B2B Vacation Beach 006//TFNJ w. Brian Creswell, Sarahcuda, Decosoul

You have to go to Vacation Beach. Held monthly at Ortlieb’s, resident DJ’s Teknacolor Ninja, Wolf Dem, and KT Caustic create an apocalyptic tropicgoth, vacationwave soundscape that’s 100% interactive. It’s not your typical party which is exactly what Philly nightlife needs right now.

Vacation Beach 006

The first hour of Vacation Beach featured a dope dance clinic with Philly Beat Rockers. Party fellows got a free dance lesson via Dr. Moose and B-Boy Spit. Fresh and entertaining and created a very easy going environment. There were interactive visuals which is one of the neatest things I have ever seen at a nightlife event. Curated by Justin Evans, the visuals, added tardigrade, raccoons and other creatures heads to your body if you were on the dancefloor. Some of my friends got up close to the projection and got wild with it. It was a fun and clever way to loosen up the crowd.

Musically, Vacation Beach was a breathe of fresh air for me. I love me some dark goth techno, but I think we can all appreciate that booty shaking beats and jungle sounds are what we really need. Each DJ worked seamlessly with one another. Teknacolor DJ is a force on her own. She also served as an MC for the night which I loved as well. Wolf Dem and KT Caustic equally blew my mind. The community feeling of Vacation beach is special. It’s not a vibe of the DJ playing the music, and you are the spectator. It felt like we all had roles in putting this party together. HIGHLY recommended party, and very LGBTQ friendly. The primary crew is mostly non cis men. A diverse crew like that is a wonderful way to elevate non cis male voices in the nightlife scene. We all have a place here.

TFNJ w. Brian Creswell, Sarahcuda, Decosoul

Yooooo. It has been a very long time since I went to That Friday Night Jawn by the LEFT RITE crew and this party was huge. Unfortunately, I missed out on Sarahcuda (one of my favorite Philly female DJ’s) and Decosoul but luckily I caught Brian Creswell’s insane set. Heavy banging techno with a darker vibe was his M.O. and the whole room danced so hard. TFNJ is upstairs at Kung Fu Necktie. I got there around 12:30 and it was packed. The happiest moment for me was seeing literally almost all of my techno/house friends. Feels like I can’t say it enough that the sound investment Left Rite has made shows a high amount of professionalism and true love for the nightlife. They are playing a crucial role in this community and cultivate an all inclusive, drama free party. If you haven’t checked out a Left Rite party yet, put it on the top of yr bucket list.

Going to two amazing events on Friday was worth my Saturday exhaustion. I decided to take November off from drinking for a few reasons. I’m going to write a post on that in a bit. So far it hasn’t been the worst, though it has been interesting. ALSO I have a website in the works and I’ll be moving my blog over to itshortly.

Until next time, have a Happy Thanksgiving. 🔮

Next Up: December Itinerary

 

November Itinerary

Now that we are into the season of the Crone Goddess, it’s time to keep ya posted on what the haps are this month. I will be adding events as they come, please message me if any events are missing that ya think should be on here.

November 1st

• Extra Dark w/ Pussy Vision

November 2nd

• ADULT., Plack Blague, Further Reductions
• L.A. Witch / Las Rosas / Camera
• Blank Banshee / Plastic Ivy at Johnny Brenda’s

November 3rd

• Infrared w. Patrick Barry & Mr. Falcon
• Maskarave 25th anniversary celebration FRI NOV 3 in Midtown NYC
• SYLO at The Dolphin w/ Josh BWC + Lucas Lee – this Friday!
• Inciting 11-Year Anniversary w/ Derek Plaslaiko
• Carl Craig at Coda
• S L E E P E R S
• Goodie no. 88 w. Rob Paine, Francisco Collazo & Jay Hill

November 4th

• Shadowland Lancaster Nov 4 Shocktober II at Village Nightclub!
• Club Congress
• Saturnia w/ TSOT DJ Kai Fentross
• Sex Dwarf- A New Chapter
• A Black Celebration
• Night Drive at Kung Fu Necktie
• Crash Course In Science, Void Vision at Saint Vitus
• DJ Chris B & Co. at MOM’s!

