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the life of critic is AWESOME! enjoy! Hello J. James Duran & Editors
I've been going out now for quite some time, and in my years here in Gainesville I have never seen 2 things that have been more definite. Your bitterness towards the club scene, as well as how distinguished Rue Bar is from every other club in Gainesville. I've lived here for 4.5 years now, and been making road trips to Gainesville since 1998. Rave laws aside, club versus club, Rue Bar
blows away any other venue in town, past to present. I think it's wrong of you to post such trash in a wide-spread periodical bashing a club, simply because they have rules to follow. You wrote that just becuase it was past 12:00, the list was closed. That applies to everyone, but you have to remember we do this for a living just like you do your journalism. Wouldnt you say that you've met friends in the same line of work. Absolutely, as have we. Now since you weren't acquainted with the door staff, of course they're going to ask you to pay an entrance fee. Now you've also contradicted yourself when you said that Rue Bar was over crowded, but were pissed when it took forever to get in. Capacity. It's a simple concept in where if there are a certain amount of people in the venue, then the line gets held until people leave. You showed up late, so the club was at capacity, you have no right to complain about waiting in line.
I dont understand how you can ridicule something that has done so well from the very beginning. Rue Bar is bringing in the biggest numbers out of any venue in town. No other venue enforces a stricter dress code then Rue Bar. I bartend at Rue Bar on Thursdays and Saturdays, and I can assure you that they offer some of the cheapest drinks in town, from some of the best bartenders in town. Now you might be from Miami or where ever down South, and trust me I sympathize for the club scene here, this isn't Miami however. But I can assure you, this is as close as your going to get in Gainesville. I think for the owners of Rue Bar to come into a college town and bring such a fantastic venue with them, it's wrong for you to come in and criticize it so thouroughly, just becuase you didnt want the rules to apply to you.
As for the music selection, I'm also a DJ at Fat Tuesday here in Gainesville, as well as Rain in Daytona, Voodoo Gainsville, Slim's Gainesville, Rhythm & Flow Orlando, Speakeasy Gainesville. If a venue were to play anything other then "the same old hip-hop" they would lose business instantly. You can complain about the "crunkness" but this is what is pounded into the heads of todays youth by the media. All hip hop and r&b has all the mainstream support from every type of media, especially TV and radio. Being a trance DJ, as well as having to play hip hop, 80s, and rock, I know what the people in this town want to hear, and as much as I would love that to be house and trance, it isnt. They want hip-hop, period.
And as for the Alligator, I'm suprised you allow your "critics"/writers to print such filth about a venue that you all know full and well, is the nicest place in town. A lot of people who put
in hard work to bring you a nice place to go out, have lost a lot of respect for your publication. Thank you for your time.
Andrew
Beckwith
4LS
Bartender & DJ, Rue Bar
My response: Hey Andrew,
Where do I start?
1) Rue Bar is NOT the best venue in town,
those titles could easily go to Bank or Market Street, you aren't fooling
anyone. I really tried giving Rue Bar a chance but I left that night very angry
because I wasted my time and money.
2) You and the Rue Bar staff need to
learn to take constructive criticism. I am glad that I wasn't on the list
because I got to experience how the staff treats "normal" patrons, and let me
tell the bouncers and bartenders were equally rude to me and my friends for no
reason. I did not give Arkadia Upscale Saturdays that favorable of a review and
the promoters e-mailed me back a rebuttal that thanked me for the critcism yet
offered explanations to why things were the way the were, they didn't gloat that
they were the best venue in town.
3) You are making money NOW! But UF
students are very flickle club-goers, Rue Bar is cool today but when a new club
opens you are easily yesterdays news. I've been to many-a-Rue Bar, they were
called Simons, JetSet, Palace, Martinys, 238 West... You offer nothing new or
unique and you know it.
4) You don't know what UF students want to hear. I
hear so much shit from everyone that all Gainesville DJs are the same. None of
you take risks. You could play 5 popular songs and interject a great new
unpopular song. Check out M.I.A., Fannypack or Diplo, they can easily be the
club hits of tomorrow. Give us a little more respect, we want our favorite club
tunes but we like some orginality. Brick City's DJ Gonzo plays techno version of
Ciara's "1-2 Step" and Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like Its Hot" and they sound
amazing fresh and new.
