Now it’s the Sacramento Music Festival. Here’s the SacBee article on the change:

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/30/3870809/no-jazz-no-jubilee-next-year-its.html

What do you think about the change? Will the inclusion of more/different kinds of music be a good thing (and entice you to go)?

We at Revival Nitelife have no vested interest in this, we’re not Native Instruments affiliates and of our resident deejays that do use a DVS just as many use Serato Scratch Live as they do Traktor, but this is too good to keep to ourselves… Traktor is simply phenomenal and you can’t beat getting what many believe is the best DVS on the planet for $199, including the Audio4DJ soundcard (Traktor Scratch Duo) or the big daddy (Traktor Scratch PRO) with Audio8DJ soundcard for just $335!!!! That’s just too good a deal to pass up..

[UPDATE] I checked with our sponsors and if you’d like to get an even better deal and support your favorite N. Cali nightlife and dance music website you can get these from American Musical Supply (link to the right) for even less. They currently have deals for all of the Traktor products for even less…

• Traktor Scratch Pro W/ Audio8DJ ($299)
• Traktor Scratch Duo W/ Audio4DJ ($179)
• Traktor Pro Software ($99)
• Traktor Duo Software ($49)

… and they’ll even let you pay it off in three interest-free easy installments if you opt for Traktor Scratch Pro, with no credit check!

The next-gen MySpace, all-new logo and all, shifts social networking on the site from people discussing the latest happenings in their lives, most of which would only be of interest to friends and families, to what they say is a “new visual identity and product features that put content center stage.” What is looks like is News Corp (owner of Myspace, Fox, The New York Post, and half the rest of the world) made the decision to quit competing with Facebook almost entirely, taking the site in another direction in an attempt to rejuvenate the brand. At one time this was THE social network but it’s been badly beaten by Facebook the last couple years, to the tune of about 140 million users to Facebook’s half BILLION!

The new MySpace is currently in beta and will be rolled out to all users by the end of November. New users will be entered into the beta version starting today. From there they plan to launch a new mobile app for accessing Myspace on smartphones (iPhone OS and Android apps are on the way). What is different about this new app and the one I already have on my phone? I have no idea…

Big changes begin with the welcome page, rather than start with a person’s profile as it used to, the page has entertainment-related content covering music, movies, television and celebrities (who the F cares, blehhh!). All targeted-content will reflect the interest expressed by the user in their profile. On top of that they’ve created ‘content hubs’, where users can see news, videos and photos related to specific topics. Generally speaking, these hubs, which will be rolled out over the coming months, will focus on games, comedy, sports and fashion.

Every page will now include a Discovery tab that drops down as a horizontal box displaying videos that a user’s friends are watching, in addition to what’s popular on MySpace. And keeping in line with the Myspace of old they are including a new My Stuff  tab that gives users quick access to their profiles, photos, videos and uploaded content. Also, after recognizing Facebook’s social network dominance the last couple years, MySpace synced its service with its archrival (as well as Twitter and a few others), making it possible for users to share all updates on Facebook at the same time. After the accounts are synced, MySpace updates appear on the pages of Facebook friends.

Newscorp is obviously going after Gen Y, covering ages 10 to 30. Going forward Myspace content will be geared to the entertainment tastes of the age group, what’s featured on welcome pages and content hubs will be drawn from what’s popular today.

Going back to its roots the MySpace overhaul is an expansion of the original driving force behind its growth, that being music. Sharing of music on the site led to many artists joining the social network, which was a huge element of its growth before King Facebook became a major player with his better tools for building profiles, sharing content and communicating with friends. Does this mean I’m going to get reacquainted with my old friend? Maybe, OK probably. I’m already logging in and updating my profile right now…

~Vivenite

Tickets never went on sale and promotions were never staged, but a planned headlining concert by electronic artist Tiësto is the center of a seven-figure civil suit filed against the city of Los Angeles on Friday. Local dance promoter Insomniac Inc. claims the city breached its contract when it canceled what would have been an Oct. 30 concert by the well-known trance artist in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

On Monday, the mayor’s office referred requests for comments to the convention center, and a spokeswoman for the facility said no statement or comment would be forthcoming. In its filing, Insomniac — the company that also staged the now-controversial two-day Electric Daisy Carnival in and around L.A. Memorial Coliseum in late June — claims that the city did not have proper cause to terminate the concert, for which tickets were to go on sale Aug. 17.

Insomniac writes in its complaint that the city cited the rampant use of the drug Ecstasy at Electric Daisy, as well as the death of a teenage girl who attended the concert and died of a suspected overdose, as its reasons for calling off the Tiësto appearance. In its claims for damages, Insomniac cited more than a dozen recent deaths at or after major music or sporting events, including that of a 27-year-old man who died after being punched at a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim game, essentially arguing that the Tiësto appearance was unfairly singled out because of public perceptions of dance and electronic rave-like concerts.