November 5th

• Floor Model; Bodykit; Wolf Dem; DJs Stateschoolgirl & W00dy

November 7th

• November Synth Night

November 8th

• 8 Computer Love – Past, Present, & Future of Digital Funk + RnB
• Unknown Pleasures at The Dolphin with Tony Modica

November 9th

• 8static Festival 2017 • 9th Anniversary Event • 11/09 – 11/11
• Silent Em // MULTIPLE MAN // Ritual Humor // Aria Rostami
• Truewave Presents: Gun$ Garcia, Luny, Jabair
• Silent Em // MULTIPLE MAN // Ritual Humor // Aria Rostami
• Rudy, Cardona & Friends at 3900

November 10th

• Multiple Man / Void Vision + DJ Dentana
• Voltheque / Pacifico / The One2s / Buddie (downstairs)
• Zillas On Acid present MR TC & Facets at The Dolphin
• PEX Monthly with Lee Mayjahs? & Justin Paul
• Transmission – A Dark Danse Party

November 11th

• Datadrift, Laura Woodswalker, & Sage Palmer
• The Shakedown: Francesca Lombardo + Left Rite Upstairs
• Nights Sweats: Vocoded Wishes
• VoRteX IndustrialGoth, Stompy Oontz & More! Sat Nov 11th
• Nights Sweats: Vocoded Wishes

November 12th

• Modern English / The Veldt at Johnny Brenda’s
• Summer Forever w/ Dennis Probert
• The Poorly Timed Halloween Garage Show

November 14th

• Agent Zero (Live Band) + The Orcastrator at Silk City

November 15th

• SOLD OUT! Slowdive / Cherry Glazerr at Union Transfer – 11/15

November 16th

• The Wonder Bars present: WonderLust w/ Patrick Richards
• All Natural ft. Pleasurekraft // Bordello ft. DJ Image
• BOUND w/ False Witness, Becka Diamond, Katie Rex
• All Natural ft. Pleasurekraft // Bordello ft. DJ Image

November 17th

• F U N D R A V E R for Puerto Rico & Mexico
• Cixous72 Two-Year Anniversary • Valise – David Wesley Sutton – Eve Essex — DJ pure
• Vacation Beach 006
• Underworld Goth, PostPunk, New Wave Dance Night at Saint Vitus!
• Say Less Dance More 11 w/ Alan Nieves
• The Magic Message w/ Sean Thomas

November 18th

• The Ministry of Inside Things plus Hallowed Bells
• John Carpenter: Anthology Tour at Trocadero Theatre
• The Labyrinth No.4
• Void Vision & IXVLF at The Lizard Lounge
• Flaunt: Cardinal X After Party
• Batz Over Baltimore – 7 Year Aniversary

November 19th

• Gamelan Music from BALI
• Curious Dream

November 22nd

• TRIBE 11/22: Night Before Thanksgiving
• A Decade of Dubfire – Thanksgiving Eve at Rumor
• Goodie x Say Less Friendsgiving

November 24th

• Suspiria – Rare 35mm Italian Print
• Laurel Halo (DJ), Juliana Huxtable, Shyboi, Lsdxoxo & more
• Goth Dance Party
• Trieves 18 with M//R
• Black Friday on Black Friday

November 25th

• Soul Clap [Open-To-Close] at Flash
• No Boyfriends
• Serotonin Records presents: Scientism
• DNCE w. Francisco Collazo at Liaison Room

November 26th

• Laurel Halo / MHYSA at PhilaMOCA
• Obscura Antiques Holiday Bazaar Flea
• Kulture Shock Philly Reunion Nov 26th Octo-Pussy returns

November 30th

• All Natural ft. Sidney Charles // Bordello ft. DJ Image

Next Up: B2B Vacation Beach 006//TFNJ w. Brian Creswell, Sarahcuda, Decosoul

Flaunt: Willyum at Liaison Room (Halloween Costume Party)

Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, but this weekend is still a huge for parties, For active nightlife people, this is a hard weekend to compete. Flaunt at Front Street Cafe saw a great turnout regardless of the event competition.

