NION USAN

Page 7

By JOHN NOSEK

Pulsating with the throbbing power of a stud cut loose among a field of mares, the disco scene is literally mounting the mass entertainment media of America. After ten years, Americans have come full circle, and the masses are storming back to the dance halls. Discos, of course, are nothing new to gays. We've been stomping to rhythm and blues as long as the blacks have been producing it. Forced into the shadows of undercover bars, gays for years had found discos their only viable social alternative.

Today, millions of our straight brothers and sisters are joining us. 1975 is the year of the disco.

To investigate the disco phenomenon more deeply, High Gear invited Eric Boroush, one of Cleveland's few disco d.j.'s who can boast of a significant following, to share his expertise with the gay community-at-large. Both an experienced "sound technician and practicing musician, Eric surrounds his life with musical interests. Here's what he has to say:

High Gear: Eric, you've worked at Twiggy's, The Shaker Club, The Bayou Landing, and now Rikki's. How did you ever get involved in disc jockey business in the first place?

Eric: While I was living in New York for a short time, I came across a club called the Tamburlaine where a friend of mine was disc jockeying.

I frequently sat with him in the booth, and one night when he was sick, since I was familiar with much of the equipment, I was asked to fill in for him. When I returned to Cleveland, I worked with rock bands and went to school for a while. One night at Twiggy's I was standing around talking with Flipsy who was spinning records on a home fidelity system. That same evening Flipsy had a disagreement with the

DISCOTREKKIN WITH ERIC

management and walked out. I told Twiggy I had a good sound system of my own, and he hired me. From there I drifted to the Shaker and the Bayou. Now I'm at Rikki's and frankly quite satisfied on all fronts, creatively, financially, and personally.

High Gear: In the past year discos and their music have transformed themselves into a dynamic national trend for straights as well as gays. Do you think this revived interest in danIcing is tied to the state of the economy and will it be only a short-lived trend.

edit it, by re-playing a portion and incorporating it into the original song to maintain the dancing. Tapes themselves are an insensitive repetoire for an evening. A good disc jockey will pick up on what the crowd wants to continue the vibrations. The objective is to keep the crowd on the dance floor. Ultimately, the crowd decides what is played.

High Gear: The Bayou Landing and Twiggy's are presently playing disco music that is very N.Y. influenced; latin inflected with lush strings and an upbeat tempo. Your music at Rikki's tends to incorporate the new sound, yet is still quite funky. Do you think there is a trend toward the more latin-styled disco music, and do you think Clevelanders have picked up on

it?

Eric: Yes. Latin is just one style of disco that happens to be in now and perhaps leaving soon. My music, actually is closer to that of Joe Maistro's at Twiggy's than it is to Joe Costa's at the Bayou. You know, it's incredible how the Cleveland gay crowd has nearly quadrupled its sensitivity to the music played at any bar. They just won't take anything anymore that's shoved at them. I think this shows a growing sense of sophistication.

High Gear: Gays have often shunned music that is not strictly disco. Do you feel there is a new opening now for rock and middle-of-the-road tunes in the

Eric: In gay discos, basically no except that artists like Bowie adapt their songs to disco requirements. Each disco number has some pre-requisites before it will be accepted. Danceability is number one. Next is the complexity of the number. A lead guitar, bass, and voice do not make a disco tune unless possibly if they are overtracked. What makes it is cleanliness and production. Even a standard tempo doesn't exist because tempos are continually changing.

Eric: The disco scene is a discotheques? national phenemenon as perhaps the Beattles were in the sixties. It's definitely a trend, but there's reasons for it. More and more of the rock artists, and people like Liza Minnelli are performing with taped or "canned" music on stage. This is because recording techniques are becoming impossible to reproduce live. An artist may wish to project a perfect sound live because the sound of a higher quality product done in a studio or in a disco makes a more interesting evening for everyone. The state of the economy, of course, helps a bit. Discos will always be popular in the gay community. For straights I'm betting they won't last longer than five years.

