A L L T H E C O O L K I D S

All the cool kids were at the Patricia Field‘s party this past Friday night, and by all the cool kids, I mean all the Trannys. But that’s a wondrous thing in the eyes of The Frogge, because sometimes (just sometimes) I feel like a Tranny myself. The Valentine’s Day Ball was held at Capitale, and 1600 crazy kids were expected to attend. Ticket prices were steep, at $100 bucks a pop, but the open Belvedere bar helped make you forget.

Patricia Field's Valentine's Day Ball hosted by Pat, Susanne & Kelly!

Walking in was exciting, and the air will filled with energy. As I checked my coat, I ran into the lovely Patrick McDonald who in very classic Patrick McDonald form was looking very Patrick McDonald. I happened to be feeling exhausted, as it had been a longgg NYFW Friday at Lincoln Center. Luckily, Illamasqua was there to help! A lovely makeup artist by the name of Jewrel came to my rescue. He made my lips redder than red and my eyelashes bat like a bat… After he applied some shimmery eye shadow, I was good to go.

On my way to the bar, I spotted two barely-dressed blond bombshells… Anna Evans and Arden Sirens, who looked ravishing in none other than Agent Provocateur. The Zand Collective was in full effect with Kayvon in a freshly constructed ensemble. It came as no surprise to me that he ended up winning the costume contest with a prize of $4,000! Woo!

Mr. Kayvon Zand. Photo borrowed from LastNightsParty.

Speaking of Kayvon, it seems as if everyone has Zand Fever these days, including Ms. Susanne Bartsch, who looked like a part of the Collective herself…

Click HERE to continue reading this post on The Downtown Diaries…

Love your friend,

The Frogge ❤

 

Black, Beautiful & Badass…

When I first heard that Harley Davidson was throwing a launch party for their newest bike, it came as no surprise to me that they chose Don Hill’s as the venue… as they should have! However, nothing irritates me more than walking up to a joint that I frequent, aka live in, and have some dumb blondie ask me if I am on the list. I am not saying that I am The Queen of Sheba or anything, but it’s pretty insulting when you are in fact, a regular at a place and someone asks you if you are on the list. Who was she? Was she on the list? Was she even qualified to be handling the list? That would have never have happened if good ‘ol Thomas or James was at the door… But that’s what happens when Harley Davidson rents out Don Hill’s and decides they need something blonde with large boobies to guard the doorway.

HD Launch Party @ Don Hill’s

I was concerned that because of this “door situation” some of my special friends would not be inside. And although many of them were unfortunately shut out, due to the Fort Knox status, I was pleased to walk in and see my bubbly buddy Kelle Calco, the man behind Ladyland and Ruby Tuesdays. Of course, he was accompanied by his gal pal, the beautiful, the intelligent, the talented Ash Fox, rock & roll photographer and creator of Tit Tees, a handcrafted, rock & roll influenced T-shirt line based out of NYC.Ali Hassan, Wildstreet bassist was present, as well as the always jovial Mr. Marty E, drummer of The Dirty Pearls.Jonathan Murray, ex-bassist of BM Linx was also in the house, when I asked him why he left BM Linx, he said something about “not wanting to grow a beard.” Jonathan leaving BM Linx is old news, but I bring it up because that was something I was genuinely sad about… Their music was good, they were interesting to watch, and I wanted to see how far they were going to go…

Ash Fox & Kelle Calco

To continue reading this article on The Downtown Diaries, click HERE!

 

Having a Laugh w/ DJ Louie XIV!

The thing that interests me most about DJ Louie XIV, probably even more than his music, is his sense of humor. If you ever have the chance to sit down with him, I highly recommend it as he is nothing short of hysterical. During this interview he had me cracking up to the point where I had to ask him, “Why are you pursuing a career as a DJ and not as a stand up comedian?” Actually, as it turns out, Louie XIV is a trained actor and spent many an hour at the Black Nexxus Studio studying with famed Susan Batson. He said after a while he knew it had to be one or the other. Unlike many other “DJ’s” that called themselves “DJ’s” in NYC, Louie XIV actually treats DJing like the craft that it is (Thank god someone around here does!) He knew that in order to be one of the best, he would have to give it his undivided attention. When he realized that he had more of an innate connection to music than to the theatre, his journey as a DJ began, and he tells us all about it in the interview below… Enjoy!

DJ Louie XIV

The Frogge: I’m here with DJ Louie XIV and we are going to jump right into this interview because tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I gotta get home and cook a Tofurkey! What is your favorite venue that you have DJed at so far?

