Retrobyte @ Trinity 03.31.07

[DAE51D]

This event was by far the best 'blue room' event I've ever been to.
http://nwtekno.org/vb/showthread.php?threadid=110960

Mad props to Jason and Dru for putting this together and having it run so smoothly. The lines outside were rediculous, but the idea of pulling their VIPs in was the way it should always be. The dancers were also a great addition -- even if one of them was a dude. I also thought it was wise to remove the couches from the dance floor. It made much more room. And I liked the little square ones upstairs.

IMHO, Jason LeMaitre busted out some of the best tracks in his arsenal and definitely more on the trancier up-beat side, instead of the more progressive side he normally does. Retrobyte was like a younger, whiter Donald Glaude. :D He tended to train-wreck like DG, but that didn't slow him down any, and his track selection was also high energy. Arms were up and bodies dancing all night.

I gotta also give a nod to my new bartender. I'd say his name, but I'm afraid the club will repremand him for actually pouring a real drink. One that isn't an $8 cup of water. The drinks at Trinity used to be good when they opened, then somewhere along the way, they started to seem watered down. Trust me -- I am out every weekend. I know what "my" drinks should taste like and how buzzed I should feel after a given volume of it. The past three times I was there, I was livid mad at the anal raping. The worst was that I'd watch the bartender pour from the top-shelf bottle. My only conclusion is that they must have watered down the bottles themselves. I'm not the only one to notice. EVERYONE I've spoken to about it recently has said and suspected the same. Anyways, I don't want to end this on a negative note, so once again, God bless you my new bartender guy...

It's exciting to see a real saturday night for trance/progressive coming into focus. I think it's sad that LSC and Heaven's/Element fought for Fridays and fragment the scene. To be fair LSC has owned it for as long as I can remember, but the venue hasn't evolved (ie. remodelled) in equally as long. Heaven's new VIP area and LCDs, etc make it what Medusa (and to some degree Element) wanted to be {they really need to think about putting doors in the bathroom stalls though}. Then again, maybe some healthy competition will benefit everyone...

I think Revolive and the Blue Room will find themselves in a unique position sans competition. Jason's already built up a strong and devoted following and ranking #12 in Seattle[http://www.thedjlist.com/world/United_States/Seattle/djs/] is none to shabby. You go girl! ;) Best of luck to this new promotion duo, I hear and see great things on the horizon...

[chemchem802]

what a night this was!!!!! my legs still hurt from all the dancing! at first people were standing off to the side watching the model/photo shoot that was being done in the room, then once it was finished people went right into the room and started to dance their ass off!!! Jason started it off pretty hard getting the night set for Retrobyte...the music selection was amazing one of the best sets i have ever heard Jason play then......Retrobyte got on!!! OMG he threw it down like no other! he then started to mess with the nobs messing with the sound, bleeping and blooping and just taking it to another level!! Im not sure if he trainwrecked or if he was just F**king with my head with the processing that he was doing!!! BUMP it up for Revolive , Dru and Jason for this great night!!!
Retrobyte!!! please come back again!!!

[jasdotcom]

What a freakin good night!

First up, the professional model shoot. Everyone that arrived early got a visual treat: Three stunningly attractive women were photographed with both Trinity's Blue Room and the crowd itself as back drops. These ladies were BEAUTIFUL and the entire set up very professional. A big thanks to Dawnie Lee for bringing her artistic eye to our night. She did a fantastic job. I'll post some pics up as soon as I get some.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b114/jasdotcom/IMG_8851re.jpg

The line outside may have been the longest that Trinity has had. It stretched all the way down the block. In fact, it looked like LSC had a line to get in but that everyone was facing the wrong direction! Thankfully, we were prepared. There were valets roaming up and down the line, escorting guests directly into the club. This is something that WILL continue into the future.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b114/jasdotcom/IMG_9107re.jpg

Once inside it was straight to the Blue Room and more surprises. There were Go-Go Dancers!! One hot little number named Chelsey and a great male dancer named James. These two livened up (what I hope was) an already great vibe of upbeat "Prolectro" (this weeks term for 'progressive/electro house/trance') by yours truly :)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b114/jasdotcom/IMG_9901re.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b114/jasdotcom/IMG_9957re.jpg

Promptly at midnight, Retrobyte took over and TOOK OFF!! I must be honest, producing hit tracks for the world is nothing like DJ'ing and I (maybe) was a bit nervous as to how he'd do. After he dropped his second track there was no denying that the night would be one for the harddrive. Folks came in from L.A./ Victoria/ Vancouver to catch this guy and I don't blame them! I'm not sure about the comparison to Donald...IMO he played more closely to a dirtier Gabriel & Dresden set early on and then trancier as the night progressed. Non stop "airhands" and rump shaking at the same time. In fact, this was the first time I actually felt the floor give while everyone was jumping in rhythm!!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b114/jasdotcom/IMG_0044re.jpg

The highlight of the night for me was when both Chris (Retrobyte) and I were in the booth at the same time, working together to seriously warp up the track "Ljus" with 4 separate processors running. PRIMO!! I hope that sounded as good as it felt!

