Monday, April 27, 2015

Norma Jean Baker, Silent Disco, and Bad Neighbors





trans·for·ma·tion
ˌtran(t)sfərˈmāSH(ə)n/
noun
a through or dramatic change in form or appearance; metamorphosis

Norma Jean Baker  

On Friday, April 24, 2015, your Ms. Brown attended an event at the Monroe Lounge in San Francisco. When I think of the event, nothing strikes me more profoundly than the word transformation. With transformation, through a nuclear process, an element can change from one form to another, a caterpillar undergoes a metamorphosis to a butterfly, and cute home town girl Norma Jean Baker became bombshell icon Marilyn Monroe. And, so it is with the Monroe Lounge. Prior to 2011, the Monroe Lounge was a place known as the Dragon Bar. The Dragon Bar was a somewhere you went to if you wanted your feet smashed and your night ruined. ( seriously, there were stories of women performing  fellatio on the doorman just to not have to pay the cover. Classy place, I know)  In 2011, the Monroe came under new ownership and went through a  dynamic transition . Charles Doell of Mister Important Design redesigned the interior.  Mr Important Design is a concept and interior firm with an ebullient and eclectic perspective. They are known for designing exuberant interiors that are created to be remembered and talked about. Some of their clients include the W Hotel , Playboy International, Hard Rock Hotels as well as projects in Dubai, Mumbai, London and throughout the United States. The Monroe is an outstanding example of Old Hollywood style that is glamorous, true to the period and contemporary with out being unapproachable or stuffy. Although the Monroe is not an overly large venue, I found the space and size to be just right. ( Loved the patio!) The drinks were affordable and bartenders were readily available with friendly laid back attitudes. The atmosphere is just as vivacious, playful and entertaining as Miss Marilyn Monroe herself. You can find information on the Monroe here


Some of the striking wall art at the Monroe Lounge.

Silent Disco

Now, let's get to another transformation. I'm speaking of the reason that brought me to the Monroe  Lounge, namely, Quiet Clubbing. Quiet Clubbing has undergone it's own transformation. In Europe, it is known as " Silent Disco". William Petz, the entrepreneur who brought Silent Disco to the the United States first experienced it on a Caribbean Cruise and initially didn't think that he would enjoy it( probably has something to do with the name. No one goes to anything named Disco in the States.).But, as you can probably guess, in spite of the name, he had a blast! The concept was tweaked, rebranded and caterpillar Silent Disco became butterfly, Quiet Clubbing. The idea is truly unique. Quiet clubbing is a live music event where three DJ's spin different genres which are  streamed through wireless headphones. Glowing colored LED lights indicate which station someone is listening to. If you don't like a song, try another station. If you want to have a conversation with the cutie standing next to you, you can do so without screaming and actually hear and understand each other. Best of all, you as the party goer control the volume and are able to give real time feedback to the DJ by simply switching stations. If a D.J. doesn't see his color on the dance floor, he knows that he better up his game. Despite noise ordinances, ,clubs, bars, private residences, roof tops and out door venues can now host parties without fear of the neighbors complaining or the police showing up. Now, don't be fooled. People enjoying themselves make noise. The quiet is not absolute. But, there is no window rattling bass that prevents you from sleeping or watching Empire in peace. So, how can you have your own Quiet Clubbing event? There is a rental process where you can order individual head sets via mail. The head set rental is five dollars per unit. The set up is extremely easy and user friendly. You can just hook up an Ipod  or any music player and dance away. The company can provide DJ's   at additional cost if you are in San Francisco or New York ( they have access to over fifty.) however, most people who do  private parties use their own D.J. or play music through an ipod or an ipad. ( If you are still concerned about how to operate the system, go get an eight year old,  they are all technology experts and I'm sure would be happy to help you out.) Let me just say that Quiet Clubbing was Da Bomb! I loved it . I honestly can't remember when the last time was that I've had so much fun! You must try it! I enjoyed D.J. Blue Joe Quijano the most. But all of the DJ's were fabulous and had listeners. You can find more information about Quiet Clubbing  here

Here are some photos of folks having a blast at the event!


 This couple has lived in San Francisco for just over a year and the wife in the photo is nine months pregnant! She was due the day after the event! They're from Belgium.
 Folks grooving with Old Hollywood as a backdrop.


Girls night out!













Coffy Brown and DJ Joe Quijano! Aka- DJ Blue





Bad Neighbors

I just wish that I had known about Quiet Clubbing a few weeks ago.  My  next door neighbors wouldn't have had to move. They enjoyed having loud parties. ( "Somebody" placed  an ad on Craigslist claiming to be them. In the ad they stated that they practiced Witchcraft, Idolatry and openly socialized with democrats. But...they wanted to know Jesus. It requested that good God fearing Christians come by for prayer and bible study any day of the week between 2am and 5am and listed their name, phone, number and address. The ad also stated that if no one answered the door, they were fine with hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ from their front lawn.) I would go out and serve the extra caffeine Jet Fuel coffee along with  bagels to the folks who visited and once they were good and comfortable with shouting The Word from a bullhorn, I'd go inside the house and call the police.My neighbors didn't stay long after that. ( You're not going to believe this, but some of the folks who showed up to preach at 2am  were CRAZY.) In any case, I have to run. I've got an early morning tomorrow. Reverend Billy and the Choir of the Stop Shopping are coming by to pay my neighbors across the street a visit. They're trying to run a car wash from their house and using my driveway to park the cars waiting to be serviced. ( I told Reverend Billy about their whore mongering consumerism and he agreed that it was an abomination. He can't wait to get here.)  So, until next time.... 

Keep It Hot and Sweet!
Ms. Brown


Here's a clip of Reverend Billy:


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