TWILO (The Quotes)

Just so you don't think Wild Child is some obsessive fanatic stuck in the past, I wanted to post some quotes from others who were there. These quotes came from a Twilo scrapbook, that Twilo management put together to thank the inhabitants. The book was released in a very limited edition and thankfully I am a proud owner of one copy. This little book will never wind up on eBay, so you can enjoy quotes here. It will give you a better understanding of the phenomenon of planet Twilo. As usual I ask you to submit your own... Thank You
Yours truly, Wild Child.

You know you're a Twilo-maniac when:

"You bet your friends that you can talk for 2 minutes without mentioning Twilo and you lose"
"You name your new pet cat Twilo"
"You want to name your new pet cat Twilo, but your boyfriend doesn't let you, so you name the cat Junior (after Mr. Vasquez of course) instead. The cat turns out to be a music fanatic, always sitting right next to the speakers, go figure..."
"When you've never been clubbing anywhere in NYC besides Twilo, and don't care to try anywhere else"
"You keep repeating to your friends over and over: Everything else but Twilo is a waste of time and money, a statement met by intense stares bordering on concern, you give up and go to Twilo all by yourself"
"When you factor Twilo expenses into your monthly budget as a fixed expense"
"You cry because you twist your ankle a week before Junior's Birthday party and now can't dance, after the tears dry up, you decide you are going anyway, put on your platforms, tie up the ankle with an elastic band and dance for 8 hours. Surprisingly the ankle heals faster than normal!"

Sum up Twilo in 3 words:

"Priceless group therapy"
"Changed my life"
"Off the hook"
"I am reborn"
"World without thumbs"

Distance does not matter or traveling for a night of dancing @ Twilo:

"20 hours flying and transit time from Dubai to JFK. Once a month every month"
"8 hours, driving from Toronto, Canada"

Twilo or Sex?

"Twilo, I can go without sex for a long time, but can't live without Twilo"
"Sitting on a speaker in Twilo is sex"

TWILO (Introduction)

What did the name Twilo mean?

Back in the day owners of a club put a lot of thought into a club name and the philosophy it represented because they wanted to make sure it truly matched their intent for a venue. After all the name is the first thing you see. When someone puts that much thought into a name, believe me they will put as much thought or more into venue itself. For example under the dance floor at Paradise Garage there was a layer of sand, which made dancefloor bouncy to give the dancers an extra kick, imagine that? NYC had some really great clubs that redefined history of music: Paradise Garage, Sound Factory, The Loft, Salvation, Better Days, Haven, Danceteria, Palladium, Vinyl and Twilo. Some of names tell you what they are right from the start: Sound Factory, Danceteria, The Loft, Salvation, Vinyl; others are more of a metaphor: Paradise Garage, Better Days, Haven and then there are true wonders: Twilo and Palladium. Palladium means a safeguard, especially one viewed as a guarantee of the integrity of social institutions: "the Bill of Rights, palladium of American civil liberties". Twilo is a mysterious planet from one of Dick Van Dyke show episodes. Inhabitants of Twilo have only 8 fingers instead of 10, missing the thumbs. Because of the missing thumbs inhabitants of planet Twilo can't fire guns, use knifes or commit other disturbing acts of violence.

Twilo is the most peaceful planet of all...(True to the name it was peaceful planet for many).

Now lets take a look at some ridiculous club names we've had over the past years and thoughts they provoked: Tunnel (Tunnel Vision? Dark Tunnel?), Rehab (Isn't it time?), Bed (Oh no, we were supposed to dance!), Bungalow 8 (Private party for 8), Lot 61 (Auction?), Butter (A bad "Cream" rip off), Home (Weren't we supposed to go out?), Guest House (Kato? OJ's house guest?), 1OAK (stands for "one of a kind": welcome to the world of texting), Mansion (we are in NY babe, you can't afford it), Kiss & Fly (what are you kissing? angel dust? or a Gulfstream pilot?), The Box (let's not even go there, I've been always trying to get outside the Box, thank you very much!).

Twilo takes the cake, although I am very seduced by Palladium, Paradise Garage and Better Days. Please New Yorkers, submit ridiculous club names of the past, I love an exchange...

Thank you.

