test a classic cocktail recipe:

Corn 'N Oil

3/4 oz Falernum

3/4 oz Fresh Lime juice

2 oz Dark Rum – "Oil" – we used Goslings

Shake and strain over ice. It's tradition to squeeze half a lime for the juice and garnish with the spent lime half. We used a fresh wedge. The ratio of Falernum to Rum is different all over. Velvet Falernum, a pre-packaged brand, recommends 3:1 Falernum to rum. Barf (Unless you have a strong urge for sugar, that's a tough one to swallow)!

The result? Basic and delicious! The spices still linger!! It's the perfect beverage for a San Diego Holiday season... imagine another 75 degree San Diego turkey day with one of these bad boys in your mit. Yum! Pair it with some spiced pie, maybe pumpkin, and prepare your friends cuz the mind-blowing is about to start

It apparently originated in Barbados. Can't get a confirmation on that, though. And we're not to sure why the "Corn" – if you have details, fill us in!

Happy mixing - and thanks again to RumDood for the awesome recipe

- ELDo

New Menu coming soon!!! Fall/Winter 09

We're getting geared up for our Fall/Winter Menu. It will be another set of five delicious cocktails, inspired by the changing seasons. However, we sure could use some inspiration...

That's where y'all come in! What cocktails would you like to see on our new menu? Light up the comment board and give us a piece of your mind/taste. Remember, we wanna keep 'em focused on the changing seasons.

In terms of weather, not much changes in SD. The produce, on the other hand, takes a huge shift. Check this calendar for seasonal SD goodies, then pass your cocktail on to us. If it sounds, looks, and – most importantly – tastes good, don't be surprised if it ends up on our new menu!

Happy concocting!

- ELDo

PS: here's the existing menu... no repeats!

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND is coming!!

So... what are you dressing up as?

The crew at ELD has decided to become a pack of bloodthirsty ZOMBIES!! We know the genre is a bit cliche these days (e.g., the extensive result in wikipedia – check the 30+ references! lol), but we can't resist. With over 12 zombie films in our movie library, you kinda have to consider the option.

Enough about the costumes... Let's get to the festivities!

We're starting this holiday weekend with a monstrous bash. Our friends at HOME are teaming up with Mint Footwear and throwing a release party for their new line. They were hoping y'all would join in. Check it:

(Select the flier to make larger)

Then, on Saturday, the grand Finale!

DIRTY SWEET will finally play at El Dorado -- Why the dramatic description? A fine question... First of all, the rusty pipes/raspy voice of the band belong to our esteemed Cocktailians, and part-owner, Ryan Kuntz. Second, we love halloween - What night of debauchery would be better for their debut? Aka a 'NO-BRAINER'

LOOK OUT! Another flier!!!...

Tickets are selling FAST!! This will definitely sell out, so grab your tix now!! You can purchase tickets at the top-right of this page.

Zombie Kin -- JOIN US!!!!

Videodrome Is Back This Saturday

Do to the overwhelming success of the Videodrome party last month we are bringing it back this Saturday! For those who dont know Videodrome is unlike any other party in the city. Its a combination of your favorite music videos and djs mixing records. Its the next step in dj evolution adding live visuals synced to the music on the dancefloor. It will give you eternal life! Okay, maybe not that last bit. Anyhow its a really fun party for everyone whether you are on the dacefloor or watching the classic videos that people are dancing to. Here is a video from last time!!



And as always, if you would like to get in free to this event b4 11pm, email groundflooronline@gmail.com with everyones full names!!



See ya Saturday!
Groundfloor

Mixology 101, ep. 2... Jack Rose

So, tomorrow morning will be our second episode of what the 91x Morning Show is calling Mixology 101. We'll be shakin' up another pre-prohibition classic cocktail: the Jack Rose.

Because we'll probably spend most of our air time talking shop with the morning show motley crew, we wanted to share some background on this most excellent American cocktail...

