[nynightlife-blog]

Where to Watch the US Open

[The following is a NYNightlife for the US Open piece]

The US Open kicked off yesterday, but there is a long way to go before the women's and men's champions are decided on September 7th and 8th, respectively. Tickets are on sale now at usopen.org/tickets, but when you can’t make it to Arthur Ashe Stadium or Louis Armstrong Stadium to watch in person, here’s a well rounded list of spots around New York to watch the matches.

The Chester - 18 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014

About: After transforming their space into a “World Cup Headquarters,” the team behind The Ainsworth is running it back for the US Open; by running it back, that means you’ll be able to watch the matches on TVs in their outdoor cafe outside the Hotel Gansevoort. Bonus: Large format cocktails to share, people watching during breaks in action.

Gotham West Market - 600 11th Ave, New York, NY 10036

About: Think about all the types of food you want to eat in one space, with tables in the center of the joint for you to chow down and of course, a TV to watch the Open. Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop, Cannibal, and Choza Taqueria are among the fine folks serving their food in the Market. Bonus: They’ll have a ping-pong table set up for the duration of the US Open.  Oh, and there is complimentary water provided, should you break a sweat.

Rochelle’s - 205 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002 [photo via: TheCouchSessions.com]

About: This spot is kind of like your neighborhood bar; the one that can get rowdy in a good way with a better-than-average crowd who can let their guard down to have fun. Bonus: $5 beer and shot special from 5-8 p.m. -- just in time for the night session.

Sweetwater Social - 643 Broadway, New York, NY 10012 [photo via: TimeOut.com]

About: This is where you can get a seriously good cocktail from GoldBar and 1534 vets in an unpretentious environment (they also serve Tecate) with the US Open on their TVs. Bonus: Shuffleboard tables, because it can’t be about tennis all the time (read: in the commercial breaks).

Terroir Murray Hill -  439 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10016

About: Arguably one of the best wine bars in New York, and that’s not coming from me, that’s coming from people who know things about wine. And because most people don’t think of going to a wine bar to watch sports, this could just make for one of the best non-obvious places to catch the action. Bonus: Whenever a match is on, they’ll serve a varying selection of $4: lard bruschetta, olives, french fries, smoky almond, boquerones & bolognese wontons. They will also have two draft beers available for $5 a pint.

[nynightlife-blog]

Notable Rooftops to Visit During the US Open

[The following is a NYNightlife for the US Open piece]

With the US Open fast approaching, thousands of tennis fans will soon be descending upon New York City to catch the world's best players in action. For any of those who were lucky enough to attend the exhilarating day sessions and are in need of relaxation come nighttime, rooftop lounges are among the best to do so. Taking a seat with an ice cold cocktail in hand and gazing into the distance is a great way to unwind. In a city with a seemingly unlimited number of rooftops to choose from, I made a quick list of some of the newest noteworthy rooftops to visit during the Open. Of course, if you still want to be a part of the action at night, there are night sessions to attend: http://www.usopen.org/tickets/

The Skylark - 200 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018

Floors up: 30 Why It’s Cool: Cocktails like a Root Beer Old-Fashioned can be had while shooting pool. Bonus: You can watch the US Open on the flatscreen in The Pool Room, an oasis from the typical sports bar environment.

The Roof - 124 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019

Floors Up: 29 Why It’s Cool: The space is designed to feel like the inside of a luxury yacht, with images of the sky, sea and clouds from the Montauk-based photographer, Dalton Portella. Bonus: Similar Central Park views in apartments on the same block would set you back $6,000 per-square-foot, making The Roof’s $18 cocktails seem like a bargain.

Penthouse808 - 8-08 Queens Plaza South, Long Island City, NY 11101

Floors up: 6 Why It’s Cool: Unobstructed views of Manhattan and the Queensboro Bridge. Bonus: They serve large format cocktails in giant smoking tiki heads, so bring a friend.

Sheltering Sky - 160 North 12th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Floors Up: 8 Why It’s Cool: Nur Khan (Electric Room, TAO Downtown) is involved, so you might bump into one of his rock or movie star pals. Bonus: Before 9 p.m. you can take a dip in the saltwater pool downstairs at the McCarren Hotel & Pool (pass required).

   [photo credit: The New York Times]

Sonny’s Soda Shoppe - 9 Crosby Street New York, NY 10013

Floors Up: 25 Why It’s Cool: Not only does this rooftop have 360-degree views of New York, it also has pizza. Bonus: Gelato floats and frozen Limoncello are available.

[nynightlife-blog]

A Chat with: Kevin Beck, Kirill's Tour Manager

Recently I chatted with Kevin Beck, otherwise known as @Senna1 on Twitter. I have traded emails with Kevin throughout the years as he always seems to know what’s up with certain aspects of nightlife, whether it be DJs or new clubs opening. Lately, Kevin’s been acting as tour manager for KirillWasHere.com’s Kirill Bichutsky, so I decided to ask him a few questions about touring with Kirill, his thoughts on the upcoming Hamptons season and whether or not he writes some of Kirill’s slut-related tweets -- in turn, he gives some off-the-cuff responses.

Going on the road, you're exposed to nightlife in different cities across the country. Name a few cities and how they differ from the scene in New York. Each city has its own thing that makes it great. We have fun in every city we go to; no city has never been bad! Atlantic City (HAVEN in the Golden Nugget) is filled with Jersey girls and Philly hoes who love having their pictures taken and the shit they do to win a contest is next level -- pulling their skirts up and getting champagne poured on their ass (which is my personal favorite, as I am more of an ass guy). AC has the feel of NYC in the early 2000s; a lot of GA and people walking around the club and interacting with others, I personally like that. LA is more about people stayin’ in their table area, which happens in a lot of NYC clubs. Thank god Kirill’s job is not only to just take pictures but to make people interact with one another. He will walk over to a table and take some pics and next thing you know some girl who came to LA to be a actress is drenched in Champagne and now the whole table wants a facial. LA is definitely a lot of fun because they sell hot dogs outside the venue and I love hot dog burps at 3 a.m. (and blowing them in some slut's face back in the hotel room). When did you meet Kirill; how did you become his tour manager? I met Kirill 5-6 years ago in my Hamptons house. He was some kid who would sleep in the movie theater. He had a camera and would take pictures of us doing nonsense in the house. We hit it off and became fast friends. As time went on he would ask me advice on certain aspects of his business and I would give advice and also give ideas. I always tried to travel with him because Kirill is a really nice kid and club owners can be shit heads and not give what is promised. So I can be the dick and make sure shit gets done the way it was agreed to. So I pretty much fell into being his tour manager by being his best friend and watching after him as if he was my little brother, minus the one time some kid punched him in the face; I didn’t see that coming haha. Oh well, it made for good content! Talk a little bit about what you do as a tour manager that differs from a DJ tour manager? Most DJ tour managers I have met don’t have as much fun as I do. My job is to get drunk and put hot girls on my shoulders and make sure they are having fun and make sure the ugly ones don’t get in front of the camera. In all seriousness, I make sure all the alcohol we need is ready for us at the table and the Champagne is ready to be poured for the facials, which is usually 20-50 bottles. I introduce myself to every security guard in the club; just in case some boyfriend gets mad his girl is acting whorish and tries to kill Kirill. When we travel with a video guy I have to make sure he knows what to shoot. Once the club gets crowded I will walk around club with him and do recon. I have been going out for quite some time so I can sniff a slut out from a mile away. When he finds a girl to do a facial I look around and see which girls are smiling at this other girl getting a facial and then point him in the direction of that girl to do another facial. After this is done we will head back to table and drink some more. At which point the club is now aware of what this party is about and girls will come up asking for a facials or asking to sit at our table and hang out. I will choose who gets to come to our table. I usually kick out the ones who won’t do facials. I forget what happens after this point because I am usually black out drunk. Has touring with Kirill become a full-time gig or do you still work a “real job?” My family owns a hospital linen manufacturing plant on Long Island. We are a full cut-and-sew operation. I still work that 5 days a week. I travel with Kirill as much as I can. Are you seeing a change in the average club-goer's interest in DJs? Depends on the DJ. If it’s Tiesto or Afrojack, they are going for them. They both put on great shows so you know what you are getting when you see them, so I don't think the interest is dying out for the big boys. Same with the tech scene, as much as these kids in the scene want to think they are underground bopping in a corner to Seth Troxler with their black deep v-necks, they are one in the same with the kids in furry boots with pacifiers in their mouths at the main stage with Kaskade! Each scene has its heavy hitters and they will still draw. Any thoughts about the upcoming season in the Hamptons? Why drive 2 hours to see the same people you tried to avoid on Thursday night in the City! The Hamptons have seen better days. Nightlife has been shit since Dune pulled out, with no real competition, it just breeds mediocrity. I’ll be in LBI surfin’ at my buddy Joey’s place this summer and traveling with Kirill. If you were operating a club, what alternate types of entertainment would you book? That is a great question and the half Jew in me is telling me not to answer it, since I should be paid for my ideas! Do you help Kirill write any of his tweets? I noticed your tweets and his are similar at times, especially when it comes to girls. Nope. We have the same type of humor, so I understand how some may think that. It's like when two girls live together for a long time they start to have the same menstrual cycle. Same thing just without the blood and cuntiness (is that even a word?)

