The Death-Defying Warehouse Party Life: An Interview by William of Orange

About an entire local music industry that's rarely heard from, briefly navigated by a remote being that coalesces, rarely, around music scenes and their absurd atrocities; published by "The Stranger" weekly newspaper of Seattle, WA.

Sonny Chelf is the orneriest house party producer I know who hails from Tacoma. In fact, he's the only such producer I know from Tacoma. Most of those kind of guys hang about the Seattle area, drifting back and forth in their musical skeins and ongoing search for monetary angles.

Jason Alley's from Issaquah. They both operate forklifts in warehouses for their real livings. And I met them over coffee awhile ago at Starbucks on Broadway for a happy, peppy interview with two of the greater Seattle area's own warehouse party producers.

Sonny, casual, relaxed and vivacious, wore "Portuguese" golden earrings; Jason, soft-spoken and shy, wore a diamond-blue ball cap over his sweet blue eyes and blond hair. Sonny is fair and Black, but doesn't sound that way until you press him, and then a trickle of southern Blacklish begins to filter in, conversationally speaking.

How long have you been involved in the warehouse game, I suddenly ask.

Sonny: The first part of this took place in 1981. That was in Germany. Parties in Germany used more hype. Parties here seem to be more about money and competition.

Jason: I joined TUF Productions for the last party. I joined with another party than ours?some producers have a different agenda than others?(indicating Sonny, giggling.)

What is your agenda? I asked the cute black dude.

Sonny: First we sit there and have a headache. Nah, usually I like to find a space first. That's kind of a last minute thing you have to do.

Jason: There's been a lot of problems with the city. The city is pushing hard to shut the shows down.

Sonny: There was a battle over permits being in order.

Jason: The city would threaten to take the house over.

Sonny: Yeah.

Jason: The city would intimate that a party would be through. The owners of the building would refuse to rent to those who produced shows, for fear their properties would have police action taken against them.

These statements led to general murmurings amongst us.

So, whatever is your "agenda" now, I softly inquired.

Sonny: (About) the agenda? Line up the DJs!!! They come from everywhere, basically. When we produce a flyer, we try to promote it (the party) day in and day out. During that time, we finish producing the rest of the show. Lights, sound, security, permits, "etcetera." And then it's showtime! I like to get in a building at noon, but it never happens. Just to fine-tune the building! (He laughed, sliding slowly backwards in his seat.)

Jason: If we have decorations, some people put up fences. (I never found out what "fences" are.) It needs all completed. The sound system usually arrives in the middle of things.

We joked around about the house movement?."Yeah, the houses are moving!!!" as I'm not much of a raver m'self, yet. The joints do indeed jump.

What message to others, anyway, do you guys have to impart?

Jason: Positive energy.

Sonny: Peace, love, joining one another together. But after the party comes the teardown. I hate it, but it has to be done.

I asked Sonny if that's his real name. Yes, it is. He was wearing a hunting cap, Polynesian earrings, and he vaguely resembled a certain letter of the alphabet due to his glasses.

Jason's blue ball cap was fastidiously reversed. Two more either-bread and mayonnaise guys could not be found, but they were definitely having to skirt the law.

I finally found out what happened last spring, which had been the current House Party Mystery Scenario.

Sonny: A dividing of the whole scene here occurred. There were occurrences of two parties being thrown on the same night. Something had to stop. Seattle's not that big. It's not that good here, we need more party room. Evolution (back in October, and partially run by a close relative of mine named Joachim, incidentally) just had 1500 people. It was over 15, really.

Jason: We had over 1200. But Seattle is not really a good indicator. In LA (what doesn't begin, end, and stall out in LA?) they have BIG huge parties, with a couple hundred thousand people, easily.

A couple?what? I stupifiedly intoned, slurping my Starbucks. That couldn't be real, I thought, they'd need a football stadium?which they have, somewhere.

I dreamed to myself, the party interview vortex has been reentered. I've been being told that everyone and no one ever interviews these warehouse party guys. Now I see why. No one ever believes them when they talk about the party sizes.

Sonny then said he begged in on things with Jason through a mutual friend of theirs named Tim. On Tim, Sonny said, "we've talked to Tim. How're you?" This, referring to my earlier interview more on the Seattle end of things, with Joachim. Tim, there, is not a part of the company anymore. I guess that's the party vortex for you.

Sonny next managed to imitate the world's blandest, meekest expression, which was already on Jason's wan, pink face.

Jason: All I have to say is we hope people keep supporting the shows.

Sonny: I'm the quiet person of all this. I like to come in like the wind and leave?like?the wind?.

Jason: I like to be around the people. I like to be around the friends. (I always got the impression this is a tightly-knit, hard-to-enter crowd. But I asked them about making a living at it.)

Sonny: I like to be around this for the money. If I didn't do this for the money, I wouldn't do it.

It feels like I've learned, after several interviews with Seattle/Tacoma's warehouse partying folks, that there's no money in this, really. Off the last shows, they don't seem to have made a dime.

