R.I.P. MODERN SOUND (COPACABANA)

THE STORE: INSIDE
COOL SHOT WITH MEIRELLES POSTER AND CAETANO PAINTING
PEDRO SR.
A SHOW


As the big, bad modern world marches on, more and more things change. Nothing wrong with the that, but some change is just a bummer. The record store has become nearly obsolete, with most folks buying all their music online. Ironically, vinyl outlasted the CD, but gone are the days of perusing the racks for tough-to-find gems, or hearing a track and rushing to the counter to ask the uber-snotty sales clerk, "what is this?" Remember when you actually had to go outside to buy music? Maybe you don't...

Modern Sound was an institution in Copacabana + Rio de Janeiro for 45 years. I remember buying records at a flea market years ago that had the Modern Sound sticker on it. Years later I moved to Rio and went to the store. They had long since stopped selling records (they would later return to wax...), but the store was a revelation! It was a giant clean white space, which oddly enough, did not play music. The sales staff was ridiculously knowledgeable and friendly. You could find the most obscure titles in any genre. Personally, I was buying all the Brazilian re-issues I couldn't track down on vinyl. Later on, when they started selling vinyl again, I pulled some amazing titles out of there on a regular basis.

Even cooler, was the store had Bistro Allegro, which hosted live music nearly every night of the week. The food was great, too! Simple Brazilian bar food, cold draft beer, cocktails, coffee... I saw countless shows there. I remember seeing J.T. Meirelles on the schedule and nearly falling over. I caught his sets every week for months! A few shows I can remember off hand are Leny Andrade, Osmar Milito, Dom Salvador, Claudette Soares and Marcos Valle. Countless contemporary artists as well. There was always an album release show going on. Great crowd, young and old. All music lovers. Simply put, one of my favorite places of all time to 'bate papo' - chat - and hear great music.

My fiend cried when I told her it closed December 31, 2010. Lots of folks had a similar reaction, including me. Getting misty as I type. I spoke with the owner, Pedro Sr., and asked him if there were any plans to re-open a scaled back version. He was uncertain. Well, we can only hope. I know it won't be the same, but at least the tradition would continue.

So in the meantime, hats of to Pedro Sr., Pedro Jr. and the whole Modern Sound family. 45 years of bringing the finest music to Rio and the world! THANK YOU! OBRIGADO!

RIO DE JANERO CIRCA 1936

'The marvelous city' or 'city of splendor 'in 1936. Video is a bit dated, but that's the charm. Rio de Janeiro has changed a lot in the past seventy seven years. Still beautiful as ever, and undergoing quite a lot of changes with the World Cup and Olympics on the way. Was just there for holidays and it isn't the travel bargain it was a few years ago, but still as magic as ever. Everyone should go at least once. Caution! You may not want to come back. Miss the old home town... Ah saudades....!!!!

FAVELA ON BLAST! The Doc + A True Story of the Filming

DJ Diplo's documentary about Baile Funk from Rio de Janeiro is finally coming to theaters! (CHECK THE TRAILER BELOW.) I have a close connection to this project, as I was at the filming of one of the parties in Santa Tereza at Morro Das Prazeres (Pleasure Hill). A friend of mine was working with DJ Sany Pitbull and invited us to the party.

I lived in Rio for seven years, and had been all over the city, but going up into the favelas (slums or ghettos, I prefer community) can be pretty aggro to say the least. The makeshift housing is unlike anything in the U.S. and the threat of violence is real due to drug trafficking, but if you are invited or accompanied by someone from the community you are relatively secure. Security is an issue in Rio, no doubt, but it's an issue in Chicago, too. Any big city, unfortunately.

After leaving our car at the base of the hill, we walked up a wooden stairway that lead up to the the area of the community where the party was being held. On the way up, I noticed a shirtless guy with a pistol tucked into his pants. I didn't say anything as a couple of the girls with us were already pretty spooked. Once we got to the top, we entered a cement courtyard/soccer field where the party was going off.

It was a bit of odd mix with people from the community and the film crew with their huge camera boom and equipment. Everyone was dancing, from little kids to senior citizens. Sany Pitbull is a beast and rocked the party well. A few MCs got up as well. One of the woman MCs brought some filthy flow - Uncle Luke might have blushed. That sh*t was priceless.

The girls mellowed out and danced for hours, though they were a little freaked out by the dudes on the edges of the party keeping watch with machine guns. I think they were taking extra care to ensure no BS was going to screw up the filming. Funny thing was, no one harassed any of the girls like what might happen at a regular bar or club in the city. Carioca (Rio) guys can be pretty aggressive. Hell, the girls, too!

At one point I went off to find a bathroom and on the way back ended up shooting the sh*t with one of the security guys. He couldn't get over the idea that some leprechaun looking motherf*cker was speaking Portuguese to him. Someone passed a joint and and he had to put the machine gun in his other hand when I passed it to him.

My girl (now wife) was freaking out when I came back. I was gone for like twenty minutes and she got a little worried. We left while the party was still poppin' around 4AM. On Blasted!!!!

Rio is hosting the World Cup in 2014 an the Olympics in 2016. What an amazing opportunity for the city/country to make some positive changes. I know Rio has a bad reputation, but a lot of it is unwarranted. (I've been help up at gunpoint in Chicago, never Rio.) My friends have told me that certain favelas have already gotten better, which is encouraging. I can't recommend going enough. The natural layout of the city is ridiculous. Afternoons in Ipanema... But don't forget to hit Via Show!


MAN, I MISS RIO! / QUE SAUDADES!!!!

MAD DECENT