|
As some of you know I've been throwing all sorts of 60's dance parties over the years. Ever since I made my mark at Heartbreak back in the 80s doing this, I got so addicted to this music, and it seems, all generations enjoy dancing to Motown, Soul and Rock. It's kinda infectious. Btw, Heartbreak was a blast to work at. The famous Monday nights were off the hook, and it wasn't unusual to see artists like Cher, Bruce Willis, Micky Rourke, the Brat Pack, the Mets, Yankees, Rangers... (I could go on and on, it was like a celeb fest) hanging w/me in my DJ booth or around it. It was truly as Johnny Thunders would say 'An Endless Party'. So lately, I've decided to do a few test drives to see if it's time to get the party started again, no celebs.. just us common folk having a good time 😂. I've recently started doing these little pop up Shindigs at Ethyl's Alcohol and Food up on 2nd Avenue between 84th and 85th street and they've been a whole lot of fun. 9pm start time till late. Good cocktails, Good eats (awesome bar menu), Good music (but of course) and we even have a Go Go girl as well! Free to get in. So get down uptown, and let me help you shake your booty!  Beautiful wedding w/a beautiful couple last week at the St. Regis Hotel here in Manhattan. It's bee awhile since I've worked there, and it is still as gorgeous as ever. Have a look at the setup we did for the reception.   
I had the time of my life this past weekend DJ-ing the Nuggets anniversary show at the gorgeous City Winery here in NYC. I was jazzed to be invited by my buddy Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group) to DJ this show. Lenny is the producer who curated the Nuggets cult classic collection of songs on vinyl back in the day, and it's now celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Now, that's an album that has stood the test of time (insert applause here)! The team at City Winery were so amazing to work with, from the sound crew, to the wait staff, all organized by Shlomo Lipetz who runs the space. Let me just say, it was a joy to see all the things that had to fall into place, fall into place sans any drama. It's a beautiful thing. Also, the sunsets on the Hudson River just outside the club are not shabby!!! Win Win! I did a two hour set of 60s music to open the show both nights that featured an all-star cast of eclectic artists, as well as a half hour closing set after the live performances (which were all off the hook). Lenny closed both nights with everyone onstage singing the classic rock anthem 'GLORIA'. I opened my closing set on both nights with a Velvet Underground song, Friday - 'Rock and Roll' and Saturday - 'Sweet Jane'. I couldn't think of anything more perfect to follow an anthem like 'Gloria', and of course, we all do love Lou Reed. It's been a long time since I've been able to dig deep into the crates to pull out so many gems to spin from that era, to a crowd that spanned more than 6+ decades in age. I've always said that great music has no boundaries, and this past weekend proved my point. Everyone all grooved, danced and sang along together. As one. There was a lot of joy in the house, and that's what it's all about. Unity through music. Speaking of unity, it made me so happy (and a bit teary eyed) to also see everyone come together to support my friend, our dear friend, Jesse Malin who recently suffered a rare spinal stroke. Lenny Kaye gave a wonderful shout-out to a roar of applause for Malin (who was also supposed to be in this show). City Winery made a custom wine blend wine for him with a stunning photo on the bottle by Danny Clinch. The proceeds are going to help Jesse during this rough time as he's trying to heal. The wine sold out at the show but you can go to their website to order a bottle online. You can also go to to the Jesse Malin fund via Sweet Relief to donate. We all call Jesse the Mayor of the LES, touring musician, songwriter, club owner, the guy who is always there to help those in need in our community. I've seen him put together so many benefits over the years to raise money to help friends when they found themselves in trying times. He shows up. So it's our turn to show up and help, and if you can, please do consider donating. Also, that wine is a pretty darn good Cabernet!!! All the guest artists all did brilliant covers from the Nuggets collection, with a KILLER band holding down the fort featuring Lenny Kaye, Tony Shanahan, Jack Petruzelli, Glen Burtnik, James Mastro, and Dennis Diken (and all the band members did a feature song or 2 as well). Patti Smith kicked off the two hour celebration (so good), followed by (not in any order here) artists Tom Clark, Joe McGinty, Vicki Peterson (The Bangles) w/ John Cowsill, James Mastro (Ian Hunter Rant Band) and Peter Buck (REM), Tammy Faye Starlite, Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate), Joan Wasser (Joan as Policewoman), Mary Lee Kortes and Eric Ambel, Richard Lloyd (Television), Edward Rogers, Link Cromwell (aka Lenny Kaye), Juliana Hatfield, Marshall Crenshaw, Ivan Julian, & Bob Mould. So that was my spectacular Friday and Saturday night, not only DJ-ing, but getting to watch all these wonderful performances too. I slept till 2pm on Sunday, and it was a glorious sleep! I sometimes have to pinch myself when life gets a little rough round the edges, and remind myself how lucky I am to make a living being creative with all the things I do. I never take my blessings for granted. I will say this ... after seeing all the enthusiasm this past weekend for this brilliant music, I am now more excited than ever to get my 60's dance party/hang (SHINDIG) off the ground. Tune in for more info on that later next week, I'll tellya all about it!!! I'm on a roll ... Rock'n'Roll baby! Here's a few snaps from this past weekend. Photos of me by Jini Sachse.  Awesome crowd to spin for in a great sounding room (City Winery NYC)
 View from back stage, Patti Smith opening up the show  Jesse Malin wine, proceeds going to his get well fundraiser  Grand Finale' (me in the back there taking my own photo!!!), photo from Brooklyn Vegan feature by Al Pereira 
I've been invited by Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group) to open up this anniversary show at the fabulous City Winery here in NYC. Lenny was the producer/curator for this Nuggets series back in the day and they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of this record compilation. It's rare I get to do a fun spot like this, with such an awesome cast of eclectic artists (Patti Smith, Peter Buck (REM), Vicki Peterson (The Bangles) Marshall Crenshaw, Juliana Hatfield and many more). I will be taking over the stage and spinning cool 60s grooves from 6-8pm, and a short half hour set after the live performances. There are still a few tixs available at the box office, so come on down and hang with us!!!
