Discofication Is Real And It's Man-Made
Today we are going to talk about pivotal Brooklyn record store Dope Jams in our listings and how they turned around after gentrification forced them to close in 2013. The Dope Jams name is a legendary one in New York City. Opened in Clinton Hill in 2006, owners Paul Nickerson and Francis Englehardt largely sold the sound of their city, disco and house. They had a brick and mortar store, also throwing the odd party in the basement, for seven years. Gentrification caught up to them in 2013 and their landlords raised the rent threefold. They went online for a little while before Paul moved the store upstate. To watch them pivot and grow has been something special as we have now arrived at the 8th edition of their Open Air Festival in the Catskills.
To watch them pivot and grow has been something special as we have now arrived at the 8th edition of their Open Air Festival in the Catskills. The festival happens on Locust Grove, which they describe as a ‘collaborative clubhouse manifested as a community’ where anyone with an open heart and open mind is welcome.
NYC Nightlife 8/4-8/6
8.4-8.6 - Dope Jams Open Air Festival at Locust Grove
This is a weekend put on by music freaks for music freaks. The Dope Jams crew will not be announcing any DJs ahead of the Open Air Festival besides saying, “There will be guest DJs, you will know who they are when you are at the event and they start playing music,” on the ticket link. It’s a weekend for like-minded creative friends who like to have fun, build, dance, and commune with the lush natural surroundings of the Catskills. If that sounds like you then we recommend making the trip north to Locust Grove in Oak Hill. They offer camping onsite so you can dance all weekend without the worries of partying then driving.
8.5 - Razor-N-Tape ft Hiatt dB at Jolene Sound Room
Hiatt dB is celebrating the release of his new sleazy EP this Saturday at the Jolene Sound Room. The New Orleans-based DJ has aptly titled the record 11pm - Til: an ode to sweaty nights on the dancefloor you never want to end. Having already established a name for himself with releases on Rhythm Section and his own label Mystery Zone Records, this is Hiatt dB’s first release with Razor-N-Tape. For those who are fans of all things funky, Hiatt’s productions and DJ sets bridge the gap between house, breaks, acid, disco, and boogie.
8.5 - GE-OLOGY + Tone B. Nimble at Public Records
An uplifting message, unmatched energy, and sheer emotion is the vibe that Tone B. Nimble takes into every set. The Chicagoan has spent 30 years behind the decks and over that time has built up a serious collection of soul-filled gospel, disco, jazz and African rarities. A true digger with two labels under his belt, you know there are going to be some serious throwdowns at Public Records this Saturday when Tone B. Nimble joins GE-OLOGY at his residency night.
8.5 - Harvey Sutherland (DJ set) at Good Room
The last time Harvey Sutherland was in town we mentioned his live set at Baby’s Alright in these listings but we thought he was worth mentioning again for two reasons. 1) Harvey is doing a DJ set at Good Room on Saturday, so it’s a little bit of a different vibe. 2) the full line up for this party is next level. Between Harvey (who is traveling from Australia for this), Juan Izguerra from LA and locals Fundido and Yibing, there’s going to be so much funk, italo, disco, proto, acid, and house, the party will be pumping until dawn.
