Tuesday Night Paties: REVISED

So, basically Tuesday 'hotspots' change like... well they change very frequently!

A new column I've started

It's called W2W2, as in; What to Wear to... a particular New York City bar or party.

It was inspiration drawn from friends always asking me what they should wear to a particular place (which is usually absolutely anything in the city), but out of towners are especially squeamish.

This particular installment is for the Six Six Sick party on Tuesday nights at Happy Ending in the LES.

Things I love Well

A stream of inspiration

old school party crashing tips

who is the IS? I dont know, but I'd like to. Here's her very first post.

Thursday, April 28th, 2005

How to Crash a Party:

1. Know where you’re going, and dress the part. Don’t wear jeans to a Bergdorf thing. Don’t wear a dress to Hiro. If you’re pretty, overdress to get noticed. If you’re not, underdress to look wealthier. Always carry a small status bag. Always carry a small flask.

2. Learn the names of the hosts; drop them at the door. Sometimes just saying, “Fabian told me to stop by” or “Aimee told me to come - go grab her if there’s a problem” is more than enough, especially if you say it very calmly, as if of course you’ll get in.

3. Pretend you’re Press. Bring an official looking camera (ie: not a dinky digital one) and say you work somewhere with great party pics - BlackBook, Vice, New York, Nylon - apologize if you sent them an email too late. You can also pretend to be with Patrick McMullan or Last Night’s Party, but that’s not as fun as pretending you’re a Nylon photographer, and you probably won’t get laid if anyone hears you.

4. Or pretend you’re The Help. Go through the back door, say you’re late for coat check, say you’re doing George’s makeup, say you’re dropping off a little bag for Lindsay. This is also useful for sneaking backstage, especially at small rock clubs, or clubs like Marquee when they pretend to be small rock clubs and hide Kelly Osbourne backstage so she can drink wine without anyone seeing her. Perhaps this is too much information.

5. If all else fails, throw a fit. This doesn’t always work, but it’s really fun and a good way to get noticed. It’s best to do drunk, hence the flask part of Rule #1. And it actually works - I remember last month, at the Bloc Party thing at Pianos, this random publicist marched up to the door, said, “What do you mean I’m not on the list? Don’t you know who I am? Tell Carlos I’m here, for fuck’s sake!” They let her right in. Meanwhile, The Killers couldn’t make it past the coked out bouncer.

6. Make friends. I was somehow seated at the Roger Vivier dinner because I started talking to Jane Lauder at Saks and wouldn’t stop. She still has no idea who I am, but the poor publicists at Emilia Fanjul think I’m like her BFF. And the steak was lovely, though I would have chosen a bolder wine.

7. Be me. I’m the imaginary socialite, and I was born to crash. In fact, I hear an expired bottle of Valium calling my name right now…

air kisses!

love The I.S.

in vesting

cant wait to go home next weekend to find my old awesome vest and wear it into fall...

If You Like Giving Blow Jobs, Perhaps You'll Like This Seven Incher

When I think of Burger King, memories of my childhood come rushing back. Every Sunday afternoon we would have a lunch date with Dad, my sister and I climbing into the car as Mom waved good-bye and made Dad promise to take us somewhere healthy. Dad would agree, winking at us as we pulled into the fast-food utopia, and all the Club Kids, plastic wrapped crap toys, and condiments a kid could want. What a wholesome, Whopper of a good time! Now when I think of Burger King, blow jobs have replaced this innocent memory, thanks to this ad running in Singapore, hailing the arrival of the new BK Super Seven Incher. I don't know why the minds behind the meat thought that burgers were best as phallic symbols, this advertisement shouldn't only confirm masculinity and all things manly- women like meat too! Even though this ad is obviously directed at men, I am quite certain that there are many women out there that could not only down the full seven inches, but would be happy to do so! And before I continue on with this ridiculous innuendo, here are a few more risque ads that make me feel bad about my childhood.

Fourgy on Houston and Lafayette

Read about Calvin's orgy billboard...

Artseen

Not too much of a SCENE but Art was Seen... Get it??

