THE POLITICS OF DANCING
Apr 1, 2004 12:00 PM, Deana Morgan
Voter registration tables dotted Los Angeles' Avalon Hollywood club, host to the 2004 Rock the Vote L.A. party on Feb. 5, featuring DJs Jerry Bonham, Dave Audé and trance master Paul van Dyk. The all-age, multiethnic crowd cheered and danced in honor of voter awareness. Some sported Rock the Vote T-shirts, tanks and buttons, and others distributed flyers with info about how to vote in local caucuses or hung posters reading, “Censorship Is Un-American.”
The Avalon was packed from the get-go. When Remix arrived, Audé was busy mixing his signature brand of hard-banging trance. But the star of the evening was van Dyk, who went on at about 1a.m. As a performer, van Dyk is tremendous, giving 200 percent to every gig. His mixing skills are superb, his focus is unwavering, and he loves what he does. The German producer/DJ entered with the grace of a king, transforming the heavy-laden Audé thump into a beautiful melody that lifted heads, raised arms and instantly captured the attention of every person in the house. That is PVD's gift — the ability to inject happiness in conjunction with an intense desire to dance without stopping.
Just prior to his set, Remix asked van Dyk, who grew up in East Germany, to comment to those people who don't feel that their vote counts. “It's not just about that one vote,” he says. “It's about a lot of votes coming together. There are countries where people are killing each other for the right to have a democratic country. And here it is. So you should definitely exercise your right to vote.” For more information about the Rock the Vote organization, visit http://rockthevote.org
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