We saught out the good Dr. Wondrich for insight on this one... in his book, Imbibe! (which is very worth reading if you're into American history and/or BOOZE), he sites the origin of this cocktail dating back to the days of the infamous Cocktail Bill Boothby (he was first to print a recipe in 1905). He goes on to explain a possible origin, including a couple tall tails about the mob and/or wily caterers. But, the namesake of this one more than likely comes from its ingredients. Apple Brandy was the base spirit, and was/is known as applejack. The use of grenadine imparted a rose color. Hence, Jack Rose. Wondrich encourages the use of lime juice (ala Jaques Straub's 1914 Recipe in Drinks). We preferred old Boothby's incantation. So, without further adieu...

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Laird's Apple Jack Bottled-in-Bond*
• 1/2 oz FRESHLY SQUEEZED Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Grenadine (and not the store bought $#!T... see the notes about proper grenadine)**

Preparation:

• Add all ingredients to a mixing glass (aka a pint glass), top with a good shaker tin and shake like hell with some fresh Ice. Then, strain (we use the oxo strainers) into a chilled glass***. Garnish with a lemon zest (Jeffrey Morgenthaler explains better than we could) and serve your liquid history lesson with an enormous grin.

Notes:

*The "bottle-in-bond" part is VERY IMPORTANT. It shows that the spirit was created, from harvesting apples to distillation, in the confines of the Laird & Co distillery. It also assures that the spirit was barreled at a low proof and bottled at a HIGH proof, which is good because the apple flavor comes through while the alcohol helps open the other ingredient's aromas.

**The BEST and easiest homemade grenadine recipe is one created by Paul Clarke for Imbibe Magazine - Check it here - If you wanna blow your guest's minds! It's 100% mandatory you use this recipe, or one like it. The texture and flavor it imparts screams LEGIT!

***Before adding the ingredients, set aside a cocktail glass and fill it with cracked ice and a bit of water. By the time you're done shaking it will be chilled and ready for service. Dump the ice water, and fill the glass with the SAUCE!

Sláinte

12th Planet Invades Boys & Girls this Saturday

Thanks to everyone that came out last Boys & Girls w/ Saul, myself, and Squid Vicious. What a great night! Someone did make off w/ our guitarra though (picture below)! If you or anyone you know has it, please return to El D this Sat...no questions asked. You will be rewarded w/ one of El D's famous Mule cocktails.

Now onto business! We have a special edition of Boys & Girls lined up for this Saturday! 12th Planet will be gracing us w/ his presence for his San Diego debut! Over the last few B&G events, I'm sure some of you noticed we've been mixing in some Dubstep tracks. This may be a new genre to some of you and to others not so much. Either way, 12th Planet is sure to cause dance floor havoc throughout the bar this Saturday w/ this sound. He's already been coined "America's First King of Dubstep," and has been touring relentlessly throughout North America. His production and DJ sets are setting the trend for this new sound, so make sure to come out and see him in this intimate of a venue before he completely blows up and you have to pay $20 and fight your way through a 700 person club.

Check out 12 Planet's profile ASAP. Plus, click play below to hear his remix of MSTRKRFT & John Legend's anthem of 2009 - Heartbreaker.

For guest list consideration please email asalter1@hotmail.com or El Dorado directly.

-Salter

La Guitarra!

TONIGHT!! YOUNG GUNS!!

Hey friends, the time has come for me to share my own music with you! Tonight at Young Guns I present my own music project called Bubblegum Sci Fi. I'm very excited about this project because it will be the platform for which I will release original music and remixes on a larger scale. Although I will still be djing, I'm going to play some original music and remixes that I hope will someday define the San Diego sound.
As some of you may know, I recently finished a remix of Passion Pit's "The Reeling' and its been blowing the roof of Young Guns in the past couple weeks. For those that havent heard it, you can check it out here. Special Thanks to Gabe Vega for edit the original video to fit the remix!!

Saul Q. VS. Adam Salter this Saturday at B&G

First off, thanks to everyone that made it out to Boys & Girls a couple Saturdays back w/ French legend Alan Braxe! That was serious fun. Check out the video a few posts down to witness the mayhem. When I asked Alan if he had fun, he said Boys & Girls and his gig in LA (Discotheque) were 2 of the best shows on his tour, which included SF, NYC, and Chicago to name a few.

