DJ GROUNDFLOOR'S BDAY & RETURN OF THE VILLAINS

Hey all, I'm gonna keep it short and sweet on this one because there is so much going on! This saturday at good old El D is my 26th birthday celebration. I've got a lot of old friends coming out and I hope to see some new faces. For this celebration I went ahead and booked my favorite djs: The Villains! I really dont need to say much because the last time they were at El D they shook the very foundations of the dancefloor and everyone knows it. Come wish me a Happy Bday and enjoy yourself!

#14 // Stones Throw Artist Showcase #1: Mayer Hawthorne & The County

Bonjour kin folk.
We're super dumb mad excited to launch our Stones Throw Artist Showcase Summer Series this Thursday. The first artist we are presenting in this series is Ann Arbor, Michigan native, Los Angeles transplant soul/doo wop singing sensation Mayer Hawthorne and his full band The County.



Gilles Peterson has called Mayer's 'Just Aint Gonna Work Out' "One of the biggest records of 2009!". Regarding the same record, Mark Ronson is quoted saying "I have no idea what this is, old or new, but it's fucking good!!!". If that isn't enough juice, try this effing awkward blog post on for size... It's Justin Timberlake calling 'Just Aint Gonna Work Out' "the perfect tune".



Alright, so ol' boy has JT, Gilles Peterson and Mark Ronson on his nuts...
He was also charted in May as one of Urb Magazines "Next 100".


(peep the entire article here)

... Not so bad for a dj from Ann Arbor. Kid done good.

The debut Mayer Hawthorn full length 'A Strange Arrangement' is due out this fall on Stones Throw Records, after which we fully expect dude to blast into the outer regions of fame and shinedom.



Before that happens, though, we are proud to offer you the chance to catch this rising star live amidst the warm and cuddly comforts of Grown Folk Shit this Thursday July 23rd. The evening's host will be resident grown ass joc Ikah Love, who will also be performing with The Grown Folk House Band and guest vocalist Latanya Lockett.

Tickets will be $12 at the door starting at 9pm

There are a limited supply of $10 pre-sale tickets available now 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

Merci beaucoup!
Xoxoxo,
GFM



Post Script - If you remember what the Pete Rock show was like, you already know you're gonna want to get to the spot EARLY this night. No joke business.

I wanna make Ginger Syrup @ EL||D, but...

Hello internet!! Hope you're doing well. Thanks for all the great bits of information. Now, will ya do me a favor? Please, pass along the following recipe! It was a pain in the @$$ finding a decent recipe for Ginger Syrup. I took my curiosity to the Streets (aka twitter), and asked some distant friends (aka people I'm stalking) how to make the stuff. One esteemed mixologist in particular, Jamie Boudreau of Vessel, wrote back...

@eldoradobar lots and lots of ginger. 2:1 sugar:water. add peppercorns and lemon zest

AWESOME!!! But, what about the directions, Mr. @JamieBoudreau? Or Measurments? I didn't care. Confident I could figure this out, I was off... I grabbed some ginger from EL||D's fridge, the sauce pan, the electric stove, some unrefined sugar, and lemon... No Pepper, though... Who cares! I was determined!

I peeled the ginger and gave the ginger root a quick slice job, then lobbed it in the pot with the water and lemon peel. After cooking that down for a bit, I fine-strained the now ginger-ish water and added the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Booyaa!! Well, not quite... It tasted like molasses! no ginger flavor, at all!! I was bummed, but not defeated...

This morning I popped outta bed on a mission!! I was going to finish this recipe if it was the last thing I did!!! Why? because my integrity was at Stake!!! :)) but also because the syrup would function as a base for a ginger ale (which costs a pretty penny these days! even for the super-processed crap they sell - wtf). I figure a major function of being a proficient manager is making the most of the work environment so staff can spend more time welcoming and serving patrons. The syrup would help monetarily, as well as help reduce the time needed to make a cocktail (no more muddling and fine straining ginger!).

Sorry for the detour... where was I? Oh yeah -- REVENGE!!!

...Out of front door --> straight to whole foods --> immediate right into produce isle --> 2 lbs of organic ginger root, X --> organic lemons, X --> peppercorns, X --> organic cane sugar, X --> Peanut Butter Puffins and a 22 oz of Damnation, X!!! (I'm a total impulse buyer) --> Home...

here was my recipe:

3 (PACKED) cups thinly sliced ginger root - peel and all

4 cups water

2 Tbsp whole peppercorns

Zest of one lemon

3 cups Sugar

Notes: lob all ingredients into a sturdy, thick bottomed pot over low heat... simmer with lid on for an hour. Fine strain water, separating leftover ginger out the pot (I used a french press - VERY helpful!). The water had reduced to 3 cups... Then I added sugar and stirred on low heat until the grains were completely dissolved. I only used 1:1 sugar:water - Sorry, Boudreau - the unrefined sugar contributed a deterring flavor. Booyaa? YES! But, how does it taste? I think it's pretty dope! It has a distinct spiciness and ginger flavor, but I haven't tested it in a cocktail, yet...

What should I try it with? Obviously, a mule and a mojito right!?!

What unique ginger cocktails do you love?

