Plugging Into Chicago’s Forgotten House Venues
For decades, house music has shaped pop worldwide—but many of the spaces that birthed it here disappeared so quickly they barely left a trace. By Leor Galil @imLeor “It was a time when people didn’t put as much emphasis on the DJs or the performer per se, and really danced and enjoyed themselves.” —DJ and producer [...]
Sarah Dash: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin
Sarah Dash defines the word "legend." As an award-winning vocalist, songwriter, motivational speaker, educator, entrepreneur, and humanitarian, Sarah is a unique force whose voice has touched millions of listeners around the world. From co-founding Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles and making history as a member of Labelle to becoming the very first Music Ambassador [...]
Owner of D.C.’s famed nightclub Tracks dies at 76
Marty Chernoff opened Tracks D.C. in 1984. The club is still regarded by many as the city’s greatest nightclub ever. (Washington Blade file photo by Tyler Grigsby) Martin “Marty” Chernoff, a Denver-based businessman who is credited with employing state-of-the-art technology in video, lighting, and sound systems for the gay nightclubs called Tracks that he opened [...]
From house of worship to house of sin: The history of Chelsea’s Limelight building
The Church of the Holy Communion has had many lives By Priya Krishna The Church of the Holy Communion on the corner of 20th Street and Sixth Avenue is one of the most peculiar structures in New York City. The soaring Gothic Revival building, originally used as an Episcopalian church, has become—despite its very [...]
NYC’s sober bar scene is a ‘hip’ oasis for booze-free fun
Lorelei Bandrovschi, founder of Listen Bar By Hannah Frishberg April 23, 2019 | 6:29pm | Updated Pour one out for the boozy bar scene! Sober nightlife is taking off in New York City, from posh mocktail bars to buzz-free pop-up parties. The objective: to deliver a fun night out without alcohol — which Americans are drinking less of [...]
Octo Octa, Maayan Nidam, Optimo and Ge-ology are among the artists booked at the Gowanus spot.
Public Records A new multi-purpose bar and venue, Public Records, will open at 233 Butler Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn in March. The team is made up of longtime New York DJ and producer Francis Harris, cofounder of the label Scissor & Thread, alongside partners Shane Davis and Erik VanderWal. It will include [...]
The New Technics SL-1200 Mk 7: Too Little, Too Late, And For Too Much
Oh Technics SL-1200, you were the stuff of legends! You were always there. We never thought anything would change. And for decades, it didn’t. But like an adored band breaking up, you left us. We found ourselves in a prolonged state of denial, then shock. Life went on, though. Poor imitations stepped into your [...]
Explore House Music’s Queer Roots With These 15 Fierce Tracks
House music is gay music. The sound emerged from the queer black and latinx club cultures of New York and Chicago in the ’80s. Strangely, these roots of the culture are not very well represented on the global touring club circuit today. There seem to be fewer big name openly queer touring DJs than their straight cis-gendered peers. [...]
Hedonistic Mecca Studio 54
There were few obvious reasons to celebrate in the New York City of the 1970s, an era defined more by grime and crime than glitz or glamour in the crowded hub. Every day seemed to bring new challenges as the city's anxious residents slogged away; the Bronx was burning, violence was escalating, and everyone from cops [...]