DJ Louie XIV: I would say that I like The Eldridge a lot. I used to really like Baddies. I’ve spent a lot of time there. I used to DJ there on Saturday nights. I liked Baddies because it was so small; you could establish a high level of intimacy with the crowd. I just think there is something really great about being packed into a small room when you are dancing. But, if you are doing an event, there is nothing worse than being packed into a tight room! I recently DJed an event at the new Gansevoort Hotel on Park Avenue, on the roof deck, and it was so beautiful, the panoramic views were incredible.

TF: Is there a venue that you haven’t DJed at yet, but for some reason, you feel really connected to it, and you would like to DJ there soon?

LXIV: Everywhere that I haven’t DJed at yet is somewhere that I am interested in spinning! Every venue comes with its own set of challenges. I would definitely like to spin at The Boom Boom Room, I think that would be really fun.

TF: Is that because you are into panoramic views?

LXIV: Yes… Also, I would love to spin at a really big, multilevel club that holds like 20,000 people in Ibiza or in Tokyo.

TF: Interesting that you say that, because the rooms in NYC are so small. With that said, I feel like the size restrictions of the clubs in NYC allow every club to be very “specific.” This club is for “rockers” that club is for “hip hop” that club is “gay” this club is “Euro,” and the list goes on. Because the clubs are small, in reality, they don’t need very many people to pack them out. I feel like this system is pretty much segregating people, what do you think?

LXIV: Well, I wouldn’t say it’s “segregating” groups of people, but I would say I actually kind of like that. Any time a club is trying to establish an identity outside of the individual parties that they host nightly, weekly, monthly, I think it’s a positive. I think one of the downfalls of nightlife in this moment in time is that most of the clubs are invested in these nightly, weekly, monthly parties. They let whoever is “running the party” that night dictate the vibe of the club. In my opinion, this doesn’t create an environment where you’re going to the club because you like the club… It’s more like, “Oh, well my friend is hosting this party on this day so I guess I’ll go there.”

TF: That is definitely true because people will say to me all the time, “You go out, and you know what’s going on, so where should I go?” And at this point in my life, sometimes, I really don’t know what to say to them. It’s because, lately, I haven’t felt very connected to any one place. Actually that’s not true… I do really enjoy Don Hill’s, I think they have something going on there, it feels right, and St. Jerome’s has practically become a second home to my friends & I… but that is because I’m a Rock N’ Roll girl… But aside from that, there are no places that I feel I need to be. If you asked me this question 4 years ago, I would have definitely told you to go to Snitch. I’ll never be over Snitch, it was my favorite place in the world. It was like, no matter what day it was, no matter what time it was, when you walked into Snitch, you always knew what you were going to get. I felt extremely connected to Snitch, I also felt very connected to Collective Hardware… But nowadays, you mostly feel a connection to “your friend” who is throwing the party, or to the DJ… but not necessarily the venue itself. Okay, let’s talk about your set right now, what’s your thing, how do you describe your style?

Check out Louie's Website: http://louiexiv.com/

LXIV: I like to play what’s fun. I know that’s a lame answer, but at the end of the day I like pleasing crowds. I am a performer at heart. But just because I like to please crowds, does not mean I will play anything! I am not a whore. I have very specific tastes, but by the same token, I am not an elitist in any way. If I like it, I will play it, whether is pop-sugar or dead serious Radio Head, to show tunes, Diana Ross, Rihanna, disco, new disco, or hip-hop. My roots are really in hip-hop. That’s what I started DJing, I love hip-hop, and I am the most comfortable playing hip-hop. I could literally stand at turntables for days and weeks and never get bored, never play the same song twice, I just know hip-hop like that. I know the styles, I know the beats, I know the history. When I put a set together, I consider a lot of things; how do these two songs go together? Do they have similar sounds, beats? Do you dance the same way to them? I think about the history, I think about how two songs go together in a cerebral sense. For example, I love playing Disturbia, Bad Romance and Sweet Dreams together. If there was no Sweet Dreams, there would be no Disturbia and there certainly would be no Bad Romance. You can hear the influences with in these songs… Putting these things together not only for the crowd, but for myself is very gratifying.

TF: It’s almost as if you are putting together pieces of a puzzle…

LXIV: It’s like I am weaving a tapestry. I think a crowd can always tell when a DJ is thoughtful compared to when a DJ is just kind up standing up there playing songs with the same BPM rate…

TF: When you aren’t DJing, what are you favorite spots? Where could The Frogge find you in your spare time?

