Weekend of April 16-18,
The Days are getting longer and the crowds are getting restless. Or something like it. Always a good thing if you can get it.
Started off my Friday at SBNY. Had other invites but I went where I knew what to expect. Max Rodriguez was our DJ for the evening and was doing his best to mix the current with the classic vocal and diva hits of the past few years. Part of my crew only stayed for a little bit before calling it a night but I forged ahead and kept my barman Brett company as the night progressed. Some of my friends decided to change their look for the evening to a more rough look and was highly praised for making that leap of faith. Looked good enough for the crowd as many people did not recognize at first and yet praised the change. It is always a good thing to step outside yourself and see yourself as more than you have been. I try to do that all the time, but I want to be practical too. I am not Madonna and will not reinvent myself just because I can, but rather, because it is time.

I could not stay out too late as I had much to do the next day but got home at a reasonable hour and woke up at an ungodly hour (9:30am) and made my way to the killing fields, I mean softball fields. Cheered on the boys and kept score as the two sides clashed. Was a great day in the sun for all involved and quite a few got caught by surprise as the sun proved hot enough to burn for those pale few. But enough aloe and other creams were spread around to heal those so touched and prepare for the evening to come. After the games I went to see Kill Bill 2 which I very much enjoyed. Not as much action as last time but that movie was hard to top anyway. Much more dialogue and backstory in this one though so it was a great saga as a whole. Good to see all those loose ends tied up and so much shock to be had.


I made sure to rest up and prepare myself for the coming of the Rox. After preparations were complete we got there in plenty of time to see the party kick off and get started. We even had a few surprises in our own crew as those who supposedly were too busy to party ended up in the place and ready to dance. The crowd was there for Manny Lehman and he was definitely there for them. I had a great time with it. A definite level 4 and refused my first offer to leave as I was not done with my dancing yet. I later succumbed to the need to go home and rest up since I had family obligations to visit but was very happy with myself just the same.

Now with all this Easter candy I've been gifted I will have to be sure to shake it extra hard next weekend. Got to keep the energy moving. Sugar in, sugar skin, my what a sweet one. Yes indeed.

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.

April 2-4
Another classic weekend.

Stepped into the night on Friday wanting to dance. Arrived at SBNY at midnight and squeezed through the crowd at the door and made our way inside to the music. DJ Alex Lauterstein was keeping the boys happy with some Old School clubbing beats, happy and upbeat but not too hard... yet. The crowd was kept simmering until the club boiled over into an explosion of tribal house. Keeping the feet happy as always. He made it easy represent for those on stage, on the dancefloor and of course on the speakerbox. We couldn't stay too long, plans the next day, but time was definitely well spent. Our barman Brett kept the drinks flowing until we had to go and I left the place in a great mood. Way to start a weekend.

The next day was busy for a Saturday, all kinds of family events mixed in with some shopping but it was all wrapped up with plenty of time to get back home for a disco nap. The night was kicked off with a birthday party for my friend "Q" and the usual cast of dozens that was all too happy to show up at the Chelsea jump off. Conversations were spun, introductions were made and house drinks were imbibed. I even got my first taste of Michelob Ultra, not too bad, went down real easy. So easy in fact that I was finished almost right after I started. A beer without its kick, I guess it has a place, when you don't want to be distracted from your partying by your drink. Hmmm. Anyway we stayed at the party until 12:30 and then made our way over to the "Rox" for another great time that was waiting to be had. Hardworking DJ Chad Jack kept the multiplexing beats flying with sounds both premiere and familiar. We danced to some all-new versions (at the Roxy anyway) of cool beats from Janet, Chads own version of "Just a Little While", Kelis "Milkshake", The always popular Monica "Get it Off" and quite a few other excerpts of dance classics spun over some totally danceable beats for a DJ design that was most definitely on point and in the house. Even off the clock Barman Brett chose the right one and made Roxy drinkmeister Barker his drink mixer of choice. The early drink cut off made it hectic at the end, as to be expected, but a timely announcement at 3:45 and of course great party placement and movement by yours truly made sure we had our drink allotment well in hand for the evening. We still stayed well into the night to enjoy the show that Chad put on for us and danced until we couldn't dance no more. Even birthday boy Q enjoyed the mix and our posse of partners that came along for the ride enjoyed another great Roxy Saturday. We exited the space into a whirl of sprinttime rain (remember That season?) and found ourselves a taxi that was just unloading someone to take us back to our native environs. A nice sedate ride home to decompress and another clubgoing weekend is wrapped up. Classic.