Those art worlders in-the-know, whomever they may be, have been touting a new frontier. These economic times have paved the way for regenerating new interest, and new artists ... the big-time artists’ chips are down, and the once-stuffy galas and galleries are forgoing their usual $900 plates and frivolous to-do’s in favor of cocktails and casual bids. The end result is at once despairing and opportunistic; as new players enter, many important and recognized artists are rendered anonymous by a fledgling crowd. Take last night’s ARTSEEN, an auction held at the Friedrich Petzel Gallery to benefit NYFA, featuring “affordable art” at bidding prices starting under $400, posh sips by Bubble Lounge and a mix of predominantly young bidders, many of whom were unable to identify iconic artist Andres Serrano even though they were really stoked about the Real Housewives of New York City, namely Alex McCord and Simon Van Kempen.

Read more!!

PS, my outfit looked MUCH better before I saw it in photos...



xxHG

It's been too long

So let's get caught up with the late night happenings..

Starting with last night's Supper Club Event!

Charmed. That was the overall feeling that lingered after exiting Tamsin Lonsdale’s Supper Club opening party for the Hudson Sky Terrace last night. To be frank, I was not expecting it to pan out this way. Upon arriving (on time, which apparently is not the thing to do at Supper Club events), I was greeted by ethereal servers dressed in cultish white with freakish Eyes Wide Shut smiles—unnerving for a girl who had never been to a Supper Club event, who was brazenly going solo, and who had arrived to a near-empty terrace on the 15th floor of the Hudson Hotel.

Read More...

xxHG

The Interventionist- Nicole Fiscella

It’s the time of year in which you-know-who is making his list and checking it twice. Despite playing Isabel, the conniving and calamitous sidekick to the naughty Blair Waldorf on CW’s Gossip Girl, Nicole Fiscella is quite nice. It's part two in our 'Interventionist' series.

She walks into the Eldridge, a portrait of composure in real time. Her hair is loose and natural, complementing her classic oxford shirt and jeans, you would be shocked to find Fiscella was at one time a raver-girl. Although she plays a minion of the devilish Gossip Girl Queen B and co. Nicole is no follower--until it comes to fashion; usually discounting her own sense of style for the safety of a seasoned stylist. “If someone else thinks its ok, I’ll take it,” she says as we paint her eyes a pale shade of turquoise. Despite her penchant for ‘skinny bitches’ and sexy lingerie, Nicole is naturally quite tame, a classic beauty who cozies up to conventional basics, and clean lines. It was only fitting then, that we brought out her diva side with a sleek silhouette and bold baubles. As she postures on the Eldridge’s sleek banquette, Nicole is clearly no prep-school side kick terrorist, in this backless black Catherine Malandrino dress and knowing gaze, her star quality is blindingly bright.

reality bites

i want people to stop plugging in only to recharge. i want reality.

It's been a long time/the full circle year

i shouldnt have left you without a dope beat to step to. sorry, my friend Nicholas just threw an Aaliyah party the other night and Timbaland was an important part of it.

really though, it's been a while since i've been able to blog without caring. quote rap songs and be my weird self. sort of stripped away reckless abandon where i'm not worried about people actually reading my words. isnt that why i'm here? why i've decided to broadcast verbiage to whomever stumbles upon my weblog. i obviously want to share some parts of myself with the public for cathartic reasons, and yes, a feeling of connectedness. exhibitionism , perhaps? things just get weird when you realize you work for a company made of words (which i think is a lovely image so let me dewll on that for a moment) and then your voice becomes a character's voice- a narrative construct- for a prominent magazine (re: company made of words). as i've learned, the push and pull of the battle between one's public and personal life is a weighty one.

blogging can be funny because it's public journaling. And who could possibly be interested in another person's journal? My obsession with Anais Nin's and my sister's old obsession with mine should answer that. There's something alarmingly satisfying about reading about someone else's life. I wrote an essay on the whole psychology behind blogging your life, but participating in it is much bigger. it's settling to read about another person's struggles. entertaining to know that someone else in the world thinks that funny youtube animal videos and old people style are so good they deserve a post. but i dont do that any more. and i should. because as much as work/grammar/being taken seriously is a part of me, all of these little random forms of wonderment are too. libations. school supplies. blank journals. my black and white cartoon collection. the real parts of me that shouldnt thrive behind a curtain.



on that note, i'm inspired to share something that i've been thinking about a lot today. this day last year i was in a hospital, and i nearly died. i was septic and delirious and i wrote a short hand will and everything. weird i know, and maybe a little bit heavy. i can hardly believe how much life has changed since then. i cant believe how much more i appreciate the simple things in life, and how ridiculous i feel when i let little, trivial things get to me. everyone has something inside themselves to share with the world, and i am so lucky i still get to share.