LXIV: Believe it or not, I’m really not a club person. I don’t like going out that much. I’m kind of a homebody. When I am up in the DJ booth, I watch what is going on as if it were National Geographic. It’s really been an experience for me, especially once everyone is wasted and the mating rituals start to take place… Sometimes it’s almost as if I can’t believe what I am seeing… Of course, I completely understand the appeal of the clubs. After all, I do work in this industry. Sometimes I tell myself that I should go out more, because most of the time when I do, I meet someone I like, or something good happens, but after I’m out for like a half hour, I’m pretty ready to go home.

TF: We are complete opposites… I could go out all night, every night… The thing that I like most about clubs though is they are an environment where it is conducive to let out your inner desires. And, as I am sure you know, it is the DJ who is mostly responsible for that. Because the bottom line is, if the music was bad, everyone would leave and nothing would happen. How do you feel about the fact that as the DJ you have the power to completely influence people’s moods and practically cast them under your spell?

LXIV: I adore that! That is why I do what I do, or at least, a very large part of why I do what I do. Any artist, if they are really honest with themselves, is looking to influence and effect people that way.

TF: If you are making art and not affecting anybody than you probably aren’t making very good art…

LXIV: The great thing about DJing is, every time you do it, you are doing in live. It’s not something that you do alone in your room and then bring it out to show everyone. Being a DJ is about live performance and it’s a real thrill. When you have been spinning for 45 hours and you have built up and built up to the climax of the night where every single person in that club puts their hands in the air, it’s really the most gratifying thing. Because you did what you came to do, and it’s really happening in that moment… I’ve cried before in the DJ booth!

TF: Your music is so danceable… And I know that is a funny thing to say, because it seems so obvious, but sometimes I feel that certain DJ’s don’t play music which enables the crowd to dance… I don’t know what they are doing… But it’s really frustrating… Do you know what I mean by that?

LXIV: Yes! They are playing music for themselves. Or, they are trying to act “cool” by showing off “how much music they know.” When I first started DJing, I also had a desire to play obscure music to show “how much music I knew” but I’ve learned to temper that with what actually works. I am very sensitive and I know what works, and what doesn’t.

TF: Okay darling, here is your chance, tell the beautiful people where and when you are spinning next…

LXIV: This Saturday night, the 27th at The Eldridge (247 Eldridge Street.) The party is called BADDITUDE and it starts at 11 pm…

TF: If I come and request a song, will you play it for me?

LXIV: If I like it…

Get your BADDITUDE on! 11/27 @ The Eldridge! Music by DJ Louie XIV w/ guest host Dani Baum.

So there you have it people! The answer to all your problems… You ate wayyy too much turkey and mash… You feel fat, and you are wondering how you can work off all of those extra calories? Clearly, there is no better way to do it than to go get your BADDITUDE on…

Love your friend who has a major BADDITUDE,

The Frogge ❤

♥ G i n a S a c h i C o d y ♥

It’s been a week since Gina Sachi Cody has left us and though I wish I could say that “I’m okay,” I’m not. The truth is, my heart is broken. I remember the first time I met Gina. I was being photographed for Good Night Mr. Lewis, a nightlife column written by Steve Lewis in Blackbook Magazine, and she was the photographer. We were in the basement of the post-Plumm, pre-Darby space and Steve introduced us. She told me where to stand, and began to click away as I did this & that… I remember feeling very at east in front of her camera. There was something about her… Perhaps it was her beautiful, big, brown eyes… I knew right away that I could trust her.

How It All Began / October 2009 / Photo by Gina Sachi Cody.

After the shoot, we exchanged numbers and a new friendship began. We started to bump into each other everywhere, as most of us creatures of the night tend to do… I was always happy to bump into Gina. She had one of the best smiles I’ve ever seen & lots of good energy that I could always feel when I was around her.

Our Bright, Beautiful Girl...

A few months after we met, my birthday rolled around. “I made you something,” she said so proudly into the phone, “When can I give it to you?!” We met up in the East Village and I unwrapped a flat, rectangular shaped object… What could it be? Of course… It was  the picture she had taken of me for Blackbook, except she had done something really interesting to it. Certainly Gina could explain the technique much better, but I think she had it printed on some sort of special photo paper, and then she peeled away the top layer of the photo, which made the photo look sort of distressed, “vintage-ish.” She had it framed, and I immediately hung it up in my apartment by the staircase which leads up to my lofted bedroom.