Transition: We have a pretty dangerous crew/night put together for this Saturday's edition of Boys & Girls at El D. Saul Q...the man needs no introduction. This Sat he'll be losing his B&G virginity as he and I battle it out on the decks. The Hi Ball Kids will be hosting and losing their B&G virginity as well. Just a forewarning, I don't know anyone that party's harder than these guys. Up and coming youngster Squid Vicious will be opening up w/ a solid selection of indie jams. And of course Norton, photographer/entertainment extraordinaire, will be doing what he does best: snapping shots, taking shots, drinking PBR, and getting loose. Note to self: You can't use "getting loose" in every post.

Segue: Get to El D early on Saturday and prepare for a nice hangover Sunday. Contact me, asalter1@hotmail.com, or El Dorado directly about guest list options.

-Salter

#16.5 // P.A. PASEMASTER MASE a.k.a PLUG #3 (Do As De La Does)

Kin Folk,
Hope everyone has had a good summer. Over here at GFS we're real ready for the fall. The changing of the seasons, the turn of the tides... Don't get me wrong, I love me some Wind N' Sea shore break just like the next guy. My general beef with summer though, is that it seems the season mandates even the most grown of folk dress like children. You know, short pants and flip flops... Now that fall has arrived a man might get the chance to wear some wool, perhaps even a bit of tweed. And it's definitely time to put some leather under our feet, isn't it? Man up, yeah? Don Draper says 'Yeah'.

So to follow up our Stones Throw Showcase summer series and celebrate the advent of a new season we've got some of our biggest and most exciting events of the year lined up for October, starting with this:



The staff here at the GFS offices have been working on procuring this particular event since the very day Grown Folk Shit started (almost an entire year, incase anybody's counting). Trust, it's a very special occasion, this exclusive Maseo dj set, not only for us here at GFS, but presumably for anybody out there who has any degree of appreciation for hip hop. I don't imagine that a De La Soul primer is required here, being that they are among the most widely recognized groups within the genre world wide, along side A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr and perhaps a few others. I am, however, going to use this space to put forth a concept and personal belief, to which everyone is welcome to respond (via comments):
- De La Soul, has more truly great albums (beginning-to-end-Illmatic great, not In My Lifetime Vol. 1-I-love-3/4's-of-the-record-but-could-do-without-the-Blackstreet-cameos great) at a total of four ('3 Feet High And Rising', 'De La Soul Is Dead', 'Buhloone Mindstate' and 'Stakes Is High'), than any other hip hop group in history (excepting Boogie Down Productions, with a total of five - 'Criminal Minded', 'By All Means Necessary', 'Ghetto Music: The Blueprint Of Hip Hop', 'Edutainment' and 'Sex & Violence' - perhaps six, should you want to consider 'Live Hardcore Worldwide', the live album... An anomaly of a catalog which, surprisingly, if any artist in hip hop is ever going to contend with, it's going to be Ghostface). It's a concept which provides evidence enough to argue that De La Soul is perhaps the greatest hip hop group of all time.
Relative to one's perspective, four great albums may not seem like a tremendous benchmark. Compared to artists like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, each with over ten beginning-to-end great albums in their catalogs, a single digit number such as four may seem unaccomplished. But let's be sure our perspective is adjusted properly to compensate for the field in which De La is working... The greatest of hip hop groups all plateau, at least within their recording careers, at three studio albums. Insert your favorite hip hop group here and apply... Eric B & Rakim - 3. Public Enemy - 3. Run D.M.C. - 3. A Tribe Called Quest - 3. Gang Starr - 3. Jungle Bros -2.5, maybe 3. M.O.P. - 2.5. The Beatnuts - 2 full lengths and an E.P. Pete Rock & C.L. - 2. The closest contender would have to be EPMD with flexible total of somewhere between 2.5 - 3.5 ('Strictly Business' and 'Unfinished Business' are both beginning-to-end triumphs... Most everybody seems to love one of either 'Business As Usual' or 'Business Never Personal' and have mixed feelings for the other).
The De La four album benchmark stands up even in the realm of solo artists: Slick Rick - 3. Kool G Rap - 2. Jay-Z - 1 and the aforementioned 3/4. Big Daddy Kane - 1. Biggie - 1. Nas - 1. One approaching competitor here would be, as previously mentioned, Ghostface with a debatable 3.75 ('Ironman', 'Supreme Clientele', 'The Pretty Toney Album' and 'Fishscale' all seems pretty perfect to me, but the middle two often provoke dissenting views, to say the least). As of press time, however, it appears that Ghostdini has taken a sharp left turn to become the (singing) 'Wizard Of Poetry', perhaps clouding his future...
Anyhow, point being... Pos, Dave and your dude Mase are one of the greatest of all time, if not the very best.
For nobody's sake but your own, please don't miss this shit.



