the whiteaker hot club
in hollywood, i used to slink away to my little 760$ studio, to write up music.
i filmed many bands, including bands i didnt care for.
i got loads of copyright take down requests, souring me on the future of the internet.
for a moment i was gadabout, always a pocket full of numbers and names----a great worry was having great footage, but not the name of the band----if i could not speak to them or someone who knew.
what's the name of this club? heems asked me in portland. lucky something, i replied.
bands might not know who or where they are, either, anyway.
so covid, yada yada.
i was not expecting to be entranced.
it seemed like a lark to write anything about a band, bc i am never so lucky to hear anything lately.
i said to the chap, i havent had fun in years.
last night i saw a small enclave of frighteningly hip hipsters gathered around this swing band. i tried to ignore how nice it sounded---and go about my business.
upon returning, i heard the jazz classic "all of me" and began to swoon a little.
that is one daddy used to sing casually, around the house----.
my dad, "mr. jazz himself" according to the yearbook.
burning my best slovenly jitterbug around the place, i couldnt help feeling the energy of flappers on both sides of the family, or great-grandma's illegal bathtub gin speakeasy in my veins. granny was such the dancer, her nickname was "Legs."
now, i guess ive known about this steampunk thing, since 2006 when i found out about devotchka thanks to mike grayson.
in nashville, i saw squirrel nut zippers, lots of gypsy hombres.
and that klezmer band that had me bouncing out of my seat in that chamber auditorium.
that sedately elegant country club swing-----makes you feel like you should be wearing a polka dotted dress and smelling like georgio, or maybe that was just the eighties----
nobody does that around here.
whoever booked this band, thank you.
i was confused by the markings on their artistically painted tour bus "high step society."
i looked that up.
the outfit operating as "the whiteaker hot club", has a lot of the same cats----but it's more a more classic jazz swing thing----
"the high step society" seems to incorporate more experimental old & new fusion. hints of dub step and electronica---and ive only had a chance to check out a couple of songs---
i hope nobody minds that my e-waste cameras are shoddy as all get out. sometimes, i like the strange effects of blurs and strange clicks----perhaps they should all be smashed and i should just get a decent one or two. the last attempted upgrade was a dud, so i will have to try again.
i take my year of the snake shots, in grace, from a distance anyway.
the battle between dancing and filming is easy. dancing wins.
i was able to prop a few cameras on ledges and gather some stable blurry footage. other times i used old cell phones to capture the insanity of the at least 2 hour work out.
good of whiteaker hot club to come around.
when i heard "just one of those things" i squealed in my high pitched screech! cole porter, eh? how i do adore him.
hooting and hollering was quite normal in Tennessee, but they dont do that so much here!
i waved to four coast guard or army vehicles heading west-----i wanted them to see humans being happy and dancing.
in one of the films, in which i am dancing behind the propped up camera---i see a lady come to film or photograph the dancing!
one couple joined dancing---i wanted to "socially distance" and expand the crowd.
im not going to bars breathing on people----but open air---before the weather hits---was so nice.
people are so desperate for human contact----many people encouraged the dancing, as their dogs traipsed by. i saw an old lady smiling---that younger people like that old music. i saw an older lady starting to prance a bit. a young man looking winsomely as if he was frustrated his lady didnt like to dance.
there was no obvious dance revolution transpiring.
ive been kicked out of a hotel club for dancing----when the mood is supposed to be serious and sit-down---and dancing is interpreted as drunken-ness, and not a compliment to the band. as dancing has been getting people in so much trouble lately, it was great to take that power back, and wreck my shabby knees dancing on hard concrete.
i listened to a quite pathetic lad trying to ask out the promotional person and watched him follow her like a puppy---as humans come out of their caves---into the world again, i wish "the whiteaker hot club" was playing all the time, until we get sick of jazz swing, and go back to indy rock or whatever.
im not really open minded about music. i already have all my favorites on repeat and dont need a new favorite band-----but this----is so much more than a band, its a glimpse of the future----of a new way of living---in the past---in the classic---unique interpretations and song stylings of this group that works so nicely together.
watching the listless americans piling market foods on----and getting the question mark? shall we dance?
true---i was shoveling hummus and tabouleh! into my mouth to fuel the workout----feeling guilty and hungry and anxious---at getting there 30 minutes early.
hey-----
go listen to this stuff here
The Whiteaker Hot Club performing the song, "Avalon" at Noble Estates Urban Tasting Room in Eugene on 12.5.19.
Parkpoom Aempoo - Clarinet and Vocals
Austin Bertak - Guitar
Dan Mahoney - Guitar
Alex Misar - Tenor Sax
Ethan Rainwater - Upright Bass
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