Rhythmism.com
Tuesday, Jul 20th 2004, 04:52 PM
#1
Plexi's Last Dance :: Filter 14
Plexi's Last Dance :: Filter 14
Such heartbreaking news...to hear that beloved Filter 14 will be
closing on July 20th. So this Friday was the last dance for Plexi - the
last Plexi party ever at Filter 14! After 3 years & 3 months of Plexi
parties, it's a bitter pill to swallow. The loss of something more than
a club, but a home for music heads and clubbers in the post-Twilo era.
More so than Centro-Fly, more so than Arc - Filter 14 is
the club closing that affects my clubbing sensibilities the most.
Filter 14 was a haven of quality music with a no-frills atmosphere of
drunkenness and camaraderie.
The many nights of Plexi. A group of us started with an idea, inspired
by our nights at Twilo and wanting to create that same energy
and music elsewhere. We landed at ReBar on Eight Avenue for a
couple months and after they closed for renovations we found Filter 14.
It was a dark, bare-boned space but we saw lots of potential. From a
promoter's perspective, there really is no place like it. We had a
great sound system, an honest owner & great staff that were actually
fun to work with, and an anything goes ethos as long as we were still
having fun. I've seen boobs & more, I've seen licking, I've seen things
I can't even speak of in the downstairs bathroom. I've had many
"meetings" with fellow cohorts in "my office" downstairs and I've
shared many a dance with you on the dance-floor occasionally stealing a
peak up at my favorite lighting guy.
One of my most poignant memories is Trendroid's debut party
which was scheduled for 9-13-2001 but of course we couldn't go on
because of what had just transpired two days before. Drs. Matt & Pankaj
were actually working at St Vincent's then and the overall trauma made
it impossible on so many levels. After much debate we went on with it
two weeks later and it was a special night for friends to come together
and grieve, mourn, listen to music and most of all just to be together.
Uniquely for a dance club, Filter was that kind of place. On another
memorable night in March 2004 [Although not a Plexi party], days after
the war in Iraq broke out, Kats Imai played the original version
of John Lennon, "Imagine" and it captivate the entire
club in show-stopping fashion; people from outside pured into the main
room to stop, listen and reflect. It was a magical moment where
anything seemed possible. People are still talking about that night.
We've also tasted at Filter 14 with treats from piñatas and birthday
cakes, and lots of champagne. Even crudités and peanuts when the mood
would strike. I've celebrated my 27th, 28th and 29th birthday there.
Now, I'm a little distraught about where to host the big 3-0?!?
Plexi parties with Tribe Trix on visuals, Kageki on
lights, Jordanna & Sandra at the door, Hattie the manager,
Jason & Alison on bar duties, Tommy the owner presiding
over it all and a rotating cast of DJs that were the very best of New
York City. That's what Plexi was about, its mission was to showcase the
abundance of NYC-based DJs and talent. We tried to follow the maxim, if
you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. After all, Filter 14 is
quintessential New York.
Thanks to Matt Licata (112 Crew) & Gaby Dershin
(Astro&Glyde) for making this last Plexi night special. Matt owns that
room, more so than any of his 112 cohorts. His big sound in the small
room is all encompassing and does the sound system justice. We'll miss
him, as much as he'll miss playing that room. And although Gaby may not
have played at Filter 14 quite as often, the sentiment was overflowing
with a remix / sampling of Madonna [from Like a Prayer]
"feels like home..."
That's what Filter 14 is...it feels like home...
www.bettykang.com
www.plexiparty.com
Such heartbreaking news...to hear that beloved Filter 14 will be
closing on July 20th. So this Friday was the last dance for Plexi - the
last Plexi party ever at Filter 14! After 3 years & 3 months of Plexi
parties, it's a bitter pill to swallow. The loss of something more than
a club, but a home for music heads and clubbers in the post-Twilo era.
More so than Centro-Fly, more so than Arc - Filter 14 is
the club closing that affects my clubbing sensibilities the most.
Filter 14 was a haven of quality music with a no-frills atmosphere of
drunkenness and camaraderie.
The many nights of Plexi. A group of us started with an idea, inspired
by our nights at Twilo and wanting to create that same energy
and music elsewhere. We landed at ReBar on Eight Avenue for a
couple months and after they closed for renovations we found Filter 14.
It was a dark, bare-boned space but we saw lots of potential. From a
promoter's perspective, there really is no place like it. We had a
great sound system, an honest owner & great staff that were actually
fun to work with, and an anything goes ethos as long as we were still
having fun. I've seen boobs & more, I've seen licking, I've seen things
I can't even speak of in the downstairs bathroom. I've had many
"meetings" with fellow cohorts in "my office" downstairs and I've
shared many a dance with you on the dance-floor occasionally stealing a
peak up at my favorite lighting guy.
One of my most poignant memories is Trendroid's debut party
which was scheduled for 9-13-2001 but of course we couldn't go on
because of what had just transpired two days before. Drs. Matt & Pankaj
were actually working at St Vincent's then and the overall trauma made
it impossible on so many levels. After much debate we went on with it
two weeks later and it was a special night for friends to come together
and grieve, mourn, listen to music and most of all just to be together.
Uniquely for a dance club, Filter was that kind of place. On another
memorable night in March 2004 [Although not a Plexi party], days after
the war in Iraq broke out, Kats Imai played the original version
of John Lennon, "Imagine" and it captivate the entire
club in show-stopping fashion; people from outside pured into the main
room to stop, listen and reflect. It was a magical moment where
anything seemed possible. People are still talking about that night.
We've also tasted at Filter 14 with treats from piñatas and birthday
cakes, and lots of champagne. Even crudités and peanuts when the mood
would strike. I've celebrated my 27th, 28th and 29th birthday there.
Now, I'm a little distraught about where to host the big 3-0?!?
Plexi parties with Tribe Trix on visuals, Kageki on
lights, Jordanna & Sandra at the door, Hattie the manager,
Jason & Alison on bar duties, Tommy the owner presiding
over it all and a rotating cast of DJs that were the very best of New
York City. That's what Plexi was about, its mission was to showcase the
abundance of NYC-based DJs and talent. We tried to follow the maxim, if
you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. After all, Filter 14 is
quintessential New York.
Thanks to Matt Licata (112 Crew) & Gaby Dershin
(Astro&Glyde) for making this last Plexi night special. Matt owns that
room, more so than any of his 112 cohorts. His big sound in the small
room is all encompassing and does the sound system justice. We'll miss
him, as much as he'll miss playing that room. And although Gaby may not
have played at Filter 14 quite as often, the sentiment was overflowing
with a remix / sampling of Madonna [from Like a Prayer]
"feels like home..."
That's what Filter 14 is...it feels like home...
www.bettykang.com
www.plexiparty.com
