Old Soul
DJ Graymatter, the White Heart, December 12, 2006
By SONYA TOMLINSON
The Portland Phoenix - December 20, 2006
Imagine your friend kicks everyone out of their holiday party because they’re tired of dancing and sharing their wine. Where are you going to go? The White Heart, of course. It’s almost like a friend’s house in that you can feel comfortable going alone because chances are you’ll end up seeing a handful of friends or at least acquaintances to chat with on any given night. Not to mention, unlike your party pooper friend, they’re reliable in that they’re open seven days a week and will keep serving drinks until closing time. Granted, it can be a tough place for live entertainment when it’s packed, with the lack of a raised stage — but it’s the ideal environment for a deejay.
Last Tuesday I stopped in to the White Heart to take in some DJ Graymatter. Shocked at the minimal crowd, I checked my watch. Yes, 9:30 is too early to expect the masses, even at the ever-popular White Heart. The atmosphere was very chill. Graymatter was spinning some old soul that blended so fittingly with the scene that I had to make sure he was actually on. Indeed, he was positioned with headphones on and next record to drop in hand. That’s the mark of a good deejay — one who knows how to play the background when necessary yet can gauge the crowd and adjust their set accordingly. After people filled in and the room’s noise and energy level increased, so did Graymatter’s. The songs became jazzier, more full, more daring. My personal favorite of the evening was Dennis Coffey’s version of “Never Can Say Goodbye,” made known by Michael Jackson. Coffey, a guitarist with a ’70s flair, gives a totally different spin to this familiar track. It was one of those songs that I just had to go up and interrupt him to find out who it was. That’s when you’ve done good — when you interest someone enough who knows better than to disturb you, so you can introduce them to new artists and songs.
