| Trancer-X |
This was posted on the DCRaves mail list. It's a great article about Scott Henry which was printed in Music Monthly. He is not only a terrific DJ but also a great guy. I've talked to him myself while at Buzz and can only say positive things about the man.
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From: "Mary Morris" [email][email protected]
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 20:58:13 -0400
Subject: congratulations to scott henry!
congratulations to our resident legend, Scott Henry, on his new CD!
Buzz: The Politics of Sound (Ultra) ! ! ! =)
(gina crash played an excerpt on trancemissions last saturday night! :)
my deepest appreciation to Scott for envisioning Buzz, my home away from home!
big ups and maaad props! proud for you!
am so looking forward to celebrating with everyone at Buzz friday night!
huge love and respect,
mary :)
*****
below is a cover story(pre-edited version) about scott henry that ran in music monthly, february 2001:
SCOTT HENRY
"My head won't be able to fit through the door, now," laughs the GQ-handsome, 30-something man with floppy blond hair and a boyish grin. Awkwardly he puts the sheet of paper he's just read beside his cup of latte on the courtyard window table at the PeaCafé in Georgetown.
Scott Henry, legendary pioneer rave DJ and promoter, fidgets and looks away.
Scott's unwarranted concern about ego inflation is due to an e-mail from Louis Montorio, head of A&R/Marketing at Palm Pictures (Dieselboy, Mocean Worker, Supreme Beings of Leisure), who knows Scott well from working with him at Ultra Records (NY). Asked, Who is Scott Henry?, Lou replied:
"The DJ: Scott Henry has long been one of my favorite DJs. I've heard Scott play at many a rave in New Jersey, warehouse parties in New York,
influential night clubs like The Tunnel, Sound Factory, Centro-Fly and Twilo. I've always been impressed with the good vibe that Scott brings with him wherever he is spinning, and by his skills on the decks. Scott never fails to adapt to his surroundings, playing always for the people
on the dancefloor, and complimenting the other talent on the bill even if he is not the headliner.
"The Promoter: Find me a party-goer in America who has not heard of the legendary Buzz and Mango parties at Nation in DC and you've found someone without a clue as to what is going on in their scene. Scott Henry is one of the most revered promoters in America, and his Buzz parties are consistently rated among the best in the country. Buzz plays host to the top DJ talent in the world. Paul van Dyk, Carl Cox, Dieselboy and Dave Ralph ? they all make regular appearances at Buzz.
"The Man: As label manager of Ultra Records, I had the pleasure of working with the top talent in electronic music. In my four-year stint I released albums from the likes of Sasha, John Digweed, Adam
Freeland, Sven Vath, George Acosta, Liquid Todd, Selway, Danny Tenaglia and Groove Armada?. In compiling his mix CD, 'Buzz: The Sound of the
Nation's Capital,' Scott was the true professional I had heard he was, but with the energy of a kid getting ready to spin his first DJ set in public,
paying attention to every detail, from graphic design to stickers, posters and advertising. Scott was a pleasure to work with. I wish him what he deserves - the very best!"
Scott is famous for saying modestly that he's "just some guy from DC," but those who know his role in rave history disagree. Dieselboy, aka Damian Higgins, of Philadelphia, America's foremost drum 'n' bass DJ and producer, says: "Scott was very inspirational to me as a raver and as a beginning DJ. I learned so much about DJing watching him play set after seamless set. Years later, Scott gave me a huge break by booking me at the seminal Fever nightclub. That the man has been DJing non-stop, coast to coast, for so many years while also running two nationally recognized and
slamming club nights (Fever and Buzz) is a testament to his hard work and love of electronic music and the scene. Scott is one of my original heroes and one of the most REAL people I have ever met."
***
Scott grew up in Timonium, where his father was a fire inspector who later started his own business helping builders get projects up to code. His mother was mostly "just a mom" while her kids were growing up, and later worked in the offices of the Hecht Company. He has two sisters, one a nurse and the other a hair stylist.
At Dulaney High School, Scott says, "I was kind of a geek, kind of quiet, not very outgoing, but friendly. My high school picture is hilarious. I had a haircut almost like that guy in "That '70s Show," even though I graduated in the '80s, with longer hair that came over the ears a little bit. Not a mullet, but kind of a look, I'm embarrassed to say, that's actually starting to come back in fashion again!"
