Local PR firm Sturges Word sent out the press release below. Power & Light District president Jon Stephens is listed as the media contact. (Updated) The release says DJ Jazzy Jeff's set damaged the sound system at KC Live. Pitch reporter Nadia Pflaum asked Stephens if insurance would cover the damage. Here's what Stephens wrote:
We are replacing and not charging Jazzy Jeff. At this point we do not feel that warranties or insurance will cover but we are paying to repair the system.And here's the full statement (bold highlights are mine):
STATEMENT REGARDING DJ JAZZY JEFF PERFORMANCE
On Saturday night Kansas City Live! was proud to feature a DJ performance by Jazzy Jeff. Jazzy Jeff is a tremendous artist with a long and successful history in the hip-hop/rap music genre and KC Live! was honored to have Jazzy Jeff play the venue. The event played by Jazzy Jeff was the second year of a similar promotion, last years featuring Mix Master Mike. We were delighted to feature the music that Jazzy Jeff is famous for. That is why he was scheduled to perform and his performance was excellent and exactly what we expected when he was scheduled.
The problem that occurred was solely technical in nature. KC Live! is not a traditional concert venue and thus the sound amplification and the type of sound waves compatible with the overall sound system are an issue with some production companies accustomed to concert venue shows. Whenever possible KC Live! handles the production of the shows however this artist
supplied his own production staff. Thirty minutes into his performance the venue production engineers repeatedly informed the artists production staff that the system was being red-lined and that volume needed to be lowered to prevent damage to the system. The artists personnel ultimately refused and the artist terminated the concert for that reason. To characterize this incident in racial terms is absurd and illogical. We scheduled Jazzy Jeff proudly, knowing exactly his repertoire of music.
There was in fact extensive damage done to the system due to the performance. There are twelve high end drivers in the main cabinets of the sound system. Nine of the twelve high end drivers of the sound system were permanently damaged by the "square" sound wave being sent from the artists production which put the overall system is distress. Had the levels been adjusted in a quick manner the system would not have been damaged. Problems in aligning artist and venue production have occurred with other performers, for example the rock and roll band Lights and Siren stopped in mid concert to prevent damage to the sound system.
We would happily have Jazzy Jeff return as often as his schedule would accommodate and he is booked at another facility which is affiliated with Kansas City Live!
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Lies, all lies � and most people can see through them. They must be spending a fortune on their PR bill.
Wow --- they actually could damage the system. I've played there several times and the system (read: all systems) do have limits. Speakers are blown far more often from under power (read: square wave distortion) than from just too much power.
I laugh when I read all the subjective crap written by so many around here. Too yuppy? Too preppy? Who cares, if you don't like it, don't go. If you do like it, go. If the signal is too hot, it distorts and blows the high end drivers .... not subjective.
1.Someone should post the set lists. If ZTrip played similar tracks, which he did...why did the sound only go bad, , worse, and then to straight EVIL....when Jazzy started....= JAZZY
Sorry, but all this racial BS is really short on any facts.
Face the music, operator error, ego, simple miscommunication between the PnL sound and the sound engineer for Jeff?
I was at the west entrance all through Ztrip and into Jeff's set. They let every single person in with ID. EVERY ONE. They did not turn away a single person,check a single purse.
The "hiphop" argument has one thing:
Jeff telling his story. How was he informed there was a volume issue? Text? Roadie tell him? Who knows? It was loud and dark, things are not always clear. I saw the sound guys going up there and talking to his crew.
The PnL has
3000 people to tell you the sound sucked during his set, and was getting worse.
Security video, venue video, fan video all recording the sound. It sucked, it only sucked when Jazzy played.
lets see and hear Jazzy's crew video, I bet he recorded the same jacked up broken sound.
PS, the Entire City Government is controlled by which political party? DOH. "But I thought they CARED about us"
IF JAZZY JEFF DAMAGE'D YOUR EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT - WHY IN THE FUCK YOU WANT TO BRING HIM BACK??
can someone please answer that question
The equipment that Jeff uses is a serato scratch live dj program . Using mp3 files instead of lugging around vynil but still using the traditional industry standard turntables and using a control vinyl which emulates the mp3 file as if it was an actual record. Mac Laptop which is basically running the program & being used as storage for mp3 files (no volume control just recieveing a signal from the serato interface/vinyl control & sends signal back to the dj mixer which is) a Pioneer djm 909 yes he has control of the main speakers and has sole control of his monitors that are right next to him (monitors are fro the DJ because you cant rely on the main cabinets cause sounds will be bouncing off the walls due to a large room) BUT the engineer has the last & final control. Even if the master gain was up you can turn down the sound withthe master soundboard. I highly doubt that Jeff would fully max out the master volume from his 909. Upper mngmt probably heard his monitors alittle distorted so they went that approach . if anything the monitors are the ones that are abused.