Flaunt: Willyum at Liaison Room (Halloween Costume Party)

My boo was going to DJSC at Kung Fu Necktie last night, which was right across the street from Front Street Cafe. Good for me because then I got to conveniently party hop. DJSC is always such a good party, and people seemed to dress up in costume a bit more than at Flaunt (no shade, I didn’t wear a costume last night). It was great seeing so many friends last night at DJSC and dancing to some Smiths songs.

The Liaison room at Front Street Cafe is new with the renovations. It’s a medium-sized room with a great space for dancing. WhiteRice DJ duo started the night off proper with some stellar deep house. Also, side note, honestly I am pretty obsessed with deep house, and it’s incredible how many Philly DJ’s have such impeccable taste in the genre.

Willyum is a very active DJ in the scene, I’m always seeing him on flyers. It’s possible I have seen him DJ before I just can’t recall when. Holy hell, his set was INCREDIBLE. Even when I was taking a breather or getting a drink, I could not stop moving. He played some really cool Motown/Disco sounding mixes within his deep set and it all blended together so well. It was a great crowd of people at the event as well. Not too crowded, but enough people to create a fun and energetic event. I also was feeling all the witch hats and costumes ayyy (looking at you, Ily).

Be sure to check out my Facebook page and Twitter for event postings this weekend. Look out for the November Itinerary!

Stay safe and spooky a f this weekend!

Next Up: November Itinerary

The Ruckus w/ Mr. Falcon + WhiteRice

The Ruckus was a one night only event featuring two of Philly’s finest DJ duos, Mr. Falcon and WhiteRice. Mr. Falcon is Blueshift and Ily, and WhiteRice is P@KEO and Bruce Pettacio. All of these guys are amazing DJ’s, and the night was a truly religious experience.

The Ruckus w/ Mr. Falcon + WhiteRice

The event was held at The Barbary. It was not a huge crowd, but that just made the experience more intimate. The music choices were really unbelievable. I’ve been internally gushing about the music all day. Bruce started and ended the night right. Though he played a variety of different sounding tracks, I was especially digging the more chill and downtempo house. P@KEO played some RIDICULOUS hard hitting house that got the whole dance floor moving. I’m still sore from how hard I danced to his sets. Ily has been one of my favorite house and techno DJ’s for awhile. His tracks are always on point, and he approaches his sets almost scientifically with his music choices.  I looove when Blueshift throws in that real sexy dubstep into his sets. When he does that it reminds me that good dubstep is out there.

10/10 perfect night and I love seeing local DJ’s come together and throw amazing parties. It was a great kick off to this very special weekend. It’s that time again for the WKDU Electronic Music Marathon, the most wonderful time of the year! Yours truly (that’s me) will be live broadcasting from Rumor on Sunday. This year proceeds will be going to Philly AIDS Thrift, who do so much good work for HIV/AIDS education and outreach. You can check out the full schedule HERE to see all my favorite peoples set times. Happy listening!

Next Up: Night Drive/No Boyfriends at Kung Fu Necktie

[sic] Rizumu Takeover

Oh my little heart! I finally made it out to a [sic] event last night, and what a better first party to attend than a Rizumu takeover? The weather may not have been beautiful, but the love energy was just a further testament to the magnitude of Philly’s beautiful techno community.

