Sunday School for Degenerates NYC (8/31/08)

The party that originated at Downtown Miami's Pawn Shop during Winter Music Conference (2005) finally made it's way north. The NYC edition featured three back-to-back parties that spanned 30 hours, 2 boroughs and a few bodies of water. I didn't get totally nutragous and do the whole thing but I did at least manage to hit up all 3 parties.

Part I: OVERBOARD BOAT PARTY on the Paddlewheel Queen with Steve Bug + Adultnapper. Steve Bug and a boat is definitely a lethal combination...especially after dark. He dropped some seriously dirty, booty-grabbing bass lines all night long. Delicious! The gays got me into some trouble (as usual). Damn you, Jim!

Part II: SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR DEGENERATES @ Rebel with Dan Berkson & James What live + Kate Simko live + Mr. C + Martin Landsky + Three + Taimur Agha + Crazy Larry + Francis Harris. I made an appearance on the early side to catch the end of Taimur & Larry's set and all of Dan Berkson @ James What's live set. No 30hrs straight for me... this weekend I need some sleep!

Part III: AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL @ The Yard with Cassy + Joel Mull + Nikola Baytala + Matt Dear + Steve Bug. The party started at 10am but I spent my morning warming up at home with some Guitar Hero. By time I got there at 2pm, Matt Dear was playing some good tunes for the mostly sedentary crew that had partied straight through from the boat and Rebel. Joel Mull came on after Matt and played some hardish techno that got people off their a$$ss and movin and then handed things off to Cassy (a resident at Berlin's Panorama Bar and one of my new favorites!). She definitely lived up to the hype with her impeccable taste in music and an indescribable 'x' factor. Her set was amazing and I REALLY appreciated the way she smiled and made eye contact with the crew of dancing fewls in the front. Steve Bug closed the night out with a set full of smooth and sexy house jams and a smattering of dirty bombs. It was much different than his work on the boat, but equally awesome.

I loved this party for so many reasons but what made it extra enjoyable for me was the fact that I was flying semi-solo (not many of my usual partners in crime were there) so I spent a lot of time meeting new people and connecting with party pilgrims I had met previously in passing. There were a lot of familiar faces from The Old Miami (who recognized the Book of Bad Ideas!) which helped bring that *special* vibe to the party. It was so nice to feel that great energy that only happens when everything - music, crowd, venue, puppets, etc. all come together (and seems to be so elusive in NYC lately).