Entry One Hundred Ninety-Three.
Tuesday, 2015.09.08, 7:10 PM CST.
Taking the reins of the ResurXtion event series.
Current Mood:  Busy.  Busy, busy, busy, exhausted... oh, yeah, and busy.
Current Scent:  Sander for Men by Jil Sander.

I have been extremely fortunate as of late, at least in a few special ways.  Earlier this year (maybe March or early April), I was approached by longtime Tulsa DJ Jessy James about his "ResurXtion" series of events - retro-focused events (mainly 80s/90s) with NO COVER CHARGE held every month at Lot No. 6, just east of 6th + Peoria.  He was going to be out of the area for a while (for job purposes) and wanted to see if I could take over the events.

Now, Jessy and I are very similar.  We've both been at this for over twenty years, we both love DJing with real vinyl as often as possible, we both have MASSIVE music collections, and we both dig a lot of the same types of music.  As it turns out, we've even discovered that we were born in the same month of the same year - only two or three days apart!

I had heard great things about Jessy in the past, but hadn't DJ alongside him until last November, when we got to work in the same room of a special Fur Shop/Propaganda anniversary event last November.  I was impressed, not only with the amount of music the guy had, but also his professional attitude and his friendly demeanor.  He didn't have a prima donna attitude, he wasn't one of those guys who had to get drunk to have a good time, and he seemed genuinely happy to be sharing his music with the crowd.  We weren't exactly the same about everything... but it certainly seemed like we were kindred spirits, enough that I regretted not having worked with him in the past.

Anyway... back to the offer to take over ResurXtion.  At first, I thought about it and declined.  I was just starting my new company, Awesome Retro DJ, and I really didn't think I would have much time to work the ResurXtion events as well.  Plus, I had never been to Lot 6, and I didn't know what kind of place it was going to be.

Well, in April, I got the chance to DJ at Jessy's last ResurXtion event (for a while) - ResurXtion 14: "Our Last Dance Together," a special night focused on the music of the Cure.  I performed alongside Jessy and DJ Axis (whom I'd known for years), and I had a blast!

Within a few weeks, with the encouragement of my wife Lanna, I decided to let Jessy know that I'd changed my mind and that I would be happy to take over ResurXtion.  Jessy and I met up again at Lot 6 to discuss the details, and I brought along a tentative version of the ResurXtion 15 poster (see the above photo, taken by Kimberly Poplin).

ResurXtion missed one month - May 2015 - for planning.  On June 27th, however, I brought ResurXtion back with a vengeance with ResurXtion 15:  Depeche Mode Tribute Night 1.5.  I kept the current ResurXtion co-DJ Axis (a great guy as well!) aboard, and I brought in special guest DJ Sokmonkey from OKC, an awesome dude with whom I had worked before at Assimilation and 80s Prom.  I started an aggressive (but not obnoxious) marketing campaign to spread the word, and Jessy was kind enough to provide his contacts and tips for what had worked well so far.

Axis, Jessy James and I at ResurXtion 14:  "Our Last Dance Together" (Cure Tribute). Photo by Shanna Marlin.

Sokmonkey, I, and Axis at ResurXtion 15:  Depeche Mode Tribute Night 1.5 Photo by Chris Eastman for Destroyer X Productions.

I'm happy to report that the night was a success.  We very possibly had more individuals at ResurXtion 15 than any previous ResurXtion party, and I had a GREAT time.  We followed that up with a party called "One Night in Rio" - A DJ Tribute to Duran Duran on July 18th.  That one went smashingly as well.

Then... in August... we had a BEAST of a party - ResurXtion 17: "Madly MaXimum - Party Road," a massive Mad Max-themed event.  I told myself that I was going to make August's ResurXtion one of the biggest parties of the summer, presented by anyone, bar none.  With the help of Jessy and Vanessa Somerville (owner of Lot 6), we put together one hell of a night.

I DJed along with Axis and special guest DJ Bone!! from OKC.  I brought the legendary Mr. Crispy in to do live firebreathing in the street.  The lovely Kaysea Barlass from Flow Time Hoops was doing fire hoop dancing and LED hoop dancing.  We had vendors from Tulsa Obscura and OKC's Element 18 selling jewelry, art, and lots of other stuff.  A gentleman named Chris Kunstler was kind enough to rent out his custom bubble-top Mad Max-themed car to park in front of the place for people to pose for pictures with.  We even had a slew of visitors from the Ozark Wastelander Society, a post-apocalyptic cosplay crew who were just crazy... in all the good ways.

It was phenomenal - the most successful ResurXtion so far, by far.  Even before it occurred, Jessy and I decided that this would be the first annual "Madly MaXimum," and "Madly MaXimum - Beyond Partydome" is already planned for next August.

So... I now find myself in control of one of the most established monthly retro nights in the city, and I am GEEKED about it.  80s/90s nights are my specialty, so having a (mainly) 80s/90s monthly event, around which I have been granted significant creative control, is a pretty major deal for me.  The next ResurXtion, a New Order/Joy Division-related party called "Bizarre Dance Triangle," is scheduled for September 19th, and it's already gearing up to be incredible, with longtime Tulsa DJ Sam Propst joining Axis and myself.

If you like classic 80s/90s dance tunes, awesome remixes, and fun dance nights served up by real, experienced DJs with no cover charge... I highly encourage you to check out ResurXtion - usually on the third Saturday of every month at Lot No. 6, just east of Peoria on 6th Street!

For more information about RESURXTION, visit our site at resurxtiontulsa.com.  (Or, if that domain name ever stops working, the page can also be found at http://www.djbadger.com/resurxtion.)

Thanks as usual for the support... more soon!

Badger