In junior high, he participated in a model United Nations, and played soccer in high school. "That was pretty much it. If I were in high school today, I could imagine myself being in a computer club because I'm a big technology geek. I read computer magazines nonstop and always have to have the latest gadget. I love gadgets! I was very into electronics and I thought about going into electrical engineering in college, but decided against it because I would have had to go to school for five years instead of four."
"I was a very good student until my junior to senior year in high school. As I got more freedom as I got older, I started to slack a little bit. My grades were good enough to get me into college, but I would say I was an average student."
Scott played violin in the 5th grade, and then a stand up bass in the orchestra through 9th grade. "I picked it because it seemed so different from all the other instruments. I got a scholarship to Peabody and went there for one summer, but kind of against my will - it was the last place a kid wants to spend his summer. I was actually pretty good, but when I got to high school, I stopped because it wasn't cool to play an instrument! That was as far as I got with my musical training," he laughs.
His musical interests took off in other directions. As a kid he developed a passion for collecting new 45's. "Towards the end of high school, 12-inch singles started coming out and I would go to a lot of the urban black-oriented stores in Baltimore like Mondawmin Mall, places
where you'd rarely see a Caucasian person. That's where I could find the stuff I was listening to on AM radio, WWIN and WEEB. I would also listen to
some pop stuff, but more electronic pop stuff -- Human League, Duran Duran, stuff that was top 40, but MTV kind of culture, more like synth pop."
Scott started DJing out of high school. As he began college at Towson State where he majored in marketing, he was invited to DJ at a Baltimore
bar called Marshall's which a friend of a friend's brother had just opened. Scott brought his own turntables and rented speakers and was so successful, the owner asked him to play every Thursday. The Thursday party continued successfully after ownership changed, until the bar was sold to become a restaurant, and the party moved to another bar.
While at Towson, Scott got an internship at MCA records that lasted two and a half years, and after graduation was given a job. He worked for
UNI Distribution, selling new releases of singles to the corporate headquarters of chain music stores.
In 1990, Scott, with Tony Japzon and Charles Fields, a shoe store owner who became DJ Feelgood, created an underground dance party called Orbit. In 1992, Scott and Charles started a more techno-oriented party called Fever at the Paradox, which took a break, but came back strong as ever.
About that time, two brothers, Fernando and Giavanni Baez, who threw the Catastrophic parties, the first East Coast raves, heard Scott play at Fever and asked him to be their resident DJ. As Scott's reputation as a DJ grew, he got himself an agent and began playing parties all over the US.
***
Scott knew of Lieven DeGeyndt who DJed at Tracks and opened a record store, Music Now, in DC, where Scott shopped. Wanting to start a DC party, Scott talked to Lieven about being partners, and that was the beginning of Buzz.
Buzz started at a Southeast go-go club called the Eastside in 1993, then moved to the Ritz (now the Spot). Despite large turnouts, the owner decided he didn't want Buzz at his club anymore, so Buzz did a couple nights in a warehouse off of New York Avenue. Fortunately, Cellar Door Productions approached Buzz and asked them to look at a warehouse space that became the Capital Ballroom (now Nation) where Buzz has called home on Fridays since October 1995.
Buzz became the hub of the greater Washington area rave scene and way beyond. It was not unusual to bump into people who had driven from Pennsylvania, Delaware or North Carolina to hear their favorite international, national or regional DJs, and to revel with kindred spirits.
***
In early 1999, Fox 5 News (WTTG) aired a news segment by reporter Elisabeth Leamy during sweeps week, which allegedly showed flagrant drug use at Buzz. Scott says,"We knew it wasn't going to be good, but we never thought it was going to be that bad. Sitting there watching it, I couldn't believe they devoted such a large amount of time to that story. It was like 12 minutes long! I kept thinking it would be over, but it kept going and
going and going. I was speechless." Buzz was forced to close. Its displaced devotees organized two rallies in front of Fox 5 attended by hundreds of ravers dressed in yellow to protest "yellow journalism."
Scott recalls feeling "a lot of disappointment and anger at the station at how they exaggerated, out and out lied and sensationalized the story. But
there was also a lot of gratitude and pride for all the people who supported us at the rallies. I wanted to be at the first rally more than anything, but our PR person was adamant that we not be there, so I got updates by cell phone from a bunch of people there, and watched it on the news."
The Washington Post, the City Paper, and WHFS were among the media that addressed the unfairness of the story.