I might also add that I have been to KC Live three times and have not enjoyed the atmosphere, it seems very fake and yuppie. Just my opinion of the venue. So I am in no way defending them.
I have ran FOH sound for nearly every major venue in KC. I am an artist supplied "sound guy". I do not work for any establishment, every show I work with venue audio techs to get shows set up and running. It is a collaborative process between artist FOH men and the venue's staff. Both side's cooperation is needed to make a show. And I always work with the staff because frankly, they know their system better than I do. They often have negative experiences to relay about artist supplied sound engineers who are inexperienced with large systems and consoles, and are rude, do not cooperate and thus a show suffers.
I was not at this KC Live event but I can say all the talk of limiters and compression protection systems are irrelevant. In a system there are gain stages. It starts at the musician's equipment (DJ mixer), goes to the sound board, then to the drive rack to the amps, then to the speakers. It is often the case with computer outputs that the sensitivity of house systems differ, and from show to show that output of the artist equipment must be adjusted to the gain structure and input sensitivity of the house sound board. If the artists equipment is so 'hot' that even if the input gain at the sound board is at minimum, sound waves sent to the speakers are no longer sin waves but square waves, which damage speakers no matter what level the system is playing at.
I don't know if the venue did indeed have a problem with DJJJ's content being played, or if they asked him to leave because of it. But I can say that the possibility of the attitude of an artist or his supplied sound engineer to not cooperate with venue audio engineers this situation could happen. They say "turn your inputs down" and maybe he refuses. there's nothing the hosue sound staff can do except walk up to the DJ mixer and turn down his mixer output, which would be a drastic change in sound levels which to an audience is unacceptable.
so it's possible that venue asked him to stop for music content reasons, or just in fear of their system being damaged. I have friends who work at Harvest (the sound system supplier) and will ask them if indeed KC Live's system is being repaired. But it sounds like a crappy gig either way.
If there are any sound engineers out there who could analyze the press release's technical description, we would welcome it.
Jon Stephens is spinning some bull shit! why would the Cordish PR guy need a PR company? Boycott Power and Light!
Yes MSTRKRFT played after the speakers were Blown.??? That's funny because they even played a louder set. Also as soon as Jazzy Jeff went on, the Bass was raised up louder than everything else. And no P&L sound guy watching the sound boards.... Kinda funny if you ask me. sound guy for every other act, but he disappears as soon as jeff goes on. Keep the excuse's coming P&L, Cause people in Kansas City will accept your reason's and keep attending your show's. And KC media will support you also. Congradulations on Bleeding another town to send the money back to Baltimore.
i was going to say...the artist on stage doesn't usually control the final house mix levels...that is the house/venue engineer's job.
i'm curious if anyone on the inside is actually seeing these things being replaced.
Was there any other performance after Jeff? Thats what I would like to know. Jeff is a 25 year vet/legend & reading the crowd is what he does best.
"Had the levels been adjusted in a quick manner the system would not have been damaged"
Thats the venue's engineer's job to maintain sound. Event the smallest hole n the wall bar/ club has their own engineer to manage sound/ If the amps were redlined then they would clip & cut out for for a couple of minutes then activate again. please clarify what so called high end pro audio you are using. So that we know if you really know what you are talking about.
Nice try P&L
Why would you book Jazzy Jeff and then after he starts djing tell him he can�t play hip hop-and he was playing �safe� records that every Becky Sue in JoCo listens to when her husband and daddy ain�t around. Skillz did not throw up gang signs as the P 7 L says he did. Are they that retarded that they do not know the difference of a hype man trying to get the crowd to raise their hands and gang signs? But when you think about it karma will get you in life and I guess this is why the P & L is broke-what you put out is what you get back! When they really need money is when they will start letting us �ethnic� people down there.
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