TWILO (Prologue)

Last week I went to Cielo to hear Junior Vasquez play and his set was just as inspiring, stimulating and fiercly contagious as his legendary Twilo sets. It brought so many great memories that I found myself day dreaming all through the week of "Twilo Resurrection". This week has been slightly gloomy in the city and a little slow for me so I decided to find some interviews with Junior Vasquez to read on my work breaks, to keep the inspiration going. Besides some really interesting ones that I devoured, I found some very negative publicity on Twilo which made me really burn.
These articles were caricatures of the place and it's inhabitants, clearly written with a sensationalist sarcasm and complete lack of understanding of that world.
Instead of getting angry and leaving some nasty replies to the writers I got inspired to tell the story of Twilo from my point of view. The view of Twilo as home away from home from one of it's inhabitants. What made it home away from home, why Twilo was so encompassing to so many people? Why when conversation turns to Twilo people's eyes light up even though the place has been closed for more than a few years? Club is a club right? You come in, you dance and you leave? Wrong...
Throughout NYC history there were clubs that stood out from the rest and challenged every preconceived notion of a club experience, thus finding their place in history and redefining music as we knew it. Twilo was one of them and although it will be an extraordinary challenge for me to put my feelings and memories into words, I will...

TheCityLoveProject

Union Square NYC, always has a gathering of creative souls. Walking by on Sunday I noticed people painting something a a canvas and stopped by to say hello. It turned out to be an interesting project started by Trey Phillips. You can check it out here: http://www.thecityloveproject.com/

New Yorkers truly love New York and so do visitors from all over the globe, but what does our city love? Hmm

I think our city loves freedom, our city loves being open to all, our city loves staying up 24 hours a day all year around, it loves creativity, it loves fresh faces, it loves fast pace, it loves originality.

To sum it up I think this is the only city in the world that loves everything about life, every process, every sound, every drastic drop or rise in temperature and every single person on the street. I think this city loves me and I can't stop loving it back. But above all I think NYC loves doers, people who actually do things instead of sitting around and talking about it.

And here you go, just a regular Memorial Day Sunday passing Union Square I found another soul who had an idea and put it out there for all to see. NYC loves Trey Phillips for sure. Why? Trey decided to give city a voice. Isn't it glorious? I think so....

The Lightness of Body & Soul

Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away Body & Soul parties used to happen every Sunday afternoon. But then a certain mayor, you know the one who actually thought he could become a president, caused so much trouble for best of city clubs that slowly but surely they closed one by one. Nightlife in the city never fully recovered from that wipe out, but slowly things did return to semi normal. So what that now Body & Soul happens only 4 times a year? At least we should be really grateful that it's still happening.

To the dismay of my friends I really love to arrive at a party very early. I like to walk into empty, cold club and watch the crowd pour in, change the energy and get hot. For me it's really thrilling to watch a party go through different stages.

Body & Soul starts at 6 pm on a Sunday and I highly recommend at least once coming in early to watch the dancers putting powder on the floor to add a bit more power to their already superior gliding abilities. Watch the women arriving with tambourines, shaking their feathers.

Music at Body & Soul is across the board genre wise. It's funk, it's soul, it's disco, it's old school, it's rhythm and blues, it's house, it's progressive house bordering on trance. Age of attendants is between 21 and 65, and everyone gets along. I've never seen even a minor altercation on the dance floor. It is probably the most uniting party with a cult like following. You will see the same people over and over again, you will make friends, and you will dance. They have amazing performers and lights. Ariel does something very special with the lights, they feel angelic.

It's pure joy to be there, from beginning to end. The DJs always give 200 percent and the interaction between the 3 of them is seamless. You never know which trip they will be taking you on and the element of surprise adds to the excitement.

Walking around Webster Hall, which is one of the oldest clubs in the city you feel history. Built in 1886 this club has seen it's share of wild nights. And it certainly absorbed that energy into it's walls. From the grandiose staircase to the balconies the place is a pleasure to explore in case you get tired of dancing. But something tells me you will not get tired of dancing to the rhythms of Body & Soul; you will lose yourself on the dance floor and find the light in process.