[sic] Rizumu Takeover

[sic] is a relatively new collective that was started by some very lovely and experienced party fellows. Though not quite a year old, it is quickly gaining momentum as a crucial party. Personally, I feel like the party crews that have a no frills and practical approach to the sound quality and integrity of the music usually draw in more diverse, music focused crowds. This event was a perfect example of the ideal for the underground. Admittedly, I was a bit thrown off by the location as Old City sometimes makes me wary with the types of people it draws, such as people who disrespect personal space and such. However, it was evident early on that I had nothing to feel cautious about. The vibe was one of safety and pure love of music and dancing.

As for the music. oh my goodness wow. Jacob Herschel never fails with playing the [sic]est (see what I did there?) grooves. His set seamlessly transcended from balearic funk to that always loved deep house* and beyond.

It was amazing getting to finally see Elvin T live. I was first exposed to his DJ style during WKDU’S Electronic Music Marathon last year (speaking of, it’s that time again to register if you want in). He and Jacob worked so well together,  and Elvin had a great DJ flow. It was impossible not to dance.

Overall, [sic] is fastly becoming a heavy hitter in the Philly techno circuit. The vibe and the people it attracts is safe, inclusive, and proper for music. I am so looking forward to the next event.

*I know we all say we love minimal house, and I’m sure we do, but can we admit deep house definitely reigns king?

Next Up:  Spooky October Itinerary

 

 

The Shakedown: Residents

The Shakedown is a monthly event held by Worship Recordings, a label dedicated to that beautiful deep house, techno, etc. It’s an event held at The Barbary that takes up both floors. It’s very special.

The Shakedown: Residents

As much of a gothic as I am these days, techno and all of its relatives was my first love. While some may say the goth scene is dying, that doesn’t seem to be the case with Philly techno and house events. The thing of it is, The Shakedown, and lots of other events like Rizumu, Left Rite events, etc. are more than just a fun club thing. These crews bring the element of dedicated techno heads, who know the music and the history of this kind of music. This also resonates with the type of crowd that comes in. I admittedly was a bit nervous going to The Barbary because their have been times where the crowd that comes in has ranged from gross to scary. The Shakedown attendees were respectful of each other and came to just dance.

Willyum started the night off with deep house. It felt like a nice nod to the Deep House night that used to be held at The Barbary and I feel so old because I don’t even remember the name of that event. Next up was Rob Paine. It was really a pleasure getting to meet him and chat with him for a moment. His set was refreshing, and it was nearly impossible NOT to dance. I didn’t catch too much of Chris B’s set, but the portion I heard was dope. I had never heard of Big Jawn before this night but wow his set was extremely proper. He is definitely one of my favorite resident Shakedown DJ’s now.

As our world seemingly becomes more harrowing each day, it is extremely important that we have safe spaces of music, entertainment, and love. Places where anyone can come in dance. I don’t believe it’s ever the location that makes the difference of whether a place is safe, but the type of vibe that party crews create. The Shakedown has the right vibe.

Next Up: [sic] Rizumu Takeover

 

Infrared

Infrared is a monthly party held by nightlife collective Left Rite. The crew consists of some real talented people. They remain heavy hitters in the scene, while maintaining a DIY and all inclusive

 

Infrared

This particular event is held at the Irish Pol around 2nd and Market. I was a little hesitant about this location, as it’s in Old City as it can be a bro-y area at times. As soon as I stepped into the event upstairs and any feelings of anxiousness dissipated. The Left Rite crew keeps a safe and positive vibe with their parties.

July is a tough month for a lot of events, what with vacations, 4th of July, and festivals. Left Rite had actually just come back from PEX Fest, so the night was for their resident DJ’s. Though the typical itinerary for Infrared has always been guest DJ’s and resident DJ’s, it was nice to experience the eclectic music the Left Rite DJ’s have to offer.

In typical me fashion, I showed up way early to the party and it was not in full swing (Life Hack though, show up to the party early so you can check out all the parties that night . Phil Yeah set the mood with some really chill sounds that provided excellent atmosphere. Next up was ILY. ILY is an extremely talented DJ in the scene. He is incredibly skilled and always plays the right stuff to get the crowd moving, without relying on any cliches. BeeTee Beats never fails to pull out something unexpected and unique with his mixes, and it always works and sounds dope.

