Club of the Week (3-28-07)

With sooo many gay clubs in NYC its hard for many people to decide where to go. As a result we tend to stick to the 3 or 4 that are extremely familiar and when we do vernture to new ones its only from a good recommendation from someone we know. The problem with this is that many times when we try a new place and have a bad experience we don't want to return there and can avoid that club for years sometime. Each week check back here to find a new club (sometimes they are old) that i will hopefully either open your eyes to or maybe fix that bad experience you may have had and help you explore suxh diversity that NYC has soooo much of to offer.

This weeks club is Rush, formerly Heaven. Now im sure there are many people out there that have all kinds of stories they can tell about the club, from bad promoters to poor DJ's or bad drinks. No matter how long ago it was its about time to check this place out again. After a major overhaul in promotion, ownership & management this club has finally gotten the face lift it needed.
If you remember the first floor you'll remember how small it felt with the long dj booth along the wall and the stage with bars in front and all those aweful mirrors everywhere. Now as you step into the new entrance of the club you'll find new paint everywhere, a new floor and more space than you ever thought you would find in this club. As the new owners came in the first thing to go was that long dj booth and in their genius they ripped that out and moved it closer to the back wall to open up much more dance space and made a bit of a larger stage so that everything is right there. Their next step was to replace the lighting and sound that needed a boost into this century. Replacing the old turn tables with new digital mp3 players and new subs under the stage has made the sound better than ever. The lights came down next and new strobes, spots & colors went up to give the new floor new life, specially with the addition of a new fog machine that just makes the lights dance across the floor.
Once you've taken in the first floor you might wanna just move upstairs to the second floor which has also been totally renovated. As you walk up the stairs the first thing you will notice is that you dont see your reflection everywhere you turn. I think those were prolly the first things to go and now with that alone the second floor has opened up and you don't feel like you're in a fun house when you're on the dance floor. New seating against the wall also adds to this new dance floor as well as the actual floor which has been put back to the original wood that was there so long ago.
All those renovations together with the newly painted and changed front have made this a new club that everyone should check out. The management has changed a few of the promoters and those left are ready to turn this club back into a hot spot that everyone wants to come to

Rush
579 6th Avenue
between 16th & 17th Streets
Thursdays - Rush Thursdays 18+ (college aged crowd)
Friday - Lesbian Nite
Saturday - 18+ Boiparty.com college party

Wednesday Nights in NYC

Wednesday....not quite the weekend but atleast you've made it through half the week and by now im sure you could use a nice little pick-me-up to get you through whats left! So why not check out a new place with some familiar faces, sit back, releax and enjoy a drink with friends.

Thats exactly what you'll find at Splash as they present Moulin Rouge with the incredible hostess Bianca del Rio. Come early and enjoy a drag competition between a few queens all fighting over $100. You'll see Bianca test and challange the audience (as well at totally berate them) all night. After the drag competition stick around to check out some bigger queens perform for your through-out the night. Splash is located on 17th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues and is 21+

If drags not your thing then you can always check out Michael Formika Jones' freeks and geeks over at Ultra. Press Play, hosted by Acid Betty & The House of Acid, gives you all the off the wall outfits you could ever want all rolled into the loungey atmosphere of Ultra. Ultra is located as 37 West 46th Street (between 6th Avenue & Broadway)

Thursday Night - The NEW Friday????

For some reason over the past year Thursday has become the prize day among promoters as more and more of them compete and vie for the spot as "Best Thursday Party". With sooo many of these parties starting then failing, there are only but a few names and places that you should always remember when your looking for some place to venture out on a Thursday Night.

First place is Splash (17th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues), whose muscle boi dancers and big beefy bartenders get toned down for a night of college aged debauchery with Campus Thursdays taking over. This party, originally started as an 18+ college party under the skillfull promotion of Alan Picus & his team of promoters and hosts, has since gone to 21+ (temporarily) as NYC begins a crack down on clubs making it almost impossible for clubs to allow that younger crowd through its doors. None the less that hasnt stop Alan from making the most of it and still having that line of college bois streching down the block most of the night. Along with the college bois who come to drink and dance, you'll find a cute squad of go-gos inside that not only dance to the music played by some of the up & coming pop/hip-hop DJ's but also take to the showers each night to put on a show thats sure to tantalize both young and old.

If college bois and wet go-go's isnt the place for you, or if your not quite 21 yet, then you dont have to worry cause all you have to do is just wander around the block to Rush (6th Avenue between 16th & 17th). This club, formerly Heaven, is under new management with new owners and they have stepped in and finally made the renovations that this club needed so much, definatley making it a club that you should keep on your list of place to check out, no matter your past experiences. A MAJORLY renovated, larger first floor thats been all decked out with new lights and updated sound gives this club an entirely new and refreshing feel. Rush Thursdays is 18+ with a very college attitude, with most parties in the classic A&F attire giving that more "All American" atmosphere.

If your scene doesnt involve the college "twinks" and your more into the fabulousness and flare then the place for you is Arena. Susanne Bartsch & Kenny Kenny present Kino 41, an all out night of glitz & glamour that we have all come to expect from them, with hosts like Amanda Lepore, Lady Fag, Moondust, Furey, Milan & Dirty Martini. Susanne & Kenny Kenny bring their incredible night of freaks, geeks, trannies and club kids right to the middle of Time Square where this club boast the largest programable L.E.D lighting system, giving them the flexability to accommodate anyone. Arena is located on 41st Street between 6th & Broadway and is sure to be a success.

NYC's infamous night-club re-opens

On Saturday March 31, 2007, Avalon will finally re-open its doors to the gay crowd that loves it soooo much. For this we owe the legendary John Blair, who has put together a team of the hottest and most predominate promoter in NYC and with it some of the best DJ's and hosts that will make this a night noone will soon forget.

While John keeps the main room hopping with his rotating DJ's of names we all know, he's taken the rest and divided it up to two of the best promoters he could find. While Michael Formika Jones brings his stlye and flair to the Chapel and really shows New York how to worship w/DJ Adam & Jonny Noir, Alan Picus gets alittle closer to the scandal in heaven with his angels in the Spiderclub high atop the club, spinning the newest and hottest pop/hip-hop w/DJ Seth Gold, Danny Echi, Vito Fun & Steve Sidewalk.

So the place to be Saturday will definatley be Avalon, 6th Avenue & 20th Street (get there early cause you know there will be a line). Doors open at 11pm, 21+