Basically this was a fantastic night that went off without a hitch. Retrobyte already has expressed interest in coming back. Next time it will be in a larger capacity room. I doubt we'll ever get a chance to experience Retrobyte in such an intimate (small) environment. If you didn't make it out for this show, you missed a good one!

Jason LeMaitre

[rampantgirl]

Haha, of course Michael's back would be in the picture next to the cute little go-go dancer! :P

.................................................. .................................................. ................

When we first go to the club my heart sank some when I saw the long line, but very fortunately we got the VIP treatment up to the front, and got right in. That whole ordeal put a smile on my face that didn't stop till I went to bed that morning - shoot I may have still had a smile on my face :)

Jason your set was awesome, prolly my second favorite so far - you definitely set the tone of the evening.

Now Retrobyte had my heart from the begginning when he played a re-mix of "Escape" by Robbie Rivera. That is one of my new faves and quite honestly not one that I thought that I would heard played. He kept it bumping, happy and fun. It's a good vibe when everyone is dancing and singing along to almost every track - my calves are still aching days later from all my jumping around.

My only *iffy* thing is this : and it's only an acknowledgment - because it't not like I didn't have fun or like it..
but........... I felt at moments it was a little to "ultimate crowd pleaser" like with the constant well-known and popular track selection.

The *cherry on the top* for me was all the awesome people who were there that I haven't seen for a bit and were missing like crazy. Michael and I stayed in the several weeks before Miami so I was ready to get my party on with my Seattle folks!! You all made it a night to remember :)




Sarah Bjork

[Mykee]

Did he play an Ableton Live set.. I was just looking at the setup (from pic above) and trying to figure out what he had going on ???

[Mike-EEE]

Originally posted by jasdotcom
What a freakin good night!

Jason LeMaitre

Fantastic work guys! That looks CLASS *A*!!! Just the sort of style that is sorely needed around here! And this is just the warmup, I know... :)

[jasdotcom]

Originally posted by Mykee
Did he play an Ableton Live set.. I was just looking at the setup (from pic above) and trying to figure out what he had going on ???

Yes, he produces all of his songs exclusively with Ableton and so performed straight from the laptop via midi controllers. He built most of the tracks that night "on the fly", actually producing while he played!

I should have been more straightforward in my comment above. By "DJing" what I mean is feeling out a crowd, dissecting a dancefloor, etc.

[Mykee]

^^^ It was clear, but just curious. I have been digging into Ableton very deeply the last year and it is simply amazing what you can do versus pure CD/Turntable sets.. Especially if you have your own production work on there.

[ThrobbingBass]

Originally posted by DAE51D
This event was by far the best 'blue room' event I've ever been to.
http://nwtekno.org/vb/showthread.php?threadid=110960

I gotta also give a nod to my new bartender. I'd say his name, but I'm afraid the club will repremand him for actually pouring a real drink. One that isn't an $8 cup of water. The drinks at Trinity used to be good when they opened, then somewhere along the way, they started to seem watered down. Trust me -- I am out every weekend. I know what "my" drinks should taste like and how buzzed I should feel after a given volume of it. The past three times I was there, I was livid mad at the anal raping. The worst was that I'd watch the bartender pour from the top-shelf bottle. My only conclusion is that they must have watered down the bottles themselves. I'm not the only one to notice. EVERYONE I've spoken to about it recently has said and suspected the same. Anyways, I don't want to end this on a negative note, so once again, God bless you my new bartender guy...


It was nice to see you out again. What you probably noticed is that we changed glassware and I took it from a 10oz to a 9oz. We most certainly do not water down our bottles. Seriously... who does that? I agree with you on the props for the show, Jason did an amazing job and Trinity is lucky to have him and his crew. This was my first time working with Dru, and he was professional and a cool guy. Saturdays at Trinity are off the hook!

Incidentally, I was playing in the main room if anybody caught my set.

