Wednesday, January 30, 2013

GOOD TIMES: MICHAEL T.'S BIRTHDAY BOOT CHECK

Since January has officially been renamed Michael T. birthday month thanks to his annual month-long celebrations and festivities (and boy do we need. January in New York City is depressing!), it was my pleasure to host yet another Michael T. Birthday Good Times last Wednesday, where New York's number one night creature DJed and did luggage runway in true Michael T. fashion.




An early visit from two of my favorite New York performers, Erickatoure (left) and One-Half Nelson, who promise that this spring and summer is going to be big big big for alter egos, the Ensubtitles.


Apparently Steph Stone (left) can see no evil, while Ericka can hear no evil and Nelson can speak no evil. #AllTAllShade


So good to see our London mate Sean V. (right) and his buddy in the Good Times "photo booth." Apparently Sean is done with his tour de Mexico City and is moving on to bigger and better projects in DUBAI, where homosexuality is still very much illegal but flying to Beirut for the weekend is very much possible.


Birthday boy Michael T. had been out collecting presents for himself earlier in the week, including this hard-bodied hunk who hung in the booth with the T. for a fair amount of the evening.


 My dad can be so silly when pouring drinks behind the bar.


Two of the handsomest men I know, and they both know how to make a tube of hair gel work in their favor too.


It has been too too long since I've seen this posse out and about in full effect. Apparently they only do "birthdays" in the winter time but I'm hoping they get back on that weekly nightlife bandwagon real real soon. And don't believe the lies about Parodi moving the left coast cuz we're not HAVING IT.


Awwwww to Duan!


MICHAEL T., GIVING FLIP-PHONE FLASHLIGHT BOOT SURVEILLANCE FOR YOUR NERVES. 


John may have abandoned his vampire moniker but he will always be a creature of the night to us just like birthday boy Michael T.


Brad confessed to not knowing what do say when he's out and about in nightspots so we helped him unwind and unbutton as best as we could.


HAM to Scot's Slayer hoodie! Just a REALLY IMPORTANT HEADS UP: next Good Times on January 30th will feature an all-star East Village cast, including guest DJs Gant Johnson and Lina who used to chase each other all over Alphabet City from Crow Bar to Salon and Cheetah. AND, we hear a very special Boy Bar guest will be making a rare and surprise guest appearance so do not miss it.


Coat check Marc says peace out! See you next week for the ONLY reunion with Gant & Lina and some special surprise guests. xo, Sparber

Friday, January 25, 2013

PRODUCER OF THE DAY: BANGLADESH


Hip hop fansite That Grape Juice just posted an interview with genius beatmaker Bangladesh, who apparently still uses an MPC 2000 to create beats. So if anyone wants to loan me their MPC 2000, not mad at it.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

MATURI-TEE


GOOD TIMES: STARLIGHTING WITH BILL PFEIFFER

Two months ago, someone approached me in the DJ booth at my weekly Wednesday Good Times party and asked me whether DJ Billy Pfeiffer (former resident at Wonder Bar and Starlight) actually exists or is just some mysterious music-making online persona. Not only does he exist but we got him on the decks last Wednesday and he gave us tracks (and Trax) for days.


Keisha was (SPOILER ALERT!) out on an early evening pub crawl, seemingly winding down the evening around 10pm when we arrive at Good Times. She was also giving butch boy realness in the window I'm now deeming our "photo booth."


Snaxx super DJ Gustavo is an old friend of the guest DJ and hadn't been out on a weeknight in forever, which is why we were glad he danced the night away and agreed to play a Brazilian Carnival-inspired Good Times on February 6th. Ole!


Cesar (right) and Timothy swung by for a drink and told me about an uptown soiree they have in the works for February, to which I replied, "Uptown? Ain't nobody got time for that!"


An HBO original series waiting to happen.


Guest DJ Billy Pfeiffer, hamming it up in the booth right before he began DJing. Might I add that he opened his deep house set with Rihanna's Diamonds? And NO ONE was mad at it, including me.


Jeremy (left) delivered a big full of vinyl back to Billy that he had borrowed. Billy almost left said bag in the DJ booth at the end of the night (no, I wasn't thinking about stealing it. Or was i?) but came back for them by the end.


 DJ BEARS, UNITE!


Denise (left, with Fritz) actually forgot to request Die Another Day last week. That's how effing good the music was.


Crazy face poses by me and my Trani. Trani has been heading up the birthday committee for inimitable nightlife legend Michael T. for 20something years now so count on seeing her next Wednesday when we celebrate the life and the love that we share for guest DJ Michael T.