[nynightlife-blog]

A Chat with: David Rabin

Earlier this week I spoke with David Rabin, a man whose resume proves he has staying power in nightlife and moreover, hospitality. After opening Rex at 28-years-old, Mr. Rabin went on to create some notable joints like Lotus, Double Seven and more recently, The Lamb's Club, Jimmy and Bar Naná. I asked David about his legal background, his employees, and even got an old nightlife story from Russia (with love) out of him. 

Your lounge Bar Naná caters to a more mature audience in terms of mindset, not age. What approach do you take to appeal to that crowd? It's a work in progress. Our goal is to come to be considered a "living room" for people who find themselves in our part of town. Maybe they've had dinner nearby, or been to Soho House, and are looking for a change of scenery. We try not to blast music to a level at which you can't converse. The lay-out of the room is meant to foster socializing, as people can kind of see the whole room and can either stay ensconced in their booth or pop over to say quick hi to a friend they may spot. We're now doing these amazing cabaret nights on Mondays with really talented people from Broadway, so, that skews a little more "mature;" as does Beverly Bond spinning great stuff on Thursdays -- fun, but, not EDM.  

Before you opened your first club Rex in 1990, you were an attorney. Has your legal background come to your aid during your years in hospitality? It has at times. I'm certainly able to read a contract or a lease. But the truth is that this many years away from practicing, I don't really trust myself to do our own agreements and certainly not our SLA work as that is a very unique area. When we do have issues, it does make it a bit easier for me to speak to our lawyer, whereas some of our other partners aren't always as comfortable doing so.  

What makes for a good operator? What makes for a lousy one?

I'd say those qualities are similar in many businesses. I think a good operator is honest, hardworking, listens to both guests and their own staff, takes in as much information as they can, delegates and empowers their team when they can, does what they know best, and relies on qualified partners or managers to handle what they themselves may not do well. And that's just a start. A bad operator would be the opposite of all that--self-involved, uncaring re the concerns of their team or client base, unaware of the need to be concerned re their community/neighbors, and the list goes on. 

What qualities do you look for in a person before hiring them to work at one of your restaurants or lounges? There are so many factors, depending on what the position is...but for me, among the first concerns is: do I trust this person's judgement? Their social skills? if I'm away or not at that venue, and I get a text from a friend, do I feel perfectly at ease answering "so sorry I'm not there--but I've alerted ______to look out for you".  At this point, as I run around between spots and obviously can't be at all of them in one night, I'm looking for people about whom I have a sense of calm--that I know they are looking at the venue and our guests through "owner's eyes" and not just going through the motions. 

Who are the unsung heroes in nightlife? Anyone who interacts with guests--and that really means everyone in the venue. It's great if your host or GM has a big personality, but if you have a doorguy who can't smile when he says "good night" or a busser who knocks into people or is rude to guests, whatever good stuff has happened that night can easily be ruined. So whereas a lot of attention might go to a well-known partner or manager, it's the busboy who hurries after someone who has dropped their scarf or left their phone behind that makes guests feel like a place has it together from top-to-bottom. Will Double Seven ever make a comeback? Good question. We don't know. It was so unique in 2005 -- really the first time (I think) that someone took top-notch mixology, cutting edge design, and brought that all together in a cozy, comfortable, sexy space with a fashion/media-centric crowd. It was a great little moment in time, ended all too soon by the sale of that building during the boom in the area. Some hotel groups have asked us about it, but they seem to want one to be "alive" in NY in order to replicate it.  We'll see. It was a special place -- very reflective of a personal point in my own life and what I thought nightlife "needed" at that time.  Give us an old nightlife story that has gone untold (publicly) until now. Haha....so many stories...and too many of the people in the NY scene remain unchanged, so I'll stick with Russia. The story's been told, but when we consulted on the first Western-style nighclub in post-Soviet Moscow, Manhattan Express, in the early 90s, we brought over 30 Americans for opening weekend--including Andre Balazs, Patrick McMullan, Fern Mallis, George Wayne, Richard Johnson and a bunch of other super-fun people. One of our friends brought over 3 models from his agency, all of whom were beautiful and nice, but one wasn't exactly up to speed on Russian history. On a tour bus we arranged to show them the sights of Moscow, as they passed a tomb and the guide announced "over there in Red Square, you can see Lenin's Tomb," she exclaimed (much to Patrick McMullan's delight to this day) "hey, why is John Lennon buried in Moscow?" 

[nynightlife-blog]

Taking it Back with: Bill Spector

In what may become a new segment, Taking it Back will feature stories from individuals who were involved in nightlife pre-early 2000s, before social media kicked in. First up is Bill Spector, whose forays in New York nightlife began in the 1980s. Decades later, Bill is still active in New York (after a successful stint in Miami), with no shortage of stories from the past. Below is one of them.

Date: Circa 1989.

I was working as a bar back at M.K., a club owned by Serge Becker and Eric Goode (investors included Andre Balazs and Aby Rosen). They did a birthday for Queen Latifah. The place was insane, well over 1,000 people inside and the same amount outside. A fight broke out engulfed the whole club. A group of like 30 to 40 guys beating down everyone. The whole staff of the club bolts out; doorman, security, cashiers, managers, bartenders, everyone flees. 