Junior's World

Mr. Vasquez is not a DJ, he is a master of ceremony. I have been in awe of this man for more than 10 years and he does not stop surprising me. He is a teacher, a preacher, a lover all rolled into one. He will make you lose yourself, he will make you forget about cigarettes, bathroom, your boyfriend...He will pull you in and let you go only when he desires. His power, his love of music and his control of the crowd will never be repeated. He watches every move of the crowd, he will test you, he will twist you and he will open you up, he is always in control. In a course of a night, somehow he will make you face the truth you didn't want to see and he does it through music. Vocal after vocal, classic but fresh, he had the whole Cielo jumping for 5 hours straight. No he is not a composer per se, but he will touch you as deep as Vangelis, Mercury and even Beethoven.

Vasquez is a mystery. He knows magic, he is very connected to the spiritual world, and he shares his powers with us. Vasquez provokes feelings and thoughts like no other. And like a cat he has more lives than you can imagine, because just when you are ready to write him off he reinvents the sound together with himself. Vasquez can purr and he can scratch and if you are wise you should never write him off. If you are a DJ then listen and learn and if you just love music then lose yourself in Junior's world while you can. This man strolled beyond brilliant and genius long time ago. He is a master, a magician and father to many club children. What an inspiring individual.
Mr. Vasquez...from the bottom of my heart, from a very sacred place that is rarely touched by others Thank You! May you live a very long life!

Dancers United

Ahhhh, it's Memorial Day weekend and New York City is filled with drunk sailors as it is also Fleet Week. I don't blame them for getting drunk on the shores of NYC. Who can blame them? They have been protecting our land and now are here to take a break from that craziness. God bless them and we should thank them in person. Thank you!!! No matter what pickle this country is in right now it is still the best country in the world. Freedom is priceless and I don't need to say anymore. Land of the free and the home of the brave...

Let's get to Memorial parties - Lots of people left for road trips and Hamptons, clubs were not at capacity Thursday night, only true blue dancers came out. I was fortunate enough to have a Friday off my day job and thus checked out 2 parties: Aqua-Booty and Kult Records at Sullivan Room. Both parties had exceptional music: Tony Humphries at Le Lupanar with Aqua-Booty and Saeed at Sullivan with Kult Records. Very different styles but both places had a family vibe. Aqua-Booty has been running forever and everyone there were happy to see each other again. Greg Cuoco, the organiser of Aqua-Booty is a sweetheart and is a true aficionado of house music. The DJs and the dancers are family united by soulful sounds. Tony Humphries is a genius, carefully watching the dancers to see if they are loving the grove and if the track is not working it's switched in 2 minutes flat with perfect execution. Such a lovely vibe, I can't wait till the next installment which will be in Brooklyn, Friday 29th @ Aqua.

Sullivan Room takes the cake for bold DJ choices: Saeed, Phonique, Jeff Mills, Satoshi, the list goes on and it's impressive. The tight knit group behind Sully are masters of originality also promoting as I have written before an atmosphere of family. Saeed Younan knows his grove. The base beat is the circular house beat, the one that makes you want to move your feet continuously in figure 8 and even though sometimes he veers into electro top note territory he never strays too far. Dancers had a field day, there was plenty of space to get down and spirit was abundant. So hot...plus the bartenders dancing behind the bar while mixing your drinks, you better believe that drink will be tasty!
Dancing...Advancing...Flying...Stop your crying...Groving...Keep on moving...
Music is the answer... to your problems...Keep on moving and you can solve them...
At 12 midnight I'll be waiting for you, so don't forget what you have to do :)
How classic and then back to the drums, the drum, the beat that is so close to your heart.
Unity between the dancers and the DJ is that elusive quality that makes or breaks a party, the energy that can only be felt with your entire being, your soul. This is what true house music is about, love and unity, breaking barriers and illusory protective fences. Making us all understand that we are one, we are all connected to each other, we are all family and there is never a competition, there is only appreciation of each other and sheer joy. Come into our house, welcome to the house of joy!
Thank you team Sullivan for always being true to the grove. Keep the dancers dancing...you know how loyal we are when we are treated well.