The last time I saw her was on Thursday, October 28th, just a few days before she passed. We were at Mick Rock‘s opening at the Morrison Hotel on the Bowery. It was completely packed. I was just wandering around, taking in the people and looking at Mick’s photos when I heard my name being called. I turned around… It was Gina… She looked so beautiful, so full of life… She grabbed my wrist and held my forearm tightly as she spoke to me a mile a minute about the magazine she was starting. She was so excited, she was so proud, her eyes were so wide, like a child… She was telling me something about going to Japan and how much she loved The Frogge… that when her magazine was started, she wanted me to be a part of it… that she wanted me to write for Prescribed Mag. I said that of course I would and that we should talk about it  more specifically when she had more details. We walked next door to John Varvatos to see Jamie Burke’s new band, Delilah & Adam Green. Gina & I stood right up front… We danced wildly, hand in hand, and she took lots of pictures with not one, but two cameras…

That is how I will always remember her. Beautiful, glowing, excited, full of life with endless possibilities… I only wish I knew it was the last time that I was going to see her… She took a Polaroid of my friends & I that night… She made me promise to upload it… “Don’t forget to upload that! Promise you won’t forget?” she said. “I won’t, I promise, I won’t.” And here it is… The last picture of me taken by Gina.

 

Morrison Hotel / October 28th, 2010 / Photo by Gina Sachi Cody.

The best thing about that Polaroid is that is has her handwriting on the bottom. “Get Prescribed,” it says, to promote the magazine she was so excited to start. It’s sort of ironic to that our friendship started and ended with a photograph. Isn’t is sort of strange that I know the exact first and exact last picture she ever took of me?

I don’t think I can write anymore, as my heart is literally aching… But there is one more thing that I want to say. We are organizing a memorial for Gina. Larry Santos, Dave Delzio, Nia & Steve are also involved. We don’t have the exact date picked out yet, but we are working on it. It will be held at Santos Party House. We are doing this because we know there were a lot of “city people” who wanted to attend Gina’s wake but couldn’t get out to Jersey for this reason or that… If you are reading this and want to be involved in anyway, please don’t be a stranger. Feel free to email me directly anytime at TheFrogge@gmail.com. When I know the exact details, I will do my best to spread the word, and I really, really hope that you all attend.

Until then…

Love your aching friend,

The Frogge ❤

Kelle Calco & The Colored Boys… Debut Show @ Don Hill’s!

It all started last winter on a very cold day, curled up on a red velvet couch in the back of The Belmont Lounge. I was introduced to Kelle Calco, who was probably wearing Paisley, a year later at this point, I don’t remember. We were at his beloved Rolling Stones party drinking rum and listening to DJ Ian El Dorado‘s favorite song Can’t You Hear Me Knocking… We became instant friends as we somewhat see in the world in the same way and are concerned about the same things…

Kelle, it seemed, came out of nowhere… but quickly found his place among the Rock n’ Rollers… the Dreamers, the Merry-Makers, the Creatures of the Night. Wherever he went, he brought the good vibes, his peaceful, loving energy, his entourage of peacocks, as he calls them, and a very large bottle of rum.

The Rolling Stones party was the start of a new beginning… New friends, new faces, and a new scene to play in. The Belmont Lounge quickly became The Royalton Hotel, and red couches were replaced by fire places and platters of oysters… And then one day, Ladyland was born… A party dedicated to Love, Light, Laughter, Ecstacy, Inebriation, Grit, and Glamour.. Spreading and celebrating the spirit of a real and infectious musical sound which christened a lifestyle of liberation, libation, and celestial satisfaction.

But this coming Tuesday, November 9th, Kelle has another gift in store for us… His music… Which no one has heard… yet. There have been whispers in my ears saying very good things… very, very good things… And I can’t wait to heart Kelle Calco & The Colored Boys for myself.

Please join StyleLikeU as we invite you to experience the music of Kelle Calco & The Colored Boys for their Debut Show! Come show your love on Tuesday, November 9th at Don Hills … 511 Greenwich Street… 8:30 PM Sharp.

StyleLikeU invites you to experience the music of Kelle Calco & The Colored Boys

For more information, click here!

Love your friend,

The Frogge ❤

PS… Tweet at me here!

Meeting in the Middle…

It’s been almost a week since Tommy Gunn‘s return to New York City’s Rock & Roll scene. His new debut took place at Bowery Electric last Thursday night… Why is The Frogge posting this article 6 days later, you may ask? The answer is simple. I originally wrote this article for a different publication, not for The Frogge. However, when they received my article, first the editor said, “This is too long.” So I said, “Well, a lot happened.” Then they said, “Your point of view is too strong.” So I said, “I am a Frogge and I have a brain. Clearly, I am going to a have a point of view, and I intend on using it. There are enough so-called writers out there who have no voice. I don’t intend on being one of them.” Then they said, “If you want us to publish this article, you have to take out all the content about the bands.” And thats when I got pissed off. We were at Bowery Electric for Pete’s sake… The venue has a stage… TEN bands played at the party… This was an event BASED ON THE MUSIC. There was no way I was taking that element out. So I said, “You know what, forget it. It’s fine. I’ll post this article on The Frogge, where it won’t be butchered and shredded to pieces. Have a nice day.” 6 days later, here it is babies…

