good bye 2008 ... hello 2009

There are many parties happening everywhere on Wednesday night, and if you are not going to be with your family or friends in a warm house party, or small get together, go out and have fun - meet new people, dance your way into 2009.

Dancing is therapeutic, at least that is what I believe, probably is not only good for your body but also for your soul. If you know me, you are aware how much I enjoy dancing, and this is what I've decided to spend the first hours of 2009 dancing to the tunes of Mr. Danny Torrence at Unity.

There are so many options, but at the end I had to go with Danny. I haven't seen him in action in a while now, and can't wait to hear what he is playing now.

This is probably my last post of 2008, therefore I want to wish you all the best in 2009. I'm planning a couple of crazy things in 2009, and I will try to write about those adventures when they happen. By the way, thanks for reading this blog.

Happy New Year!!!

P90X - your resolution for 2009?

You might have noticed I've talked a bit about the P90X program here and there. What is it? It is an extreme home fitness workout that last for 90 days, and I'm right in the middle of it - I should finish it by mid February 2009.

If you combine the workout and the nutrition plan (included in the program), the results can be amazing, and this is why I'm posting this video by this fellow P90X grad - maybe after watching it you might want to get in shape as well.

Probably like many of you, I saw the infomercial many times, and it wasn't until a friend of mine that suggested I should do it, that I decided I was ready for a different workout routine. The nutrition plan is probably the hardest part of all, but who said that looking good was easy eh?



You can always google for more information about P90X, and look for more videos on Youtube as well. Besides my friend, the link below will take you to my greatest inspiration of all, after seeing what this guy did with his body I was sold with the idea of doing this workout.

P90X Transformation

Finally, no, Beachbody did not pay me to advertise this product, and I will think about posting my results once I finish the program.

Kiss N Fly - Montreal

more and more people are telling me about this event, and some of my friends are actually going and invited me to go along - haven't decided yet, but it is definitely in my list of possible places to welcome the arrival of 2009.



and in case you are wondering, I believe this party is more for the straight crowd, but again we are in Montreal so it should be gay friendly, right?

Ultra Nate - "Automatic"

lets go back in time a bit

Victor Calderone @ Unity - December 20, 2008

Review is coming up soon, and I just have to say it was so nice to see Victor again, and talk about the (((vibe))) at Unity - good time.

Now, Mr. bartender (the taller one) at the right hand side bar (if you are facing the DJ booth), you should pay more attention to your customers instead of talking to your friends. I literally saw a customer take his drink off the bartender's hand, and putting the money in his other hand, while the bartender was too busy talking to his friends.

I also have to thank Unity for keeping the lights on the dark side, it was just perfect for the evening, and maybe they should try to keep it more like that more often - it gives an extra lift to the party.

complete review coming soon.

Happy Holidays

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Grondin @ Parking

I haven't seen Stephan Grondin in a such long time, and I don't think I miss this party. Tracy Young will be playing at Unity, but if I have to pick between Tracy and Grondin, my vote goes to Grondin.

Rauhofer is spinning on Sunday night, but you know what, I need a break from Peter so I might just take it easy on Sunday, specially since I work on Monday (getting old)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Trailer

Perfect day to watch a movie if you are in Canada, this one is going to be released in May 2009.

Developing a Lean Stomach

This article might be a bit long, but I think is perfect timing to post it. During the holidays is when people worry more about how much food they are eating, and then comes those new year resolutions that are so easily broken by day 3.

Presently I'm doing the P90X program (day 46), an extreme home fitness workout, and I'm loving it - it is hard and needs a great commitment into it, but it is worth it. Anyway, this article was taken from the Team Beachbody Forum and it is a nice read.

By Guest Author, Tom Venuto, Competitive Bodybuilder

Developing a lean, flat stomach takes time and patience, especially when it comes to those last few pounds in those hard to lose places. The lower abs and "love handles" can be two of the most stubborn and exercise-resistant areas from which to lose fat. In fact, it can sometimes seem so hard to reduce those spots that many people become frustrated and resort to dangerous diet drugs or liposuction. Other people slave away day in and day out on the latest new-fangled ab device or do countless sit ups, side bends, and leg raises every day, all to no avail. There is only one way to lose fat in the so-called "stubborn areas," and that is with the correct combination of proper diet, aerobic exercise, abdominal training, and weight training.

The first thing you need to realize is that it is impossible to "spot reduce" fat from one specific part of the body. Fat loss occurs systemically, meaning that you can’t control where the fat comes from. When you burn fat for energy, you will draw it from all areas of the body, and the first place you tend to put it on will be the last place it comes off. The reason everyone has those "stubborn" spots is because each of us is born with a genetic pattern of fat storage, just as we inherit hair color, eye color, and other physical traits. In women, the stubborn areas tend to be hips, thighs, and the waist. In men, the troublesome areas are usually the lower abs and the "love handles." Many people labor away month after month trying to exercise specific areas of their body with the idea that fat will be burned directly off the area they are working. Training the abdominals every day with hundreds of repetitions will certainly tighten and tone the muscles, but it will do almost nothing to remove the fat obscuring the muscles. In fact, it is possible to have a great set of abs that you can’t even see because they are covered up with a layer of fat!

Contrary to popular belief, the best way to burn the layer of flab from your midsection is not to do more abdominal exercise, but to do more cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic exercise is the real secret to burning fat. Walking, jogging, bicycling, elliptical exercise and stair climbing are all great fat burners. Most people give up too early in the workout. During the first 20 -30 minutes of aerobic activity, glycogen (stored carbohydrates) is the primary fuel source. If you stop after 20 minutes, you’re only getting half of your workout done! You get the cardiovascular health benefits, but you don’t get much fat loss. Because you don't burn significant amounts of fat until glycogen stores are depleted, the key to maximum fat loss is to work out aerobically for 30-60 minutes continuously per session. You should do this at least three or four days per week, but five, six, or even seven days a week will take off fat at the fastest rate possible!

Even if you’re doing cardio every day, without a good diet, you still won’t see results. Fat loss is a 50% exercise, 50% nutrition combination. A fat loss diet must be low in calories. Regardless of how much you work out, if the number of calories you take in is greater than the amount you burn, you’ll still put on body fat. Ideally, you should spread your calories out into five small meals a day instead of 2 or 3 big ones so that you don’t overeat in one feeding. Eat a variety of foods that are all natural, low in fat and low in sugar, with about 55% of the calories coming from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 15% from fat. If you’re having a really difficult time losing the last few pounds, keep the protein up and decrease your carbohydrate intake, especially late in the day and at night. This will deplete your glycogen stores and force your body to burn more fat for energy. Be careful not to drop your calories or carbohydrates too much, because this will be interpreted by the body as starvation and will result in a decrease in metabolic rate.

Next to "spot reduction," the second most common myth about abdominal training is that sit ups and leg raises are the most effective exercises. Actually, these movements don’t even isolate the abs; they recruit the hip flexor muscles, which are the same muscles used to punt a football. The hip flexors attach the thigh to the spinal column, so working them with exercises such as straight leg raises creates a strong pull on the lumbar area, which is one of the most common causes of lower back pain. Safer, more effective alternatives are crunches, crunch machines (or ab rollers), hip lifts, and reverse crunches.

The crunch is simply a partial sit up. You lie flat on your back and curl your head, shoulders and upper back off the floor. Your lower back stays on the floor at all times. This isolates the abs because when the feet are not anchored, and you don’t sit all the way up, the hip flexors are not activated. The reverse crunch, unlike the straight leg raise, is a rolling movement, where the knees are rocked back over the chest. This is a great movement for working the lower abs without putting undue stress on the lower back. To hit the oblique muscles on the sides of the waist, you can do your crunches with a twist (elbow to knee) or you can lie on your side and do side crunches.

The final component of your ab flab-reducing program is resistance training. It is important to train the entire body. Working one muscle group to the exclusion of others is a common cause of muscular imbalance. Building strong abdominals without also developing the antagonistic spinal erectors of the lower back could easily lead to injury. Many people are under the impression that they should only do cardiovascular activities until the weight comes off, then add weight training later on. It’s true that weight training is an anaerobic activity, so it burns more glycogen than body fat. However, working out with weights will increase your lean body mass, which in turn raises your resting metabolic rate. The faster your metabolism is, the more fat you will burn! A complete program should always include aerobic exercise and weight training for every muscle group.

