Watched the documentary "American Pimp" a couple nights ago. Pretty good. Didn't get to finish it since it was on rather late. That gives me an excuse to watch it again. One of the songs on the soundtrack was my favorite of the songs Jac would play at Fuzzyland. Hearing it reminded me how much I miss Fuzzyland. I had never experienced anything like it before and nothing has come close since. Fuzzyland was Jac Zinder's on again/off again niteclub. Never held on a regular basis and not always at the same place, but mostly happened at Mister T's Bowl in Highland Park on Tuesday or Thurday nights--school nights. Only for the young, or those with a constitution allowing for late nights durning the week.

An interesting mix of people would show up. Mostly a combination of local bar flys, bikers and Silverlake hipsters. You could tell the Silverlake crowd because they would generally be tattooed and dressed like librarians from the midwest--wearing cat eye glasses. Clothes garnered from second hand stores. A pretty cool scene. At least it was at the time. I remember once telling my mom about the way people dressed there, getting all their clothes at thrift shops and as hand me downs. That it was a distinct fashion trend. El Lay fashion. She told me: "you must feel right at home, you've been dressing like that for years..."

I remember thinking a couple weeks before the last Fuzzyland happened that it would be coming to an end soon. A premonition I guess. The last Fuzzyland that we went to was right after Thanksgiving. Strangely it was going to be on a Friday. I was getting ready to go and my friend Dave called and said that Jac had been killed by a drunk driver. That there was going to be a wake/service thing at Mister T's Bowl. We all went and mourned jac's passing. Pretty sad.

I've gone back there once or twice since. I think twice only. Once was for a cd release party for a posthumous cd of material from various incarnations of the bands that Jac was involved with, some performed live at Fuzzyland. It was a pretty depressing scene. I went one other time, I think between this party and jac's death and it just wasn't the same. The thrill was gone. Maybe I just grew up. Thinking about it while writing this brings up that sadness again. It's all part of life I suppose...

Saw some great bands there. I remember one time dancing next to Pat. He had this large dress on that was unbuttoned. Like Dan liked to say he looked like a supersized Audrey Hepburn. Anyway, Pat is pogo-ing away and this chick leans over towards me and says: "I've seen his underwear altogether to much tonight". Now Pat is setting downtown awaiting trial for a murder one charge. Life can be pretty strange.

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever find anything like Fuzzyland again. It's like asking if there will ever be another band like the Beatles. It's just not going to happen. In either case it was a unique conjunction of a number of factors. Jac was the center of a perfect storm. The best I can do I guess is to be inspired by it and try and let it flavor the vibe I come across with when dj'ing. I like to think I'm fairly successful at this. Maybe the only real place I'll ever find Fuzzyland is inside...