Vincent The Soul Chef
As most of you know, the 8th annual Keystone Soul Weekender took place on the 25th-27th October 2024 at the hallowed halls of an unassuming Moose lodge somewhere in downtown Lancaster, PA... how do I assess, rather digest, everything that happened within the span of three days, without breaking down and ugly crying? Well, here's where I try...
This was my fourth time going to this event, which normally and traditionally took place at the Elk's lounge just a stone's throw around the corner. The first time found me there as a spectator, with Leslie attached to my hip, because she's a trooper (she's most definitely a fan of classic and prog rock by nature). For years, I've always wanted to experience what it must have been like when the Northern Soul movement swept across the UK back in the 70s and 80s, but since I was but a kid who lived half a world away at the time of its height, I figured that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I certainly wasn't disappointed. I made new friends, I reconnected with friends that I had known for years via the blogisphere, and I got an education on what records I just HAD to have in my playbox... by the end of that first weekend, I was invited to return as one of the close to two dozen DJs from practically every corner of the globe... and that in and of itself was yet another dream come true. I came, I played, and apparently I slayed because I was invited to return a second time. The pandemic and my move from Baltimore to DFW put the obvious kaibosh on that, but the following year found me back on the turntables to kick off the next one, and play three more sets. All the while, I made even more new friends, which made me come to the realisation that these folks pretty much became a family that welcomed Leslie and me with open arms... it's important to mention that not only are these folks some of the most beautiful people on the face of the earth, but they are also extremely benevolent. Each and every time I attended, I always managed to be gifted a holy grail quality 45 or three, which was always followed by a tear of joy and a heart full of massive gratitude, especially the Soul Set 45 that the Drapers gave me. I would've probably purchased the records on my own if I could ever find them in the field, don't get me wrong, but yeah...
Back to the sounds from the gear on the stage.
There were twenty top shelf selectors on the bill, including myself. Every single one of them taught me a few things from years past, so when I found out that I was going to be sharing the decks with none other that THEE Empress of Soul, the mighty Connie T. Empress, I was over the moon with excitement and tons of butterflies. I did share a bill with her when we first met close to twenty years ago, but never spin time. As the years passed, I learned of her reputation as a well respected DJ with crates that are far deeper than mine, so again, I did my homework. With only fifteen minutes to show and prove, I did just that, thankfully... I just knew I was gonna cause a train wreck, I was so fucking nervous. From the first needle drop, we just clicked. I actively tried not to look at what she put on her turntable until she pressed the start button, to see what she was playing next, and subsequently keep the energy level going. We both pointed at each other's records and either said "damn", "hell yeah", "I wished I had brought that one" or "I need that record REALLY BAD"... yeah, we were both living our best life for the thirty minutes we had, and yes, I did get a little choked up at times. Why not? I was in the presence of "royalty" as it were, dancing and laughing with "royalty". Yeah, Connie and her husband Phil are my dear friends, much like the Drapers who you should all know and love (I'm still beyond privileged to have had the honour of welcoming them into our home for three days of breaking bread and rescuing 45s. That was a spectacular experience too)...
I only played twenty records which got me the best reception I have ever had from a crowd of experienced soulies, not since those cognac fueled gigs I played in New Jersey back in 2007. I can assure you that those records will become a limited edition souvenir that's soon to come. I'm gonna need to play some of Leslie's records for the next few days at her request in the meantime. She likes the soul, but I am guilty as charged for "force feeding" a steady diet of 45s to her... I had her listening to nothing but funk for about two years straight when we were first dating, hence, why I say that she's a real trooper for putting up with me for twenty three years now.
That, ladies and gentlemen, concludes part one of my ode to Lancaster, now, on to part two...
I had about fifty records in my play box total, bought quite a few more, and was gifted three more of holy grail quality. You'll hear the majority of those, along with a few extras and (gasp) even a few digital files, because I am still a member of the working poor, and they were absolutely essential to include in this session that you are about to hear. It was recorded live and on the fly in one take at the newly named Fallout Shelter™, but during the broadcast, I had a drive crash. I soldiered on with the hiccups, which suddenly went away as I settled in to play close to one hundred 45s in the span of just over four hours... it read just like it would if I was performing for a crowd, which may happen sooner than later, if all the stars line up like they should. When the session was complete, I was fortunate enough to have recovered the crashed drive containing my customary introduction and exitus, so with a few skillfully placed cut and paste jobs, I present to you episode two forty five of Fufu Radio. In a feeble attempt to keep this post from becoming a novel the size of, let's say "War And Peace", the entire track listing is included in the zip file which you can download and share to your heart's content by clicking right here, or at the link at the end of this post. It'll remain active until some multinational bean counter says otherwise, in which case, I will gladly comply. Of course you can also stream the session on demand at the Mixlr location by clicking here as well, if you desire.