"We filed a law suit against them for that story and it was settled out of court. I wouldn't say it was financially rewarding, but something good came
out of it. More than anything hopefully it made a bit of a precedent so that people feel like we are not such an easy target. That was long and drawn out with lawyers and a lot of work and a lot of things that people don't realize is involved with throwing a party. I mean, when I first started out, all we wanted to do was just throw a party and have fun, but this is a business, that's for sure."
A few weeks after being shut down, Buzz reopened triumphantly. "That was a great feeling," says Scott, vindicated.
***
Buzz was named the number one club night in the U.S. in the 2000 URB magazine readers' poll.
One reason is Nation. When its new owners renovated the club with wood dancefloors, balconies and catwalks in 1999, Scott and Lieven and the promoters for the Saturday night party Velvet had a big say in how it is laid out today. Scott says, "It's tailored much more for the DJ
than it was. The (main room) booth is an awesome booth for a DJ to spin in, really one of the best in America, no doubt about it. The positioning,
where it is with the dancers, and the height and the feel of the console - everything is really, really nice."
And Buzz gets props for its attention to detail in every aspect of its operation from their first-rate DJ lineups, Airline Industries
fliers, e-mail fliers, artist logistics, providing playlists, lighting effects and sound levels on the dancefloors, to addressing the various
complaints and concerns of its patrons. Theme nights, such as Halloween and Mardi Gras and Anime nights with often spectacular décor, also conntribute to the excitement of the Buzz experience. Special larger events such as the past
Sting party series give partygoers even more to look forward to.
Another reason is the energy and dedication of the Buzz Crew itself. Scott runs the promotion side of Buzz and also does the talent booking. Lieven oversees the merchandising and clothing line, which is close to getting off the ground. John Tab, Buzz's resident drum 'n' bass DJ, is
communications director. Jessica Manna is head of promotions and advertising, and Jessica Avila is event manager. Jen Smith is director of operations of the clothing line. Buzz has just hired a web coordinator.
Jessica Manna says she is Scott Henry's biggest fan. "I was looking for software in Scott's office one day and I came across a book in one of his cabinets - '1001 Ways to Reward Your Employees.' I have a GREAT boss. When your employer appreciates you and your commitment, it makes you want to work harder. This is one of the strongest forces behind Buzz - a devoted boss who cares about his employees. How lucky am I?!"
***
Special Buzz moments in its over seven years for Scott. "One was when Buzz reopened after the Fox 5 story. Also, the first night that we opened at the Capital Ballroom, that was a pretty special night. Paul Oakenfold was really pretty crazy, pretty amazing. Everyone from the most mainstream of the mainstream to Eurocrowd to ravers - all kinds of people. He had an awesome time, really enjoyed himself. He said, 'I've always enjoyed coming here.' SuperSting 1 was pretty special with Sasha, Carl Cox, Laurent Garnier and LTJ Bukem. Another one was when the Chemical Brothers played live - that was a really great night."
Everyone who has ever fallen in love with Buzz carries happy memories of Buzzes past, too -- the summer evening under the stars when your crew took over the patio decks, the winter night you first fell under the spell of your favorite DJ, the spring party when you were dancing and the revelation you were looking for finally came to you? Those are the kind of magic moments a place like Buzz can bring.
Around the corner is the debut of Honeydew parties, "our name for our concept for larger scale parties we are still going to do at Nation but with larger lineups and more production and bigger décor," says Scott.
And new Buzz ventures: "Lieven and I have opened a club called Five on Connecticut Avenue with John Boyle, and in another two months we'll open another in Georgetown called Modern which is more of a lounge. Kind of branching out a little bit."
***
1997 marked the beginning of a groundbreaking new partnership. Cellar Door, which produces the annual HFStival for WHFS, approached Buzz to produce a Trancemissions / Buzz tent. Scott says, "We did that the first year that we met Gina Crash and it's been great ever since." With Buzz, the HFStival gained a state of the art "rave" tent, and with HFS, Buzz gained wider exposure.
Though the thought of the morning show host of an alternative rock radio station and a leader of an emerging underground subculture working together might once have seemed preposterous to some, Gina Crash, who also hosts the Saturday night electronic music show Trancemissions, and Scott Henry have become friends.
Says Gina Crash: "HFS's relationship with Buzz is built on a mutual respect. The synergy between us is rare and extremely valued. I think such a relationship is rare to coexist so well. I couldn't do what I do as easily without them."