(All photos courtesy of Deena Cavallo)

Thursday April 1st, 9:45 pm: I get an ardent text message from my good friend, rock & roll promoter and host, Samuel Valentine. “Get over here quick,” he writes me, “The line is insane. It’s halfway down the block!” “I’m on the list,” I write back, as I laugh at myself to myself. Did I really just say that? Well yeah, I did, because it was true. “List smhist,” he replies, “If the place reaches capacity, the place reaches capacity, and it’s filling up pretty quickly.”

What was the cause of all this commotion? The answer is simple. For the first time in 20 long years, legendary rock & roll promoter and A-List-party-thrower Tommy Gunn held his reunion shebang this past Thursday night at Bowery Electric on the LES. Apparently, in the 1980’s Tommy Gunn was the go-to-guy for the grandest of times. So the story goes, it was Tommy Gunn who bravely held the blazing torch that paved the path for the rock & roll scene that was known for dominating the 80’s and is still remembered, respected, and revered till this very day.

The Man Himself: Mr. Tommy Gunn

I arrived at the venue in my best rock & roll attire; lace, leather, dark lipstick, and a decent amount of hairspray. Having zero patience for lines, I walked right up to the front. “Hi, I’m on the list,” I said very politely to a woman that I have never seen before.

I took in my surroundings. Who were all these people? What hole did they crawl out of? Was the reappearance of just one man from more than 20 years ago really causing this much chaos? My gosh, the scene at the door was a complete collision of the old-school & the new-school, each category thinking they are more important than the other. The old-schoolers from 20 years ago were thinking, “Who the hell are these pip-squeaks? When they were in diapers, we were at The Limelight, Palladium, Webster Hall and The Tunnel! What could these kids possibly know about The Nightlife… About ‘real’ rock & roll?” And of course, the new-school kids were thinking, “Shouldn’t you be at home with your kids? Your grandkids?? Who authorized you to wear that outfit??? For Pete’s sake, you’re over 45 years old, take off the leather corset!!!!” The unnecessary tension between the old-school and the new-school kind of made me feel like I was back in middle school, but I guess you can’t expect anything different when a massive amount of people are trying to get through one little door with the supposed promise of paradise inside.

Certified New School Scenesters Leo Henry & NC Shuva of PUi

However, once we were all inside, or rather, once those who made it inside were inside, I felt the tension slowly begin to melt away. In the end, it didn’t matter which school you were from. We were all there to support the same cause. We all love, live for, eat, sleep and breathe rock & roll. Now that we were inside, it was time to party like it was 1989!

The party kicked off with a fashion show by ex-Project Runway contestant Stella Zotis. The designs were not my cup of tea, but my wanting the fashion show to end just made me more excited for the bands to come on! There were ten bands on the bill: Natasha Komis (Who you may know from Paris Hilton’s My BFF on MTV and some HOT American Apparel billboards,) Ray West, Wild Street, Brad Factor:10, Dirty Penny, Attention Deficit Society, The Party Death (You may know lead singer Joshua ‘London’ Lee  from VH1’s Daisy of Love,) Electric Mary, The Mighty Pragmatics and Flesh Gordon. Natasha Komis, the only lady on the bill, boldly took the stage first and opened the show with a bang! She looked super hot in her barely-there-see-through-tights, black bra, huge silver cross and teeny-tiny leather jacket.

Rock & Roll's First Lady Natasha Komis opening up the show!

Each band got to play a set of three songs as we listened to DJ Dan Pyro and DJ Supermorgan in between sets. The most memorable bands, in my opinion were Dirty Penny, The Party Death & Brad Factor.

Dirty Penny is comprised of four Young & Reckless boys from Santa Cruz, California; Binge Daniels, Jonny Prynce, Spanky Savage and Tyno Vincent. Watching Dirty Penny is sort of like witnessing a tornado. They blow in, wreck a lot of crap, turn your world upside-down, and then blow out; leaving you paralyzed in your place wondering, “What the F just happened here!?” I absolutely loved their endless supply of energy, beautiful-brother-like-chemistry, and super-catchy-sing-a-long-songs. In my opinion, they are the ultimate “let’s have a sick time and party band.” If you share that attitude, you must check them out when they come to your home state, or better yet, take a road trip to see them!

Mr. Spanky Savage of Dirty Penny. Go check out this band... now!