My boy is a bar back as well and tells me we are staying. He proceeded to drag me around breaking up fights, saving a kids life, removing kids from behind the bar from stealing liquor and money. About what felt like an hour was actually less then 15 minutes. Cops come in and managers, security and staff come back in to a club utterly destroyed and yet very little robbed and us two idiots standing there. The whole staff was like: "what the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Next day the owners call us in to a meeting and give us "combat pay" ($50 more). WTF?!  

Can't believe this kid, my childhood friend, convinced me to stay in the melee. Funny how life turns out; I stayed in nightlife and he is an active Navy SEAL and trains SEAL Team 6, the one that got Osama bin Laden.  Catch Bill Spector on Twitter: @BillSpec

[nynightlife-blog]

A Chat With: Ray LeMoine

In October, Ray LeMoine emailed me, passing along news of his night spot Heathers closing down after its landlord changed the locks to the club. As I read Mr. LeMoine's email, it dawned on me that Ray may be the first operator to tell me his or her club closed down without me having to inquire first. 

Since Heathers' closure, Ray and I traded emails about nightlife, rap music and a certain drug that may be making a comeback in New York. Ray quickly became one of the people who I consider to know things. Realizing his name is not one you often read about in gossip and nightlife columns, I asked the Boston native if he would be up for an interview the week leading up to Art Basel and as you guessed, he agreed. My plan was to help tell Ray's story and make his name a little more known than it already was to the people who read my tweets and blog posts. The plan was going off without a hitch until I began reading Page Six during the last day of Art Basel and thought to myself: "oh shit, this motherfucker's already famous!" Ray's name was splattered all over Page Six, TMZ and other gossip rags for his alleged assault on Barron Hilton. Because you can read all about that incident elsewhere, I did not want to waste time mentioning it (more than once) here.

Here's our unedited chat, where I ask Mr. LeMoine a random array of questions:

You’re originally from Boston, how did you wind up in New York and more specifically, in nightlife?

I grew up in the woods north of Boston. About five miles from my house was the town youth center, called the Red Barn. The prettiest girl in my grade’s mother ran the local skate shop and had started booking hardcore punk shows at the Red Barn. I started helping with Barn show in 8th grade (1993) as a way to both charm my way into the hot girl crew and because I loved hardcore music.  It worked on one front: I kept promoting shows in and around Boston until 1999, when I quit to focus on a sportswear company I’d started. Oh, how wrong I was. It was right when the record industry was imploding and live music was to become the major revenue stream for musicians. My partner in the shows at the time, Matt Galle, kept booking artists and is now a top agent at Paradigm. He basically invented arena emo. He broke My Chemical Romance, FUN., Ke$ha, Bruno Mars and so on. We’re still friends at least.  In the mid 90s, when I started coming down to New York for hardcore shows, I saw the last days of Twilo and Tunnel—mind blowing the size of those places. We also went to clubs like Life and Spa and were shocked: skaters were hanging out with models. Same deal at Max Fish.  Stuff like this didn’t happen in Massachusetts. During the 90s in Mass, skaters and hardcore kids got beat up, there were no models at all and people loved nu metal.  Around 2001 a friend from Boston, Gibby Miller, moved to New York to DJ. He lived directly above Lit when that bar opened. The owner was his roommate. That was a fun apartment, as you can imagine. I also enjoyed places like The Hole and OpenAir.  Then I spent a few years overseas. I came back wanting to party, which terrified my live-in girlfriend. A friend was dating a club promoter named Vegas.  It was 2005. Vegas had Tuesdays and Thursdays at Stereo, Wednesdays at Marquee, Plumm on the weekends. Vegas is the reason I am doing this interview, he was my main introduction to mid-2000s west side nightlife. When Beatrice and The Box opened in 07, there was a whole new scene between the LES, Soho and the West Village. Cafe Select let us have a dinner party on Tuesdays followed by a party in the industrial, two-level back room behind the kitchen. That party stayed underground for a year until a Times freelancer came in and wrote it up for Styles. The Back Room wasn’t up to code, and it closed after the story, reopening legally almost a year later.  Next we moved to White Slab’s side room with Travis Bass. He knew the owners. Same concept: dinner then a party (we had $1 oysters tip 4am!). But there was no AC in the side room and it was summer. After a two weekends, Travis wanted to stop until we fixed the climate problem. I had a birthday booked and thought to go literally next door to Congee Village and see if they had a private room. They did, and White Slab Palace Back Room at Congee Village Basement was born. It was a joke, a one off, and Travis hated it. Travis did apparently like the Chinese restaurant-as-club idea.  At Select I met my current partner Mike Herman. He had been working with ACME as the owners/landlords prepared a sale. Vegas got Paul Sevingy involved, another ex-hardcore kid who we think is the best operator in nightlife. Beatrice had just closed and Paul had always wanted ACME. The landlord put together a better deal, though, with the Indochine guys and Jon Neidich. And Paul wound up at Kenmare with Nur Khan. We wound up dicks in hand. We took a lease in fall 2010 for the cafe at Bowery Poetry Club under the pretense of doing a cafe and running events in the back. The first party we did, our opening, was with Cam’ron during Fashion Week. It was one of the best nights financially in Poetry Club history. Yet things never worked out with the poets. They were in fact fascist poets. If it wasn’t amateur or slam poetry, you know, if it was an actually published author, they hated it. If it wasn’t some up and coming horrible pay-to-play concert, why bother? We had serious acts and great writers begging to take the stage. Nope. Success scared these poets. We couldn’t force them to make money. So we left.  In spring 2012 we did a pop-up on 14th Street and 2nd Ave for the Frieze Art Fair with our Bowery neighbors The Hole gallery. Naturally it was called Hole Foods. And then we did the Heathers deal that summer and ran it until this October. I basically sat drinking in that bar for 15 months straight.  Thanks to Heathers, we work with people like Anthony Pappalardo, Matt Koshak, Becka Diamonad, Steve Lowethal, Cole Rachel, Sandy Kim, Tamaryn, Liza Thorn, Colby Hewitt, Jack McCready, Maddie McCormick, Alexis Penney, Justin Strauss, Billy Caldwell, Tommy John, Andy Beta, Mikey IQ, Viking, Chinx, Marly, Lord, Prodigy, Marv, Skitzo, Duke and countless others that not only we plan to work with again recommend everyone works with.

You’re now throwing parties at Mug Lounge, which is nearby your former club, Heathers. What is your role at Mug Lounge and what will become of the space? In late October, we agreed to a deal in principle with Michael White, the owner of Mug who’d renamed the bar M.White Lounge. It's right across Avenue A from Heathers, like the actual neighboring bar. We figured with Basel and the holidays coming, we’d do a few pre-parties. We did two weekends. It went well. But the room isn’t finished. The deal is agreed upon and at contract. Hopefully things move fast, then we do a quick renovation. We are also working on a project on Flatbush Ave between Prospect Heights and Park Slope. 

Which neighborhoods outside of Manhattan and not including Williamsburg and Bushwick do you feel are prime for nightlife? Why?