Last year Scott Henry was interviewed on Trancemissions. "It was fun," says Scott." Gina is just such a fun person to be around. She totally
put me at ease. I felt as if we were just talking - she made it very easy. My sister was listening. My mom said she couldn't figure out how to find it
- my mom's not real good at VCR's or even turning on a radio," he adds with a laugh.
Crash replies, "Scott is a true gem and an inspiration: a world class talent with an equal head for business. And he's a nice guy! He's the classic example of an artist doing what he truly loves - that's passion, and it comes across in everything he does."
Best of all, both the radio audience and the electronic dance music scene benefit from this unity.
***
Typically, Scott is up at 7:30 am, eats breakfast with CNN or News Channel 8 on, works out with his personal trainer ("if I have to meet someone, I'm more likely to make it to the gym"), runs errands and does chores, and works in his Buzz office in Georgetown from about 2 to 10 pm or later. DJing takes him out of town two or so nights a week.
He listens mostly to dance music, but "I also listen to stuff like the KLF chill-out album or some Orb or older alternative stuff like the Smiths. Lately I'm scaring myself because on the way to work I'll listen to talk radio - I used to swear I'd never listen to talk radio - I'm listening to AM radio again! WTOP or whatever happens to be on."
He's also been watching the History Channel and A&E "which five years ago totally wouldn't have interested me at all. And occasionally it's
fun to come home after working all day and turning something on like Jerry Springer, even though it's always the same and always stupid, and realizing, "You know, I'm pretty normal after all!"
He says his neighbors in Ballston are a little older, mostly professionals who have a hard time understanding what he does for a living, but when some noticed the Washingtonian magazine feature on Scott last October, they told him they think they have a better idea.
Scott's last album was celebrated with a huge CD-release party at Buzz and sales have been healthy. "My parents really aren't very musical
people - my father likes country and western - but they did listen to my new CD and they were like, 'Oh, it's nice.' But I know they were probably
thinking, 'Gawd, what IS this?' he laughs.
His next CD is due out in May. "I'm in the process of picking tracks, dealing with the PR, marketing and advertising plan and art work and photoshoot - the mixing of the CD is the easy part! I'd really like to do a double CD. The artwork concept will be completely different. The music will be similar. If we went to a double CD, it would probably be an extension of the first CD, just a longer set, but I've always wanted to do a "Bit o' Honey' (his trademark laid back summer patio sets) CD, like all the classics, so maybe down the road, that would be fun."
Production is something he sometimes thinks he might get into, but "there are always other projects that overtake it."
Despite the obstacles the rave scene has encountered, "I think we've finally arrived where we're not looked at as puppets of Satan or whatever. As for dance music becoming more mainstream, I don't think it's a bad thing. I think there's always going to be styles of music that tend to be overground and others that tend to be under. I think it's neat that what we're doing is reaching more ears and making more people happy, that's how I look at it."
***
At a recent Buzz, a young man dancing ecstatically to Scott's set suddenly stopped and shouted a heartfelt,"Scott! We love you!" What's the
secret of Scott's magic on the dancefloor? John Tab, a long-time friend, says, "He's kid at heart who never forgets how important it is to have fun."
Kelly McCarter, 18, of Baltimore is also a believer: "I absolutely love him. My friend Angela had a lot of his music on her computer and I just fell in love with it. Then I started coming out and I heard it live and it was awesome. It's the beat, you know? You just listen to the beat and do
what it tells you to do, and it's just killer. I just love the way he does it!"
Scott says, "If you had asked me if I'd still be DJing 10 years ago, I probably would have said no way, but I'm enjoying it so much, I can see myself still DJing ten years from now."
***
My interview is ending. I came to talk to a hero, the man who envisioned Buzz, my home away from home, which when it was taken from me, I wept. But I am looking into the friendly eyes of "just some guy." I don't understand. Perhaps he is both a hero and just a guy? An extraordinary, special, seamless mix of both?
"What makes you the way you are?"
"I've always looked at it that being nice and kind and just giving someone a smile can go a long way, and a lot of times you can half expect that in return. I also feel--maybe this is a cliché, but it's a cliché I believe in--that you can learn something from everyone you meet. I'm a strong believer in that. Whether it be good or bad," he grins.
mary ishimoto morris
published by music monthly
www.musicmonthly.com |
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