JONATHAN TOUBIN and NEW YORK NIGHT TRAIN
Mr JT bio - NYNT/Mr JT current & former parties - Mr JT press pics
"Jonathan Toubin is the only person we can call a "professional DJ" without making a jack-off motion with our hand... And his parties are like what Ancient Stonehenge was like if it was, as archeologists theorize, filled with people dressed many times better than you completely losing their shit."
- Mike de Leon, Vice, Nov 1, 2010
New York Night Train conductor/soul proprietor Mr. Jonathan Toubin is the most popular, prolific, and highest-earning rock and soul DJ on the North American nightclub circuit - taking the 45rpm dance party to a whole new level conceptually, culturally, and commercially. Though known for "maximum rock and soul" dance club sets at his weekly Shakin' All Over Under Sideways Down, the instructional Land of 1000 Dances, the elaborately grandious multi-media worldwide "Happenings", the roving outdoor leisure of Summer Soul, the floating Ya Ya Yacht, the gritty bar punk of NY Night Train Wednesdays, the sophisticated hotel lobby Sit-Down Soul, multi-lingual 60s freakbeat/fuzz Polyglot Discotheque, the electric blues get-down Boogie Night, and the James Chance collaboration James Brown Night, his Soul Clap and Dance-Off party has put Mr. T on the map as soul man and left a gigantic footprint on contemporary urban nightlife. Working over 1200 gigs the last five years, Mr. Jonathan Toubin has managed to keep one boot in the counter-culture from which he emerged (punk bars, DIY basements, loft parties, art galleries, music venues, and shady afterhours spots) while crossing over to dance clubs, prestigious festivals, boutique hotels, museums, ivy league colleges, fashion parties, gay events, arena pop/rock shows, and even raves - garnering press in highbrow publications and receiving nominations for nightlife awards from the fancier side of New York culture in the process. Not only a DJ, he's a busy beaver who still produces and promotes his events - down to creating his own flers, maintaining his web site, email list, and social networks, hiring his own staff, doing his own sound, MC-ing his dance contest, and even rolling up his sleeves for such unenviable tasks such as stage managing.
Mr. Jonathan Toubin conceived the Soul Clap and Dance-Off more than three years ago as a monthly outlet to play his soul 45s to a small north Brooklyn underground art/rock social community in the spirit of the mid-1990s indie/punk scene parties. He added a brief dance-contest to the mix to make the event more interesting. As this humble makeshift neighborhood underdog evolved into an institution, Mr. T employed the party's popularity as a weapon against tired hit nights, 80s nights, and other mediocre contemporary dance culture - offering an alternative in the possibility of dancing to exciting music most of us have never heard before. The epic size, frequency, and geographical breadth of the Soul Clap the last few years has been a seed for a new wave of soul dance culture among indie rockers, punks, and hipsters first in Brooklyn, next in Manhattan, and, in the last year, around the world - garnering slews of imitators and developing a new nightlife economy everywhere from Portland, ME to Portland, OR, from Canada to Mexico and even as far away as the Middle East.
A label-owner/veteran musician/published academic/career journalist, Mr Jonathan Toubin began regularly DJing punk/garage/noise rock weekly at the Lower East Side's legendary Motor City Bar in 2006. Within a year, Mr. Toubin was working nightly around New York -mixing in eclectic genres (soul, jazz, psych, international styles, etc.) to his raw energetic aesthetic. Casting mp3s, CDs, and eventually LPs aside to step up to the challenge of spinning exclusively in the biggest and baddest musical medium ever, the 45rpm vinyl record, New York Night Train's conductor increasingly became known as a soul/garage 45 DJ. Focusing on dancers instead of collectors, cutting $1 commoners with $100 rarities with strategic pitching, sequencing, EQ-ing, and transitioning, Mr T distinguished himself from typical mod, garage, northern soul, and funk 45 retro-nights by developing a playfully unique DIY sound that growls meaner, thinks deeper, and runs faster. In the process he also stood far apart from the hit-players and computer jocks around town by playing unique uncommon supreme music on all-original vinyl. Over fiveyears of nightly gigging in a variety of settings has offered NYNT's conductor a huge advantage over his peers in that his labor also served as an infinite laboratory regarding the subtleties of how, without spinning obvious material, to make a variety of cultures and subcultures dance together - uniting even the squarest weekend dance floors under the undeniable power of his live imporvised mixes.
2011 finds worldwide New York Night Train parties growing in quality, diversity, and popularity everywhere. Despite his success, Mr. T refuses to get comfy - continuing his weekly gigs at Home Sweet Home, Motor City, and Ace Hotel and Soul Claps worldwide while embarking upon new series Happenings, debuting his highly acclaimed Land of 1000 Dances spectacle, and, in general, continuing to prove that nightlife doesn't have to be boring the same old boring dance - employing the evolving secret history he's discovering to liven up a comatose present! Get on board!
