The following editorial is: 1) A review of Skrillex’s “The Mothership Tour” show at the Ritz last Friday or 2) The rudiments of a manifesto on dubstep sociology.
When I found out I had a list spot at Skrillex’s show, I was surprised by how intrigued I became with the show. The Brasky forums know that I’ve been critical of Skrillex since his Deadmau5/Youtube-fueled emergence, but:
- I enjoy live bass music and stick up for dubstep in this spirit
- I’ve been curious to understand Skrillex’s popularity since noticing that his track “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” has surpassed 50+ million views, putting Skrillex in Lady Gaga territory. And, for the most part, he has done it without the visibility gained via mainstream media exposure. How? I needed to get to the bottom of it.
Upon arrival at the show I started ravenously observing the diversity of showgoers that were rolling in. It was clear that Skrillex was reaching a lot of different audiences within the electronic world, with most everyone represented.
8 Types of Skrillex Listeners
| 1. |
Those half-naked rave girls, decorated with fluorescent doodads/trinkets/gewgaws – specifically, those Clydesdale ankle muff things. They are on drugs, but I’m not sure which ones. |
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| 2. |
“Getting laid guys” (credit: Louis CK) in collared shirts, hooting at the fluorescent dancer girls (who of course are immensely detached from the people around them). |
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| 3. |
Awkward computer nerds with Skrillex tees (I think these are the guys who relish the Transformer/dubstep correlation. Note: This correlation has been a terrible thing for dubstep. Also terrible: Zealous YouTube comments about “the drop” or “filth” that are so slobbery you can almost feel the mist) |
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| 4. |
Suburban hipster looking people dressed very randomly with the jean shorts and wayfarer sunglasses and whatnot. I was wearing suspenders so I think that automatically lumps me here. |
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| 5. |
Goth/metal couples on dates. (preemptive correction assuming this class may care greatly about this distinction: “cyber-goth”) |
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| 6. |
People on ecstasy. And weird dudes in masks giving them nose-grazing neon hand jives while they sucked on lollipops and pretended to be rolling hard enough not to notice how REALLY WEIRD THIS LOOKS. IN PUBLIC. |
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| 7. |
Vintage (2000-2005) screamo kids |
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| 8. |
Clusters of white girls who appear to be dressing up to mimic the possibly-sincere fashion guidelines of any combination of the preceding. Most are unfamiliar with Skrillex but they’ve heard of dubstep and they like that band. |
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Now that I’ve judged 99% of the people in the building, let’s judge the final 1%–the performers.
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In light of America’s last shuttle flight, Aaron weighs in on the legacy of the most familiar of space-faring vessels and a true Florida Icon, the Space Shuttle.
In 2011, mankind witnessed the conclusion of America’s grandest technological odyssey: the final launch of the Space Shuttle. STS-135, a four member mission of the space shuttle Atlantis, is the ultimate mission within a thirty year old campaign of scientific exploration and intrepid posturing by the most powerful, free nation in the world. For me, a young man that can recall standing outside in shorts and long socks, waving a tiny American flag and watching the shuttle arc into the sky while the glass doors on our patio shook with the unbelievable thrust of booster engines, this completion foreshadows too many ceilings to adequately name. There is the dearth of jobs to be snagged after NASA’s jettisoned workers enter the job market, the festering of the county that bore my youth, and only a lingering dream of being awakened by the twin thumps of orbiter re-entry. This is the series finale, the funeral of some beloved celebrity, of a distant acquired part of my identity.
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It’s exhausting to blog as well as we do here at Brasky, but you, too, can impress anonymous readers and old high school friends. No degree in (Live)Journalism? It’s OK. Sit back and let Emanuel school you on how to keep your blog game proper in 2011.
Everyone cares what you think. Write things out on your computer. People will care. People will understand. People will link each other to what you typed. It’s infectious, like your genius. Only you have thought these things. Don’t hesitate. Just do. Do it.
Write an article for a blog whose logo type is in Helvetica. Make blatant observations about your life that others can relate with on a level where they feel like they’re writing it. Keep each sentence short and simple – big words will only serve to get in the way of your poignancy. Sort of feel flustered as you realize half way through writing it that you’re not as intelligent as you thought you were. This is okay, thesaurus.com has your back.
When you’re bored of giving basic instructions to your word processor, keep going. It will only get more difficult, but this is the test of the unrecognized and tumultuous artist. People will think you’re significant after this, and that’s great. Done yet? Nope. Keep going.
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Recently a lot of press has been given to the fact that more people preferred to be an online fan of an inanimate pickle than of the modern rock band Nickelback. This has made newspaper second-pages across the country and even solicited ire from the band themselves. But what did this exercise really prove? Was Nickelback’s reputation sullied at all? If anything, people that had never heard of Nickelback before this instance may actually become fans of the band. All that was proven was this:
The general public tends to polarize into bland, isomeric factions based on personal preferences. +Continue Reading
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