DJ Spooky spins, but nobody dances

Spooky spun at the Drake on Saturday night. True to form, he wasn't afraid to spin anything from Blondie to "Jump Around" to The Cure's "Lovecats" mashed up with Missy Elliott. But long after I've forgotten what specific songs he played, I'll remember everything else about this gig, from the layout to the clientele to the staff.

Even though the venue was nowhere near capacity, the security people didn't seem the least bit interested in getting people through the doors on time. Even after Spooky came on, there was a big, glacially-moving lineup outside. The DJ table was set up at the front of the lounge, right next to the only proper entrance and exit to the room. This meant that the front of the room was packed with spectators as well as people trying to get in and out. This left no room at the front for dancing, not like it would have mattered much because layout of the lounge contains little open space for dancing anyway. And finally, the clientele didn't look like a Spooky crowd as much as it was a Drake crowd, who (besides from teh people crammed near the front) paid little to no attention to the music or the DJ. It was like a Michael Mayer gig for the late-20's/early-30's yuppies-in-training, supper club scenester, $8 mixed drinks crowd. It was a puzzling, frustrating evening, but at least the music was good.