Apocalypse Wow: The Presets Stun Brooklyn & the Bowery

By

Cayte Grieve

June 26, 2008

“People go crazy at our shows,” contends Julian Hamilton, one half of the Australian electronic-dance duo the Presets. He's reflective and a bit under the weather, but still quite urbane. Kim Moyes sits to his right, engaged and candid. “Frankly,” Kim says, “We’re surprised if people aren’t moving around quite a bit.” We certainly need the Presets. A person can step to any dance floor and experience playlist déjà vu -- the same six tracks leaking from some nano i-something or other. Some mourn the death of dancing, but those people have never been to a Presets show. Both the Music Hall of Williamsburg and the Bowery Ballroom were recently transformed into a sold-out sea of fist-pumping, the music off of the Presets' most recent album Apocalypso inspiring dance moves from the most complacent hipsters. After the jump, we talk travel and touring tales.

Tell me about the new album, Apocalypso. The name is fantastic.
We were in the studio, and kind of halfway through the finishing stage of the album, you realize you know you don’t have a name, and then you freak out. We were sort of just trying on different things. We got to “Apocalypse Wow,” but it was too much like a Broadway musical, and then “Apocalypso” and then stayed with that for awhile and it stuck.

It was released in your homeland, Australia; how was it received?
Number one. Held at number one, which was crazy. It went gold. Number one on the rocket, man, in a week and a half and then held in the top 10. But you have to remember, gold in Australia is actually only selling like a 100 records.

Congratulations. You both have traveled extensively thanks to the success of your first album, and have played all the big club and music venues. Do you notice a big difference between Australia, Europe, and the U.S.?
Everything is like a mainstream culture thing now. And you don’t really hear so much underground, and sort of like maybe the nature of the underground. Maybe we’re still a little underdeveloped. So it’s how big we are or how big the culture is around underground or whatever it is.

What can one expect from a Preset show in the States?
They’re small.

Well, not tonight. Both New York shows have sold out.
Yeah, which is really cool. We put a lot into our shows, and the outcome is usually a big party. People go crazy, jump around like rabbits and sing along. It’s just like Australia, except not as good looking. Though sometimes in Australia you get people like punching walls, and they’re terrifying.

Now perhaps that is true of New York, but what about playing some small town in the middle of nowhere?
Yeah, I mean, we’re understanding and stuff. There’s an American dream about when we played in Salt Lake City we’d never been there before, and there were 100 people there in this shitty little bar. It was amazing fun, and they were so appreciative and interested.

You’ve been touring for nearly two years, is that right?
Probably more. Yeah, almost for three. After we finished the record, we were on the road the whole time.

And you love the touring?
Yeah, up until we got this RV we only had a van, and it’s not pleasant when you’re driving across countries in a van, and you’re only stopping to find a place to eat and get a hotel room for only a couple of hours a night, and you’re always tired, and you’ve been on tour for like 6 months or something. After 22-and-a-half hours of the day, it’s just really shit, unless we’re in New York or some really cool place where we can go do cool things.

How have the Presets grown since the first album?
I mean, yeah, professionally I guess we’ve developed a lot, but that album came out probably about two years ago, and it was created for about a year and a half. We finished it, and it came out in Australia, and then by the time it came out here it was really old for us. So, really it’s been about four years, and during that dead time, we did do different things. I did a lot of work with different bands, and he did a lot of work with different bands, whether it was songwriting, remixing and stuff. So, I guess all that stuff made this next record a bit more mature and more dynamic. And particularly in Australia, we really got experience with bigger crowds and festivals and stuff like that. We really got to define what we do and get some sense of what we were about. And what makes people dance. When you do all these shows and touring, and we have shows where people are really jumping around, it does give you the confidence to then make the music you really want to make. So, I guess we really used that time to get the to make the second record, to be honest with you. And that confidence to really make music sort of came from us.

You both have traveled extensively. What’s one top destination place that you’re always really excited to go to?
New York, probably. New York is one of the most enjoyable places to go see.