Now, to Phreddie, Gabe and Connie, here's yet another public thank you for the blessings you laced me with in the form of four 45s. Two of them were long time essential wants that I can finally check off the list, but that French Canadian 45. I heard it at a previous weekender a couple of years ago for the first time and was floored. I figured I'd probably never hear it again, but lo and behold, I now have my own copy, which certainly wasn't cheap according to Discogs's recent sales history. Yes, it is indeed "Nothing But A Heartache" sung in French by these two ladies... thanks also to Patrick for the introduction, for I would've never even heard the track once otherwise.
And now, for the closing commentary and acknowledgements...
I'm gonna give the entire experience an obvious five star rating, that's it, that's all. Nothing more needs to be said, although a MAJOR shoutout to the staff at the lodge is definitely in order. I can also safely say that beyond the overall vibe being complete and total magic. Seeing Phast Phreddie Patterson and his lovely life partner, Miss Nancy the cookie lady (she makes a mean batch of cookies that disappear in seconds, each and every time), and securing the bond that Leslie and I have with Connie and Phil were just three of the highlights of the weekend... that, and breaking bread with them at what used to be our favourite Indian spot whenever we come to town to hear us sort of renew our wedding vows (I won't spoil the post by saying why we'll never go back there again, but despite the shitty service, the joy we shared with our friends more than made up for it, and we also got to celebrate Connie and Phil's recent marriage as well, so a double win right there!)...
...and to our best friend Meggan. I'll keep this part as succint as possible, but she had composed a little speech in honour of the vow renewal. She wanted to read it in front of our friends, but the restaurant experience kinda put the kaibosh on that, so she shared it with Leslie and I on the way back to our hotel. It was everything I could do to keep from wrecking the rental car, because I was about to break down and cry. Of course the ladies did, and I'll probably cry in a few minutes. Again. It's important to note that her late husband was Leslie's "maid of honour" at our wedding back in 2008, which was a bit of an inside joke, because we are all blessed with a very twisted and sarcastic sense of humour... also, damn I miss Mike so fucking bad. He should've also been riding shotgun with us, but despite that sadness, seeing the expression of joy on Meggan's face for the Saturday session was priceless. She told me that it was a very fascinating day, and that she'll probably fall down the rabbit hole, fill her phone with one top 500 standard after another, and return to the next weekender dancing like everyone else. It was her first exposure to the soul culture on that level, because we were always going to see Gov't Mule whenever and wherever we could together. Needless to say, she also walked away making new friends, thus becoming a part of the ever growing family...
Last but most important, I have to, just HAVE to tip my hat to the hosts, Julio and David, and their respective life partners... I always remember the very first weekender, chatting with David's wife Donna, who was running the door... I just walked up to her and said "thank you", to which she replied "no, thank YOU", to which I replied "no, thank YOU" again, and so on and so on. It's been a bit of a running joke for about six years now that still makes me smile when I talk to her on the socials. It's also worth noting that she is as much of a fan of Cocteau Twins as I am, and you know full well how I feel about them, as "Treasure" just turned forty years old. Anyway, I have to express my eternal gratitude to the four of them for ensuring that my first experience to this culture was a memorable one, because it most certainly was.
Now if you've read this far, allow me to say thanks from the bottom of my heart for letting me gush about last weekend. It was by far the best mental medicine I have ever ingested in my entire life, without question. There were a few folks that didn't attend this year due to logistics and real life, but trust, you were dearly missed by everyone. If reading this piques your curiosity to make it next year, I urge you to join the Keystone Soul Weekender groups on bookface, follow them on the 'gram, etc., because from the way things are looking, the Moose lodge on Water Street will be the home for the foreseeable future. The dates and times will probably be announced next spring, so save your pocket change, juggle a bill or three.. whatever you have to do to make it happen will be more than worth the $40 it costs for a three day pass, trust. Your future extended family awaits.
Enjoy the ride as it were, and as always in closing, have fun(k), and please be safe, because as you already know, it ain't.
Peace and blessings.
Download the zip file with 320k/48 kHz mp3 file, track listing included ~600 MB
Stream the episode on demand with Mixlr
Major thanks to everyone that shared the photos that accompany this post across most social media platforms...