[DAE51D]

Originally posted by ThrobbingBass
What you probably noticed is that we changed glassware and I took it from a 10oz to a 9oz. We most certainly do not water down our bottles. Seriously... who does that?
Not to hijack this thread or drag this out, but it certainly was not the glass size. You can _taste_ how much alcohol (or lack thereof) is in a drink. If I get a "black opal" or a "vodka redbull" or whatever usual drinks I get, I *know* what it should taste like, how much alcohol breath I should have, and more importantly, how buzzed/drunk I should feel after a few sips, gulps and glasses thereof. There have been times at Trinity that I'll have three drinks (always top-shelf) and not feel a damn thing. Again, it's not just my opinion, I've asked others about the calibre of their drink and they've noticed the same. I can't explain it other than that.

[ThrobbingBass]

Yeah, not sure what to tell ya. Glad that you got taken care of properly on Saturday. Hope to see you out again this Saturday when MarQ plays.

[DJ Chronus]

Originally posted by DAE51D
Not to hijack this thread or drag this out, but it certainly was not the glass size. You can _taste_ how much alcohol (or lack thereof) is in a drink. If I get a "black opal" or a "vodka redbull" or whatever usual drinks I get, I *know* what it should taste like, how much alcohol breath I should have, and more importantly, how buzzed/drunk I should feel after a few sips, gulps and glasses thereof. There have been times at Trinity that I'll have three drinks (always top-shelf) and not feel a damn thing. Again, it's not just my opinion, I've asked others about the calibre of their drink and they've noticed the same. I can't explain it other than that.
Or it could be that LSC (which you may be using as a reference) pours you super special knock-you-on-your-ass drinks. ;)

[jasdotcom]

Originally posted by DJ Chronus
Or it could be that LSC (which you may be using as a reference) pours you super special knock-you-on-your-ass drinks. ;)

Or maybe the night put you in such a great mood that it only seemed like you got liquored quicker :D

[DAE51D]

Originally posted by DJ Chronus
Or it could be that LSC (which you may be using as a reference) pours you super special knock-you-on-your-ass drinks. ;)
No. For the past few months, LSC has poured kinda lame drinks too. But what's worse is they went to a smaller glass too. Used to be a pint glass, then it was the tumbler, then it was some size just bigger than a "shot glass" but smaller than a tumbler.

I USED to get a good drink at Trinity as mentioned. In fact Used to be a good one at LSC too. Now Heaven's is the front-runner. Element was damn good mixology too.

[ThrobbingBass]

It's all about developing a relationship with a bartender so they know how you like it. I find myself telling my favorite bartenders "hey! Leave a little room for the mixer!"

When you come in this Saturday I'll introduce you to some of the staff and we'll get you fixed up with a couple of beverages. In pint glasses. I think you should meet Kimberly in the card room. She's a kind and gentle woman.

[splangy]

First off, a shout out to Jason, the man who introduced me to my wonderful wife! I am so proud of how hard you've worked and how far you've come in such a short time.

What an amazing set -- I know getting Chris (Retrobyte) up here has been loooong in the works and even though you talked him up quite a bit, I was STILL impressed. I danced my ass off and never once even took a break to order a drink -- I didn't want to leave the floor! Yeah, he's definately young and green on the floor, he did wreck a couple of times, but just smiled and kept going! That's the most important part - he made his mistakes with grace and kept the good vibe rolling. His remixes are deep, pounding, and incredibly professional sounding. Very clean.

As for the lines...yeah...that's the LONGEST line I've ever had to wait for at Trinity or any other place. It went about 20 feet PAST the hot dog cart! A little over an hour. We were making jokes that the VIP line had its own lounge complete with catering -- footlongs and 40s -- with the hotdog cart/grocery store being right there. It was AWESOME that valets were moving through the line pulling people in, I just wish that they had started doing it much, much earlier. I showed up before 11, but missed your set entirely.

Anyway -- if TRINITY reads these things, you and Retrobyte should definately have a night in the main room sometime this summer. Maybe line up a 3rd artist to bring in some more people, but you definately deserve a night in there after pulling this last set off.

[Brad Miller]

glad to see it went well! I would love to see the Blue Room step up and bring in some of the DJs that element no longer will be!

oh and for the record... I've never had any complaints about the drinks at trinity and I have drank A LOT in the clubs as well. In fact, there's one female bartender (forgot her name... she used to work upstairs in the blue room) at trin who makes the best damn lemon drop on the planet... and I refuse to get one anywhere else since it's so fucking fantastic there. perhaps you're building up a tolerance? :)

[jasdotcom]

I'm super stoked to have Retrobyte back again so soon!! This time the party is twice as big and twice as nice!!

It is a private event though. HOWEVER, if you would like an invite I'm sure I could arrange something :-)

Hit me up if you're interested!