Summer is just a heartbeat away, time to pitch a tent and have a FAB event! Get in touch for your wedding, private/corporate event, product launch etc. I will curate an awesome night of music for you! Talk soon, Cheers!  Just a quick note to wish you ALL a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Here's a little snap of my view on New Year's Eve at The Rumpus Room NYC. Packed night, great crowd w/a lot of positive energy in the room. Can't ask for more. I brought in 2023 with Lizzo's 'About Damn Time', seemed like the perfect song at the moment. Onward ... I have a good feeling about this year! Cheers everyone and Happy New Year!!!  Last week I found myself DJing a Studio 54 themed fundraiser Gala in RI at the Audrain Automobile Museum w/Jay Leno. Complete w/a momentary disco mosh pit! Allison Aronne did an amazing job as the event planner for the evening. The decor was gorgeous as well as fun, and the show was seamless. Just perfect. A great time was had by all! Have a lookie at these clips & photos from the evening, it truly was a night to remember!
I did a few super fun guest spots recently at Ethyl's Alcohol & Food on the upper east side NYC and had a blast. Thursday was all vintage throwback 60s, Saturday kickin' 70s-80s classic dance floor gems, and last but not least we hosted a full on drag show. Fun! Can I just say, after all these years, Madonna's Vogue still can trigger an impromptu party on the flip of a dime. Just have a look! Don't forget to get in touch as I'm booking Fall/Winter holiday parties, private events and weddings. 🎧 VOGUE60's snippet After two years of trying to roll with all the stress the pandemic has thrown at us all (clients and vendors), we are finally getting back to having a little fun. It's about time! June came in with a bang for me, back to back club, corporate events & weddings here in NYC and in Pittsburgh. Phew!!! As they say, feast or famine!!! But I gotta say, I met some of the nicest people this past week, and the vibe and energy at each event was off the hook, upbeat, and fun. At the end of the day, it's all about having a little (or lot) of fun! Onward. Here's a few photos from this past week, and do get in touch to have me plan the music for your next event!!! Cheers!  Little cocktail Party for 700 people, thank you Citibank!
 in Pittsburgh at the fabulous Art Room for a dinner party (that somehow turned into a superfun dance party) w/ fab planners Allison Aronne and Erika
Last summer, first wedding after lockdown, in a huge tent on a little mountain in Connecticut. Superfun gorgeous night I got a text from my friend Sherryl the other day saying she saw this Japanese documentary on Al Kooper, and she was in the band at the time singing. In the middle of the movie was a section on NY Nightlife, and they interviewed a few owners of clubs, celebrities, and yours truly in my DJ Booth at the old China Club when it was on Broadway and 75th Street. This was the first time I had seen the video, and actually had no memory of even doing it!!! I've done so many news shows over the years, and have yet to see any of the clips, I guess I had just brushed it off. But, here's me with my curls saying a few words. Memories of me as a baby DJ! Have a look If you'd like to see the whole documentary, you can watch it here:AL KOOPER 'S 50TH BIRTHDAY LIVE 1994 2021 proved to be a challenging year. Just when we thought 2020 would be the peak of all we were going through, 21 came along and showed us we had more challenges yet to deal with. But through it all, I think many of us tried our best to keep our spirits up and get on with life. I'm praying that this last variant moves along quickly, and we can get back to getting together with each other and celebrate life and all the special occasions that need to be celebrated. New Year's Eve was fun for me, and I once again proved to myself that I still have the energy of that Energizer Bunny, because I spun for 9 hours non-stop to a full dance-floor of happy people from all over the world. Rumpus Room was rocking. I decided to remain masked for the night and glad that I did as I made it through the holidays without getting sick. I'm looking forward to this year, taking bookings now for weddings, corporate events, birthday celebrations, & other private events. Please reach out asap to make sure I have the date available to hold for you. Till then, all the best, and Happy New Year to you all. Stay Safe, & Stay Healthy! Here's a couple of shots from New Year's Eve