The Party Death is also comprised of four guys; Joshua ‘London’ Lee, Nathanial John, Jack Nightrain, and Dave Dynamite. They took the stage, asked us if we were “ready to die,” causing the everyone to go crazy, pushing each other (in a loving way, of course,) rushing the stage, fighting to be right up front. Some people even made pretty valid attempts at crowd surfing, including The Party Deaths drummer, Nathanial John who jumped onto the crowd at the end of their set.

Joshua 'London' Lee from The Party Death wanting to know if "We're Ready to Die??"

Brad Factor:10, “The Yuppies from Hell,” (the 10 being silent,) is composed of five guys who used play a lot back in the day at Danceteria and other venues in NYC circa1991. I have no idea where they have been or what they have been doing for the past 19 years, but they came back with a vengeance! They took the stage as if they have never left in their preppy clothing clearly mocking the 9-5er’s in this world making me wish I was around in 1991 to see them rock it back then. They were a blast from the past, and caused everyone in the room to beg for more as they closed out their set.

Brad Factor:10. I don't know where the hell these guys came from, but I hope they come again. I loved these guys.

The party was a great success. The people who attended were truly there for the music, and in return they dressed up to the nines and played the part. After all, isn’t that what ‘a scene’ truly is at its core? A group of people who are passionate about a certain type of music and in return dress the part to express their passion physically? I think that now-a-days certain people in ‘the scene’ are too concerned with seeing and being seen that they forget what its really about. Thank you to Tommy Gunn for coming back from the past to remind us, please don’t wait another 20 to do so!

Love your friend who will not compromise,

The Frogge ❤

Selling Our Souls for a Glass of Patron…

I shoved the last piece of Matzah in my mouth, kissed my bubby goodbye, and ran through the misty night in search of a taxi. “36th & 10th,” I said to the driver, “and step on it, please… I wanna see Sarah Silverman!” Just like that, I was off to The Darker Side of Green, an event that took place this Tuesday night in Chelsea.

Photo Taken By Bronques: Courtesy of Last Nights Party

I had never been to Skylight West before, but I knew I had reached my destination when I saw the bright, lime-green lights, illuminating an over sized doorway.  I walked through the entrance, following the green, with a slight feeling that I was embarking upon some kind of futuristic spacecraft. It was almost as if I was in a pleasant trance… until I saw the line to get in. “Ughhh, major downer,” I thought to myself! When, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, my friend James Coppola popped up on the other side of the ropes. “Jamesss,” I purred, “I don’t want to wait in this line.” He cocked his head to one side, and with a look of sincerity said, “All the Glamazons are doing it.” Somewhat irritated, I turned around and gave the line a good look. James was right. I have never seen so many good looking, well-dressed people so well behaved on a line before. It was as if the promise of Sarah Silverman, Paul Sevigny, The Misshapes, and a three-hour Patron open bar was enough to mitigate even the most impatient of the partygoers…

Photo Taken By Bronques: Courtesy of Last Nights Party

I got in line behind two gentlemen who seemed somewhat interesting. Wanting to figure out whether or not they really were, I completely eavesdropped in on their conversation about “art parties” as I checked out all the kids who were on the line around me. I began to get lost in watching the tall, gorgeous girls in breathtaking boots and bold blazers with long flowing locks, surrounded by handsome boys in feathered hats, skinny jeans and suave jackets when my thoughts were interrupted by one of the two gentlemen, “I mean, really,” the one without the feathered hat said, “if you can’t afford to buy a beer, just stay out of the art world…”

*** To read the rest of this fabulous, yet informational article, click HERE! and you shall be redirected to Scallywag And Vagabond where this article is currently on the front page ***

Love your (happy) friend,

The Frogge ❤

“Yo, Lemme Get a Tranny with a Side of Pierogi.”

Good day! Frogge here… I hope that everyone is feeling lovely even though the weather has been so yucky! I have some news for all of you little froggers & froggettes! The Frogge was asked to contribute to ScallywagAndVagabond.com… The Scallywag’s over at Scallywag and Vagabond describe themselves as, “A dissection of pop culture, a platform for the avant-garde, an offering from the arbiters of taste and probing interviews. Imagine; a fusion of editorials from the New Yorker meets the savagery of Gawker with the allure of Vanity Fair.”

I wrote about a provocative party called GERMS, which takes place every Friday night at Club Europa (98 Meserole Avenue. Greenpoint, BK.)

Gorgeous GERMy Girlies Complete w/ Green Jello Shots!

The post starts off like this: Saturday morning. 2.30 am.

As I stepped out onto the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a man (? )approached me, “I knowww you,” s/he howled. Under his strange hat, Lady Gaga style sunglasses, white face makeup, ruby lipstick, and clothes that looked like s/he time traveled here straight from 1994 I could make the tell tale signs of an oscillating mouth.