Mr. Jonathan Toubin/NY Night Train Current Parties:
- Soul Clap and Dance-Off (2007-present) - 3rd Saturday of every month in New York at Glasslands plus on the road dozens and dozens of dates annually. North America's most popular soul party and still growing...
- Land of 1000 Dances(2011 - present) - randomly at prestigious venues like Le Poisson Rouge, South Street Seaport, 92 Y, etc. Many years in the making in terms of research and development, this is a dance party that is also a dance class - where you can learn the dance craze steps of the 1960s while you get down. Dance demonstrators show you the moves and visuals give you the cues while Mr. JT lays down the original recordings for you to pony like bonie maronie, hitch hike across the floor, pass the bug, and kill that roach...
- New York Night Train Happening (2007 - present) andomly in NYC and on the road - visuals by Spencer Bewley, go go dancing by Anna Copa Cabanna, DJ-ing by Jonathan Toubin and guests - plus live bands and performance artists - a more elegant Exploding Plastic Inevitable for our times w/guest performers like HEALTH, King Khan & the BBQ, Quintron and Ms. Pussycat, Chain and the Gang, Calvin Johnson, Gibby Haynes, etc etc etc...
- Shakin' All Over Under Sideways Down! (2008 - present) - Fridays at Home Sweet Home - maximum rock and soul dancing every Friday night! This popular weekly institution features Mr Jonathan Toubin and guest DJs including rock stars like David Johansen, Jon Spencer, etc, and DJ legends like Fine Wine, Howie Pyro, etc. Plus occasional live cameos by the likes of Wreckless Eric, Kid Congo Powers, etc.
- NY Night Train Wednesdays (2006 - present) - Wednesdays at Motor City Bar - NYNT's original party and hangout - a downtown subcultural "Cheers"... Mr JT DJs and you never no who may pop by! Various Black Lips, Shins, Butthole Surfers, Bad Seeds, etc have all turned up to do guest DJ sets and everybody from Jack White to Noel Gallagher to Scarlet Johanson have hung out and even got in the tabloids thanks to secret party guest Lindsey Lohan...
- Sit-Down Soul (2011 - present) - Tuesdays at Ace Hotel lobby - Mr. Jonathan Toubin plays sophisticated soul at this hip boutique hotel hangout
- Summer Soul (2011 - present) - This summer Jonathan Toubin took a break from the Soul Clap in NYC - instead turning his summeriest soul 45s (latin soul, doo woppy soul, etc.) in relaxed outdoor locations like Rippers on Rockaway Beach, Union Pool's patio tequilla bar, and South Street Seaport's Beekman Beer Garden
- Polyglot Discotheque (2009 - present) - randomly at Secret Project Robot, Live With Animals, and Zebulon on the west coast - featuring dancing to trippy international 60s freakbeat, psych, etc w/Toubin and Josh Styles (Smashed! Blocked!), visuals, go go dancers, etc.
- Boogie Night (2010 - present) - randomly at Zebulon - an exclusively electric boogie and blues get-down featuring Mr. Jonathan Toubin and a live band
- James Brown Night (2011 - present) - randomly, James Chance and the J.C.'s play all James Brown covers live and Jonathan Toubin turns dozens of original 45s written, produced, and/or performed by James Brown...
- Rocks Off Cruises presente NY Night Train's Ya Ya Yacht (2010 - present) - monthly soul dancing while circling Manhattan on the Half Moon from May to September
Former Parties:
- 2007 - 2009: Boogaloo Shampoo - Beauty Bar Manhattan/Brooklyn (weekly)
- 2007 - 2009: Animal Train Happening - Glasslands (monthly)
- 2008 - 2010: Thursday Thump - Enid's (weekly - curated but not regularly DJ-ed by Jonathan Toubin)
- 2008: Secret Santo and Declassified - Santos' Party House (weekly)
- 2007 - 2008: Ants in Your Pants Dance Party - Savalas (weekly)
- 2007: Loose Caboose - Club Midway (weekly)
Mr Jonathan Toubin has DJ-ed with: Andy Rourke (The Smiths)
- Beyonda (I've Got a Hole In My Soul) - Billy Miller and Miraim Linna (Norton Records)
- Brian DeGraw (Gang Gang Dance) - Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening, Dub Narcotic, etc)
- Cosmo Baker (The Rub)
- Dale Crover (The Melvins)
- Danny Kroha (The Gories) - David Johansen (New York Dolls, etc)
- Devendra Banhardt - Don Bolles (The Germs, 45 Grave, etc.) - Dusty Sparkles (Danava) - Frankie Rose (Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls, etc.) - Gabriel Roth (Dap-Tone Records, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings)
- Genesis P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV) - Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers)
- House of House (DFA)
- Howie Pyro (Intoxica Radio, Danzig, D-Generation, The Blessed, etc)
- Ian Svenonius (Make-Up, Nation of Ulysses, Chain and the Gang, etc)
- Ivan Sunshine (Hidden Fees) - James Chance (The Contortions), James White and the Blacks)
- James Murphy (LCD Soundsystems)
- Jared Swiley (Black Lips) - Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedy's etc)
- Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Grinderman, etc)
- Jon Spencer (Blues Explosion, Pussy Galore, etc)
- Josh Styles (Smashed! Blocked!)
