In big news out of Brooklyn this week, there is a new club opening and it’s made for music lovers. Gabriela is opening in the old Kinfolk space on Wythe Ave in Williamsburg this Friday.
Its motto reads;
“Gabriela was a dream we had when we needed music most. Music is bliss. Bliss is the enemy of trauma. All are welcome here, unless they are unwelcoming. Have as much fun as possible but never ever at anyone's expense. Come with a Birkin bag or Birkenstocks, wearing Docs or Dolce, but none of that will make any difference to us as long as the music is what brought you. If you're here for the music, then you're here for the same reason we are. That's what we dreamt up. Does that make Gabriela different? We hope not.”
The line ‘as long as the music is what brought you’ has caught our attention. Over the past 10 years many clubs and venues have left Williamsburg as rent has risen and Chanel and Hermes stores have popped up. With that, the people who party in Williamsburg have also changed. It’s not unusual to see big groups of bros out just to pick up on dancefloors in the neighborhood. We are big believers that one night out with the right DJ at the right club can change your life, so we hope this venue can turn the ears of some people who might be going out for the wrong reasons.
If anyone can do it, Eli Escobar can. Eli is a NYC veteran who is a resident at Le Bain, a cofounder of Tiki Disco and now, club owner. With the music first motto, he will book one or two DJs a night at Gabriela to encourage and foster creative freedom for any DJ who plays there. "There's a huge swathe of DJs who are being overlooked and not given their space and time to play extended sets, Escobar told Resident Advisor. “We're gonna do our best to create a reputation for the spot that stands alone, to take the promo pressure off of DJs so they can do their thing and have a lighting technician working with them to enhance their narrative."
The DJs will be playing off a range of vintage hi-fi equipment, including speakers by Gary Stewart (Love and Vinyl) and a Richard Long (Studio 54, Paradise Garage and Zanzibar) RLA X3000 crossover, an iconic piece of hardware. DJs lining up to play on it include Luke Solomon, Dee Diggs, Kim Anh, LADYMONIX, and Escobar himself, who is playing the opening night this Friday.
12.15 - Eli Escobar at Gabriela
One of the city’s finest selectors, now one of the city’s newest venue owners, Eli Escobar is rightly taking his place behind the booth at Gabriela’s opening night on Friday. Eli cut his teeth in the epicentre of 1990’s New York City club hedonism and with more than 20 years in the game, the DJ and producer has an unparalleled record collection of handpicked gems and curveball productions. His sets are largely unpredictable, thanks to that record collection, but he never fails to guide dancers through the heartbeat of music, from the past to the future.
12.15 - Tedd Patterson at House of Yes
Tedd Patterson has earned a reputation for delivering unpredictable, adventurous, and wildly infectious rhythms on the dancefloor. The veteran DJ and producer came up in NYC's 90s house heyday and has remained a hero of the underground since. Over the years he's made appearances on labels like Strictly Rhythm and Nervous, and played everywhere from Limelight to Panorama Bar, and this Friday, House of Yes.
12.15 - Sister Nancy at Superior Ingredients
Regarded as the first female star in the male-dominated world of Jamaican dancehall, Sister Nancy continues to blaze new trails after 40 years. Getting her start in the late `70s playing on local sound systems in Kingston, Jamaica, her One Two album was released in 1982 featuring the anthem, ‘Bam Bam’. The track went on to become one of the most influential reggae songs of all time, sampled at least 80 times by people like Lauryn Hill and Jay-Z. More importantly, ‘Bam Bam’ itself has stood the test of time, with crowds young and old going to hear it at Sister Nancy shows around the world. You hear it for yourself live this Friday at Superior Ingredients.
Follow the links for mixes and playlists from the DJs and Musical Hosts who will be playing at these venues.
