Club Control

After bursting onto the scene with their successful friday night throwback, paradise lost at boots & saddle, 21st century life move uptown for their next venture, confession.
 
It’s no secret that the ’70s are dead, but an obsession with the era’s liberating and attitude-free scene has long since remained. One such example is the team of self-proclaimed party boys Robert Maril, 29, and Austin Helms, 26, co-founders of 21st Century Life, a nightlife promotional company that looks to bring a new wave of throwback parties to a new generation. Working by day as an opera singer and an admissions counselor, respectively, the pair enjoyed recent success at West Village dive Boots & Saddle with Paradise Lost, and are riding their success up to the Ritz with their newest endeavor, Confession. The boys shared their hedonistic vibe and explained how they plan to let you enjoy shirtless men and mimosas. continue reading »

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS restages the very first Broadway Bares at Splash in celebration of the fundraising juggernaut’s 20th Anniversary.
 
It might be hard to believe but the annual benefit Broadway Bares, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for AIDS charities simply by having chorus boys and gals strip off their clothes for money, all started on the modest stage of Splash in Chelsea. With only seven dancers stripping on a bar, they managed to raise over $8,000. Now, in anticipation of creator Jerry Mitchell and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ sure-to-be-legendary 20th Anniversary Broadway Bares in June, the team looks back on the night that started it all. Mitchell, producing director Michael Graziano and longtime choreographer and cast member Nick Kenkel share with us how it all began and give us a glimpse into Bares’ milestone year. continue reading »

George Lyter’s Pill Awards celebrate the best of the year’s gay video art and the end of add-tv.
 

In the Internet Age, anyone can become an art star. With a camera, some friends and a small budget you can put yourself on the Web for all to see—and judge. That’s why George Lyter, 44, and his cable access show ADD-TV (Attention Deficit TV) are here to curate the massive collection of gay entries. He picks the best ones for the Pill Awards, where everyone from drag queens to pop stars has the chance to be honored. And while this year marks the end of ADD-TV, it only marks a new chapter for the Pill Awards. We chatted with Lyter, a Grammy Award-nominated songwriter, about his show, the awards and the importance of creative outlets for New York’s queers. continue reading »

La Manta Raya’s Amery Moultry and Roberto Buckley return to nightlife with their bigger and badder friday night, testosterone.
 
Many loathe the lack of options in New York’s gay scene, but partners Amery Moultry, 32, and Roberto Buckley, 28, decided to do something about it by starting their own party, La Manta Raya, at the Room Mate Grace Hotel, last year. The pool party proved to be a huge hit, with lines down the block and a sexy urban mix in the water. So the duo decided it was time for an upgrade and Testosterone was born. We chatted with the boys about the new party, its Union Square venue and how they plan to bring the party of Ibiza to the streets of New York. continue reading »

G Lounge’s sunday night party celebrates two years of good-looking good times.
 
Sunday night in New York is the quintessential party night. It’s the day of the week when the Bridge-and-Tunnelers stay home, the white-collared professionals hole up in their apartments and the true party queens hit the street for drinking, dancing and heavy flirtation. So it is no small accomplishment that producers Franco DiLuzio and Mark Lander’s week-ending offering, Küte, has held strong for two long years, braving the recession, layoffs and bad winters to come out the other end smiling brighter than ever—thanks largely to the party’s signature photo booth. We chatted up three of Küte’s hosts, Matty Maggiacomo, Joey Murray and Epiphany as well as the night’s lone DJ, Xavier, to get the inside scoop on the last two years, the party’s big anniversary celebration and the year to come. continue reading »

DJ Ricardo clues us into the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend preview of the new gay dance party, Tight.

Gays want to dance again; at least you’d think that when talking with Ricardo Torres Ortiz, a.k.a. DJ Ricardo, about his new party, Tight, held at the newly opened Chelsea clubland hot spot Amnesia (where Sol use to be). We chatted with Ricardo, who helped start Kurfew events at Tunnel back in 1997 and more recently mixed and produced Out Anthems 1–4, about his exciting new party and why he thinks it’s worth trekking out in the cold for. continue reading »

Superstar DJ Victor Calderone may be straight, but it’s the gays who’ve kept him on top.
 
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Victor Calderone admits that it’s hard to stray from his roots. His special connection to the city and the magic its nightlife embodies has kept him spinning locally for more than 30 years despite constant international draws. Finding refuge in the gay community, Calderone has lit up legendary spaces from the Tunnel to the Roxy, and spun some of the wildest circuit parties from New York to Miami. Now with his Evolve residency at Pacha, Calderone has big plans for igniting flames under the now-dreary club scene including a sure-to-be-infamous New Year’s Eve extravaganza. It looks like this local powerhouse has no plans of stopping anytime soon. We bent Calderone’s finely tuned ear about growing up DJ-ing, why he loves New York and what’s in store for 2010. continue reading »