“It’s One-Half! One-Half-Nelson, sweetie!”

I look at him a little longer, observe the dangling yellow green glow sticks and the barrage of glamorous kids suddenly flowing up the barges of Club Europa and suddenly realize that  I have come to the place that I had been hearing so much about lately- Germs, a weekly party that was ‘going off’ on this side of the universe…

To read the rest of this ravishing post of this post, click HERE! You will be redirected to Scallywag and Vagabond for the rest of the  juicy details. Rock on!

Resident Photographer Elle Rex & Friend Showing the L<3VE @ GERMS!

Love your (sniffly & under the weather) friend,

The Frogge ❤

How Soon Is… Next Sunday??

Good day! Frogge here! And I’ve missed all of you little Froggers & Froggettes sooo much! But there is no time to waste, as I have not written for about a month now Yes, it’s true that I have been such a busy Frogge, but to be honest, I also haven’t been feeling very inspired lately! I have been out, I have been about (actually, I had a really kick ass time at Avenue on Tuesday night… I’ll get back to that later) and things have been ‘okay,’ but there hasn’t been anything sooo awesomely amazing that made me think to myself, “Ohhh my goodness! I NEED to share this with the entire blogging world of America!” So last night I said to my friend The Cat, “Let’s go to a party that we have never gone to before… I just need to do something different.” Thats how we ended up at Sway (Spring & Hudson) for MORRISSEY night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that is a lot of exclamation points, and I don’t want to get all 500 Days of Summer on your asses (especially cause that movie sucked!) but The Smiths are foo sure in my top 5 favorite bands of all time…

Sway (Spring & Hudson)

Of course I have been to Sway before, after all, I am The Frogge, and I go out in this city like its my job, but to be honest it has never really impressed me. I always find it a little too crowded, a little too hot, a little too pretentious, a little too smoky and decorated a little too similarly to my mother’s living room, as she has an affinity for all things Moroccan. But, I had never been there on a Sunday night, so I decided to give it another try. After all, this is a new year, and we must forgive all who have disappointed us in the past and try to give second chances… And I am REALLY glad that I did.

The Cat & I walked into Sway around 2:30 am (we had previously been at Greenhouse for Kenny Kenny & Susanne Bartsch‘s weekly Sunday party, Vandam, because it was necessary to catch a special performance by my very dear friend Kayvon Zand… I will definitely be getting back to this later) and it was JAM packed, which is pretty impressive for a random Sunday night in 17 degree weather. But true New Yorker’s are resilient, and The Frogge has never known anyone cool that has ever said, “Hey man, I can’t make it out tonight, this wind chill factor is really getting me down!”

What else can I say about this? I mean, the situation pretty much speaks for itself. The DJ’s, Brian DeGraw & Ben Cho, play a Smiths/Morrissey song pretty much 1 out of every 4/5 songs… And every time a Smiths/Morrissey song comes on after not being on for a whole 3, 4, or 5 songs… the kids go bananas! I’m talking B A N A N A S… Of course the DJ’s waited until around 3:35 to play How Soon Is Now (which I felt was kind of cliché… No offense Brian & Ben, you did a super lovely job otherwise, but just because How Soon Is Now is ‘the best,’ doesn’t mean you have to save it for last.) But when it did come on, it was close to a religious experience… The energy in the room was just amazing… Think a room jam-packed full of cutie-hipster-ish-music-lover types all extending their arms up in the air like there will be no tomorrow screaming, “I am human & I need to be loved, just like everybody else does!!!” at the top of their lungs!

Anywhoo… I would like to point out for all of you recessionista‘s that Sway has a large variety of drinks, ranging from their signature drink, The Ruby Tuesday (Grey Goose Vodka & pomegranate juice) to a $4 beer.

No Cover, $4 beer, Smiths/Morrissey songs ALL NIGHT LONG… In my very opinionated opinion, this may be one of  the best ways any individual can spend a Sunday night in NYC… My only question now is HOW SOON IS NEXT SUNDAY?

Love your friend,

The Frogge ❤

RIBBIT OF THE DAY: The Ribbit of the Day is going to my friend The Cat… I wanted to leave Sway literally 10 minutes before they were closing simply because it had been a longggggg day & my feet had officially stopped working… I said to her, “Let’s just go, they are gonna close in a about 5 minutes anyway” and she said… “Are you kidding me?? You can’t even imagine what they could possibly play in the next 5 minutes!!” Awww… Now thats the type of enthusiasm I love to see!