It has been so long, all of one weekend before the last time I ventured into the world of the late night hang. I guess I was due for some fun even after a slightly shorter workweek, for myself anyway, and I there I was stepping out into the night once again.

On Friday I headed over to the crowd that was SBNY. The place was very full of both in and out of towners and did a good job of packing them in for a non-holiday weekend. Our DJ for the evening was Max Rodriguez, always known for his high energy vocals and keeping the boys dancing well into the night. He kept it current and on point and the men out to dance responded. My favorite bartender Sir Brett of the back bar made sure the drinks kept coming and the night moved forward very nicely. From Beyonce to Britney, Missy to Madonna. We danced to it all and had a great time. Left the place at 4am. Made sure to rest up and hydrate for the next time.

Saturday night I checked my evenings options and decided to go out on the town once again. Although the majority of my group of friends was unable to attend I decided to head into the city and enter the realm of Rox. I replaced my Visine at the pharmacy and called for the car service. Although the first company was out of vehicles I was able to find another close by that got me into town in short order. I was able to give directions to a British tourist who was heading in the same direction and after saying hi to our favorite Domicis of the Door, Derek, it was once again inside to see what the boys were up to. Peter once again spun a musical journey for the boys to travel the room with and enjoy the beats. I found myself moved into various places at different times of the evening. Hanging at the front bar with Barman Barker, who worked so hard he broke his register. Then hanging in near the stage with the boys dancing. Dancing on the boxes near the wall across from the stage. Changing stages as the mood struck. I saw one poor boy take a tumble from a speaker to his his side on one of the boxes. Rule number one, Never party until injured. The party needs you. So don't try too hard. Not without the proper training anyway. So we stayed until after 4 and then made our way back home. Cab Drivers can be shady at even the happiest of times so I put on my out of town tourist attitude and snagged myself a ride home. Afterparty flyer in hand and walking from the club looking single-mindedly for a ride was definitely the move to get home most soonest.

Until the party starts again. Keep it up guys.

Yes I was there for the Black Party Weekend. (Of Course).
The first time I ever attended a circuit event was the Black Party 4 years ago in the year 2000. So I was definitely planning on going again for the 4th time.

I started off the Black Party Weekend going to SBNY for Friday night and checking out what DJ Billy Carroll had in store for the kickoff of the weekend. Billy definitely had the decks warmed up and moving for the crowd and I was definitely feeling the vibe he threw out to the crowd. The decor was dark, the place was packed, and the drinks were flowing as we danced away the evening until 4am. I was very happy they had picked Billy to start off the weekend as he truly is a DJ that can play a small space and make it feel like you are attending an event. I can definitely remember several musical peaks for the evening and was certainly put into the mood to look forward to all of the music I was to hear for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday was spent resting up staying hydrated and planning my arrival time for the Black Party. Since all of my friends were not going to the Black Party this year I actually made an appearance at two venues this year and went to the Roxy first. Since it was not to be my final stop for the evening I was not holding up high expectations for Peter Rauhofer. But I guess he must have used his extended stay away from the decks at The Rox well and definitely threw in some surprises for us. I was having a great time and very happy I came and saw and hung out with part of my crew but just as Peter was playing "Thats It" (great song with the Godzilla roar mixed in), it was time for us to move to the next party before we blew off our ticket price. Catching the taxi outside at 2:30am was not the easiest thing to do but we made it through the tough times and soldiered ahead. We waited in the rain a bit as the search at the door got rid of the bad element and then made our way inside. The coatcheck took forever (it always does) and I was finally ready to make my way onto the floor. I was happy to see an
energetic crowd and was immediately into the beats that DJ Paolo was playing for the men in black. I was very much looking forward to hearing how he was going to spin for such a long set and I was not disappointed. I enjoyed hearing him in 2002 and was even more impressed this time around. I was moved to make two appearances on the stage and the second time was there for his finale at 6:45am. I stayed to listen to some of Susan's set as well but me
and mine eventually had to leave the party and make my way home. It was a great time I got to have with my friends and saw a lot of people I had not seen in a long time. I also thank the Daddy who grabbed my while I was on the stage. I guess I was that bit of the party that he wanted to reach and out and hold onto for a while but alas I was not to be so easily contained. Its nice to see such a wide variety of boys in such a large space. Glad I stepped out into the black once again.