None really. Obviously think Park Slope could use a few more options. Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn by the East River is already great with Bar Henry and Long Island Bar. Chinatown should continue to grow. Long Island City is being further PS1-infied with the steakhouse by the M Wells and a new PS1 venue in an old school, and we will probably see some more action there.  Who knows, maybe DeBlasio will cut the "quality of life" task forces against nightlife and spend that money on improving peoples' actual quality of life. Then the whole city would be prime. In fact, the new mayor should be lobbied to bring culture to the poor parts of New York. He should cut the stupid cabaret law and let people dance again. It's a law that was originally designed to keep whites from dancing with blacks, as NY Nightlife Twitter told me, and that kind of segregation is exactly what Dante's afro stands against. 

  Also, Rockaway missed the mark. Beach 86th-106th Street feels too much like a Brooklyn takeover. Rippers is fine but the scene out there is too monotonous. The city hasn't done enough to address not just Sandy but longstanding issues. Rockaway is the city's most unequal area. Its the most segregated, with the highest concentration of public housing and all the wealth pocketed in one area. Meanwhile the beach is just beautiful, among the prettiest on the East Coast with some of the finest sand. The city should be running Jitneys there, building tourist and JFK-friendly hotels, reviving 116th Street, which is now Skid Row, and generally pushing people to visit. I'd vote for a Rockaway Casino. What other city has a perfect 13-mile sand peninsula with bayside and Atlantic beach but no hotels, movie theaters, nightclubs, and few worthwhile dining options? Only a million people visit Rockaway per year. More people go to the East End's wineries alone. 

  Should nightlife operators drink while working?

It depends on the situation and the person. On a high stress night it might make sense not to drink. On a high stress night it might make sense to have a drink. If you can’t handle drinking, don’t drink.

I have to ask: Has anybody used the term “BKs” around you since the Barron Hilton incident?

Yeah, it was funny for a few days. Mainly people are confused why the Hiltons and friends kept calling reporters to keep a non-story alive. On top of that, who would sell TMZ a picture of themselves beaten up? Especially if you are the heir to a hotel fortune. What’s $500 from TMZ? That’s like a lunch tab to these kids. Must admit learning about these peoples’ tactics has been fun. “A source reports…” That’s Paris or Nicki calling someone and whining. I actually love Barron Hilton. His ability to drink for two straight days is godlike. I wanna make a sex tape with Barron so we can fully culminate this TMZ fake fame.

  What will party invites and flyers look like in 2014? 

Hopefully like this:

Flyer drama is so annoying, seriously. My logo needs to be here, change this, that’s ugly blah. I always felt flyers should be funny.  You’ve thrown some parties at Sapphire in the past. Do you feel other strip clubs will try throwing parties in 2014? 

I don’t know. Todd Smolar asked me to help. We figured that doing something at a strip club had to involve women or else you’re just doing a gross stripper party. Writer Sarah Nicole Prickett and designer Berkley Poole had just launched ADULT Magazine, a literary erotica magazine, and the fit seemed right. We do a dinner party at the steak house, once or twice month. It spills into the strip club which is one of the wildest parties in New York right now. We'll be back with ADULT on the 19th.  I’ve never wanted to be a DJ, mainly because my record collection is basically all hardcore and punk, which people don't really like at clubs. But I’ve always wanted to be strip club DJ. What a cool job. So at Sapphire’s I DJ with Todd a bit—mostly strip club songs by the Project Pats and Guccis of the trap game. Strippers also love nu metal. Which is my second favorite strip club music style after trap rap. A lil Godsmack here, some System of Down there, a dash of Linkin Park and you have some happy strippers. 

[nynightlife-blog]

Bars and Clubs That Closed in 2013

With a number of clubs expected to close shortly after the New Year, here's a quick list of bars and clubs that shuttered in 2013. Some of these spaces became something new, while others remain lifeless. 

Kiss & Fly RdV Sullivan Room Heathers Max Fish Motor City Bar Painkiller (PKNY) Bow Double Seven MercBar Lolita Bar Cocktail Bodega Underground Splash The Darby Butter Toy St. Jerome's RSVP  Lenox Lounge La Vie Pop Burger (meatpacking)

Have something to add to this list? Leave it in the comments.

[nynightlife-blog]

A Chat With: Pacha New York's Eddie Dean

Pacha is celebrating its eighth anniversary in New York on Saturday, December 7 with Dirty South headlining the night that will also feature an opening set by 9-year-old DJ Kai Song. Earlier this week, I spoke with Pacha New York owner Eddie Dean, who is largely responsible for the nightclub's success. I asked Mr. Dean about his past, his thoughts on Space opening in New York and about being a husband and a father. 

Your first club was Faces in Brooklyn in 1987. Describe the times back then, operating in a Bay Bridge. Have any good mob stories to share?

E: It was ‘89. I was a young guy from New Jersey no one knew and all I could say is that it’s actually much easier running a big club in NYC, than it was running a saloon in Brooklyn back then. Let's just say I had my windows broken a few times.

Before meeting with Pacha founder Ricardo Urgell, you once said you were first looking at Space as a nightclub brand to bring to New York. Were you ever in negotiations to open a Space in New York prior to striking a deal with Pacha?

E: Yes - I did have some preliminary talks with one of the owners of Space but I realized there were guys in Miami who also had a Space and they were also interested in opening up in New York, so I didn’t want to get into the middle of Space wars!

Fast forward eight years, what are your thoughts on Space New York opening just a stone's throw away from Pacha?

E: Its not a question of any one specific club. The issue is that in NYC, competition comes in all shapes and sizes. It comes from other markets. It comes from other boroughs, it comes from festival exclusivity. Which new clubs that survive will be interesting. We will just do what we do. We have some big things coming up. It is a really exciting time.

Knowing how much money can be made by nightclubs, do you expect the next wave of clubs to buy rather than lease the space they will be using?

E: Well, using Spirit as an example, the club never made a penny but to me the club owners are the most successful club operators of the last 20 years. They bought the building, sold it three years later, and made $20 million dollars.

Pasquale Rotella of Insomniac recently stated he would be providing a breakdown of Electric Daisy Carnival's costs to show fans where their ticket money is going. While a chart from Pasquale has yet to be released, do you feel pressure to be equally transparent with Pacha and RPM?

E: No. I’m not aware of that and don’t understand what that would accomplish - it certainly would change a lot of peoples minds about wanting to be in the nightclub and festival business! Pasquale spares no expense when producing a festival. He wants to make sure the fans get the very best experience possible and that costs a lot more than people could possibly imagine.

As of today, nearly 285,000 people like Pacha NYC on Facebook and another 90,000+ follow @PachaNYC on Twitter. Given your tremendous reach online, have you cut back on traditional marketing?

E: We still hand out flyers, we still do mailings, we still try to do a very thorough promotion on every one of our shows. Social media has definitely become much more relevant than the traditional marketing, but we still want to be thorough. We do everything.

Is RPM still involved at FINALE?

E: Not formally, but we’re still good friends. They’re just doing less EDM because everyone else is doing EDM, so they made a smart decision to do less and to stick to what they do best.

While many know you as a club owner and event producer, you are also a husband and a father to three children. How are you able to balance your home life with club life?

E: I have a great staff, a great group of managers that I can rely on if I need a night off or if I want to go on a vacation, I know my business is in great hands with my partners and my staff. These days, it’s just as important for me to be home and to be a good dad as it is to have a successful club. I’m definitely one of the few dads who gets home at 7 A.M. and is at a little league baseball game at 9 A.M.!

Has your interest in nightlife rubbed off on any of your kids?