Missing the good times @ Cielo

I guess it is inevitable that all good things come to an end. I am very conflicted as I write this, because Cielo used to be one of my favorite clubs. After Crobar closed Cielo took the number one spot for exceptional house music. Cielo is small, comfortable and has a good sound system; it draws a mixed crowd of all ages and backgrounds. Last Saturday the DJ lineup was fantastic: Rob Keith, Samsara, Arana and Kenny Summit, premier of Wobble party. Club was at capacity, the beats were sexy and delicious and the crowd was nice. Add up the ingredients and you should have a hell of a party right? Not quite…
Last year in August I went to hear Steve Lawler at Cielo by myself. As soon as I got in, the sound system went out and Lawler had to bring it back, which took him about half an hour all while the lights were on and crowd was patiently waiting, behaving very well. He got the sound back and the party was amazing, crowd really interacting…Dancing, striking conversations with perfect strangers, screaming, whistling… I was by myself and didn’t feel out of place at all and that says something for an atmosphere of the place. A little later Roger Sanchez had an issue with sound system as well and I started thinking that the owners were not paying attention to the club. Place acquired that horrible musty smell of too many drinks spilled and never properly cleaned. I stopped going.
But last Saturday I wanted to check out Wobble party as I really respect Rob Keith and Samsara. Walking in I noticed that the smell was gone and the sound was very clean. I got really happy about it, thinking: Great! Cielo is back! But as the night went on I could not escape the feeling of doom. As if the place itself was on its last breath and no effort of the DJs could bring it back to life, it didn't matter that the club was packed. There was no unity.
People danced a little but the spirit was awful and by 2:30 the crowd dwindled perhaps sensing the same thing I did. Certainly I will give it another try as Junior Vasquez is playing Sunday and I can’t miss it for the world, but the feeling I left with was that its just a matter of time before Cielo will be closed. I hope I am wrong because NYC can’t afford to lose another club.

Aqua-Booty

What image comes to your mind when I mention Aqua-Booty? Take your time…think about it...Now tell me...
No, it is not the latest vitamin water from the makers of Veggie Booty, think some more…
A fish tank shaped like booty and filled with water? What? You have one in your house? I don’t believe you! Try again, come on…

Booty covered in sweat from vigorous shaking? You are getting closer. A party, an underground house music party, with excellent DJs and wild crowd? Just like 1993? Bingo!

After 10 years on hiatus, Greg Cuoco and friends are back with deep, soulful, eclectic sound of house music you thought was extinct. This time they are taking over Le Lupanar on Lower East Side every 3rd Thursday of the month. Rarely random walk-ins provide such cool finds and as I was wandering around LES last week, I felt pulled in by this place almost magnetically so I settled for Mojito by the bar. My jaw was right on the floor though when I saw the flyer for Aqua-Booty party. I’ve heard about Aqua-Booty parties back in 1998 but never actually went as I just got to NYC and was solidly glued to Twilo, by the time I decided to try it Booty was gone. But Gods are smiling on house music loving New Yorkers this year and something tells me this party just might stick around LES. All I really need to tell you about Le Lupanar is: great staff, strong drinks, clean sound, cool owner and Aqua-Booty. You can try the food if you want but as for me I am here to dance. Think you can pick me out of the crowd? Try next Thursday (May 21st) because I will be there for Tony Humphries, Antonello Coghe, Terron Darby and Greg Cuoco of course. Let me see your Aqua-Booty :)

Mini What?

I would call this party a mini disaster if it wasn't for Sety. Sety is a phenomenal DJ and producer and Minimoo is getting points only because they got Sety to DJ. New Yorkers are a discriminatory bunch especially if we are going to pay $30 to get in the door. Loft space on Howard street at the Die Fabrik building is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the fact that you have to take an elevator upstairs increases wait time at the door and we don't like to wait long.
Getting drinks was lengthy as well since you first had to wait in line to get casino like minimoo drink chips, then go to the bar and wait in another line to get your choice of Budweiser, Water, Red Bull or Vodka. Lovely choices I might add; did you hear by chance that Corona is a beer of choice for party people everywhere? No? Really?
Girl's bathroom was closed within an hour of my arrival. Get this: there are 2 stalls in girl's bathroom and both were clogged at the same time because someone dropped a roll of toilet paper into each toilet. Who would do something like that? 2 girls on crack? I don't know...but it says something about the crowd that this party draws. For the next hour girls had to use the single stall at boys bathroom, imagine the line and the madness...
Let's get to the good stuff: music! Sety was exceptional...Consistent, deep, progressive house with electro top notes, he put us in the mood for dance. One little problem though...buzzy, hollow sound system that could not fill the space and even on the dance floor the sound was dirt poor.
So let's round this up: 30 dollars to get in, wait downstairs, wait at the cash register for the bar, wait at the bar, wait at the bathroom, terrible sound, and great DJ. 3 Stars and only because of Sety.
Minimoo organisers please take note, your party needs a major improvement otherwise you will lose your crowd if you haven't already. If you want us to forgive you for horrors of Minitek please work on your next venue with these suggestions in mind. Thank you for Sety though, the man is a genius!