- Kid Congo Powers (Gun Club, Cramps, etc)
- Kembra Pfahler (Veloptuous Horror of Karen Black) - Kool Herc (father of Hip-Hop music) - Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio)
- Kembra Pfahler (Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black) - Moses Archuleta (Dear Hunter)
- Mr. Fine Wine (WFMU's Downtown Soulville)
- Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
- Paul Ryder (The Happy Mondays)
- Phast Phreddie (Backdoor Man, Subway Soul, etc)
- Pieter Schoolwerth (Wierd Records) - Primo (Oldies Night) - Ryan Schreiber (editor/founder - Pitchfork Media) Sammy Yaffa (New York Dolls, Hanoi Rocks)
- Sean Yseult (White Zombie) - Simeon Coxe (Silver Apples)
- $mall Change
- Steve Krakow (Plastic Crimewave Sound)
- The Shins
- Tim Kerr (Big Boys, Poison 13, Monkeywrench, Jack of Fire, Lord High Fixers, etc.) - Tim Warren (Crypt Records) - Todd-O-Phonic Todd (WFMU, Telstar, Candy, and Satan Records)
New York Night Train throws parties featuring DJ Jonathan Toubin and live acts like: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead (2-piece hardcore lineup)
- April March - A.R.E. Weapons - Andrew WK
- Awesome Color
- Beets - Black Time
- Blank Dogs
- Brimstone Howl - Calvin Johnson
- Chain and the Gang
- Cheap Time
- Crystal Stilts
- Daddy Long Legs - Danny Kroha - Death Set
- Digital Leather
- Drones - Dum Dum Girls
- Excepter
- Frankie Rose - Fresh and Onlys
- Garotas Suecas
- Gogogo Airheart
- Golden Triangle - Grass Widow - Greg Ashley
- HEALTH
- Heavy Trash
- Homosexuals
- Indian Jewelry
- Intelligence - James Chance - Julee Cruise - K-Holes - Kid Congo and the Pink Monkeybirds
- King Khan and the BBQ
- King Khan and the Shrines
- Mark Sultan - Mika Miko
- No Bra - Notekillers - Oh Sees
- Pink Reason - Psychic Ills
- Psychedelic Horseshit - Pterodactyl - Quintron and Ms Pussycat
- Screaming Females - Sky "Sunlight" Saxon - The Slits - So Cow
- Spits
- Stalkers - Strange Boys
- Suckers - Surfer Blood
- Talk Normal - Thalia Zedek - Turbo Fruits - Vietnam - Wreckless Eric
Mr Jonathan Toubin also DJs at shows of bands like: Black Keys - Black Lips - Black Mountain - Bon Iver - Boyd Rice - The Contortions - Davilla 666
- Death From Above 1979 (DFA) - Dinosaur Jr
- Erykah Badu - Faith No More
- F*cked Up - Gang Gang Dance - The Go
- Glass Candy - HEALTH - Interpol - Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Katy Red - King Khan and the BBQ
- King Khan and the Shrines
- LCD Soundsystems
- Les Savy Fav
- MGMT
- MIA - Mission of Burma
- Monotonix
- Nicole Atkins - Odd Future - Off - Ponytailt - Rick Ross - Spank Rock - Ty Segall - Vivian Girls
Mr Jonathan Toubin DJs at festivals/special events like: All Tomorrow's Party's (Monticello, NY) - Bruise Cruise (Miami/The Bahamas) - Chaos in Tejas (Austin) - CMJ (NYC) - Fashion Week (NYC) - First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum (NYC)- Fun Fun Fun (Austin) - Lucha VaVoom (East Coast Dates) - Mardi Gras (New Orleans and Mobile) - NXNW (Toronto) - Ponderosa Stomp (New Orleans) - Pop Montreal - Sled Island (Calgary) - SXSW (Austin) - Vice Scion Garage Rock Festival (Portland, OR) - WFMU Record Fair (NYC)
Mr. Jonathan Toubin Press Pics
Follow New York Night Train on:
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/NY_Night_Train)
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Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-Night-Train/47167209984)
- Email list (MailingList - at - NewYorkNightTrain.com)
To book Mr. Jonathan Toubin, the Soul Clap and Dance-Off, or any other NY Night Train party
contact Michelle Cable at Panache Booking. For Europe conact Buzz at U-Turn Touring.
Download the printable Soul Clap/Mr JT press kit here.
Find Mr Jonathan Toubin's promotional pictures for print and online here.
Listen to Mr. JT's "NY Night Train Soul Clap Classics Volume 1" mix here.
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