Michael Mayer + Jake Fairley - Canal Room, 2.23.05

I'm really glad Michael Mayer's visits to the US are becoming regular, especially since he always finds new ways to impress me, but you Europeans have it good. Mayer's NYC visit to Volume last March was 2004's best party in my book, and even people in Boston are still talking about it. His October trip found him at the Bowery Ballroom and APT on back-to-back nights, and I still hate the fact that I missed the second night. Naturally then, Wednesday's Kompakt party with Mayer at the Canal Room (and run by We Are Robots) was a must for me from the moment it was announced.

Wednesday is a horrible day for a party like this though. The Bowery Thursday show wasn't ideal, but worked out fine - Mayer went on around 10:00 (starting mellow), and rough Fridays are easier to deal with. He didn't take the decks on Wednesday until about 12:15. Though the opening DJ's were good, it instantly picked up when Mayer went on. I didn't recognize too many songs - just a remix of Touch's "Lovefood" and a Superpitcher mix - but pretty much all of it was enjoyable. Yet before I knew it, Jake Fairley's live set had started. I was actually very impressed with what I heard of him, harder and edgier than Mayer's set and definitely banging. (The word on his record Touch Not The Cat is very good.) But then it was pushing 1:30, and my alarm clock beckoned. Sigh.

Word is the rest of it was excellent, especially near the end. I heard Mayer dropped a double shot of Justus Kohncke - "Elan" from the new Doppelleben mixed into Kohncke's remix of the classic "So Weit Wie Noch Nie." Hopefully Mayer's next NYC visit will be on a weekend so I can make it to last beat again. Or maybe I'll finally sense up and use a sick day.

Mayer's tour continues for another nine dates, listed below. If you like the Kompakt sound and live near one, you should not miss out. And if you don't know it, go and be converted. Mayer's Peel Session (MP3) is mainly schaffel (shuffle-tech), which he doesn't really spin now, but it's still a good taste.

2-25 Minneapolis, MN - Defiant
2-26 Detroit, MI - Bleu
2-27 Toronto, Ontario - Mod Club
2-28 Cleveland, OH - B Side Liquor Lounge
3-01 Boston, MA - The Phoenix Landing
3-03 Los Angeles, CA - Avalon
3-04 San Francsisco, CA - Mighty
3-05 Portland, OR - Holocene
3-07 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey