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regions : ohio
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columbus ohio
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this information compiled by eluna
columbus is a pretty nondescript sort of place. a 1992 travel brochure described columbus by saying that "its main distinction is that it is not distinctive." one of the most-used test markets in the country, columbus is the home of fast food, the birthplace of wendy's and white castle. it's also home of high-tech industry, including battelle and compuserve. this is buckeye country--home of one of the largest universities in the world, the ohio state university (60,000 students). we're saddled with a "cowtown" image, even after we finally scored that ever-elusive "major league team" by obtaining the columbus crew, a major league soccer franchise, and a promised NHL expansion hockey team in the year 2000 (as if sports defined a city).
as far as the electronic music scene is concerned, columbus does have a few good things going on. while columbus parties themselves may be sporadic (usually about 2 per month), columbus is a hive of musical activity: it's the home of many new techno artists such as titonton duvante, todd sines, charles noel, chris jones, rich ratvasky, the evolution control committee, mike poe, myungho choi, pounce, and many others. it might seem strange that the columbus area is so full of music-makers, but columbus has always been a great base of activities...a mw crossroads where just about everything eventually passes though (oh, and it's a very cheap city to live in, too...)
so what is there to do around here?
weekly events (as of june 1997)
monday - mental, a weekly downtempo/ambient/experimental event hosted by ele_mental, located at a small cafe called the sugar shack, at 1950 n. 4th st, near OSU campus. free admission. music from about 10 PM - 2 AM. (may go on hiatus during august and sept but it will happen most of the summer and fall)
wednesday - maxwell's house, hosted by ele_mental's own DJ doughboy features techno and house in an interesting neon-lit "campus" style bar. admission only $1, 18 & over, id required. music from 10 PM - 2.30 AM.
thursday - soundclash happens every week at club mekka, featuring resident midi slut spinning traxx, techno, and house in the main room, with poppa hopp spinning hip-hop, jungle, and downtempo in the velvet room. monthly guests in the main room. mekka has hosted the talents of mike huckaby, miles maeda, claude young, shake, will web, dan bell, dave hollands, sleepy-c, astroboy, robert armani and derrick carter. warehouse-style club with great gothic/industrial-inspired decor designed by local metal sculptor chris mohler, located at 382 dublin ave near downtown columbus (next to the abandoned state penitentiary). admission is $5 with 18+ id. music from 11 PM - 2.30 AM.
music stores
world record (614.297.7900) is the happening place to find techno and electronic music, at 1980 n high st across from OSU campus. features listening booths for both vinyl and CDs. nick wilson, aka poppa hopp works there most days and can special-order you most recent releases or give you some idea how to find them--just ask him! and it's a great place to score flyers for events all over the midwest.
used kids records (614.294.3833) is located at 1992 n. high st., below world record and features lots and lots of used CDs. right next door is used kids annex which features old vinyl. check the annex if you want to find some old kraftwerk or tangerine dream on vinyl, they're likely to have it.
goldmine records is a mile north, just north of blake st, featuring a dizzying selection of used records in all genres. any DJs who want to find old ambient, funk, disco, classical, comedy, and easy-listening need to come here and spend an hour or two filing through the dusty bins. not a CD to be found in this store.
culture 7 (614.848.MIXX) is also on high st, but about 5 miles n of world, at 5058 n high st, near graceland shopping center, and specializes in dance music of all kinds. great vinyl selection (especially imports), and many bins of older/used/backstocked records to dig through.
art
the world-renowned wexner center for the arts, located on the OSU campus at the corner of 15th ave. and high st, was designed by post-modern architecht peter eisenmann, and presents new exhibits by world-class avant-garde artists every few months, and has a mission to present challenging underground films and performers from all genres. call 614.292.3535 for a run-down of the current exhibits and performances.
the hopkins hall gallery features shows by OSU artists and others, and is usually worth checking out if you're wandering around or if you're looking to hook up with the artsy-fartsy set. located about a block west of the wexner center, on 16th ave.
CCAD (columbus college of art and design) is off the main drag, just east of downtown columbus, but it's quickly becoming an important center of techno-activity, with lots new people getting involved in the scene. this is the best place to meet all the artsy-fartsy types.
raves/events/parties
if you're into the kind of raves/house parties/events that ele mental cooks up, then check the what will be or call the table of ele_ments voicemail at 614.470.0929 to see what we're up to. ele_mental events highlight detroit techno, abstract jungle, house, and experimental music, as well as a consistent interest in the live performance of electronic music. the voicemail also features info on other nearby area events (ext 1), locally-produced electronic music by ele_mental's own 21/22 corporation (ext 2), and specially-selected music from the ele_mental archives (ext 3).
collective intelligence is columbus' funkiest crew, presenting a colorful blend of house, techno, slow-breaks, and jungle. see what they're up to by calling 614.470.3839, which also features evens in the nearby area.
if you're expecting big parties here in our town you're going to be sadly disappointed because they're few and far between. but for a true sense of music and friendliness, columbus is a good place to be.
+ last updated 18 jun 97
regions : ohio
