Rites XXXI: Black Party Review
Posted 29-Mar-2010 to ReviewsRating: 4 out of 5 Bottles of Water
By Kyle Pickett
It’s truly hard to believe that after having lived in NYC for 5 years and having produced events in San Francisco I have never attended The Black Party in New York City; until now!
The Roseland Ballroom is easily 5 times bigger then any other venue we have in San Francisco. Having barely entered the venue, iconic Black Party Producer, Stephen Pevner, greeted us with a wide friendly grin and welcomed us into his creation. With an odd assortment of wooden chairs and lamps stacked haphazardly on the left and on the right, I seriously wondered if we walked into the right place. It felt much like a stuffy art gallery on the Upper West Side and not a club a mere 2 blocks from Studio 54.
As I walked further into the club, I felt the heat and the humidity of thousands of sweaty bodies. The space was packed with frolicking hotness on the massive dance floor. Getting to coat check was effortless in both arrival and departure. But I found myself peeking around each corner waiting to be “shocked and awed.” I admit that given all the crazy elements I’ve heard regarding Black Parties of the past I wandered the venue with a certain amount of trepidation. “Strange sex acts” on stage was the norm and I was mentally bracing my Mennonite self for a visual exorcism. But my fear was for naught and I’m honestly a little disappointed. I really wanted to see something hideously artistic and sexually charged!
My disappointment quickly evaporated into the fog and mist swirling over the dance floor. DJ Paulo was pulling out all the stops compelling me into a dancing frenzy. His ferocious and ambitious melding of virtually every genre of music into seamless house trance had me grinning like a damn fool until sunrise. Add this to Guy Smith’s mastery of the blood red lighting effects of the lasers and “ring of fire” surrounding the cherry red and silver mirrored 10 foot wide disco ball and one could swear that God was there in that room.
Despite the sold out crowd the venue felt roomy and the Black Party was rumored to have fewer attendees than previous years. However, I certainly appreciate a party that has enough room to dance then bob; enough room to get to the bathroom or bar quickly; enough room, enough heat, plenty of sex and sweat to proclaim that Rites XXXI is just my first dip into my newly formed annual tradition. Long Live the Black Party!
Tags: Black, Kyle Pickett, Paulo