June 4, 2008
Vice to Zune: Music Sounds Better With You
The best things in life, everyone knows, aren't free. The best things in life are things other people have to pay for, and you get for free. Like the 1,000 bottles of beer at the latest of Toronto's legendary Vice parties, if you were early or lucky or special enough to get into the Deleon White Gallery on Friday night.
Or, say, the three hundred Microsoft Zunes given to young "influencers" (bloggers, DJs, other kinds of people who normally use Macs) as part of the shiny new MP3 player's semi-viral launch. (Full disclosure: we got ours in the mail yesterday.) Microsoft doesn't like to talk about the (white) elephant in the room—the seemingly unstoppable iPod—but it's obvious their cross-Canada marketing efforts are aimed squarely at the Justin Long demographic.
And since the Vice party was also a Zune party—which is a bit like inviting your dweeby Uncle Rick and his actuary pals to your next factory loft rager—there were plenty of those "influencer" types in attendance, although most seemed rather more under the influence than anything. As one temporarily teetotalling attendee put it, "All anyone talks about at these things is how drunk they are."
Well, perhaps not all. Amid the sweaty clusters of MTV staffers, More Proofers, party photographers, and their usual subjects, we collected drips of conversation: "Can I get this on a t-shirt?" in reference to the Andrew Pommier graphic for Zune (the players can be wallpapered inside and out with original designs by the likes of Ndeur, which is a pretty rad point of differentiation from the monotones of MacWorld); "I'm pretty sure this entire party is a DON'T" (this from the Barbie-pink pout of a vodka-and-soda drinker, naturally); "Quest for Fire, is that like a Christian rock band?" (the answer, we're pretty sure, is thank-God-no).
As the band thrashed on into the night, early adopters and early arrivals alike dispersed into the wet streets, sharing cabs to logical continuations: illegal keggers and art gallery afterparties. A slim-smoking pixie on her cell phone answered a question with a question: "How does every Vice party go? I'm wasted. Where are you?"
Photos by Tim McCready.
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Wasn't the Zune launched a hundred years ago and then pretty much fail like all "iPod killers" do?
I'm not usually critical of the 'we' style of writing on TOist, but I think in this case it need some context:
"(Full disclosure: we got ours in the mail yesterday.)"
Is 'we' Sarah Nicole Prickett, or is 'we' Torontoist?
Full disclosure on my part: *I* have one in the mail as well, which I'll be writing my thoughts about on my personal blog.
it's me, SNP. the "we" is editorial. sorry for the confusion!
Cool, thanks :)
The Zune never launched in Canada. It was originally only launched in the US for its North American debut. The reason it hasn't toppled Justin and his white elephant is because Microsoft continues to wear that hideous brown suit with those 'Wheels' type glasses.
I want a Zune review, Sarah!
Go ahead and use your powerful influencing ways to determine whether I should buy one.
Unfortunately,a thousand bottles of free Red Stripe is still Red Stripe.
Hey, I like Red Stripe!
And I'm an influencer, so...
Speaking of "influencers" and word-of-mouth marketing and similar bullshit, what the hell is the deal with that Sean Moffitt guy on Facebook, and should I finally defriend him?
Microsoft: if you are reading this, I also enjoy free beer and generally avoid your products. Please feel free to send me a Zune. I will email you my address and contact info.
Really Karen? Red Stripe?
The shame.
It like the rich looser kid at high school is using daddy's money to buy a party for himself.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Is there something wrong with liking Red Stripe? Because if there is, I don't want to be right.
Red Stripes go well with roti. And they come in stubby bottles. What's wrong with that?!!
I support your illicit Red Stripe love, Karen. Rock on.
mark0, it's imported, so the carbon output is through the christly roof.
i think im done with microsoft after going thought seven 360's (RROD) and then getting vista.... FUCK VISTA
Ben: I was under the impression that the hate-fest was over taste/quality, not carbon footprint. Admittedly, I don't drink imports all that often and an increased carbon footprint is obviously a bad thing, but in terms of taste, I'm down with Red Stripe.