Before you decide to resort to drastic measures, give these guidelines an honest try. Losing fat is not easy, but it is simple if you know the formula. To recap, the formula for losing the last few pounds of ab flab is as follows: (1) Losing fat takes time, so get started now! Be patient and don’t expect to get "ripped" overnight (2) Burn the fat off the ab muscles with lots of cardiovascular exercise or you won’t be able to see them. (3) Choose biomechanically correct exercises to train the abs, including crunching type exercises and avoiding hip flexor exercises, (4) Eat natural, low fat, low sugar, low calorie foods in small servings throughout the day, and (5) Work out with weights; don’t just train your abs, train your entire body.

Bday wish granted?

it is not confirmed yet, but it looks like one of my bday wishes has been granted, it is most likely we are going to see Ana Paula in the house room, at the Bal en Blanc 2009 - what about adding Danny Torrence to the mix eh?

Update: conflicting information coming from Palm Spring. They are claiming DJ Ana Paula is booked for their White Party main event on Saturday (April 12. 2009) along side Tony Moran and Manny Lehman - but April 12 is on a Sunday not Saturday, therefore it could be true that Ana Paula is booked for the White Party Palm Spring main event on Saturday (April 11), then flying into Montreal to play at the Bal en Blanc main event on Sunday night (April 12). Cross the fingers people, because I really want to see this girl in one of the Montreal massive parties.

A couple of days ago I wrote about the fact it wouldn't take longer for the United States to start booking Ana Paula, well on December 12 she made her USA debut at the club Score in Miami, and my feeling is that Montreal had something to do with this booking, on top of Ana's talent of course.

Victor Calderone

I have the feeling Unity will be at capacity plus this coming Saturday

Update: there are still tickets available at Priape @ CND 10.00 - my advise is to get your tickets asap.

NYE @ Parking

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Reviews: DJ Vibe, DJ Micky Friedmann & DJ Ana Paula

It is afterwards December and the planet is going thru an unprecedented global financial crisis, and because I have been busy at work (yes, I do have a real job) I haven't had the chance to write my latest reviews. The short summaries below will put me up to date.

Before I start, I must mention I was at the Bell Center last night (December 12), for the Future Electronics Annual Holiday concert featuring Michael Bolton. I know this singer has fallen off the radar in the last couple of year, but man he can sing. Micheal Bolton sang for almost 2 hours and the place had probably around 10,000 people(?) - the list we heard included most of his hits and many others which I had no idea were his work. Bolton also sang "Nessun Dorma" and he did a pretty good job in keeping up with the high notes.

and now to the reviews of these 3 parties I've gone to in the last couple of weeks.

November 22 @ Unity: Malick and DJ Vibe

I must say Malick has become the favourite opening act for Unity, it seems he is always there, now the question is when is he going to have his own night? I'm sure he already had because he plays really good music, and he is able to warm up the crowd very well accordingly to who is playing next after him.

When I arrived at the Unity, after waiting for a bit in the freaking cold weather of Montreal, Malick had already done an awesome job warming up the crowd, and it didn't take long for Vibe to start pounding those speakers with fantastic music, and those vibrations began to invade my body in such a nice way. Last time I saw DJ Vibe was this past winter at Stereo, and I was way overdue for another doses of this Lusitano guy.

Vibe used to be very tribal, then he began playing more in line with Victor Calderone in his new techy phase, but at Unity he showed me another style which I hadn't heard from him before, and might venture to called it a Tribal-techy sound. It was fantastic, with very well done build ups with excellent ends, leaving me with the feeling of wanting more. Even Pablo Ceballos came down to see Vibe, which is another DJ I haven't seen in action in a while.

Finally, Unity felt as if it was a mini reunion of Stereo, because there were so many regulars on the dance floor, that somehow it felt like (((home))) again. If you are one of those that has never been at Stereo, you won't understand what I'm saying, I just hope you get the chance to experience it one day.


