The Weekend of April 9-11.
What can I say, this was a very needed weekend. Still have allergies. Still had other minor aches and pains. But the weekend has arrived and it is time to relax, hang with various relations, and release some tension. Started out at Splash a little bit later than usual, around 12:30. And me of all people actually had to wait on line while they did something to the cash register. But since I'm not a tweaker the wait wasn't that bad and I made my way inside with plenty of time to hear Billy Carroll lay down the beat. Once again, what is old is new again as Billy brought his small room circuit sound to the overjoyed men and boys in attendance. I gave him the thumbs up, (and got a queens wave in return) as I took to the stage for Veronica "Someone to Hold". My tribe of friends grew larger as the evening progressed and we definitely enjoyed ourselves overmuch. Left the space around 4 and all was right with the world for one more night.

My alcohol recovery time is greatly improved with the Vitamin Shoppe supplement of Milk Thistle. No real ill effects and plenty of time for thoughtful contemplation as I geared up for the second rush of the one-two punch that is Saturday Night.

This time we arrived much earlier than usual and had plenty of time to find a parking spot, wait out the line at the door, say hi to Doorman Derek, and pay our entry. The coatcheck was much less hectic than the week before as the flow of people was kept to a far more manageable level. Coatcheck staff as nice as usual and then we stepped into the room. The scales were definitely tipped further towards the out of town or newbie visitor so early in the eve but as usual all of the New York crowd showed up fashionably late and the place got downright packed. I found myself doing just as much talking as dancing as I met up with friends got drinks and found my way around the club more than once. Peter was in rare (pretty much unmatched) form as he decided to twist the party into its own special time and place. Of course the beats followed me wherever I went and when I made my way down to the dancefloor in front of the stage he proceeded to throw on some of the hottest tribal beats ever heard at the Roxy . Songs I had never heard before (CD Release Party anyone?) had the crowd screaming and he only got better and better. He gave us a few vocal interludes that kept us going with Madonna "Nobody Knows Me" and "Nothing Fails", Beyonce "Naughty Girl", and his own take on Janet "Just a Little While". If the tunes played last night are any sort of indication we have a great club year ahead of us as I danced my ass off not just once but multiple times as the night moved towards the day.

Also, before this weekend I had set up my own clubbing good time barometer, or a ratings scale of how much I enjoyed myself. From 1 to 5,
1-On Standby, 2-Autopilot, 3-Taking Off, 4-In Full Flight, and 5-Warp Speed.
(I know its kinda corny but it makes sense and it fits my mood).

My Friday night definitely started out on AutoPilot but Billy made sure it moved into level 3 with his boundless energy and his varied selection of CDs and Vinyl.

Peter definitely ramped up the party into level 3 and then quickly moved into level 4. Except for having to find my boys Jimmy and Pais a few times I definitely felt the mood touched level 5 for some brief moments. Now 5 is usually reserved for stage appearances at circuit events, like the vibe I have gotten this year at Manny's last trip to the Roxy, and during the final moments of DJ Paolo at the Black Party. My White Party appearance was just a 3 that segued into a 4 at the end right before I left. And even my last Alegria after the Black Party was only a 3 going into 4 as well.

But last night was off the chain as Peter surprised us and had us reminiscing about our classic club moments of years ago. I haven't enjoyed myself like that with such runaway abandon since my first few forays into the world of the bitter pill 3 years ago. I don't do such things anymore since I am content to stay with things more natural and more quality controlled. I plan out my partying with far too much care to burn myself out at my ripe age of 33. Seeing all the boys in attendance I know I still have plenty of time to party and see no reason to end it too soon by sidetracking into the illicit that can make the party far too sketchy to be fun.

Special thanks to all of my friends for grounding me and showing me all of the different sides I can offer in return. All of my buds both new and old, both planned and surprise make the good times that I have that much more special. If you can't share the fun with someone then it must not be all that fun to begin with. Loud shout outs to Steve, Rickey, Q, Pais and the Jimmy. You were all there with me and I hope you had a good time too.

I was told that my last dance mix CD (My Black Ice Mix) has been a hit with my friends and their friends that have heard it. Hopefully I will get one or two more hot mixes out before the summer arrives. As long as the DJs and Producers keep pumping the hot material it should not be a problem.

Peace out. And until our next level 5... I'll see you there.