5) I don't expect VIP treatment everywhere I go, I am
not that shallow or conceited. I was laughing at myself because people expect
promoters to treat me like royalty when i visit, yet the only thing I accept
from them is free entrance (because it is my job), but I ALWAYS pay for my
drinks.
6) Yes this is Gainesville, the same Gainesville world famous DJs
killed to spin at. Don't count out Gainesville so quickly. All promoters blame
the Rave Ordinance as the downfall of Gainesville's nightlife, i blame it solely
on the promoters lack of creativity.
7) As a critical review I am protected
by various constitutional laws, the Alligator has hired me to HONEST and yes I
was brutal, but HONEST nonetheless. The Alligator is a fine publication that
deserve the respect because it stands up for freedom of speech. Even what you
consider "flith."
8) My name is J. DANIEL Duran.
Feel free to call me
352-000-0000 (i gave him my real number, but since my post are public I deleted it) or e-mail me back if you have anything else to say and tell the
entier Rue Bar staff to call me, promoters and all if they have anything else
they want to say to me directly. I did my job, now it's your job to prove me
wrong and make the best damn club night that will blow me away.
J. Daniel
Duran
4JM
jduran01@ufl.edu
so st. patrick's day was an interesting affair... our plans to go to bennigans was a bust since no one could be there on time, including myself, so only jorge and jenn went. however, the night was an improvement as myself, jorge, nikki, jenn, rich, jp, michelle, and jp's friend allison head out to Brick City. I wanted to go to Market Street cause its theme is an Irish Pub, however a few of the kiddies are underage and Market Street wont have any of that. I heard it was hard to get in cause it was so crowded anyway, so glad i decide not to go, cause GOD knows we would ahve gotten there late. Anyway, we all pilled into Jorge's car, with JP driving of course cause Jorge AKA Mr. AA, was already fucked up. He wanted me to drive, cause Jorge has trust issues when it comes to his SUV, and Im one of the few who he lets drive it. However, the rum and coke Jorge prepared me earlier, that was more rum than coke, already had me feeling happy, and because i hadnt eaten anything all day, the effects were hitting me fast. Once we got Downtown we met up with Monica, G and Allyn who were already in line and only had 3 people infront of them and 60 million behind them, so we cut the line, HAHAHAHA, to the complaints of many which we ignored. As always, we were on the list so there is NO coverage charge for any of us. Once inside Ladies drank free, so of course I asked the ladies to kindly get me a drink. And trust me these drink were tremedo baja panties, they were strong as fuck, maybe to get the bitches wild and crazy. Club was empty though and it was 11:45, however they had some kind of raffle going on and had people sign up at the entrance so they were letting people in REALLY slowly. Anyway, 2 1/2 rum and cokes, and 1/2 green beer later I am happy as a clam. Michelle, Allison and JP had a three way kiss, Alisson and Michelle had a lesbian kiss, and another three way kiss was almost repeated but with Jorge this time. Lots of fun, we were all drunk and crazy! Fun times! Tonight Arkadia! Where i am a very very Special VIP tonight thats to the promoter who invited me specifically. Let's see how it goes! Should be fun! _JD
Wed, Mar. 9th, 2005, 12:50 am
a must own...
i encourage... no i order everyone on March 22nd to go out to your local record store and buy: M.I.A. Arularwhy? because she is the daughter of Arular, one of the leaders of the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka, people who pioneered modern terrorist tactics (okay, not the greatest reasons) She fled the country at the age of 9 with her mother and sibilings and hasn't seen her father since. despite her negative association she managed to nab a contract with interscope records (home of marilyn manon, dr. dre, enimen, nine inch nails, 50 cent, no doubt). because her album is a terrorist attack on the senses. because she is what rap USED to be about. it probably is going to go down as one of the most important albums of the 21st century, and would you want to miss out on a piece of history? "slam down. thats that M-I-A thang. ive got the bombs to make you blow. ive got the beats that make you bang." M.I.A. Pull Up The PeopleWed, Mar. 2nd, 2005, 07:48 pm
sobe it...
