CRog

you can buy a whistle at Fred Segal Santa Monica this Thursday Oct 22nd from 7-10. All proceeds go directly to the rehabilitation of the people of Congo and efforts to bring peace.

I’m Djing the event. Learn more about the effort. Great blog with classic photography. www.fallingwhistles.com/

Thanks to Kevin from Black Disco for leaving me with his crowd for the night, and to Chris Cruise my lovely and talented DJ partner and to all the bears who still get excited when they hear “First Time Around.” The Party’s every other Sunday Night at Ack bar on Sunset with Djs Chris Bowen and Kevin Nitedog. More Pics

Daddy Dash

I heard the news of Dash’s death yesterday, and since then slowly, the news is sinking deeper and deeper into my heart.

His estranged wife Agathe and I met probably at Gavin Brown’s Passerby one night when Eric D was DJing, and then we were friends. She loved dancing on the bar. She’d hang her head heavily from the neck and her arms fell loosely from their sockets. She would dance, flopping about like a sad rag doll. At some point I joined her up there and the two of us made a weekly tradition of entertaining the always packed, tiny bar from above.

I knew who Dash was. I first met him on the corner in front of Charlie Parker’s old place across from the East Village park. We passed each other and he nodded to my boyfriend a surprising  look.

He struck me in those seconds as someone interesting. I asked who was that? And he said, oh some rich boy writer, or something dismissive to that effect, even though they were friends and he loved him.

It wasn’t until two years later that I found myself with Agathe and Dash eating chips and guac on a Rivington sidewalk. It was the first time I saw him in daylight. It was the first time we really talked. He was charming, and for the first time I saw how truly beautiful he was.

His death has fueled the already heated discussion of did or did not Dash deserve the recognition he had in recent years. He began turning up in fashion magazines’ editorial and party pages. He started to become a household name to those into it.

Those who had no encounters with Dash, the question of was or wasn’t he a worth while artist is a natural and obvious debate, but its painful to witness from both angles.

To those “for Dash Snow”: be careful of your inclination to idolize.

To those “against Dash Snow”: be mindful of your criticism.  A fine pedigree does not imply a fine life.

The New York Mag article entitled, “Chasing Dash Snow” is now more appropriate then ever. Who was this man/boy who garnered so much attention?

Dash at Stamina 2005

Most of what I know of Dash comes from Agathe and what I saw of him from afar. He was a magnetic person. He inspired those who loved him as he was truly fearless, optimistic, charming, full of laughter, a great lover of music and a great lover of love. Sometimes he did things that were annoying, but only when you were the victim of his jokes.

My first reaction to his death was not a sadness that I would never see him again, although I do wish I could have known him longer, it was a sadness for those he left behind, specifically for his daughter Secret. But as time has passed and more information comes, I grow more and more sensitive to the pain his life and death illustrates in this small but influential community of kids in lower Manhattan.

His death is not the first of this crew. There was Harold Hunter died February 17th 2006 from a “cocaine over dose” but those who knew him think other elements were involved. Then there was Lily Wheelwright who died on March 22nd 2007, heroin. Then Semz, a member of the Irak crew Dash was a part of who died April 7th 2007 of heroin. Shawn Mortensen a great friend of the community who died April 17th 2009 of unpublicized causes and now Dash, July 13th 2009, heroin.

One night I was with Dan and Dash and “A-ron the Don” of a NYthing hanging out at Dan’s. It was just after the news of a good friend of mine died in Puerto Rico from heroin in 2005.

Everyone in my circle: New York 2001 and on did coke. I had a party at Kate’s Joint called “Night Coffee.” At some point it seemed people started doing more and more heroin. It was catching, but some struggled with heroin long before this particular circle found it chic. It was still an outlaw thing to do and even these “outlaws” didn’t talk about it.

But still I felt it was becoming more a problem for this group, and I begged A-ron as a voice of these people who I loved from a distance to check themselves. To remember the reality of this vampire.

