Valentine's Day 2/14/05-A Recap

Valentine's Day: One Year Ago

We were very hyped about the evening that sprawled before us like a glowstick-edged carpet of possibilites. I had obtained VIP guestlist tickets, she bought an new outfit, we both got our haircut, and we had managed to squirrel away some money. We were completely cool. And better yet, we were going to be with someone we loved on Valentine's Day, a first for both of us.

I was so surprised how I got the tickets. I just happened to meander over to my favorite dj's website, www.djdb.com, and I was shocked to discover that he would be playing in ATL on Feb. 14th! But, by my slow-ass meandering, I had missed the tickets. I immediately wrote an e-mail to him describing my total devotion to his music (which was all completely true) and how much I was hoping to see him spin. He wrote me back the same day and we got to e-mailing one another. I told him about letterboxing and he was intrigued. I offered to carve him a stamp for him to keep in a trade for two tickets. He put us on the VIP guestlist. I about crapped in my pants when I read that e-mail. I started carving his stamp that very evening, she went shopping.

The stamp came out good; I chose an album cover design from one of his albums and it was cool. I had to enlarge it a lot so it really was an artistic effort, not just a copy. I stamped it and put the image up on the bathroom mirror in the slum we were living in for hope...every blank morning in that place I saw that design and felt hope.

Hope turned into excitement as the day drew near. That evening we got decked out, sipped a few beers with the roommates, and kicked it downtown. We found the place, left our jackets in the car (like idiots! It was SUPA-cold for ATL...maybe 28 degrees and windy as a fartbag) and scurried to the Mark, which aptly enough, was the spot DJDB chose to play here.

We walked in and were immediately asked for our tickets. We proudly announced to no one, except the bouncer, that we were on the guest list thank you very much. Sure enough, we checked out and got to go on in while the other 3 early arrivers sat in the corner and loomed at us.

She was looking so fine that night, I remember it clearly. Geez, I was in a blissful state of contentment and excitement. We grabbed a beer, walked around the room, and smiled like happy buddhas. I was kind of anxious because I had that stamp I carved for DJDB and I wanted to not only close our trade, but also to meet him.

The room began to quickly fill full of all kinds of folks. It was interesting to see the hardcore fans and all the stripes of lifestyles that DB had connected into. She had to pee by now, and the long line was ridiculous, so I told her I'd hit the bar for our next round while she waited to squat. 10 steps after leaving her there amid the bladder-addled folks, I see a tall, familiar dude walking over to the bar. No one around seemed to take notice of him, but I made a direct line and stepped up and said, "Hey DB, man, it is sooo good to finally meet you!" He was cool, not nonchalent but not overly enthused about a fan coming up in his face. I said, "hey, thanks for getting us on the guestlist." He looked over at me then and I handed him his stamp. His face instantly changed, recognizing who I was-the face meets the e-mail character-and smiled big. He turned the stamp over in his hand and said, "So you had no problems? Good. Great to meet you." I told him briefly of our big V-day outing and asked him if he'd please put in some stuff from the early cuts. He just smiled and said, "just wait...enjoy your date tonight."

It was so very cool that my words now are weakening the experience of that special moment, that stellar evening.

After a few stunned moments I order our next round of brews and go to find her, who is totally POed that she didn't get to meet DB. Tough love.

We find a spot to chill, getting restless for the show to start. The evening is a tagteam between DB and DJ Dara, which means that they take turns but have to connect the song into the last song that was playing when one or the other tagged out. As we lounged on a sofa with some other dudes, who turned out to be very cool, we heard the first notes of Dara's mix emerge from the speakers. I had an epiphany: A Forest by the Cure, slowed down but definitely it. And the musical influx was on...

DJDB emerged on the stage after 2 or 3 songs and changed it into something recognizable to all his followers and I began to float into another place, a position or phase or spot I cannot describe. Life was better than good, it was transcending known levels of pleasure and joy. She disappeared up front to dance and I kicked the steps in the back, studying the beats but relishing them as well.

All good things come to an end. The theme of this tale is not the arguements on the way home or the disaster of the rest of the relationship: those will all be told other ways at other times. This is simply the tale of how I gave my favorite dj a stamp I carved for him on Valentine's Day last year and how he provided entry into one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Keep spinning DB...a true friend and fan.