E: Yes! My kids absolutely love it now. I bring them to WMC, Ibiza, and my oldest daughter Raeanne writes a column for Elektro Magazine and recently started her own merchandise company; she sells headbands at festivals and clubs.

My middle daughter Jill loves coming to the Pacha U18 shows with her friends.

My son Thomas’ favorite DJs are Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, playing Pacha December 14th.

Editor's Note: A New Jersey Monthly article published 1987 as the year Eddie Dean opened his Faces nightclub in Brooklyn.

[nynightlife-blog]

People Who Know Things: Jacob Schulman

For the second edition of People Who Know Things, I interviewed Jacob Schulman. Jacob works in the electronic music space. By covering festivals, attending conferences and developing personal relationships with top-tier DJs, Mr. Schulman is a person who knows things.

Below is my chat with Jacob.

Describe your role in electronic music with inthemix and Billboard.

Inthemix is an Australian company with a history of covering the dance music scene with integrity and honesty. It has been in operation since long before 'EDM' was even a thing. I was given the opportunity by my Billboard editor Kerri Mason to act as a consultant on strategy and social media to help break the new US website into the American market, and so far it has been a great experience. I like small, startup-y environments, and the lean structure at ITM has afforded me the freedom to contribute to many aspects of the business: everything from content curation, to marketing plans, to partnerships.

Billboard was a door that opened for me as a result of my work at Dancing Astronaut, and I am honored to be a contributor for such a noteworthy publication.

Big name DJs have helped clubs start selling advance tickets online, more so now than ever before. How did you feel when you first saw clubs ticketing their parties? How do you feel about it today?

Club entry, especially at the higher end spots, is usually a ridiculous, arbitrary process that pisses people off — myself included. I initially hoped that ticketed events would help make the process a little more democratic, but many venues still feel the need to preserve their long lines outside and project an image of exclusivity.

I've been to ticketed events at 'exclusive' clubs where dedicated fans are literally shoving printouts in bouncers' faces just trying to get what they paid for, yet they still have to wait and fight their way in. That, as a fan, is a letdown. If clubs are going to be difficult about accommodating people with tickets, they shouldn't sell advance tickets in the first place. Just imagine if this was how it worked at sporting events — or anything else with a ticket, for that matter.

Which electronic DJs and producers should we be looking out for?

My personal tastes tend to lean towards mainstream artists with big room 'EDM' sounds (Afrojack, Avicii, Tiesto, etc), and if I wanted an easy answer to this question I'd say the new crop of youngsters like Audien, Dyro, and Walden. Lately, however, I've been experimenting with more 'musical' dance music thanks to exposure from my colleagues at Billboard and inthemix. This British duo AlunaGeorge just put out a killer, soulful album called 'Body Language' that I've had on repeat for weeks. A 20-year-old from Australia called Flume has been huge down under for a while, but he’s just starting break through the American scene. Oh, and if you aren’t familiar with Disclosure, get familiar. ASAP.

How much of increased festival prices is due to upped production costs and how much is due to demand for tickets?

I'm not privy to the budgets and numbers that go into planning festivals, but I think the normal laws of supply and demand apply just as with any market. Tickets for shows are a commodity, and when there's higher demand for an event, organizers can get away with charging more. There are companies that reinvest those funds back into the shows to expand and improve every year, and there are others that hike ticket prices while essentially delivering the same product.

EDM fans are more savvy than most organizers think, and if they feel cheated they're going to let all their friends know on social media. That's more costly than a few dollars per ticket in the long run. It's all about finding the sweet spot where the fans are happy while the promotion companies make money. At the end of the day, they're still trying to run viable businesses.

Do you feel there is a need for a festival with little to no show aspect that can be put together on the cheap where fans can be the recipients of the savings, or do you believe over-the-top stages, visuals and artwork are necessary for festivals?

As far as 'festivals' go, I don't think we'll see any downsizing by the major players since no one wants to have that reputation. Plus, most fans go to 'festivals' not only expecting, but wanting, all the lasers, fireworks, CO2, and enormous LED screens. It's an integral part of the experience. Recently there's been more innovation than ever with live production elements and new gimmicks (3D projection mapping, animatronic mau5heads and owls, etc), and these things cost money to produce.

However, events like Virgin Mobile's FreeFest demonstrate that there are alternative ways to fund large-scale shows without selling tickets. Those events certainly have their downsides, but you can't complain when you're getting something for free. The best companies and brands are the ones who can maintain this balance and get creative to accomplish their goals.

Avicii told Forbes "I don’t see EDM anywhere else than in America. It’s a very American term.” Do you think having the term EDM versus not having the term has had an effect on electronic music's attractiveness with corporate brands?

I feel the term 'EDM' has become a catch-all for anything and everything related to dance music. There are much more granular ways to stratify the scene, but having one blanket term makes it easier to buy in.

The savviest brands operating in the 'EDM space' do it organically and naturally. Does it make sense for alcohol companies to partner with DJs and events? Absolutely. Should a DJ be selling me a car? Probably not. But there are smart marketers coming up with great ideas all the time (NERVO x Covergirl, Tiesto x Guess), that prove there’s always an angle. Marrying this trendy acronym to an entire cultural movement just makes it easier for less informed executives to understand.

I've seen investor decks and marketing plans that make a point of trying to reach the 'EDM generation,’ but the term is useless if there’s no understanding of what it means. Plus, if you’re super hip (or work for Bob Sillerman), you’re already onto the next three letter catchphrase: EMC (‘Electronic Music Culture’).

Food writer Robert Sietsema recently talked about the oft-diminishing weekly budgets restaurant critics receive from their media employers. Can you comment on the budgets given to electronic music writers to cover festivals and club events? Are they increasing, decreasing or are they unaffected by the amount of music bloggers who many times pay for their own festival tickets, travel and write for free?

It’s safe to assume that most press at an event has not paid for tickets; that’s just the unwritten rule. When a reporter goes to an event, we are doing a job. We are expected to be well-behaved representatives of our publications (though some people forget about the ‘well-behaved’ part). When I show up to EDC in a collared shirt, it’s because I’m there to work.

I learned about internet journalism in the world of technology blogs (first at Engadget, then The Verge), where junkets and other ‘perks’ were strictly off limits. Since then I've turned down free trips both domestic and abroad for events I really wanted to go to, but I recognize the importance of integrity and have to respect company policies. (Both Billboard and inthemix do not accept paid travel.)

I don't write about dance music for money. I write about dance music because I love dance music and sharing my experiences with others.

Jacob Schulman is on Twitter: @JacobSchulman

[nynightlife-blog]

A tussle outside of SL last night (video credit: @NightlifePRGirl)

[nynightlife-blog]

Fall Nightlife

A list of the new joints (hopefully) opening in New York this fall.