Let's spend the night together (as the Rolling Stones would say back in the day!!!) I'll be spinning up a storm tonight at Rumpus Room, down on the lower east side, 249 Eldridge St, right off Houston. The theme this year is disco, but I'll be bouncing through the decades with the best of what came out yesterday and yesteryear. Join me. 🥂 For those that can't make it, I wish you the best New Year ever. Cheers to 2022 being a little kinder to us all. Big love to you all 🖤🎧🖤  #FBF, that time I got a call to be a guest on Martha Stewart's radio show on Sirius XM to speak on a special about weddings. Then I got a call to DJ that show live on air (at 5am). Then the producer rang me and said she'd love me to co-host the show! I told her I had never done anything like that before, but she said 'I have total confidence in you'. We hadn't even met yet, but I guess she knew me better than I knew myself at that time. I thought I'd faint from stress just thinking about it, but I pulled myself together and curated a killer playlist for this special show, along with a lot of fun stories and tips to make a wedding special. I knew I'd never wake up to make it to a 5am call so I just did an all nighter and arrived early. Good coffee and adrenaline got me through this gig and it was a fantastic experience. I survived, and I have to say, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Sometimes the things that scare you wind up being the best experiences in life. Here's a few photos below of me (still in my curly girl hair days), with DJ Dean Olsher and superstar designer Preston Bailey  About last night...Sometimes it’s fun to go off menu, and throw on a random cool track to watch the dance floor go wild!!! 💃🏻🕺🏼 The Gipsy Kings version of Volare was just the right song at just the right time, peak hour at Ethyl's on the upper east side NYC. Great crowd, good fun. I love doing these guest DJ spots around town in between my event/wedding work.
 Wildlife Conservation Society Junior Committee Gala dance floor crowd  Biz Bash review of the Wildlife Conservation Society Junior Committee Gala  DJ Dina Regine, spinning the Wildlife Conservation Society Junior Committee Gala Tonight, Oct. 15th I'll be headed uptown for a little 'Go Go Get Down' action, guest DJ-ing at Ethyls Alcohol and Food. It's a lot of fun, all vintage grooves, mostly 70s vibe. GoGo dancers too! Come on up and have a good time 🕺🏼💃🏻  I've never posted about this wedding before, but I happened to come across this news clip the other day totally by accident when looking for something else. It brought back a few memories, & thought I'd share this with you all as a little 'throw back Thursday' Several years back I DJ-ed a wedding for the coolest couple, Sanja Banic and Sean Brosnan. Both are beyond creative, writers, directors/producers, & actors. I fell in love with them both upon our first conversation that lasted way way longer than most introductions. They were both gorgeous people, inside and out, and I was so jazzed they trusted me to be their DJ. Needless to say, their wedding reflected just how creative and beautiful they are in every way. Sean's dad is Pierce Brosnan. Yes, Bond, James Bond! I have to say, when it came time for the father speech, let's just say it was eloquent, and heartfelt. The man knows how to give a speech, and let's face it... he's just way cool. The best man, Sean's best buddy Damion Anderson (son of Jon Anderson, lead singer of Yes) performed his speech with an acoustic guitar, which we set up during cocktail hour, and hid the guitar so it could be a surprise. My jaw literally dropped when I heard how stunning his voice was during soundcheck. He definitely has his father's pipes working in the mix. Total rockstar. All in all, it was a lovely evening in every way, guests, decor, food and good vibes. Oh yeah, and the music was pretty smokin' too if I may say so myself!  When I'm not DJ-ing private events, from time to time, I do a few guest spots round town & it's always a lot of fun. Friday, Sept 24th, I will be headed back uptown to Ethyls Alcohol and Food on 2nd ave and 85th Street for a night of Studio 54 vibed Disco, Rare Grooves, Funk & Soul. It's my first time back there DJ-ing the GoGo Get-Downs since before lockdown, and I'm looking forward to busting a move. It's time. If you're in the area, stop by, say hello, have a drink (or three), enjoy the comfort food menu (it's really good), and get your groove on. Oh, and there's GoGo Dancers on the bar too! It's a really cool vibe there 🕺🏼💃🏻  Some people do Spring Cleaning... I'm flipping the routine to the Fall. I've never realized how much paper I've stored away in folders over the years! Time for a little Feng Shui I say... I found this clip from Paper Magazine, back from the days I was still a curly headed vinyl spinning DJ at Webster Hall NYC. I had a fantastic run there for many years, spinning Psychedelic Thursdays, with an awesome loyal following, who rocked that dance-floor till the wee hours of the morning. Some of my fondest DJ memories were there. It's so funny that I never really paid attention to who was in this little photo collage with me, and even funnier that a few of these fab peeps are good buddies. It's pretty amazing what will reveal itself when you start snooping round the clutter!  |
Welcome!Welcome to my virtual loft party, make yourself at home. I'll put on the kettle, pour a few, and order a pizza. I've many tales to tell, some fun stories, and lots of helpful hints to share to help ignite your imagination when planning a party, grand event or wedding. Stay tuned! Archives
May 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed