The Sonic Body Experience at 'The Drink' in Uptown Waterloo
Our discussions related to Henriques and Jasen’s work on ‘sonic bodies’ caused me to reflect on my own sonic body experience that I endure frequently as a bartender at ‘The Drink’ in Uptown Waterloo. Anisha’s blog post called Sonic Dominance and her reflection on Waterloo nightlife in relation to DJs and music inspired me to write this post.
Jasen and Henriques emphasize how bass and frequency affect our physical responses and emotional state through a transitory, corporeal, and irreplicable sonic experience. Specifically, Henriques emphasis on the sonic body experience of dancehall sessions created by the sound crew and voicing techniques of the emcees caused me to think about the power this holds in the nightclub scene in terms of bringing in and retaining guests each night.
One of the most recent additions we have added to The Drink experience is live instrument performances and dancers that work in tandem with our DJs and emcees. The initial reason why we added these additional performers was for very practical reasons; according to Covid-19 guidelines, we were unable to operate at full capacity as a ‘nightclub’ but if we included live musicians and dancers, we could technically be deemed as a ‘concert venue’ and therefore host more guests. Don’t get me started about how illogical that is in terms of epidemiology and virus transmissions, but I digress…
One of our live performers is a bongo artist who runs throughout the crowd, pounding on a bongo to the beat of the music that the DJ plays. When I had initially heard about this, I thought it would be ridiculous and wouldn’t resonate well with the crowd… it’s safe to say I was wrong. The bongo player has become one of the staples of The Drink experience not only because you can physically feel the vibration of the bongo as he plays it throughout the crowd, but also his ability to work seamlessly with the DJ and our emcee to hype the crowd up and get people dancing. This experience drew parallels to Henriques’ discussion about dancehall sessions and how the holistic experience of each sonic element, crew member, and emcee creates the ‘vibes’ in the environment. Our guests at The Drink constantly praise us for how unique this experience is and how the live performers make it feel more like a concert rather than a typical night at the bar. Who knew that what once started out as a legal technicality to be considered a ‘concert venue’ by Covid-19 standards would soon turn into one of the most memorable aspects of the sonic experience we create at The Drink! If you’d like to experience this for yourself, come see me (and of course, you’ll get a complimentary tequila shot by yours truly).
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| A picture of myself and another bartender at The Drink (pre-Covid times). |
Discussion question:
Have you ever experienced something like a dancehall session, or what I just described at my workplace where we combine digital music with live music and performances? If so, describe your ‘sonic body’ experience and how this differs from what we consider to be a conventional night out at the bar. Think about this in relation to Henriques’ note on how the dancehall crew members job is to ‘reprocess’ already processed music and the effect AND affect that this creates with the audience and overall experience.
Henriques and Jasen stress the importance of sound systems, the crew members, and so forth, in creating the ‘vibes’ of a sonic experience. As an audience member, in what ways do you think you symbiotically contribute as a ‘sonic body’ to this experience as well? Do you think there is a particular element of the sonic experience of these live events/concerts that are particularly crucial (ie. the emcee, the crew, the sound system, the audience, etc.), or does each element hold equal weight in creating these corporeal, vibrational experiences?
Hi Alanna,
ReplyDeleteFirst and Foremost it sounds like the cohort needs to stop by the drink the next time you're working. I also found it interesting that the drink uses a bongo player to be considered a live event to get around COVID protocols and even more interesting that it actually creates a sense of sonic dominance. One would think with the music already being played the environment would already create that for its guest to hear that it brought to another level makes me ponder of my experience at a live concert. I believe that ay general admission concert at Budweiser Gardens does this but through the individuals attending themselves. The unity created from the experience of other bodies joining together to single a song in unison waving "lighters or phone lights" in sync meshing both the live music and the sound of individuals humming along together to create that same experience the Bongo player at the drink does but just in a different limelight.
In regard to your second question, I think the most crucial part of a live event is the sound system itself, if you can't hear the entertainment than no one can enjoy it. Often when items are built no one thinks of the base itself and just how important it is. Think of it from the perspective of the relationships between gas and a car. If there is no gas the car is not moving anywhere. Similar to a concert if there is no sound system than we as an audience simply can participate in the concert and therefore miss out on the sonic experience missing out of the vibrations which get the blood flowing. That flow of blood is what makes the experience at any live event in my opinion.
Hi Alanna,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your connections between the readings and your experience working at The Drink. I think its super interesting how they have started to use live performance as part of their night life. Just like you, initially, I thought it was be very weird, but it actually isn't that bad at all, haha.
In terms of your first question, one of the things that came to my mind was of the headphone disco that they had during my first year. This was an event where students were given headphones with a few different channels so that they could pick what they wanted to listen to and dance to. This also took me back to Hosowaka and Bulls writing on the walkman and iPod. It was quite the interesting experience as you got to choose what you listened to and you could decide this alone or with a group of friends. It brings me to Henriques point of the dancehall session being a shared sonic experience. In the sense of the headphone disco, there is this shared sense of the sonic experience if you and your friends choose to listen to the same channel but also shared with the strangers around you listening to the same channel. This music immerses you in the experience through the device that is the pair of headphones. I feel that this wraps the ideas of Henriques, Bull, and Hosowaka together as it shows how there can be an experience of sonic domination through headphones in which one is transported to their own universe within themselves while also participating in a shared sonic experience.
In terms of your second question, I think that each element of the session or the event are equally important in creating the vibes and maintaining a great night. As we have read throughout Henriques book, each part of the system has a a number of specific duties that are necessary to keep the session functioning. For example, the MC must not only guide and create the vibes of the night but must also do this through voicing techniques. Also, the audio engineer must monitor and modulate the sound system set to create the perfect sound. There are a number of elements that go into the session, but each one holds a unique role that ensures the success of the event. Without, say the crowd, the MC, the selector, and so on, the session would not be the same as there would be an element missing. Without one of these elements, it would not be a proper dancehall session.
Hi Alanna,
ReplyDeleteI liked your post so much! I think is very interesting how live performances can help us feel sound different. Personally, I think going to a club vs going to a concert or a live show are two totally different experiences. Somehow I think the liveness of the music and the presence of the artists brings out a distinct experience.
To clear more that out, I was looking at a show produced by NatGeo and hosted by Will Smith in which he goes to different places of the world to think about susprising features of the earth. In the first episode they go to a volcano to discuss the sound as an unique way to get to know our physicallity and its connection to the earth. At the end, the host argues how he left hearing differently. Now native and first nations songs and dances help him listen to the earth's vibrations more clearly. Somehow I think that resonates with what you're talking about. Even though our sonic bodies are connected socially and culturally, they are also connected to the movements of the earth (inside it). So, how can we not think live performances bring out a different kind of 'magic' to sound experience?