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Mod madness
The original Friday plan was to check out Esthero ‘s guest performance as part of Quadrasonic at the Mod Club Theatre , but even though I’d done the right thing and put myself on the guest list, the bouncer wouldn’t let me into the packed-to-capacity club. Alvaro C of Quadrasonic says the club is generally tight at the door and that he himself had quite the debate with the bouncers the first time he threw an event there. He almost didn’t get in to set up for his own party.
At least they respect their patrons by obeying the capacity laws.
Hot new weekly
We left the Mod Club and made our way to Revival ‘s new Friday night, Hot In The City , where resident Jermaine Brown spins sexy Afro-Latin soulful house, similar to the music he plays at his bi-weekly residency in Boa-Redux ‘s lounge. Unfortunately, the party was moved to the basement this week due to a private event upstairs, and it just didn’t have the same ambience as the main floor. He still managed to get people dancing, but the room was obviously more suited to lounging.
It’s good to see a promoter willing to give the reins over to one DJ for the whole night, and Brown’s marathon all-night sets at Boa have prepared him for the position. A good start to the weekly.
Lust on a Saturday night
Lust Nightclub has just launched a new Saturday party called Arc , branching out from the gay crowd into the more general house scene. The main two levels focus on the harder end of house, while the third floor is more oriented to the deep end. There are lots of little nooks and crannies to chill in, and the balcony overlooking the main floor is fun for people-watching. Spent most of opening night on the third floor dancing to Toronto legends Dino & Terry , but was also impressed by Greg Gow ‘s set down in the main room. The place wasn’t packed, but for a hastily promoted opening night it wasn’t bad.
The real test comes this week, when they bring in their first headliner, Chicago’s Roy Davis Jr . Unfortunately, they’re going up against a plethora of other Halloween parties, so they’ll really have to work it to pack the club.
Demi monde
On the way home from Lust, decided to stop in at Boa-Redux to check out the much-hyped DJ Demi , who’s been lucky enough to get public support from NYC icon Danny Tenaglia , among other big names. Even if you aren’t into the tribal house sound of these Saturday nights, you’d find it hard not to get excited as you walk up the stairs and feel the bass getting louder and louder, the temperature and humidity rising with each step. The earth-shaking thump that greets you when you emerge into the middle of the dance floor immediately puts you in that party state of mind.
It was more packed than I’ve ever seen it, and Demi was “working it like the rent was due tomorrow,” to quote America’s Next Top Model. The UK-based Demi is a bi-monthly resident there, which has allowed him to build a relationship with the crowd over the past year. That connection shows not only in the number of people who attend, but also in their willingness to stay long after sunrise. He’s a tight mixer and knows how to keep a long, late-night DJ set varied and interesting.
