The Melody Reunion.
So.
On Saturday, February 17, the Loop Lounge in Passaic is having a Melody Bar "reunion," but evidently, it is only open to people who attended the Melody pre-1993. The details are here, and it seems like the party, which runs from 5:30-10:30 PM, is a private party, only open to those age 35 and over. The article said that the idea is to attract the original "scenesters" to this night.
In a delicious bit of irony, this age restriction prevents people who were actual Melody Bar employees from attending, including two of the managers, 7-8 bartenders, 4-5 DJs, and 10-12 barbacks/bouncers who worked at the Melody for years from attending a reunion of their own bar.
If the event were touted as a private party, that would be fine, but much of the buzz around the event, including a couple of newspaper articles, do not mention the age restriction, nor that it is a private party.
Basically, there is a pre- and post-Matt Pinfield period at the Melody. Matt, of MTV and FM-106.3 fame, and now an exec at Columbia Records, DJed at the Melody from around 1983 to mid 1993 three nights a week, and this is the DJ whom the organizers have gotten to provide the music for this event. Matt is one of the best DJs I have EVER heard, and has a feeling for what works better than anyone I have ever seen. But, once Matt left, it appears he took the "hipness" with him.
The Melody Bar remained open for another eight years, post 1992, when it closed in March 2001, but the reunion night is not open to those individuals. Is this sending out a message that the thousands of people who came during these years don't matter? Who knows?
I do not think the snubbing was deliberate, and because it is a private party, the organizers have the right to do what they want; but it is a shame that Melody regulars like the Bouncing Souls, Lifetime, Saves the Day, Propaghandhi, Inspecter 7, etc, cannot attend either.
Coincidentally, I attended the Melody from 1986-1992, and DJed there from 1993-2001, and my Tuesday night 80's new wave night was as far from "hip" as one could get.
Considering the time period covered by the Melody Reunion, the music should end up sounding just like a Tuesday night.
Just hipper.
On Saturday, February 17, the Loop Lounge in Passaic is having a Melody Bar "reunion," but evidently, it is only open to people who attended the Melody pre-1993. The details are here, and it seems like the party, which runs from 5:30-10:30 PM, is a private party, only open to those age 35 and over. The article said that the idea is to attract the original "scenesters" to this night.
In a delicious bit of irony, this age restriction prevents people who were actual Melody Bar employees from attending, including two of the managers, 7-8 bartenders, 4-5 DJs, and 10-12 barbacks/bouncers who worked at the Melody for years from attending a reunion of their own bar.
If the event were touted as a private party, that would be fine, but much of the buzz around the event, including a couple of newspaper articles, do not mention the age restriction, nor that it is a private party.
Basically, there is a pre- and post-Matt Pinfield period at the Melody. Matt, of MTV and FM-106.3 fame, and now an exec at Columbia Records, DJed at the Melody from around 1983 to mid 1993 three nights a week, and this is the DJ whom the organizers have gotten to provide the music for this event. Matt is one of the best DJs I have EVER heard, and has a feeling for what works better than anyone I have ever seen. But, once Matt left, it appears he took the "hipness" with him.
The Melody Bar remained open for another eight years, post 1992, when it closed in March 2001, but the reunion night is not open to those individuals. Is this sending out a message that the thousands of people who came during these years don't matter? Who knows?
I do not think the snubbing was deliberate, and because it is a private party, the organizers have the right to do what they want; but it is a shame that Melody regulars like the Bouncing Souls, Lifetime, Saves the Day, Propaghandhi, Inspecter 7, etc, cannot attend either.
Coincidentally, I attended the Melody from 1986-1992, and DJed there from 1993-2001, and my Tuesday night 80's new wave night was as far from "hip" as one could get.
Considering the time period covered by the Melody Reunion, the music should end up sounding just like a Tuesday night.
Just hipper.