From the facebook, I learned that the DJ and host of the popular Sunday milonga has ended his tenure abruptly. The host is a friendly guy and a well known DJ. Shortly after the news, there is a group created to call for boycotting that milonga on facebook. I can understand the sentiment. I am not gonna join the group but I won't patronize that milonga for sure. I have never liked the piso.
The place was pathetically slow last winter. The departed host has revived it this season and turned it into the place to go on Sunday. The few times that I had gone I enjoyed it even though I didn't dance that much. The music has always been good and the energy was better than most of the milongas in town. I am sure that the business end has been good as well: for a miserable 4 couples a night to 80-100 people. You do the math. It will be interesting to know how this milonga will be doing without this beloved DJ and host.
The milonga business is somewhat tricky. There are so many elements involved: music, floor, location, host, timing and weather. Some milongas never gain popularity. Some attract only certain types of patrons. Some have been always been the place to go on the particular date. Some have gone from crowded to deserted. Few take off like this one.
My Wednesday night regular hasn't been doing well in attendances for a while. I haven't been getting quality dances there much for a while. A few times I thought about not going.
My DJ friend has been doing quite well with the music. The location is all right: two, three blocks from the subway station thought way downtown. The size of the piso is decent. The hosts, eh, are so so to say the least. They are nice people and Argentine. But somehow, they just seem not getting it. Lately no much promotion effort has been spent. I haven't seen some regulars for a while. No new faces. Some regulars have been leaving early. I have a feeling that it is going downhill.
Milonga is a business and a competitive one in this town. The customer base is limited yet new milongas are announced on a regular basis. It is very simple business based on attendance. Attendance is up, profit increases.
But what makes one go to certain milonga? Great music, good dancers, welcoming environment, free beers (wishful thinking)... whatever it is or they are, hosts, it is your job to find out.
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I know the milonga you are talking about. I am very glad I got to go the one time I did, it was such a great environment, and I am a huge fan of the DJ, he is warm, kind, and a great music maker. I am sad it ended, and so abruptly, but I will follow this DJ to his next big milonga because his milongas are always wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThere are, as you point out TP, so many variables. But I think the most important thing for milonga hosts to remember is that even though for them it's a business, for the rest of us it's a party. So the most important thing is to make their guests feel happy and appreciated.
ReplyDeleteJohanna is right. Feeling welcome is so important. When the host isn't friendly and welcoming, it reflects back on everyone there. And when it is genuine and you feel welcome, you never want to miss that night and you want to tell all your friends, too.
ReplyDeleteBut it is hard when a favorite place starts to fall apart, and you don't really know why. You think milongas are fixed things that will remain consistent, but they come and go just like anything else in life.
It's about a lot of things, TB. When a milonga gets popular, more people start coming, who bring all sorts of different personalities. Hosts want to keep things interesting and sometimes change things a bit. And as we all know, everyone hates change.
ReplyDeleteThen there are those tango "relationships". When they don't work out, he/she no longer goes because she/he does. And all the boys/girls want to go where he/she goes.
Ladies,
ReplyDeleteI used to go where the hot chicks go. Then, where the good dancers go. Now where my favorites go.
Traditional music, decent floor and great company guarantees a good time for me. It is the great company part that is hard to come by. Sigh...