Where do you guys go when you’re out here?
We do very normal things, go walking and go and buy a cup of coffee and go shopping and all that kinds of tourist stuff. We need that since we’re essentially living in clubs and on stages. That’s where feeling like a better person comes from. I guess, when we come to the States usually it’s on the end of the entire leg of the tour, so it’s a really refreshing thing to get to place where you can eat great food and there’s so much to do and it’s a different feeling. New York makes you feel like a better person I think.

A better person?
I think so. There’s a really like a special energy. Even like the normal people, they just look different. There’s just so much going on. And even if you’re only here for awhile you just go, wow, that’s just one crazy gold outfit, or even it’s like an old couple walking that just look amazing. We have good conversation. Other then that, I love Copenhagen, or I really love Botswana. But, yeah, there’s always something to do or to see in New York. We do a lot of shopping. We usually don’t have enough time, but whenever you’re in Paris or New York, you definitely can’t resist the shopping.

What are some songs that you have to absolutely have on your road trip playlist?
We don’t really share music on the road ... well we don’t have a stereo where we both listen to the same music. So, often we don’t listen to the same kind of music at the same time. We get on the bus at two or three in the morning, a bit wound up, and watch movies and then wake up, and you’ve got a couple more hours until we’re in our destination. We’re really just getting on Youtube to see if anyone has uploaded videos of the show, and we look at the fan forums and listen to more people and learn to take it all in.

What’s your favorite song to perform live? Or something on the new album?
“My People.” We’re doing this song called “Aeons” on the new record, and it’s the first time we’re playing a song with mostly beats. And it’s just like, cosmic.

What has been a milestone show you’ve played? Do you have just one really great standout memory?
We’ve had a lot of great shows. Like crazy light/laser shows. Like in one show, they made this crazy laser grid that came out of from stage from behind us and bounced across the stage like you’re in sort of security bank room. Then we were playing a festival in Germany in this really industrial area. Old relics and all kinds of ... and it was so German, and the dance party, and big mining machines. It’s great ... we get a taste of everything in the world, and then come back home. Splendour in the Grass is a really great festival that in Australia. We’ve done a couple of tours where we’ve come back for the biggest shows in our homeland.

David Foote, Artist (in) Res-i-dence

By

Cayte Grieve

October 15, 2008

David Foote seems to be the character representation of his art. The surface: trendy, bright, and easygoing, with a devil-may-care posture that you could hang above your couch or share a shot of tequila with in some obscure downtown haunt. Scratch a bit at that surface and you’ll find and interesting juxtaposition, a slight exploration of darkness with a solicitous interior and spectacular call for detail. His work “The New Girls” is simple in its conception of graphic female faces. But darkness is in the details: the macabre looks, vacant eyes, and tiny slugs scrawled in the hair of his intrepid beauties.

David wears a deep V-neck shirt, scarf, and a mop of shiny hair, confirming why The Daily Mini named him one of the 50 most stylish people in the world. He greets me smiling, but something isn’t right. He’s trying to cover up his concern regarding his show, “(in) Res-i-dence,” a month long exhibit at 20 Pine. With Tim Goossens of P.S.1 Center for Contemporary Art curating the show and Whitewall, Porsche Design’s‘ “The Essence,” and Kwiat Diamonds hosting the opening, he seems as though he should be able to relax, but Foote isn’t used to handing over such power to others. His applied approach to every aspect of his work is refreshing; his small empire is growing to include Jaboneria Marianella, a luxury soap line; Fluorescent Films; and his acclaimed illustrations and artwork. It seems as though David Foote was born under a lucky star, but a closer look suggests his talent expands to include hard work, a hands-on methodology, and an eye for marketing.

So what’s the problem today? The lighting?
This show is like a luxury living concept. It’s my paintings on the wall, so I want it to be portrayed in a sort of intimate light. You see it on a certain wall in a residence, kind of like how it would look in your house. It gives you an experience. I want it to also feel as though you’re at a house party. It’s intimate, it’s not dark, it gives you a much more personal experience.

This is your second show?
This is my second. The first show I had, I sold 70% of everything.

So your very first show you sold 70%?
70% sold, and I got a lot of press and a lot of schedules.

How do you feel about that?
To be honest I was really scared because I had never really shown my work like that before. And when you do something like that you are kind of protective of, it is very nerve-racking. I put my all into whatever I do. Before the show we were drilling and setting up the show ourselves. An hour before the show, we were literally covered in dust, just drilling into the ceiling, disgusting. Then I literally ran into the bathroom, cleaned up put on a suit, and walked out and started greeting people. I was terrified. I’ve been in New York for 10 years, you know how people are, especially at art openings.

