The Rock and Roll King, The Medicis of Pune, and The Nightclub Attica

"Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine."

Elvis Presley

I. The Rock and Roll King

If there were any doubts about whether Elvis is dead, let it be known that Elvis indeed lives-just in a different body of an aging, semi-cheesy but semi-dashing Indian singer by the name of Gary Lawyer. Mr Lawyer may lack the unique groove that characterized the late King, but what he lacks in dancing ability he makes up in the power of his voice, energy, and ease on stage. Though King of Rock he is not, in any event last night's thrilling spectacle was one that I never expected to witness while in India. 

II. The New de Medicis of Pune

Through the grace of the trumpeter in my father's jazz band, I had the good fortune to meet up with a resident of Pune, JJ, who happens to share a passion for jazz. JJ, who is evidently quite affluent, is a member of an organization that puts together musical performances (mostly jazz) at venues around Pune. The organization is also responsible for an annual jazz festival in Pune, which though only newly created has already seen tremendous growth and interest among the city populace. His work is similar to that of my own parents, who have over the past several decades been exceptional patrons of the arts of classical and jazz performance. Because of this combination of patronage and passion, I have considered them contemporary versions of the great de Medici family which rose to inconceivable wealth during the Italian Renaissance. The de Medici family, though bankers by profession, devoted their wealth toward beautifying their city and sponsoring local artists, serving as a pillar to the great expansion in humanist appreciation and admiration that defined the era. Likewise, through their work and interests, both of my parents have devoted time, effort, and financial backing to furthering the high arts through house concerts, orchestras, jazz bands, and the organization Soli Deo Gloria, of which my father served on the board until a year or two ago. The organization, which commissions new compositions for the church, carries on in the same traditions that centuries earlier brought forth the genius of composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Ludwig van Beethoven. Through JJ and his jazz-loving entourage, it appears as though Pune has an up and coming patron organization of its own. 

III. The Club Aticca (Alternatively, Why Jazz Is So Much Better)

After the performance we stopped by the afterparty at a nearby nightclub called Aticca. I had not expected to find myself in such an environment, and it was the first time that I have gotten into a club wearing sandals, khaki pants, and a navy blue blazer. My cohorts, most of whom were middle aged and conservatively dressed, looked equally out of place among the club's younger, more suggestively dressed attendees. It was a very strange phenomenon, observing the jazz club members in the same room with a discotec crowd. JJ's daughter, the only other member of our group around my age, was an avid jazz fan (and aspiring jazz singer) who hated the mainstream pop music of her own generation, and I have met few individuals of any age who even come close to her individuality in music taste and sophistication. We bypassed the main floor and I instead listened to her talk about her passion for such jazz legends as Miles Davis, Peggy Lee, and John Coltrane, musicians who I have heard my father refer to many times. I cannot convey how refreshing it is to find someone so original in taste, especially when mainstream taste has fallen so far in terms of quality and indie is really just as mainstream as the top 40. Chicago, having been the world's greatest city for jazz, in many ways still is, and its rich alternative scene further maintains its reputation as a premier concert city, not to mention Lollapalooza. When I go back I will make it a point to go to more jazz clubs. 

All in all, it was a class evening. The performance was fantastic, and I even got the chance to talk with Gary Lawyer at Aticca after the show. He did politely decline my offer to buy him a drink, as his drinks were on the house (I should have known). It was a great first foray into the club scene in Pune, and confirmed most of my basic presumptions. Yes, it was about 60% to 70% male. Yes, the girls that did go there were dressed to the nines. No, they did not play bollywood music, although yes, I still think that they should. Yes, Kingfisher beer is good. Yes, of the people who were actually dancing with a member of the opposite gender, most of them were not Indian. No, I did not get any numbers. 

Yes, it was I who killed the champagne. 

Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.