22 has started off on a good foot. I went today to SoBe with Nikki, Jorge, Erika, Michelle, Shannon, Liddy, Bryan and some other people where we drank and laid out. My back is brunt as fuck cause it was a nice 75 degrees so it didnt feel hot but apperantly that doesn't mean the sun cant do damage. anyway, the beach was just a bunch of European tourist, other people from UF, and some kids from U. Michigan. thats's what you get when you have such an early Spring Break. Anyway, tomorrow starts my lil' vacation in Key Largo til Saturday. How much fun. No? -JD
today is the day i came out of my mom's birf canal (AKA vagina) and made this world better for all to live in... yes, today is my birfday...
-JD Thu, Nov. 25th, 2004, 01:31 am
untitled...
im depressed, so depressed i constantly feel like crying. on top of orange & blue (not going exactly the way i want it to), 2 term papers and my social life, my parents are leaving the US in... oh... about 5 days. now i know, i should be celebrating, and i was until i got home to miami today. seeing the apartment empty, my mom and dad pinching every penny and still asking me if i needed anything from them sent my emotions crazy. the fact that we are almost basically broke and they still want to give me things i want is so sad. i cant handle the fact that they are leaving, and because of money constraints we wont be able to see each other this christmas. my dad is buying me a condo after i graduate and he is using all of his saving to do so because he wants me to be comfortable after i graduate. he is even thinking about buying me a car. why is it that im so sad he is giving me everything i want? i know why. cause all i really want is for them to be here with me. them moving out of the country to domincan republic almost seems like they are dying in 5 days. i cant see them when i want to, i wont be able to talk on the phone with them when i want to. i'm 21 and i feel like im not ready to let go. i don't see the motivation to do well in school when i go back. i want to go back though, because ill feel like they are still living in miami even though they arent, because i wont be able to notice it cause ill be too busy. i wanna go back to gainesville. -jd
I hate this fucking idiot nation. I can't wait to graduate and move elsewhere. I don't want to live in a country where you don't have the right to your own body, where you cannot decide whom you can or cannot marry and where Chrisitianity is used for political decision making even though a lot of the population isn't Christian. You are an idiot Amerika, you deserve to have the huge deficit, you deserve to be unemployed, you deserve to go over to another country and die for oil. Fuck all you! FUCK YOU! I hate Amerika and I hope the ground sallows it whole. I HATE YOU AMERIKA! I HATE YOU! -JD
Wed, Sep. 22nd, 2004, 12:29 am
i (heart) apple
the iPod is the greatest invention known to man. it fundamentally the most important invention since the wheel. I felt this semester i should reward my with a Apple iPod + hp (thats hp's windows iPod) because i've been so good. 20GB hard drive means the thing has more memory than my little old laptop. no bother. now back to paying attention to it, it beckons me. -JD
a new title is attached to my name now... Co Editor-In-Chief Jose Duran is now my new name... and please address me as such... I was picked to co-lead the Orange & Blue Magazine this semester because of my humanitarian and cultural approach to life to balance out the political and structural approach of the other Editor-In-Chief... i'm cultured :-) -JD
Sat, Jul. 31st, 2004, 02:35 pm
lessons
if i've learned one thing is that people can be highly unappreciative. why can't people just appreciate things you do for them and move on? i know i can be hard headed and not say "thank you" for things people do for me, but it doesn't mean i don't appreciate it, because i definitely show it in other ways. when people do things for me, it is because i know they care, and i like the feeling of knowing im cared about. im just gonna stop caring about people and focus on myself, cause it aint always welcomed. on that note, i'm moving to CountrySide tomorrow. big FUCK YOU to Lexington Crossing. also, i called my mom yesterday to ask her how she was. she is telling me she is fine, and she is visit my dad in DR Aug. 6th, and that she was kept overnight in Jackson Memorial. I'm like "what?" She is like, "oh i didn't tell you, my arm started to hurt and I had chest pains." i asked her if she had a heart attack and she said they ran a million tests on her, and nothing was out of the ordinary. now, i've got more shit to worry about. i told my mom, next time if it was serious, i'd like to be there for her, and she shouldn't hide stuff from me just cause she doesn't want to worry me. - JD
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