How are people?
I don’t want to say, just judgmental or something.

Do you think that may be a generality? Is that maybe an artist’s insecurity speaking?
No. I’m speaking when you are at an art show, when you have all kinds of people there for many different reasons, many different alibis. My fear is that when you’re there, as an artist, you can feel very vulnerable that night because you set yourself up for everybody to be judging your work. I was scared, but then I got up and started walking around and people are discussing the work. And it was the craziest experience. There were just so many people, and I was just bouncing back and forth and listening to people to hear what they were saying.

You’ve been in New York for 10 years, but you are from Venezuela. Did you study here?
Yeah, I went to art school.

Is that what pushed you to move here?
It’s so funny, when I was like two years old, I told my mom that when I’m big I’m going to live in New York, I’m gonna make movies and drive a BMW. But the only thing that didn’t come true is the driving because I don’t know how to drive. I refuse to drive; I always feel like I’m not a good driver, and the times I have it’s been really bad.

So everything has gone to plan, other than getting into car accidents.
Yes. My life has gone according to plan; basically I’ve always known what I wanted to do. When I was a year old, I climbed on a ladder in my house and I drew a Mickey Mouse. I have a photo of that Mickey that is the cover of my portfolio. When I got to NYU and after I finished school I really wanted to do film. I did music videos and commercials. At this one event I was working with these friends of mine; it was an event for the New York Observer and they were like, can you draw something on these big reams made of newspaper. I started drawing these girls. I didn’t think much of it. I come back and they are freaking out, people telling me “Oh, I’m bidding on your work.” And they were selling for $4,000.

So prior to that, you weren’t really thinking about doing a show of any sort.
Well, I had been doing these sketches, and it was kind of organic. I was thinking about ways to transfer these onto the page. So I started using different, metaphoric images transferred to a big canvas. I love painting, but when I finished the series I closed that chapter. I’m not that kind of artist that can do the same thing, the same kind of work. After the show, I started working with Johan Lindeberg, and I did special features with what became the New Girls, out of that he was working on.

Do you have a feel for an eye for marketing as well, and perhaps that has a lot to do with why your work is so marketable?
The thing I love most about New York and kind of developing within New York is that you’re surrounded by people are doing so many different things. You’re not surrounded by people who are talking like you, doing the same things as you are. So, I chose to learn as many things as I possibly could, so now I know how to do PR if I had to, with a large network of many different people in different fields. I know how to market myself. For example, the soap line—when it started, I had to completely forget about myself as a person, become completely humble, and I had to go get the package and pitch it to a soap company.

Is what you’re doing natural to you?
That’s the way I operate. I’m just trying to take it to the next level. Last year I worked nonstop for one year, and I stopped working in January. And I had managed to save all my money, and this is the year when I know I can do my own thing. When you do something, you have to dedicate yourself to it. Basically my day is I have to wake up at 7a.m. and deal with the soap company, and then I have to paint for like 10 hours.

How do you have so much structure but also allow yourself to be creative?
You just have to find a place. I find for example music is a great place to start. I immediately hear the music, and I get back into that place. It just mentally brings you back there. I deal with a lot of stressful things, and doing this is really cathartic.

How is painting different than film for you?
Painting is something you do for yourself, by yourself. When you’re making a film with several people, you are trusting all these people to get one thing done. So it’s a very different process than sitting there by myself. When I look at my painting, every line is made for a reason. The thing that I love the most is I’m receiving recognition now for what I did all my life. I always thought my first big break would come from my film.

Is recognition important to you?
Not really. I just I truck along. I’m a go-getter. The way I was raised is do what you love. You have to keep a positive mind, and you have to do all you can. As long as I know I did my best, I’m fine at the end of the day.

If you weren’t involved with these projects, what would you do?
I have no concept of that.

(in) Res-i-dence, a month long exhibit at 20 Pine ends October 18th. Curator: Tim Goossens of P.S.1 Center for Contemporary Art. Hosted in Part by: Whitewall Magazine, Porsche Design The Essence and Kwiat Diamonds. For a Private Viewing Please Contact: Heir Apparent at 212-643-0406

Photos courtesy of Liam Alexander Photo.