Gilded Lily: Across the street from Chelsea Market at the same address that once housed Crisco Disco, this club will share an address with Monarch, a soon-to-open fresh market American brasserie. Eric Marx and Lisle Richards will be at the helm with Adam Spoont who will be involved with the nightlife at Gilded Lily. We might even see the return of a well known doorman working there. [408 West 15th Street]

Tao Downtown: Said to have two club rooms, one of which partner, Jason Strauss confirmed to be a 2,000 square-foot exclusive lounge. Earlier this year a source told NYNightlife the opening would be September 14th, but there has been no official word just yet. [371 West 16th Street at the Maritime Hotel]

The Darby: With the restaurant now closed, the ground floor space will soon open as a full-on nightclub destination. The concept is still (publicly) unnamed. [244 West 14th Street]

The Raven: A lounge where GunBar was located will open in August from Henry Stimler and The Line Group (Sons of Essex, Petaluma). [55 Gansevoort Street]

VIP Room: Shooting for a Fashion Week opening in the former Kiss & Fly space, 13th Street Entertainment has partnered with Jean-Roch to open a New York location of the international club that already has locations in Paris, Cannes, Saint Tropez, Monacco and Dubai. [409 West 13th Street]

RdV space: Will reopen as a new concept more aligned with what Beaumarchais is offering after it gets its renovation. [409 West 13th Street]

Verboten Club: The electronic music event crew is opening their own spot in Williamsburg. Two rooms, one holding 411 people, the other holding 321 guests for a combined capacity of 732. Oh, and they are looking to stay open until 6 a.m., if approved. [North 11th Street and Kent Avenue]

205 Chrystie: The 205 name is returning to the LES, this time with a new cast, including Ruben Rivera will be be a partner in the club with its parent company, The Line Group. While there are few known details of the club to be had, I'm told the place will have a clubhouse feel to it. [205 Chrystie Street]

Rochelle's: The former Cocktail Bodega space is turning into a cocktail bar, to give patrons an alternative to what 205 will have going on downstairs. [19 Stanton Street]

Double Seven space: Opening with Raphael Chejade-Bloom formerly of Gerber Group, along with Jimmy Haber of ESquared Hospitality and Double Seven original, David Rabin. No details of what's to come in the space, but look for a Fashion Week opening. [63 Gansevoort Street]

Diamond Horseshoe: Aby Rosen is making a big splash underneath the Paramount Hotel with a $20,000,000 revival of the Diamond Horseshoe club that shuttered back in 1951. He's partnered up with Randy Weiner of "Sleep No More" to make it all happen. [235 West 46th Street]

Space New York: 13,000 square feet of party space with a rumor Carl Cox will be the club's ambassador. Facebook page teasers hint at an opening any month now. Hopefully opening this fall? [50th Street and 12th Avenue]

Sankeys: Taking over the former District 36 space, Sankeys was approved for a liquor license earlier this spring and said publicly via their Facebook page they were looking to open in July. That has not materialized, so maybe this fall? [29 West 36th Street]

Paul Sevigny's Tribeca Grand space: No name for the club, details are being kept under wraps. I'm told it'll open when it opens without much, if any warning. If you know about it, you know about it. [2 6th Avenue]

The Stardust Lounge: Kind of already opened under Maison O, the former Kenmare lounge space will have an official opening early this fall, likely with a second wave of press. [98 Kenmare Street]

Italian Food Center lounge: The joint is already opened, serving locals grub throughout the day but word is they're opening a lounge within the space this fall. More details to come soon. [169 Mulberry Street]

Chicane: In the space that formerly house L'orange Bleue, Chicane will have a French restaurant upstairs and late night electronic music parties in a small room downstairs. From what I'm told, this place will attract a wealthy clientele. [430 Broome Street]

Reserve: I'm told Morgans Hotel Group is said to be opening Reserve, a bar dedicated to your favorite dark liquors in the former Asia de Cuba space in the Morgans Hotel. [237 Madison Avenue]

Satsky-Gefter 28th Street: The duo behind Provocateur are opening up an ~11,000 square-foot club in the former Shadow space. Unlike Provocateur, this space is said to be built for more than just electronic music stars to perform in. Little has been confirmed but it may be safe to expect a larger area for general admission guests while a smaller VIP section will house the club's international monied set. [229 West 28th Street]

Melrose Ballroom: A large performance based venue with a monster LCD wall, Melrose Ballroom will have Greek musicians performing on the regular, but will also have club nights. There is also a rooftop bar for dinner and drinks. Look for a September opening. [36-08 33rd Street, Astoria]

Louie & Chan: After two years of planning, Louie & Chan is rumored to open sometime in August with a 65-seat restaurant and a 125-person club. [303 Broome Street]

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Restaurants from Nightlife Operators

Toy 2.0: Reopening within the China Grill space, Toy is taking the 52nd Street entrance. The original Toy is said to have had restrictions from Gansevoort Hotel, so perhaps this time around it will be Toy unleashed.

Forty Four Acres: Rustic new American fare in the former Pop Burger space opening from The Line Group [58-60 Ninth Avenue]

170 Mercer: Also from The Line Group, the former Niko space is keeping it Japanese, but this iteration will be an izakaya.

Michelangelo: Patrick Tartary, owner of Gotha in Cannes, is still looking for liquor license approval for a French white tablecloth restaurant situated in the space between Provocateur and Bagatelle. $1.5 million was sunk into the renovation. Assuming approval in the coming month(s), an opening should soon follow. [1 Little West 12th Street]

La Cenita: EMM Group is turning Abe & Arthur's into La Cenita with the help of La Esquina's Akhtar Nawab who will oversee the menu. [409 West 14th Street]

Kingside: Scott Gerber of Gerber Group and Chef Marc Murphy (Landmarc, Ditch Plains) have teamed up to open Kingside, a street-level bar and restaurant in the Viceroy New York Hotel, which also opens this fall. The cocktail list will include both modern interpretations of classic cocktails and cocktails with a fresh market ingredient focus. [120 West 57th Street]

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People and places to watch: 

Chez Andre TriBeCa: Simonez Wolf hinted at this opening in January, but it has not opened. Maybe it'll pop up later this year.

Butter: What will become of Butter now that it will have second location in Midtown location. Will Butter Mondays return? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Travis Bass: Will he did another pop up club or will he open his own space? A tipster spotted him at a Community Board meeting recently. Why he was there is still a mystery to me.

This completes the list. For now. There are still a handful of operators opening other spaces not yet confirmed. When I know more, I will share. If I forgot something you feel should be listed here, please email me at: [email protected]

[nynightlife-blog]

The Stardust Lounge under Maison O

[nynightlife-blog]

[nynightlife-blog]

Yelp Gems: Refinery Rooftop

This two-star Yelp review of the Refinery Rooftop is from Ana V. of Manhattan. Ana writes:

The only reason this place gets even two stars is the decor and location.   It is a good  central location for my friends and I (four girls) who decided to check the place out on a rainy Monday.   I even called the hotel ahead of time to confirm the opening time and make sure we DID NOT need a reservation, which we were told over the phone "no, only for a large group do you need to call ahead".    We got there, the douche rocket at the elevator entrance apparently did not like the jeans my friend was wearing and we got told they ONLY took reservations.   Had to complain to the hotel manager to get upstairs.  The dress code is , apparently, "business chique".  If it weren't dumping we would have gone elsewhere in a heartbeat. Once we got upstairs....  a bunch of elderly gentlemen in JEANS scratching themselves at the bar.    A family of tourists with backpacks on.   The only decent looking people were the servers.   There are about 20 better rooftops I can think of in this city, and we have never had any issue with getting past the door on any of them.   This place will self implode.