November 29 @ Parking: DJ Micky Friedmann

Yes, I know, this guys has the looks, but does he has the skills? I would say so, because even thought I only experienced 2 hours of his set - had a previous engagement to go - I liked what I saw. The first thing someone told me when I arrived was he was feeling as if Micky was not taking the dance floor to the next level. After a while I understood what he was saying, Micky had the whole crowd going but he could had moved them to a much higher levels of excitements. Not sure if it is his style, and if it is I think he could do much better on an afterhours environment, or with a longer set, which would give him enough time to tell Micky story.

Funky sounds from this Berlin ultra good looking guy, by the last hour he decided to finally move up a notch and this is when the dance floor started to drop some pounds with the cardio in action. My suggestion to Parking if they want to bring him back, give him a longer set and you will have everyone talking about it.

December 6 @ Unity: Malick and DJ Ana Paula

Malick, Malick and Malick - my respects Mr. Malick because you overdone yourself once again. I must admit I did not enjoy too much his first performance at Stereo a while back, but he has found a way to grow on me. Malick once again delivered bomb after bomb of good music to warm up the crowd for Ana Paula.

Confessions of the dance floor: first time in a long time I arrived at Unity by 11:00pm - I just did not want to wait in line, and I must say lots of people had the same idea. Ana Paula has a new look, and Montreal for her now is like Rio de Janeiro with no beach and warm weather.

Fantastic performance once again by the Brazilian Queen of DJs - tribal continues as her biggest genre of music, but as I have mentioned before, love the fact she has adopted different styles within her tribal music. You all know I have been a big supporter of Ana Paula since the beginning, and I have been lucky enough to have seen her performing at The Week International in Brazil (a must visit club if in the country). Now Ana Paula has become, to me, a must not miss event if she is in Montreal.

The combination of great music, charisma, energy, vibe, and the fact Unity got invaded by people who usually do not come to Unity, it is probably a prove that I'm not alone thinking she is good. My advise to the BBCM was to book her for the Black & Blue 2008, but they didn't listen. My suggestion to the Bal en Blanc people is to book her for the Bal en Blanc 2009, and I just hope these people listen to me. Somehow, something tells me I won't be surprised if Ana Paula won't be spinning in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro during next Easter.

Snowball @ Whistler - February 2009

and Ana Paula's talents keep spilling over across Canada, and this time is Whistler calling her. She will be playing at the Snowball party on February 7, 2009. I think it is just a matter of time until the United States start to book her as well. Well done Montreal, for introducing this great DJ to Canada.

If you have been wondering, yes, I'm alive but super busy, I promise to return with the latest reviews of Vibe, Micky and Ana.

Bal en Blanc 15 - Easter 2009

BAL EN BLANC 15 - REVIEW

Boys and girls, I know most of you haven't even started to buy your Christmas gifts, but put money aside for the Bal en Blanc 15 if you are planning to go.

Tickets go on sale on December 18:
500 first tickets @ CND 81.00 + Service Charges
2000 following tickets @ CND 96.00 + Service Charges
Next batch of tickets @ CND 111.00 + Service Charges
At the door tickets: "good luck"

Points of Sales: Il Bolero : 6842 St-Hubert, 514.270.6065 / Design Hâpy, 1473 Amherst, 514.525.1928 / Red-Lite 1755, de Lierre, Vimont, Laval / Toxik : Mail Champlain, Brossard 450.465.1941 / Productions Blended : 514.567.9096 / Ottawa Region, Annie Carr – tél. : 613.282.5085 / Québec City Region, Productions Underground – tél. : 418.523.1482./ Trois-Rivières : Productions R.A.M. : 819.372.2652

Saturday Night - Parking vs Unity

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Believe in yourself ... NYE

My (((favourite))) place will be closed for NYE and this is making me thing that maybe ... just maybe, I should believe in ...

and yes, I've been super busy, but have to come back to tell you about Micky at Parking last Saturday night. I was able to go for a bit.

and in case you cannot be there for NYE, but you might be in NYC the weekend before, you can always check out the Alegria party on Sunday, December 28, where Phil Romano (Barcelona) and Tony Moran will make sure to warm you up for the arrival of 2009 with style.