High Gear: How do you usually compile the playlists of the discs you spin for an evening?

Eric: I think 50% of it is personal taste which usually coincides with what's going on in the charts. The rest of it is broken up by suggestions from major labels headquartered here in Cleveland. Then there are promotion companies in L.A., N.Y., and Boston who send records and feedback on what is occurring in other discos in the country...I think the making of transitions in a playlist is an art, individual to each particular disc jockey. The only time I'll ever tape a specific number is to

High Gear: What do you think are the general components of a successful disc jockey?

Eric: A disc jockey on the air has different talents than one in a disco. Personally, I feel being a disco d.j. is more difficult. The number one requirement is the ability to sell liquor. If a d.j. is working on a Monday evening and say 30 people, all over 35, are in the bar, he's not doing his job if he plays the standard weekend fare. A good disc jockey always plays solely for his present audience. Third, a d.j. needs a good ear, and a sense of what tunes will make it and which won't.

High Gear: What is the best sound system you've ever used? Do lights affect the overall impression?

Eric: The best sound system around is located in the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland,

one that I must admit I'd love to get my hands on. The lighting really has no effect on the sound, but it does on the overall feeling of an evening. When psychedelia came in six years ago, if you came to experience it, you watched it. Today, the lighting is a participatory function.

High Gear: What do you and the management of Rikki's plan for the future?

Eric: I've just completed the lighting diagrams and atmospheric control system we're bringing in. The indoors of the bar will be made to appear like you're outside. Trees, park benches, etc. will be included. I'm also planning some experiments in producing sub-sonic (inaudible) tones, tones present on tapes or records that even the most expensive system can't pick up. Such tones come more to an individual as vibrations rather than sounds. It's very similiar to the sensuround used in the movie Earthquake. The management of Rikki's is planning dance contests, more gogo boys, and keeping drinks at a minimal price. Our number one go-go boy, Peter, will be featured in a photo layout in The Rapping Paper. Rikki's is going to be a hot bar.

High Gear: What are your impressions of the Cleveland gay scene?

Eric: The pride factor of the gay here is growing and becoming more important to each individual. It shows in the bars. People are bringing straight friends and relatives in with them, and having a great time. It's a much healthier atmosphere than ever before. Another thing is that the amount of violence put on to gays by straights doesn't dissuade gays. We're not allowing ourselves to

be intimidated any longer, and we're not afraid. This was unheard of fifteen years ago Personally, I'd like to see a more active gay movement in Cleveland, but perhaps this is not the right time. Gay people are just beginning to truly be happy with themselves. Once that stage is accomplished, we feel more comfortable with eac other and with the straight world in groups outside of the bar.

While discos are quite prominent in the gay sub culture, they have stirred quite a controversey among straights An established local en tertainment newspaper in Cleveland characterizes disco music as "fabricated garbage fed to plastic people on tinny dance floors." Rolling Stone pretentiously claims, "After years of serious development sophisticated rock is bumped aside by often the most simple minded of formula ditties." Gays (and some straights) sit back and smile at the apparent naivete of all these selfrighteous detractors.

Whether one likes it or not. people will always physically respond to music through rhyth mic movement. To imply that any form of physical expression is trite shows both ignorance and insensitivity.

Once the disco trend fades from the greater social scene gays will still be swaying to the pulsating beats, and Eric may still be disc jockeying; yet after all is said and done, entertainment history will look back on the disco phenemeno as a populist movement. No public relations; no glorified hype; just an enormous collage of people who one day spon taneously decided to "get down."

Contact

Only $7 for a full year 17 great issues Or only $12 for two years 34 great issues Or only $17 for three years 52 great issues

You can pay now with a check or money order, or enclose no money now and we will bill you later. It's a super deal from CONTACT the National Gay Newspaper.

Enter my subscription to CONTACT for years(s) and [] bill me, [] payment enclosed. All issues arrive in a flat, sealed envelope.

your name

your address

your city, state and ZIP