From Low-Down Holiday Blues into a New Years Frenzy
by Jonathan
Since last week’s parties turned into some of the strangest and most intense I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve had a mean case of holiday blues, I have no idea what to expect from this no-man’s land bridging Christmas and New Years – from me or from you. But, rest assured, my DJ partners and I will continue to kill from the heart regardless…
Wednesday, Dec 26, Motor City (127 Ludlow, Lower East Side, Manhattan), 10pm, FREE: Tonight’s guest bailed and I’m gonna take this by myself. Though I wake up every day grateful for my charmed life I have and the bountiful love I get from you all, and nothing but the best things continue to happen to me, I’ve lately nonetheless been the reluctant owner of one of the deepest cases of the blues I’ve ever known. Today John Lee Hooker’s been helping me along and I imagine that tonight I’ll go down that pitch-black lonely blues road, but, who knows, after a couple of drinks, I may just be ready to burn the whole place down. Either way, it’ll be gritty and, as always, like the fat man, I’ll be ready, willing, and able to rock’n’roll all night. Don’t fight it, feel it… with me!
Thursday, Dec 27, On! Sixties Discotheque Party, Beauty Bar (231 E. 14th, East Village, Manhattan), 11pm, FREE: New York Night Train’s latest venture is a collaboration between the Soul Proprietor and walking musical encyclopedia and rock machine, the indomitable Ms. Melissa Fanni Tutti – who, last time I checked, also has the blues. But that’s why we need to make the party move more than ever - turning dance music platters centered smack dab in the center of popular music’s greatest and most diverse decade. Making a go at channeling the variety inherent in the playlists of the discotheques and radio of the era, we attempt to cover soul, garage, and freakbeat plus a dash of boogaloo, girl groups, bubblegum, frat r&b, psychedelics, discotheque, boogaloos, tropicalia, yé-yé, latin delights, etc. Get it? ON! C’mON, get ON! Get off at ON!
Friday, December 28, Ants In Yr Pants Dance Party, Savalas (285 Bedford, Williamsburg, Brooklyn), 10pm, FREE: It’s gonna be hard for either me or you to retain our blues when noneother than TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone returns to Ants In Yr Pants! Kyp last time brought an extraordinary, unique, and highly unpredictable mix of everything under the sun and made the party people go crazy all night. This time New York Night Train Soul Proprietor Mr. Jonathan Toubin is trembling with fear that Mssr. Malone will blow him clear out of the booth once more - but that’s exactly why everybody knows that both amigos are gonna step it up a notch for your dancing and listening pleasure. You WILL step hard and heavy all night long….
Saturday, December 29: Club Midway (25 Avenue B, East Village, Manhattan), 10pm, FREE: By this point I have a feelin’ the holiday blues is gonna be fading into pre-New Years excitement. If you’re in Manhattan, you gotta come find me upstairs where I’ll be continuing my time-honored Midway freak show tradition! Expect to bite into the good the bad and the funky with a hard rock center to break your teeth on. I’ll taker responsibility for your hearing loss but not your dental bills.
Sunday, December 30: Sin Sin (85 2nd Ave, New York, 10002), 10pm, FREE: Tonight I do my first gig downstairs at this East Village institution. While you may imagine this bar is a bit highbrow for me and what I do, take note that I was invited to do this by Javad, a New York underground bar legend since the early 1990s – slinging drinks at places like Barmacy, the early Beauty Bar, and many more. A long-time Seattle punk rocker whose older brother is noneother than John Bigley, the singer for the U-Men, Javad likes it raw and told me that he only only wants the grimy rock’n’soul. And so rock’n’soul is exactly what he, and you, will get. Other exciting news is that I will be joined by noneother than one of my favorite DJs in the city, Beauty Bar owner Mike Stewart, as well as Little Steven’s gogo dancer Tara Fitzgerald!….
Monday, December 31: Glasslands Gallery (289 Kent), 8pm, $10: This jam, organized with the help of Dr. Wizard, not only includes live sets by the almighty Stockers, the swampy Puddin’ Tang, the rockin’ Electric Shadows, and the mystical Sorceress, but, after the New Year turns, dancing with DJ sets by Smashed Blocked’s Josh Styles, me, and very special surprise guests. The cover includes a glass of the finest midnight champaign. This is gonna be one of the wildest and most out-of-hand parties of both 2007 and 2008. See ya father time, Baby New Year is here and….
Tuesday January 1: Motor City (127 Ludlow, Lower East Side, Manhattan), 4am - ?, FREE: You read it right, Baby New Year’s gonna be at Motor City, who has a 24 hour New Years license. Immediately after the Glasslands show I’m toting the crates over the bridge. This is gonna be so messed up and amazing. There’s nothing like sitting at a legally opened bar at 7am with folks wandering in and out from the parties. Ludlow is gonna be New Orleans and nobody sleeps ’til Brooklyn. I’m so stoked and will spin you into the New Year until 11 am or until you can’t take it no more – whichever comes first - if only to remind you that the Night Train does not stop and will not be outlasted….
and on January 2, as always on Wednesday, my new work week begins again….