Of course that wasn't the end of my weekend. I also got myself booked up for the Alegria at Crobar for the Alegria Xtreme. I was not sure how crowded it would be for a non-holiday weekend but I definitely should have known better. The crowd once again coalesced and they all were there to shake it for DJ Abel. He was definitely on for this set as I was happy once again to dance with the boys for hours at a time. No rest for the wicked so I guess the wicked were all at the Alegria with me that overnight. I especially liked the mix Abel threw on called "Free My Ass" which I think included voice-over from Wanda Sykes. That, the Alegria Song and a couple of old favorites and even the impromptu birthday celebration in the DJ booth were some of the great moments of the weekend. Thanks to Brenda at the VIP area and the rest of the Alegria staff. Keep the party going and I guess I will see you again at Pride.
Now I guess the wicked do have to rest after all.
Peace.

Another week of work has passed. Allergy season has kicked up with both feet and made me a little more sluggish than usual. I have to stay hydrated and take the Sudafed. When I am truly desperate to breathe I take Extreme Congestion Relief Zicam - the stuff truly works, just follow the package directions closely. Of course the weekend cannot arrive fast enough. I was feeling kind of good, well rested, taking multivitamins and very looking forward to a great weekend.

Friday Night, March 5, I got off work, went home, worked out, showered, closet shopped, outfitted, status checked and then left the building. I tried on a new mix CD in the car but it was too mellow for a club night out. Ended up mostly fast forwarding. Anyway I arrived before midnight, checked the coats and was immediately into the mood of the rooms groove. The DJ of the evening was Alex Lauterstein and once again he played music geared more towards the New Yorker rather than the out-of-town visitor. From the beginning of the night until it was time to leave (around 3am) I proceeded to dance and dance again. I chatted it up with my friend Bartender Brett and discovered that he had been unable to logon to my blog. Maybe it was down. Hopefully I have been telling my friends the right address to log onto. The evening even premiered some new dancers at Splash who were a nice change of pace from the same old same (liked the tan lines) but enough of that. I enjoyed the scene, danced until I left and had a great time hanging with my friends. I made my speaker appearance around 2:30 and Alex kindly put on "Big Room Drama" so I could do my dance and leave happy. I did have to fight for speaker space with a drunk guy but these are the hazards of the club. Just gotta live with it.

The next day I found I had probably not gotten as much sleep as I should have. This was of course exacerbated by having my house painted. I thank my Saturday bartender for the 1 extra bottle of water I had in my refrigerator that I was able to procure for myself in the middle of my plastic sheet covered living room and kitchen before I passed out in my own house from the humidity and of course the smell of paint. But that which does not kill you makes the house look better and once that task was over with I was able to complete my recovery and catch a quick nap.

Saturday Night came quickly enough and despite the heat earlier in the day the forecast called for it to turn colder as the night progressed. I made sure I dressed for the inevitable wait on the line outside. Derek kept it moving however despite the onslaught of boys at the door. Even the the dunces who came to party without a wrap to keep them warm didn't die from exposure. I still relished the warmth once I stepped inside and quickly warmed up to the party too. Our DJ for the evening was Tony Moran, of Alegria fame. I was looking forward to hearing him at Roxy because I had not yet heard him spin and since he has done many a circuit party and a few mix CDs I wanted to know what he sounded like. I hit the bar for my signature Stoli Orange and Red Bull and proceeded to get the party shifted. (Thank You Barker for the great drinks). The party mood seemed to build as when I first arrived at 1am it was a laid back groove but Tony reached down and pulled up the beats, and I thoroughly understood the party as it spun its web over every boy in attendance. I was definitely not disappointed and was happy I finally heard his mix of "The Alegria Song". I enjoyed seeing several friends and felt that the party flowed like the truly good nights do. I even was one of the proud and the few that rushed the stage to pick up a Winter Party CD (It was a release party after all) I haven't gottent to hear the CD mixed by Tony yet and it definitely seems like a more Miami vibe than the New York flavored mix he spun for us that night. He certainly had something in the set for everybody and seemed to at moments touch on aspects of all of my favorite Roxy DJs (which is pretty much all of them anyway, since I usually know what to expect from my Roxy night anyway, a good time). I ended up leaving the place at 5:30. Another night made memory. Looking forward to the warmer weather and warmer parties ahead. See you at the dance.