Left Rite has invested a lot of time and money into their HOLY DAMN amazing sound system. I was floored when I saw their rig and glad got to sonically experience it.

For the queer and trans community, Left Rite parties absolutely pass the test for a safe, fun, and all inclusive spot. They throw a number of events around the city, like Friday Night Jawn at Kung Fu Necktie. I am excited to see this crew develop in the Philly party circuit.

Next Up: High-Functioning Flesh/ IXVLF / Speaking Parts + DJ Shari Vari

Extra Dark

Philly is blessed with a diverse group of talented DJ’s and producers, and Extra Dark has a knack for showcasing diverse, underground talent that this city offers. It’s no wonder though, since the event is run by powerhouse trio Dentana, Stateschoolgirl and Lojit, along with varying guest DJ’s and musicians, help concoct a heavy hitting techno potion.

Extra Dark

The guests for this edition of Extra Dark were Philly favorite, Diamond Girl, and TIM. Diamond Girl started it off way right with her set. It was chill and served as a good premonition for the night.

I never heard of Tim before this event, and I was  blown away by the deep, deep techno he played. It was incredible to see the dance floor move without any inhibitions. The entire vibe of the night was freeing.  A cool party bonus was the free tarot readings by my friend Justin. My card reading was incredibly on point.

It was pretty crowded for a Wednesday night, but this event usually has a good turnout. Dentana is an active producer and marketer for her events. She keeps in spirit of collaboration, which is something that I think can make an events more successful. While some crews do bring in guest DJ’s, Den keeps the genres of guests really eclectic. Just for example, she had me play at an Extra Dark and my music is very different than any sort of techno (shameless self promotion, check me out at Gravers Lane ).

Both Dentana and Stateschoolgirl are forward thinking, kind hearted, and easy to talk to people. Part of my meter of judgement when looking for queer and trans friendly parties is if the crew who runs it are, above all else, genuinely proactive about creating a safe and comfortable environment for everyone. Extra Dark is a stellar example of this.

Next Up: Unknown Pleasures

Rizumu 15yrs/27hrs

Rizumu is a 15 year running (which is HUGE in a city where most things that are cool do not last very long or do not stay cool for very long… sorry Mad Decent Block Party ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), after hours party that, up until recently, was held at 52hz in West Philly. Rizumu is known for bringing in local DJ’s and Producers, as well as the big name DJ’s who come with that that proper techno. Adam X and Andrey Pushkarev are just two of the many huge talents that have come through.

Rizumu 15yrs/27hrs

Here is another party that I believe has been so successful in the underground scene because of the crew who runs it and the people it draws in. Promotors and DJ’s Sean Thomas, Jacob Herschel, and Rudy Kardos have cultivated one of the safest and highly music based techno after hours party in Philadelphia, with some incredible visual art collaborations. to boot. Rizumu is adamant about providing a welcoming space for everyone. Women, people of color, the LGBQT community, this crew knows techno can bring us all together and they do an amazing job facilitating that truth.

When you think of the term “rave” the first thing you may think of is images of glo-sticks and kandi. This is not the case here. Rizumu is a crew so focused on music that the demographic you will see at a party are true techno heads, young and old, who passionately will dance until the morning light.

I have fond memories of the anniversary last year, and I was not disappointed (though I had no doubts) about this year being a banger. The start of the party was on Saturday night, which I unfortunately did not get out to this year. I was bummed about missing a performance from Cienfuegos, but ayyyy. The continuing festivities the next day at Glendinning Rock Garden were perfect though. The weather was incredible and nothing beats listening to techno in nature. Everyone seemed relaxed and happy, just the vibe I would expect from this party. My only wish is that Rizumu would throw more park parties. Luckily, a lot of crews utilize that space too, and we are entering park party season again.

Happy Anniversary Rizumu!

Next Up: Combichrist and the Subject of Social Responsibility