The newly opened Refinery Rooftop atop the Refinery Hotel offers cocktails from mixologist Alex Ott, oysters from both coasts, views of the Empire State Building and a "douche rocket" doorperson (disclaimer: the last amenity is only available if your name is Ana V.). It seems Ana, our featured Yelper was not too pleased when her group was initially denied entry to the rooftop due to her friend's jeans and the likely all-of-a-sudden reservations-only policy put in place by the doorman after seeing Ana's group of girls. Before you start questioning the doorman's decision to not let in four girls because of one of the girl's jeans, consider Ana spelling "chic" as "chique." Because her spelling was closer to the Italian word for five, I just can't see her group knowing anything about being well dressed.

But alas, after a I-want-to-speak-with-the-manager moment, all four ladies got the 'okay' to head up to the rooftop. If you are wondering why Ana and co. did not just pick up and leave after being denied the first time around, Ana writes "if it weren't dumping we would have gone elsewhere in a heartbeat." Dumping? Is she referring to the rain, or did somebody in her group have to take a shit?

Even though Ana liked the decor and location of the Refinery Rooftop, she still believes the place will "self implode." That is what happens when a douche rocket comes into contact with a rooftop, right?

[nynightlife-blog]

Yelp Gems: Hotel Chantelle

I recently tweeted an idea about reviewing (or calling out) Yelp reviewers who write nightlife reviews. I saw a bunch of interest on Twitter for this type of segment, so I decided to skim through a slew of Yelp reviews for places all around New York in order to find a few gems, like this one-star Yelp review of Hotel Chantelle from Eric R. of Westbury, New York. Eric writes:

"This review is actually for the club/bar inside the hotel not the actual hotel itself. However based on the staff I dont have high hopes for the hotel itself in general. Several of my friends just had unnecessary drama trying to just get inside the bar. The doorman was a small man with a napoleon complex. I personally didn't have any problems but several incidents occurred to my friends. My GF got there before me kinda early. There wasn't a line. There wasn't anyone on line. She dipped under the velvet rope to get on line. She didn't cut anyone cause there wasn't anyone else on the line. The doorguy apparently felt like this was a threat to his personal space so he lectured her about going under the velvet rope. They checked her ID with the hand held machine that most bouncers had but kept  bending her license thinking that it wasn't real. Who even does that these days with the technology at hand? 

I myself didn't have a problem with the staff at the door but 2 ladyfriends of mine did see me and jumped on line with me. The girls behind me caught an attitude about this and made comments. Again the line wasn't long at all. There were maybe 10-15 people on it at the time and it was moving. So the people that come to this hotel are even assholes *noted* . The rest of the night seemed to go drama free but another friend of mine was denied entry because they thought he was trying to sneak in. Apparently they decided to hold the line at 3am. It wasn't even packed inside but I guess they wanted it to look like everybody in manhattan was trying to get inside their club. Typical doorman tactics. Well that usually happens between 11pm-2am not at 3am. To make a long story short the doorguy was an ass to my friend and we decided it was time to go. Stay away."

Okay, let's take it from the top of the review and work our way down. To begin, Eric announces his review is for the "club/bar...not the actual hotel itself;" aw shucks, does this mean we don't get to read a review about a hotel that doesn't actually exist? It is with full understanding the Hotel Chantelle name can be confusing for those with little background information about the joint, but being that Eric "didn't have any problems" getting in, shouldn't he have realized there are no guest rooms inside?

Moving along, Eric mentions his "GF" dipped under the rope to get on line. Surely, his girlfriend, like many others who go out at night did not realize there are no limbo games being played at the doors of clubs. Ducking under a rope rather than walking around a rope to get on line makes sense in that you are shortening the point A to point B distance; however, making such a move implies you are a person who may not play by the rules, and if this is how you are acting outside, how will you be acting inside when the alcohol starts kicking in?

Onto the second paragraph of the review, Eric labels the people who come to this "hotel" as assholes after two of his lady friends skipped the line to join Eric who was at the front of the line, much to the dismay of the girls waiting to get in who had been cut and made comments about the move. Maybe the girls thought they had spotted a chat & cut? 

After some "drama free" action inside, the last member of Eric's group arrived but was denied when the doorpeople "thought" his friend was trying to sneak in. Now, why would a doorperson think somebody is trying to sneak in if they were not indeed trying to sneak in? It appears Eric is the only person in his group who knows how to play by the rules of nightlife; however, you are the company you keep, and in his case, his company earned him a spot on Yelp Gems.

[nynightlife-blog]

How to Get Through a Terrible DJ Gig: An In Depth Guide by an Anonymous DJ

An anonymous DJ sent over a guide to playing shitty gigs; I enjoyed it, and with the DJ's permission, I posted the guide to read below.

So you've booked a well-paying-boring/awful gig. Boy, oh boy, you're gonna earn a nice check. Much like jury duty, you pretend it doesn't exist until it comes time to actually do it. (Editor's note: If you aren't being compensated well for a shit booking, my heart really goes out to you.)

The first and most important step is to assess how much actual work you need to do.

If you are djing a charity fundraiser at a prominent nightclub from say 6-9 PM, you actually need to pay attention. While this might seem like a daunting task, I've come to discover these are actually the BEST kind of terrible gigs. You can have fun playing on a large club's sound system, can work on your transitions, and fuck it, maybe play some Rihanna for Pam from accounting. Remember that some people pay to attend these types of function, so after investing $125, they're going to expect some fun. It might not be a headlining set time at Ultra, but you can still have fun playing these types of sets. Your ability to bullshit your way through these types of gigs is relatively low; it requires most of your attention.

Next come the glorified iPod gigs: these are in-store performances, bat mitzvah's, old people's birthday's, etc. You are there literally to keep music playing. There is no real reason an iPod with pre-arranged mixes couldn't do your job. In these situations, you probably are going to be bored out of your mind for the duration of the gig. No matter how much effort you yield, the customer will receive the same amount of utility from your set. After all, you're djing in an Armani Exchange in midtown Manhattan, remember? They are there to buy fucking clothes not to hear you "kill it."

Thus, you must make an initial assessment, as mentioned earlier, of how much work you need to do.

Option 1: A full complete check out. This means you are going to put on a mix and stand behind your laptop with the record spinning, giving the impression you are djing, when in fact you are doing nothing. This is a bold move, and requires you having a few hour long mixes in your serato. While I professionally don't endorse this, sometimes, to retain sanity, this measure is completely necessary and justified. You can get away with touching the fader just 4 times if you carefully select a few sets; lurk your favorite DJ's soundcloud for mixes and live sets that would be applicable.

Option 2: Minimal work. This means you cue up 30-40 songs, let them play for 3-4 minutes and switch them as the time runs out. This method gives you ample time to fuck around and do some activities while still keeping the music playing. While this is doing a half assed job, remember that it does not require a thermo-nuclear device to kill an ant.

After selecting between your options, you must answer a few more questions:

1. Visibility: How visible are you? Can people see your screen? Can people see your hands and notice that you're texting the entire time?? If you are well out of sight you are basically free to do whatever you please.

2. People talking to you: If you are going to be left alone for the entire gig, again, you can basically do anything you want. If European tourists are going to keep asking you for song names, or you need to give a shout out to the special bar mitzvah boy, you probably should only do shit you can take a break from.

