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I'm going to give my honest take on this situation. I realize that there are a number of competing interests and emtions involved in this thread - but those interests/emotions aside:
History (AFAIK):
Sean Miller had a great opportunity when he was a resident at Boa. He regularly had wonderful nights with amazing music and a great crowd following. People came to see Sean - even when he was opening for larger acts.
Somewhere along the line towards the end of the Boa era and the start of the Sonic era - Sean was courted to play internationally (either opening for Lawler or otherwise). When this happened - Toronto lost a significant asset, as Sean was no longer available to play with any regularity in Toronto.
My Analysis:
When Sean was a regular resident at Boa and Sonic- he had developed a loyal, die-hard following. People would see him out week-in and week-out regardless of other bookings. Sean had broken into the scene with his more "New York" style sound (vs. more familiar Toronto sounds). His sound was refreshing for Toronto, as it offered an alternative to what most of the club scene was exposed to on a frequent basis (at the time).
Sean decided (or his management decided) to move from a regular (once per month or more) performance schedule in Toronto to an international/other performance schedule (less often in Toronto) and as a result Sean did not play in Toronto as often as the Toronto scene was accustomed to.
(IMO) Sean's opportunity to launch further into the Toronto scene was halted by his expansion into international gigs. One can understand the desire to travel and move into other territories - but this can only be done at the expense of frequent exposure in Toronto.
The unavailability (not playing in Toronto frequently) may have impacted the connection between the Toronto scene & Sean - simply due to the fact Sean no longer had the regular local presence (due to international travel) and thus was somewhat off the local radar (although not off the preference list).
Without frequent exposure, the fan base that Sean had developed in Toronto was left to find other DJs and other venues to entertain themselves (whether or not this had anything to do with the demise of Boa or Sonic I don't know), although they still remain Sean Miller fans.
My Thoughts:
Sean was a DJ people saw every week and when he was no longer available to them (frequently), they (as anybody would) found other DJs to closely follow.
Sean Miller has maintained his popularity amongst his core fan base in Toronto - however due to non-frequent appearances over the last year, the "buzz" around his name has decreased. His popularity has still remained, but simply due to the fact the "exposure effect", the "buzz" has not remained at the level it was when he played in Toronto more frequently.
That said, not being in town every week/month/quarter doesn't change people's preference or "like" for a DJ.
My Opinion:
Sean had a "golden"-era in Toronto whereby he was one of the key weekend draws. When he chose to explore internationally that era was cut short. What the results of that era could have been if he stayed remain unknown - however Sean brings his best when he does return to the city and personally I definately will go to see him as his sound was always one that I enjoyed.
Afterthoughts:
The more variability Toronto has (as to the "sound" played) - the more vibrant our community will be. I find that as I grow older and more exposed to new sounds, the more vast my interests become and the more open I become to more unique soundscapes.
I hope our city continues to bring in different, new and unique artists and further I hope our community cultivates unique DJs who choose to provide Toronto with great music and wonderful atmospheres (parties).
* edit note: reorganized for readability.
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- rabbit.joker [funny¿rabbit] | www.rabbitjoker.com |www.ddtt.org
Dark Dirty Tech Tribal. | Hands in air (trance) and feet on the floor (house).
Last edited by rabbitjoker on Jun-09-2007 at 03:42
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