The first time I met Paul Oakenfold was during the rise of the Super DJs, much like the rise of the Supermodel.
It was at the Red Zone, the original incarnation pre-Y2k. My friends owned the club, also coordinating the lights and sound, so getting backstage was normal. What I didn’t expect then was Mr. Oakenfold himself pulling me into his DJ area to hang back and swig from a bottle of Goose he had stashed under the decks. Now, years later, Oakenfold brought the action to Sway, quite a departure from his usual filling of the outdoor stage areas under the ginormous tents at Coachella.
That evening was also Sway’s General Manager Nikola Badurina’s birthday party. A word about Nikola, Michael Mercer and Steve Ham: The Sway staff was super nice. All the bartenders were friendly with smiles and prompt providing drinks. The employees opened the door as you walked in and out. They were always professional and cordial. Outstanding guys!
Our man on the inside, Nikola, told us Oakenfold wasn’t up ’till midnight. We relaxed, catching the vibe and a drink at the bar which filled up quickly. Others were seeking another place to drink Long Islands. Welp, we all know which venue fits that bill. Char Bar. Pro-tip, if you want the best Long Island in town, the Char Bar is the place ($6 during happy hour, $9 regularly which is still a bargain).
Walking downstairs, we scoped out the environment. It is similar despite changing of various hands over the years. There is still the grotto in the back where Jeffrey Ortman had some of his fab b-day parties. For Oakenfold, the area was reserved for bottle service. The tables stage left were all VIP. The legend himself was very close to the crowd. The DJ booth was intimate to the floor…
One hour to showtime and Sway was filling pretty quickly.
DJ Sho, Corrupt, and Davey C. worked a nice DJ battle, warming up the crowd before Oakenfold. I had a moment to talk to Corrupt when he was off the decks that night. It was his second show with Oakenfold. He really liked how all “old schoolers” attended his shows and the young people who didn’t get to hear his music. At the last show they did. Corrupt had the opportunity to knock back a couple of drinks, saying Oakenfold was a very nice, laid-back dude. Corrupt told me about some of the other shows he has done, Haunted Fest, Le Boom and the upcoming NYE show at Sway with Bad Boy Bill. When parting, I asked him how he would describe himself as a DJ. Without hesitation he remarked “Upcoming and underrated.” Well played, sir.
Brandon Winters was present, towering amongst the crowd and of course, Jeffrey and the always lovely Elizabeth Ortman was there as well. I also experienced Benjy, Ted, Mike G., Chas and a white Bengal tiger. Chas and I chatted a bit about my favorite new food truck The Early Bird, serving the most devine beignets and hand-made pies. Our always-nice friends invited us to sit with them in their VIP and drink from their bottles. Free shots offered from others. I had to decline them all. I picked a helluva time to do a thirty day cleanse!
The crowd was super thick approaching midnight. Staff wiped down the dancing stage so people didn’t slip. Acoustics were good, loud and basey but overly so.
12:30 a.m. arrived and Oakenfold was just coming on, finally taking the lead. He wore a black blazer and black t-shirt, still sporting his signature boofant of dirty blonde hair floating above his bright perma-smile. Paul delicately adjusted all the controls, like a driver getting into someone else’s car, calibrating the mirrors, tilt of the steering wheel, seat distance from the pedal and the recline.
The crowd stilled, recognizing Oakenfold was officially at the helm. He started with music reminding me of the older exuberant anthems, then suddenly out of nowhere dropped a quick heavy beat. Great intro. No long overture. He reeled it back in again, getting everyone into the mood, then pulsed it up, mixing all the above mentioned sounds together into another exhilaration. It was sweet Oakenfold was so close to the audience, a huge departure from Coachella, for example. But he emanated just the same…
It was pretty packed but not unbearably so. Just enough room to dance in your little baseball box. Most everyone was cool and smiling. I felt no aggression from the crowd even at 1a.m. (as it seems to be the case many times at the club).
Perhaps this old skoola was bringing out the PLUR in all of us.
Now It’s Dark photography by Scott Greiff
Edited by Breck J. Hapner
Paul Oakenfold: Iconic EDM rapture at Sway Columbus The first time I met Paul Oakenfold was during the rise of the Super DJs, much like the rise of the Supermodel.