PeaceFrog's Civilization party in November barely broke even, in fact losing at least $200. One of the PeaceFrog producers told me only about half the people coming in even paid. I don't think Joachim got his cut at all. But their group is still plugging away at making the lively, eventful, and appreciably loud parties continue to happen.

Sonny said, the way I feel?it might make the WRONG money?(I think he meant the probably drug revenues from hangers-on selling at the parties.) Me, I broke in with: But, what if you were, say, normal?

Jason: Good point.

Sonny: What if everybody else was like what's on the street, already there. (Recall that Sonny's Black, please.) You're gonna get 'em "thowed in jay-al." I've done two (parties) in Tacoma (an infamously Black establishment, in some ways.) There's a problem with that. Seattle people don't travel. The Dome is too commercial. This isn't?a commercial event...that I do.

Go to shows, Sonny said. I have a real job. I work, in a warehouse, driving forklifts. I'm a laborer. Saturday nights are my date. That's the party date. (He pretty much implied this is his social life. I am forced to think both Sonny and Jason are house-devoted, maximally.)

After this pleasant, caring interview time was spent, one happy writer left those two fine, unrude, music-bestrewed dudes to hit their next appointment in town. The memory lingers, but the music is fortunately elsewhere, waiting for the next party to begin. From the sound of things, I would suggest checking out LA, if I were you.

Karen Peralta is the occasionally tired but proficient Owner, President and Executive Director of Rainbow Writing, Inc. at http://www.rainbowriting.com. We're partnered with Four Seasons CDROM Store at http://www.cdromshowcase.com/fourseasons, which sells great cheap cds. Someday, they will be music cds as well.

---

Musical Improvisation Basics - 8 Vital Things To Remember

This article discusses 8 vital things to remember as improvisers... Read More

Jazzing Up Your Leadership Style

I met New York jazzman Tim Armacost in college almost... Read More

Green Day: Punk Rock Masters Taming Mainstream Radio Their Way

Before they got together as Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong,... Read More

Jealous Again - Jealousy Among Musicians

Jealousy ? do you feel it? Do you sense it... Read More

An Interview with Jon Bon Jovi ? 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Cant Be Wrong

The idea originated with singer Jon Bon Jovi. Jon kept... Read More

Right Hand Guitar Playing Tip

This lesson can open for you a secret of high-speed... Read More

How To Make Money On A Music Website Through Pay-Per-Click?

Interested in making money while you're asleep, or making money... Read More

Guitar Tuning Tips

Most new guitar players and even some experienced ones have... Read More

RAP Music and Brain Washing Issues

I am not sure if anyone has been watching out... Read More

Managing Your Time, when Music isnt Your Day Job

You CAN do everything.Repeat.You CAN do everything. What you cannot... Read More

An Introduction to CD Mastering

While many people think that the mixing of the separate... Read More

Learn to Read Music Online

If you or anyone you know wants to learn to... Read More

College Radio: The Most Important Radio Level for Musicians

For the self-promoting independent artist, the idea of taking on... Read More

Music Industry Insider: Tess Taylor of NARIP and LAMN

Members of LAMN (founded in 1988) and NARIP (founded in... Read More

How To Play Guitar Like a Pro!

Having taught the guitar for many years, I see the... Read More

Learning How To Improvise

Those of you who have been reading my articles for... Read More

Avoid These 3 Common Mistakes - When Improvising

Mistake #1 - Thinking about what you're going to playA... Read More

The Piano Parent Trap!

"My 6 year old daughter really loves the piano and... Read More

Tips on Performing Your Music for Others

Have you ever dreamed of performing a piece you created... Read More

The Various Countries - A Rant About Country Music

It is no secret that over the past couple decades... Read More

Can You Really Learn To Play a Musical Instrument From an Online Course?

Out of the 250 million people in the United States,... Read More

How To Change Your Guitar Strings

Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a litte... Read More

A Guitar Lesson To Help You Test Your Note Knowledge

In this guitar lesson we look at a great way... Read More

Buying a Violin

"How do I buy a violin, (or fiddle)?"That question has... Read More

George Winston and New Age Piano Playing

The first time I heard George Winston play back in... Read More

Modal Theory for Guitar Players - Part 2

Playing the ModesWhen I used to use this pack with... Read More

Why New Musicians (Rappers) Fail: Three Reasons and Solutions

Despite the title of this article, the purpose of it... Read More

Formation of a Song (Recording)

As industry insiders, we sometimes forget that when discussing the... Read More

Guitar Buying - The Pros and Cons of Vintage vs. Reissue

To most people, owning the "genuine article" is the only... Read More

Avoiding Injuries When Playing Guitar

To avoid any sort of injuries when playing guitar a... Read More

How to Become a Filthy Rich Record Label Mogul

Let me guess, you love music and would do anything... Read More

How to Buy an Electric Guitar Online

With the increased proliferation of online guitar and musical equipment... Read More

Do you really need college to learn to play music?

Music courses are a great way to learn about virtually... Read More