The prettiest angels on earth.


Jazzy introduced herself on Wednesday and then popped up again on Friday to thank me for the music while everyone was dancing their asses off at Jizz out at Metropolitan Bar. Looking forward to our next run-in.


Photographer Jeff Eason, doing his best Gene Simmons.


The look goes as follows.


It's all about a neck protection scarf in the back of a baseball cap. I love.


When I go through all these photos, I pretend that the more dressed up fellows (aka men who wear newsies caps) all speak with English accents. I also associate drinking on dark and cold nights with the entire country of England.


Matt (left) and an older, Nebraska version of himself.


A late night photo booth visit from the now mobile phoneless Alon. Not having a mobile phone is actually turning into a thing in 2013! You can all thank Steph Stone for that.


THE GORGEOUSNESS.


Our DJ Daddy Johnny Dynell actually work up from a nap and came to hang from 3am till close, sharing real estate stories about how he and Chi Chi could have bought a 2-bedroom in their building for a mere $10K more than what they paid! (although this was the early 80s and the were broke and they still managed to buy a 1-bedroom in Union Sq. for cheap.)


This chick ACTUALLY STARTED CRYING at 355am because I wouldn't play Lady Gaga. Sorry! Michael T. won't be playing Gaga next week either at our Good Times Birthday Hurrah for him. See you there! xo, Sparber


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

JIZZ! THIS FRIDAY.



GOOD TIMES: ELECTROCLASH THROWBACK

Electroclash lives! Though I had to dig deep to uncover all my Mirwais and Miss Kittin hits from the Luxx and Berliniamsburg era, me and guest DJ Kevin Graves pulled it together to do an electroclash throwback at last Wednesday's Good Times at Eastern Bloc. The party started at 10pm and the Mount Sims singalongs started shortly thereafter.


Founding members of the gay Long Island DJ crew. We're taking to the decks next month for Anthony's birthday throwdown at The Rusty Knot on February 17th and I'm already planning my crunked up pussy twerkin' set.


It was a lucky coincidence that our electroclash Good Times happened on the same night that our good friend Adrian (right) was in town from London for just a few small drinks, since he actually knew every word to every song we played. When are electroclash nights going to be come the new 80s night?


Adam wasn't nominated for a Golden Globe at this year's ceremony but we're pretty sure he'll be in Hollywood's gay Jew mafia soon enough.


DJ Kevin Graves was a bit exasperated, as his apartment building had been SET ON FIRE earlier in the day, yet since he had stayed at his boyfriend's place the night before, he insisted on playing a set and impressing us all, which he most certainly did.


No matter how crowded or uncrowded we get on Wednesdays, the pole position always seems to be the number three hangout spot (after the bathroom line and the bathroom, respectively).


I didn't realize that electroclash night would translate to 30 and over night, yet I'm glad these lovely ladies derive the same joy as me from hearing Felix the Housecat's remixes of Dot Allison and Ladytron.


Giving good times a big thumbs up! Oh, and a note to the cute photographer on the left or anyone that wants to come out and snap a few photos for us on Wednesday (or even volunteer to snap some photos while I'm DJing or schmoozing): DRINKS ON ME!


Marcellus, carrying as usual.


And then this happened.


Me and my friend in the tighty whities had previous hung out at Mobel Olfe in Berlin this past summer, where they unfortunately do NOT have a pole for spontaneous shows, though I'm sure that their bathroom is equally as popular as ours.


The Good Times family, with daddy Darren (right) and brother Rob. I'm am voting for an Eastern Bloc family portrait in the very near future.


BREAKING NEWS: Mikey Fuentes (left) and I have released our debut mixtape as a production duo, DONKEY, and you can download it at mixcloud.com/donkeynyc. You won't regret it.


Rob was in a real huggy mood that night.


Marc was in a real lonely mood that night because apparently no one checked their coats. Next time we do an electroclash night, we are going to have to coax Marc's alter ego, DJ Tekshur, out of retirement.


DONKEY HEARTS XANDER!


It's been a minute seen we've seen Ernie (left, with Matty) so we were excited to hear that he has a new party up his sleeve with the one and only Roze Black, who we live and die and come back to life for.


Scat pigs unite! See you next Wednesday when super special DJ guest Bill Pfieffer who used to be the Friday Wonderbar resident before moving over to Saturdays at Starlight will be joining us for some deep house and more. xo, Sparber