“Events like [Electric Daisy] and the Tiësto concert are held at legal venues and are planned in conjunction with law enforcement and medical personnel,” reads the claim. “[The Convention Center’s] unilateral termination of the contract will send the wrong message by suppressing the popularization of electronic music, encouraging it to revert back to its underground, unsafe beginnings.”

Insomniac is asking for damages of at least $1,015,180, citing a loss of profit of $436,250 and an estimated production cost of $668,750. Court documents state that Tiësto was guaranteed $250,000 for the single-night event. The artist’s management, Complete Control, did not respond to requests for comment.

Insomniac, which promoted five sold-out Tiësto shows in and around Los Angeles in 2008 and 2009, noted that its planned convention center event was no different from Sunday’s concert at the Hollywood Bowl, which featured dance act the Chemical Brothers.

“I can’t help but draw comparisons to the ’80s movie classic ‘Footloose,’ where dancing and rock music were banned,” Insomniac founder Pasquale Rotella is quoted in a statement. The company believed as recently as Aug. 4 that the Tiësto concert was a go, but less than two weeks later, the city returned Insomniac’s second rental payment of $14,400.

“If this breach is allowed to stand, Insomniac will be known as a promoter that cannot follow through on its commitments,” reads the filing. “As a result, artists of Tiësto’s caliber may henceforth by unwilling to contract with Insomniac.”

A copy of Insomniac’s rental agreement with the convention center notes that the city may terminate the contract for the reason of “good cause.” Should it do so, reads the contract, the “tenant agrees to waive and forgo any and all claims for damages against City by reason of such termination… Tenant shall have no recourse of any kind against city.”

The dance community has faced strict scrutiny in Los Angeles since the Electric Daisy Carnival, which drew an estimated crowd of 80,000 to 100,000 people per day, and led to more than 100 hospitalizations. Two days after the event, 15-year-old Sasha Rodriguez died of suspected drug-related causes.

The Coliseum Commission then imposed a temporary ban on rave contracts, although three events scheduled for the remainder of 2010 were granted approval to continue. The commission — the joint state, county and city panel that oversees the venue — has, however, imposed new restrictions on the promoters of dance events.

Going forward, promoters must enforce a strict age limit of 18 by checking identification, hire a team of emergency-room doctors to work on-site and warn rave-goers about the dangers of the illegal drug Ecstasy. The July 17 electronic-focused Hard L.A., which was to feature appearances by M.I.A. and Die Antwoord, among others, was canceled, and promoter Gary Richards noted that the city forced “a lot of extra stipulations and requirements” that “resulted in unforeseen costs to the event.”

A heavily policed Aug. 7 festival, Hard Summer, went off as planned, and resulted in only four arrests. An Aug. 21 dance concert at the L.A. Sports Arena didn’t fare as well, resulting in more than 80 arrests and three hospitalizations.

– Todd Martens

[INFO] SATURDAY AUGUST 7TH 2010 5:00PM-2:00AM
LATE CHECK OUT TIME SUNDAY
600 PERSON CAPACITY 21+
LIMITED $10.00 PRESALE TICKETS
HOTEL ROOM RESERVATIONS CONTACT MIXTURE DIRECT: 916.214.8124
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If you own a PC, a webcam, and have access to a printer you could make yourself a cool little DIY hardware step sequencer. The D-Touch Synth and Drum Machine is a software-based, hardware-controlled system where the hardware is absolutely free (you build it with paper, which means no confusing soldering or wires). Just print out the paper control surface, form the cubic control pieces and set up your webcam accordingly. When you move the pieces of paper horizontally or vertically, it changes the timing and other control parameters of your drums and samples…or samples for that matter. Could be a great social interaction tool if someone was looking to get a lot of attention/promotion during second Saturday events here in Sacramento.

d-touch youtube video

Directions can be found here: http://www.d-touch.org/

Don’t get me wrong, Sacramento has some fun nightclubs to go to. The new Venue (old Empire), Faces, new Badlands, etc. are all great places (sometimes some sound issues), but they all have a pretty safe design visually. Some are new or have undergone major face lifts that look to WOW the patrons, but nothing comes close to the visual appeal of the new ‘Sound’ in Phuket.

In Phuket, Thailand, you’ll want to hit up the new night spot, the SOUND Night Club.  I’ve not sipped Sound’s cocktails or sampled its sounds, but the visual inspiration alone is enough to warrant a visit.  The vibrant, fluorescent colored hot spot is the brain child of Orbit Design Studio (http://www.orbitdesignstudio.com), and gives an interplanetary experience of future club culture.  I personally prefer a little darker intimate setting, but this place could persuade me to change my ways.