Something we've yet to even mention, Maseo is a bona fide, no joke, official disc joc and record collector. Money is nice on the mic too. According to his bio, Mase made his debut as a dj at age 12. Snap!
Here's a recent (Aug 09) live set of his in two parts:
Part 1 is classic hip hop.
Part 2 is funk, soul and breaks.

While you're at it, enjoy this...



...and this:
Earlier this year dj & producer J Period released this pretty incredible Native Tongues dedication program for his True Elements show on Scion Radio. The show is filled with mad entertaining interviews with various Native Tongues members. Below is a link to a portion of that program with Dave and Pos of De La Soul discussing how they first were introduced to hip hop and how they connected with Maseo and Prince Paul to form De La -
The origins of De La Soul interview with J Period on Scion Radio



Again, for your sake, we would like to recommend that you catch a ticket for this Thursday's Grown Folk Shit party with Maseo NOW. Tickets are available right here and at the top of this very blog.

Merci beaucoup,
GFS

BRAXE, and a beverage

come back, Mr. Braxe!! PLEASE!

Really, y'all. the guy was a class act. Total pro - the following video is only a piece of the action, cuz dude set it off. Show him some love and buy his music. Better yet, sound off on his myspace and request that he returns to SD/ELDo -- hopefully, next time he'll be with 'friends'

Boys & Girls presents Alan Braxe! from mac nguyen on Vimeo.

Oh, and for those enquiring minds, an added bonus...

Our recipe for the MOSCOW MULE

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Vodka
• 1/2 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 1 btl Ginger Beer (if you'd prefer the original recipe, use a bottle of Cock & Bull... we use Bundaberg)
• A healthy sprig of mint
• a lime wedge

Preparation

Shake/stir first three ingredients (vodka, juice, bitters) with fresh ice in a mixing glass. Strain over more fresh ice in a hi-ball glass (or mason jar, like we use at eldo). Top with ginger beer and garnish with the mint sprig and lime wedge. Serve with a big smile!

(pic via Art of the Drink)

Young Guns Saturday!!!

Hey all its been an amazing Summer and I know I've kept the posts to a minimum. The fall is here and this Saturday we've got a special Video DJ set by Gabe Vega & I will mixing it up on the turntables as well. Also, The Style Shark will be debuting his new T Shirt line so be sure to check that out! Prepare for some good old fashioned dance party debauchery... See ya Saturday



-Groundfloor

French Electronic Music Pioneer to Appear at El Dorado

This Saturday Boys & Girls has a very, very special guest. A little info for you...

Straight out of Paris, France, and part of the Daft Crew/Mafia (Daft Punk, DJ
Falcon, Play Paul, etc), ALAN BRAXE has been pioneering the French
electronic sound since 1997. In 1998, one of the greatest hits in
electronic music was born: "Music Sounds Better With You”. This came
about thanks to Braxe's collaboration with Thomas Bangalter (half of
Daft Punk) and Benjamin Diamond, under the name Stardust.

In 2000 Braxe created his own label, Vulture, and released "Intro/Running”
w/ frequent production partner Fred Falke, which once again proved to
be a hit and dance floor classic. His most recent hit "Addicted" was
released on the ever-so-popular Kitsune label.

Braxe has remixed and collaborated w/ artists such as Justice, Björk, Annie, Kylie
Minouge, and Goldfrapp. His DJ sets have proved to be just as
entertaining as his production and are not to missed!

#16 // D.a I.nner S.ound Y.'all

Online tickets: $20

Name (s) to put on will call

Email address

$15 PRE-SALE TICKETS

These are VERY LIMITED! and available at:

5 & A Dime
701 8th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 236-0364

Access Music
1537 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 270-3987

El Dorado
1030 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 237-0550