3. Internet: WIll you have internet? Don't be shy to ask a manager/employee for the password for the wifi. Approach in a professional manor and say that a customer/client/party attendee is requesting a specific song you don't have and you were wondering if you could "grab their wifi password" to download and keep them happy. It shows initiative. People like that.

Things to do to retain sanity:

1. Watch a movie: If you pick option 1, and your screen isn't visible, watch a fuckin' movie. Simply plug your headphones into the output jack of your computer and make the video screen small enough to see serato running in the background. Occasionally furrow your eyebrows at the screen to pretend you are exerting effort. I once watched the majority of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (with subtitles turned on) during an unnamed corporate gig.

2. Text everyone you know: Communication is key. Talk to anyone who will respond to you; ask them what the outside world is like. Small talk is a great way to pass time. Find out what your ex is up to. Tell your mom hi. Anything to kill time.

3. The Internet: If you run out of things to do on the internet, you can always go on wikipedia and edit people's pages, read the news, go on Tumblr, or simply google shit you've always wondered about. Go to speedtest.net and see how fast the connection is; maybe torrent some music/movies/tv shows. In all honesty, you are more or less fucked if you don't have wifi.

4. Figure out how much money you're making per minute: Aside from keeping your mental math skills sharp, this is a good way to justify your boredom. For example, a 500 dollar-4-hour gig means you are making $2.08 per minute. Quantify this even further; you're earning a vitamin water from reasonably priced bodega every minute. If you are really bored, figure out how much you're making a second.

5. Play music you like: You can actually put yourself in a good mood by playing tunes you enjoy. This seems like an obvious recommendation, but after a few hours of bored-DJ-captivity, your eyes can begin to glaze over and you may forget what you like. Have a few songs cue'd up that will bring you back to life.

6. Be productive: You can always build crates or set cue points (assuming you use serato) instead of staring into space with an empty, hopeless look in your eyes. This will certainly kill time. You can alway practice your cuts. If you're using a Pioneer DJM, select the "Cue" on the FX panel, and turn on an effect that doesn't really do anything (read: reverb at 0%), and you'll be able to hear your scratching with the fader down. DJ AM once said he enjoyed even boring gigs because it gave him a chance to practice his scratching, while getting paid. Learn from him.

7. Record your set: If you put in effort and carefully mix and blend everything, you can reuse the same set again and again. Do the work once and get paid off of it may more times. Remember, work smart, not hard.

8. Work on your memoir: "I missed my flight to Miami. My roommates made me turn down my music again last night. Someone bought 3 magnums of champagne last night and the sparkler presentation was exceptionally beautiful. I'm working on an amazing trap remix."

9. Write a guide about something you know a lot about.

Remember, always cover your mouth when you yawn, bring a snack and be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

[nynightlife-blog]

People Who Know Things: Shane Davis

In what may become a new segment, People Who Know Things will feature individuals working within various aspects of nightlife who regularly have access to nightlife intelligence.

For the first edition of People Who Know Things, I interviewed Shane Davis. Shane works in nightlife as a consultant for hospitality operators who are looking to open new clubs and restaurants. Because of his line of work, Shane is one of the first to learn when things are developing in nightlife and for that reason, he is a person who knows things. 

Below is my chat with Mr. Davis.

Tell us about your role in the nightlife industry?

I specialize in nightlife and entertainment within the real estate industry, mediating transactions, and helping both sides of the equation develop and execute food & beverage driven projects within a multitude of contexts.

Who are some of your clients?

I’m fortunate to have a pretty well established niche and loyal clientele; if I had to name a few recent deals I’m particularly proud of, I’d say Double Seven-BLT, Goldbar 2.0, and Satsky & Gefter-Shadow.

Recently I did a quick count in my head and came up with a dozen new (or reopening) clubs and restaurants expected to open in the Meatpacking District in 2013. What specifically about the present time is driving leases to be signed for spaces all throughout the rather small neighborhood?

Meatpacking has always been very attractive to nightlife, at first because it was a predominantly commercial area where operators could obtain the necessary licensing due to zoning classifications and get loud without much community pushback.  The second incarnation being still heavily driven by feasibility but more about luxury and exorbitance with a very international sensibility.  But now that the area's well passed its transformation, I think operators just want to get in before it's too late. Ground floor rents in the area are demanding over $200/SF - levels that hospitality venues simply can't afford to operate at. So the demand has always been there; execution is the tough part.  

If somebody is looking to open a nightclub as a first time operator without a pre-existing following, are there particular neighborhoods you see as beneficial or detrimental for first-time owners?

Location definitively plays an integral part in establishing identity, however I think context is the most important thing. The interplay between site, space, location, design, programming - each creative choice, is what makes nightlife exciting.  If an operator wants to make some noise without leveraging their name or background, they better shake things up a bit.  It's unlikely we’re going to think twice about another bottle service driven club in Meatpacking or another divey punk bar in the East Village, but a bottle service driven divey punk bar in the East Village might get our attention.

Overdone trends in nightlife?

I think the commodification of DJs is getting a little out of hand. Don't get me wrong, I'm big into DJ culture, and the EDM phenomena has clearly been instrumental in creating a newfound consciousness for dance music among the masses, but I think it's time for people to start caring more about the music and less about who's playing it.  Popular music will always dictate the direction of most nightclubs, but I'd like to see the industry continue to push the envelope music-wise, exposing us to new genres and inspiring the scene as a whole.  I’m optimistic that will happen and look forward to contributing to the process.

A concept you'd like to see done in New York?

I've been really into this party called Shadow City in the UK recently.  Really raw but really sexy music driven concept highlighting some serious young talent to a crowd that gets it.  Those kids are very quietly pushing some of the best music in the world right now.  Bardot in Miami for its music programming as well.  The owners have top notch taste and are consistently highlighting the most relevant acts around.  Can't forget Le Pompon in Paris- hands down one of the coolest brands in the world (we helped put together their Art Basel pop-up last year) and of course I'm eager to see each of the international brands I'm currently working to bring to NYC come to life.

Any funny or memorable quotes from a Community Board meeting?

The first rule of fight club is…

How are you able to approach landlords and operators to pitch them with an offering? How are you able to build the trust necessary to close deals when dealing with people who have been in the hospitality industry for decades, who have likely opened or leased spaces with other brokers and consultants in the past?

In most situations my team’s experience and relationships speak for themselves so I rarely find myself "pitching" in the conventional sense.  Creating business isn't the hard part- It's all about closing deals.  And despite being relatively young, we’re just as, if not more active than anyone else in the city when it comes to F& B.  The short answer to how our differentiates ourselves from the pack, is that we're heavily immersed in all things hospitality, not just real estate.  We live it day in day out.

What do you make of New York clubs increasingly throwing pop up parties all over the country and world?

I think it’s great - From both a business and social standpoint.  The idea of "owning a customer" has been one of the more significant trends in nightlife over the past couple of years.  High level operators rely on their big spenders to drive their top line and if they're not able to curate an experience worthy of the business, these spenders will gladly take their deep pockets down the street.  The elite brands take this concept to the next level by following their clientele around the world curating experiences for their crowd in various environments.  But I think it’s important to note- although these pop-ups typically exist in glamorous destinations like Cannes and Ibiza, it’s not necessarily about going to the hottest places – it’s about being where your friends are.  

5 year goals?

To have cemented my influence in the global marketplace. 

  Shane is on Twitter: @ShaneEvanDavis