THE FROGGE has been BLACKBOOKED!

Dearest readers… Happy Sunday! Today is a very special day for The Frogge and I would like to share it with all of you. The Frogge is so pleased and proud to announce that she has been mentioned in the December issue of Blackbook Magazine (page 99 to be exact!) as a nightlife blogger, New York based actress, club kid, and overall important contributor to the New York City nightlife scene.

The article was written by NY nightlife legend Steve Lewis… The man who was behind iconic clubs such as Palladium, Limelight, Tunnel, Danceteria, The World, Red Zone, Club USA, Plaid, Spa, Butter, Marquee, Aspen Social Club and many, many more… (Oh, and did I mention he is in the process of designing 8 new clubs?)

The article is called “The Kids Stay In The Picture” and was inspired by a photo that was taken in 1989 at infamous Michael Alig‘s annual party called The Changing Of The Guard… And here it is…

Michael Alig's 1989 Changing of the Guard Party @ The Red Zone

Exactly 20 years later, Steve Lewis wanted to make it a point that the scene has not disappeared. In fact, it is alive and well. He explains in Blackbook that, “Back in Alig’s day, the annual ‘Changing of the Guard’ party and group photo announced a who’s-who of upcoming club kings and queens. To usher in the new decade, we’ve done the same with the classiest crop of pleasure junkies.” And without further adieu… Here we are…

Club Royalty: The Class of 2010

In case you are wondering just who is in this picture… The Frogge shall explain…

(From left to right in the back row) Mr. HUNTER THOMPSON: Stylist, professional crumper & dead animal collection/ DANZIE: DJ, music specialist & blogger… Check her blog out at zdanz.com/ Mr. SAMUEL VALENTINE: NY nightlife promoter, event host & band booker/ THE FROGGE: writer of THEFROGGE.COM (obviously) & actress/ Mr. PATRICK DUFFY: Owner of Serpentine/ Mr. YING CHU: Fashion designer/ KENDRA MARTYN: Door girl @ The Tribecca Grand Hotel/ AXEL KOHLER: Menswear designer/ EPIPHANY GET PAID: Performance artist/ LAUREN DILLARD: DJ, NY nightlife promoter, event host, musician, member of the band Creep/ APRIL CHALPARA: Band member of Figure Study/ NADIA KOCH: Co-Owner of Home Sweet Home/ ALEX CHAPMAN: Stylist & clothier/ LIBBY BROOCKS: Jazz singer & photographer… Check her pix out on fulltimefriend.com (From left to right in the front row) Mr. JERMAINE JAGGER: Designer & DJ/ WILLIAM MERRELL: Bartender & tooth-and-bone collector/ DJ NITA AVIANCE: DJ at Mr. Black/ ONE-HALF NELSON: Designer, host & overall eccentric/ JAMES COPPOLA: Promoter, event host & founder of fulltimefriend.com…and last but not least… LADYFAG: Performer, writer & nightlife personality.

To quote Lewis in his article, “With Alig tucked away in an exclusive venue with a very tough door: the upstate prison where he remains incarcerated today, a new generation of style-savvy merrymakers has risen to carry the torch.”

NYC nightlife, the real nightlife (cause you know that I am definitely not talking about the dive bar on the corner of 33rd street & 3rd ave.) is more than just “going out and getting some drinks.” (If you treat it that way… well, that’s exactly why  you aren’t in this picture.)

What you have to, need to understand is that nightlife is a place where artists of all kinds (actors, actresses, DJ’s, musicians, writers, designers, stylists, photographers, ect) come together and exchange ideas, exchange creative energy… Whether its hearing a new great song, discovering your new favorite band, seeing a piece of clothing that you just need to have, meeting your new best friend, seeing something that you have never seen before, doing something that you never thought you would do… The nightlife is our perfect fantasy land where we go to escape the mundane… It’s where we go to let our alter egos play with all the other alter egos… To grow, to learn, to see, and most importantly to push the boundaries… to defy normalcy… because nothing is more boring than being normal.

We know that carrying the torch is a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it, and I couldn’t be more honored that its us.

RIBBIT OF THE DAY: I gotta give the ribbit to Marilyn Monroe when she said, “Imperfection is beauty; madness is genius. And it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” I think this quote perfectly defines the nightlife, the kids, and the beautiful movement that we are a part of.

Love your friend,

THE FROGGE ❤

*A big thank you to Mr. Steve Lewis for writing this beautiful article and giving us kids the recognition that we deserve. Check out his column GOOD NIGHT MR. LEWIS and get your very own copy of Blackbook magazine at a magazine stand near you! (Mila Kunis is on the cover and she looks F’n HOT!!)