Dutch Kills Bar-Pure Beauty

Behind the bar Richard Boccato was vigorously shaking a cocktail shaker listening closely to the sound and knowing exactly when to stop for perfect mix. Once he stopped he put his left hand behind his back and poured the drink with his right hand, head tilted watching his creation with a love of a parent. Richard is a mixology artist and also a lovely host. He moves nonstop watching every single detail but his movements are smooth and not rushed because this bar makes time stand still or perhaps even go backwards. Jazzy, sexy, soulful funk flowing through the dimly lit space with shimmering mosaic floors. Patrons socializing, everyone talking to each other as old friends, the smell of wood fills the air and everything about this place spells longevity and class. Step back in time, hang your bag/coat/hat on a wall hook, enjoy the fine drinks and feel peacefully at home. Antique objects in decor make up an authentic atmosphere; solid mahogany bar, walls and doors invoke serious approach of quality craftsmanship from another era. Same seriousness is applied to art of mixology starting with hand cut chunks of ice, unique, old fashioned cocktails blended with a touch of bitters then accessorized with chic glassware and steel straws. An aura of coolness and stillness dwells all around, inviting to stay, slow down and get lost in the sound. Live jazz performances will soon entertain and organic pub fare is coming as well. The place is a very rare find and tuned to perfection; putting Long Island City on the map for sophisticated entertainment on cutting edge of originality. Five stars, period!
http://www.dutchkillsbar.com/

Art Imitates Life

Serge Strosberg is unique and his work focuses intently on character study. His paintings are a window into a life of a soul. Provocative, tender and honest at the same time, in his paintings you'll find beauty mixed with insecurity, strength stemming from weakness, fragility of trust, lust intertwined with love. All of complexities of this beautiful journey called life equally mixed with tragedy and triumph.
His latest opening: Les Demoiselles de New York, a body of work depicting transgendered people drew cream of the crop on NYC movers and shakers. Patrick McDonald, Kenny Kenny, Stacy Engman, Malcolm Harris, Jordan Fox, Michael Solomon and many others I did not have a chance to meet were all on hand to support and celebrate the artist and his creative vision. If you don't know any of these names please take your time to google them (include MySpace into search to get the best results), they are fascinating because of their audacity to be true to themselves and in the process an inspiration to others. Real, strong, beautiful and above all authentic; perhaps they will inspire you to create your own work of art that you in turn will share with the rest of the world just like Mr. Strosberg. Visit http://www.strosbergserge.com/index.html and you can commission your own portrait if you so desire... after all who wouldn't want to be a "muse" at least once in their lifetime?

United States of Belvedere

It's very rare that a party will make me google a term, but Belvedere bash last night had me puzzled. Walking around the space @ 117 Mercer St. I felt like Alice in wonderland asking myself a question: "Maceration, maceration....What a hell is maceration?" Alice had wonderland and the rest us have google, so it turns out maceration means: preparation of an extract by soaking material (among other things, some not so pretty). How appropriate for Belvedere, I love it. Genius branding, so far I can't get the term out of my head. And guess what? There is also a Belvie (bag) designed by Jonathan Kelsey (famous for shoes) with a secret compartment to carry your own bottle of Belvedere maceration cocktail you made at home. Thank God there only a 100 of those works of art in the world, otherwise bars would go out of business.

Beauty Queens had a dance off, bartenders were model material and the door was tough.
Thank you Kenny for getting us in, you are wonderful. All in all the party was a smashing success, I discovered a new designer whose shoes I am in love with already and learned a new term. Will I switch from wine to Belvedere? We'll see about that :)

But if you want to see a website that will make you drool please visit http://www.macerationisnatural.com/ and decide for yourself if this branding/re branding is worth your time. The videos are hysterical and best enjoyed under the influence, of course.

Thank you all who let me take a picture last night, because you color New York and without you life would be dull...

Beautiful creatures