Archive
archive for February, 2010
Bono demanded Perrier at New York club Butter on Tuesday night, causing a waiter to run across the street to buy a bottle, according to a patron at the next table. He also demanded that his salad be chopped.
Kenmare co-owners Paul Sevigny and Nur Khan insist their Little Italy newcomer is not the new Beatrice Inn and is a restaurant. But the vigilant buzzkills at the State Liquor Authority are not convinced, with one rep saying he’s “paying close attention” to the hangout, just as it prepares to open.
The SLA approved Kenmare’s liquor license back in early February, but under the terms that it would operate as a restaurant and close at midnight. Photos of various Fashion Week shindigs (courtesy of PMc) that served as previews for the venue apparently indicated otherwise. Same with a basement lounge, complete with DJ, whose scenester patrons wouldn’t dream of showing up at a spot like it before 2am.
Recalling the unhappy neighbors that helped seal Beatrice’s fate, a man living upstairs from Kenmare called its manager to complain about loud late night music. Not a good sign.
Here’s what SLA Deputy Chief Executive Officer Michael Jones had to say to the Daily News:
“We are paying close attention to them. They are supposed to be operating as a restaurant.”
Local Community Board (CB2) member Jo Hamilton chimed in, and had the gall to complain about Mick Jagger busting a geriatric move in her ‘hood:
“When you read in a blog that Mick Jagger is dancing, it is illegal in that location.”
Luckily, Kenmare does have its culinary credentials in place, with Little Owl alum Joey Campanaro prepping his menu and waiters as the SLA and CB2 get their knickers in a twist.
Hopefully, the chef’s trademark meatball sliders will save Kenmare from sliding into oblivion.
Story by Annalise Cho / Photography by Ellen Jong
Mia Moretti bucks the recent trend of socialite / model DJs, somewhat. She doesn’t have a contract with a fashion house (yet), and she does actually spin vinyl (or at least did). As a matter of fact she learned her DJ chops hanging out with buddy Cut Chemist, king of the vinyl archeologists, dusty-groove specialist ne plus ultra. With that kind of pedigree, it’s not surprising that for her, job one isn’t being a cover girl — it’s moving butts. “Everyone who’s ever said to me they wanted to learn to DJ, I’ve just said ‘Well start listening to music’,” she explains. “It’s about creating the environment. You can be the best most technical DJ in the world, but if you can’t walk into a room and know what everyone wants to hear to have a good time . . . ”
Born in San Francisco, Moretti spent seven years in Los Angeles before relocating to the east coast a little over a year ago. An actress before she was a DJ, she was doing both in LA, leading a pretty comfortable lifestyle. “You work a couple days a week and you’re out every night with friends, and two years go by like that!” She knew she needed to make a change if she was really going to grow. “It was such a comfortable lifestyle,” she recalls. “It was too comfortable, and I wanted to push myself and I’m lazy! So I knew I had to put myself in an environment where I was more challenged.”
But it wasn’t easy, straight off the bat. For one thing, musical styles were different on the east coast. “I had sent out a bunch of mixtapes,” she says. “And a friend told me I should learn how to play hip-hop and play less electro in NYC. It’s funny because all the parties that he promotes are now getting into this electro shit that seems so old to me.” Even so, she still had to fly back to LA once a month or so, just to get the money to carry on being a New Yorker. But after a few months she caught on, and now spins regularly at The Woods in Williamsburg, Home Sweet Home, rock night at The Eldridge, and a whole bunch of chic events around town. So maybe cover girl status and fashion-house affiliation aren’t so far away. That’s the trouble with being off-trend. Life just comes around to your side of things, and before you know it, you’re the coolest kid on the block. Could be Mia Moretti is just about to play that role, right after she plays the next record.
via citylist.com
Ohio boy Mick Boogie has been climbing the ranks in NYC since his move here over a year and a half ago. With beginnings in radio, this DJ with a marketing degree is establishing his brand in the big city, but with collaborations with Talib Kweli and Eminem behind him, it’s no surprise that he has taken to the hottest DJ booths in town with ease.
Niteside caught up with the Mick Boogie after his set at Stylecaster’s NYFW farewell party at GoldBar about his love of vinyl and Brooklyn, and how technology has changed the DJing game.
When you DJ at a spot like GoldBar, or somewhere that may be a little more low-key, what’s your go-to record? It’s interesting because when it’s Fashion Week you can get a little more eclectic with the crowd. You try to be as progressive as you can but a lot of times you have to rely on the same old records. The key to that, I find, is finding that unique remix or twist to make it a little bit different so then even if you have to play for a bunch of young girls that just want to hear what they hear on the regular everyday, you can at least find a way to make that yours rather than it sounding like the radio. I believe in giving the people what they want they want to hear put through your own vision and your own eyes. You’ve gotta play from your heart.
How did you become a DJ? I did radio for years, and then I went to school for marketing but didn’t like the job market, so I just started DJing to pay my bills because it was already my hobby. Then I went back to school and used my DJ money to go to grad school and when I finished grad school I thought I was going to quit DJing and become a grown-up. Then all of a sudden my DJing really began doing really well, and I was traveling and I was like, ‘Maybe this is what I’m supposed to be doing.’
What’s your favorite record to play right now? My favorite new record to play, and one that usually gets the biggest reaction, is Jay-Z “So Ambitious” with Pharrell on the hook. You’ve gotta play, like, all the big Jay-Z records obviously, but that’s the album track that’s really, really dope and it’s still kind of under the radar, unlike “Empire State of Mind.” That outta-here record where you still like it but you cover your ears when you play it.
I played three records tonight that were for me and those were Kenny Burke “Rising to the Top,” which I always like playing in the beginning of my set because it’s a dope mellow record that gets me ready for the night. Also, I played Big Daddy Kane “Set It Off,” which I love for that classic late 80s really fast hip hop. Then I played some Friendly Fires to get some rock in there.
via NBC NiteTalk