Now, this recipe isn't exactly finished. In fact, it isn't remotely close to being finished. I still need to refine it to the point that anyone on the staff can easily create the concoction and replace the syrup behind the bar. But that's a completely different beast of a post. Oh, and just received this from Boudreau:

@eldoradobar Cook everything in boiling water. Add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Take off heat and let steep

Well, I guess I might be back to the drawing board. In the meantime, I wanna extend some gratitude to Jamie! Without people like him, and this here innerweb thing, El Dorado would be just another beer and shot disaster. Instead, I can comfortably/confidently ask my heroes quetions (you know you're in a weird place when your heroes are bartenders) from my desk at home and get recipes to the eventual success of EL||D! Props Internet! Hopefully another bar manager will find this post and use the recipe to their advantage. If you have any cool recipes, syrup or not, pass 'em along! I'm always experimenting. One of those ideas could very well be on EL||D's next menu revision! And while you're at it, give this recipe a try and lemme know how ya like it!

have a great weekend, y'all

- A

Thursday, IT'S ON!!! (For OnLife)

So, EL||D is supporting a new local organization... and what better way to support than with a party?

Join us on Thursday, July 16th, as we cheers our glasses to the establishment of the OnLife Prevention Organization. To make sure OnLife gets the right start, we're donating party proceeds to their efforts.

OnLife is a non-profit based in San Diego which uses online social networks to help suicidal and depressed high school adolescents. Sounds great, right? It gets better – music from Ikah Love, Grown Folk house band with special guest Latanya Lockett, as well as a nice raffle will make this a great evening for a great cause. Hope to see you (and all your friends) Thursday! Cover: $5, Raffle tickets: $2

#13

Peace kin folk. What the business? We wanted to share with you this video that our Emmy Award winning comrade Steve Sanders at Millimeter Productions recently finished for us.


(if the vid doesn't load due it's mad crazy super bionic quality, go here)

Nice right?

The guest list is open for this Thursday 7/16 featuring our extended fam Latanya Lockett.



RSVP to:
GROWNFOLK.RSVP@GMAIL.COM
for this week's party.

*******************


Pre-sale tickets are going fast for part 1 of our Stones Throw Artist Showcase next Thursday 7/23 with Mayer Hawthorne & The County.



If you want to get one of the limited quantity $10 pre-sale tickets, we strongly suggest you try to catch one this week at one of the following locations:


701 8th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101


1537 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109


1030 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101

Otherwise, there will be plenty of tickets available at the door the night of the event starting at 9pm for $12.

Here's a pretty entertaining and informative interview with dude for Belgium's on-point.tv:




Merci beaucoup.

YOUNG GUNS: FEED THE WOOLF

Hey all! The summer is in full swing and there is lots of new music that I'm excited about. Amidst all the awesome banger electro thats getting press right now theres lots of groovin nu disco thats goin under the radar. I'm talking in about sweet and sassy indie vocals over a funked up electronic beat. One of my fave artists in this style is LA homie Woolfy. Originally from England this dude is packin some of the funkiest, most relaxing and catchy Summer jams around. I've included two songs from his new album in my minimix below. Oh and btw he will be joining us at Young Guns this Saturday!





Click Here To Download The New Minimix!

Tracklist

Woolfy - Odyssey
Phoenix - Lisztomania (Holy Ghost Remix)
Holy Ghost - I Will Come Back
Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestic
Woolfy - Oh Missy


For Photos From Last Time Click Here!

See You Saturday!


Love,

DJ Groundfloor

#12 // Music Man Miles of Breakestra

Before we get started here, I have to say WOW and thank you to everybody who came out for the Michael Jackson tribute this past Thursday... shit was fantastical! Merci beaucoup.
Also, I need to dedicate this one to the comrade Charlie Rock. Big up yourself for all the support duke!



So this week's guest folk Miles Tackett is an extremely talented musician, songwriter, producer, joc and probably all other sorts of things that we aint even knowin about. He lists 'Bad News Bears' among his favorite films and Howard Zinn's 'A People's History Of The United States' as a fave book on his myspace page, so you know he's official.
I first got to know Miles' name from his production work on the expatriate rapper T-Love's 'Return Of The B-Girl' EP in 1998. Shortly after that I caught a 7" from a group called Breakestra on the then still new Stones Throw record label. The record was pressed with with a single fiery funk tune stretched over two sides ('Getcho Soul Togetha' parts 1 & 2) and sounded like it could have been recorded in 1966. It also had dude's name on it as songwriter and producer. Trust, I was interested...



Miles also runs sound at a couple of proper funk/soul/live music parties in LA -
The Root Down has been running for 10 years and has been a breeding/meeting ground for talent in a manner comparable to the storied Good Life Cafe (for more info on the GLC check our previous post with DJ Nu-Mark).
Funky Sole has been going strong for 7 years with Miles and Egon of Stones Throw as resident selectors.


Root Down Sound Radio
on Scion Radio



Doors open @ 9pm
Free before 10pm
$5 after


**********************

Be Tee Dub -
There are a limited supply of specially priced $10 pre-sale tickets for the July 23rd Stones Throw Artist Showcase with Mayer Hawthorne and The County available now at the following locations:


701 8th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101


1537 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109


1030 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101

CRUSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It's that time again yall. The Steady Crushin Crew is feelin mad independent, so come join us as we kick the Freedom weekend off right. Hip-Hop, Soul, Funk, Old School and some dancehall party bangers all night long.

Special guest in the house from Tribe Of Kings, DJ Peril, is going to help you get your ass on the floor so we can set the fireworks off early. Of course in the house will be Resident Crushers Unite & J Blow.

Expect alot of this:


Alot this:


And hopefully some of this:


Act free yall!

Get on the list: rsvp@steadycrushin.com