CR and Dash in Paris

Now another one goes down. A good one.

He left many but perhaps most importantly he left a daughter who will only hear of her father and see the photos and wonder who was that man and what parts of him make up me?

Daddy Dash by Patrick Griffin

His death calls attention to it, but his life and those who shared their life with him also calls us to a simple and painful fact that the world is running empty on its supply of compassion.

Rest and restore yourself well, Dash. And love to all who knew him.

BLACKDISCO, SHITS&GIGGLES, AKBar Los Angeles

I’ve been to texas Canyon Lake San Antonio Austin AC or Swimming I danced for 12 hours to Harvey on the beach with the surfers and their waves the sun set and we stayed dancing two days before Texas and we are back in Venice, and not to mention pics and music from the last two pool parties. I have a lot to post and share………….. But first: This weekend is the last time I will be playing out for sometime. i don’t know how long, but I’m going to miss it. So Come out. It would mean a lot.

Monday 10-2am
at the Purple Lounge
in Hollywood.

Friend and great hair guy Steven is hosting the night.
RSVP

Saturday’s party is a little cocktail sorie in the afternoon on the westside.
Its a generic man Pop Up Shop

Nitedog and myself heading musical atmosphere
2-5 pm at the Hollywood Trading Company
(Fred Segal santa monica)

420 Broadway

I am playing tonight by the pool at the Custom Hotel 9-2am and tomorrow as well, a part of the legendary WET pool party series. Drag Queens in hot bikinis, people on from 1pm to 2am:

POOLSIDE VIBES

In L.A. clubbing circles, summer doesn’t officially start until Wet happens. Promoter Sam Gaglani’s usually annual Memorial Day weekend pool party is a don’t-miss event for house music heads, with hundreds of Bay Area fans coming south to attend. Pictured: a 2004 Wet party at the Roosevelt. “What makes this party great is the intermingling of S.F. and L.A. people,” Gaglani says. The day/night bash actually started in San Francisco (at the Phoenix Hotel) in 1997 before moving to L.A. in 2000. Some 1,600 people attended the 2005 L.A. event at the Roosevelt, according to Gaglani, but this year marks Wet’s debut at the Custom Hotel near LAX. Andy Caldwell leads a host of DJ notables. 1 p.m. Sat., Custom Hotel, 8639 Lincoln Blvd., Los Angeles. $30. (310) 600-9462

Grace Jones and Mel Cheren

Today is the birthday of Ms Grace Jones. If you’re a disco head at all you appreciate her music. Really, its her conviction to be only and exactly who she is that is her most inspiring quality.

I’m too young to have been there for her “heyday” of late 70’s early 80’s New York or Paris, but I did catch her live about four years ago in one of NYC cheesy, mega clubs. She convinced me that night: it wasn’t she who’d past her prime time, it was the scene itself who’s heyday had come and gone.

Whatever “it” is that transforms the dark in a big, cold, hard city into nights with friends, glitter and stardust, it is still exuded by Grace.

That night she was adorned in her uniquely GJones attire. Objects sent direct from other galaxies, and the endowment of a spectacular body to match. She had one leg propped up on a huge set-fan the other on stage while she pumped her massive and untrimmed muff in the faces of an audience who was doing little more than being stunned and waiting for the Black Eyed Peas to come on stage.

“Where’s New York?” she screamed. This woman turns 60 today.

Take it from someone who was there… Steve Lewis. I used to promote for Steve’s Wednesday night parties at Marquee. I never really knew what I was doing as a promoter. I knew I liked showing up someplace and basically getting paid to drink.

Steve and I got to be friends outside all of that (lucky for me) and I finally just began to read his blog, Good Night Mr. Lewis. Its all about the club life of NYC, its history, its politics, the old and current gossip and his forecasts for the future. Its a really good blog, and Steve’s a great writer.

Here’s something he wrote about a night with Ms Jones.

my new crush, originally uploaded by ChristineRenee.net.

First, a big thank you to all who danced, who celebrated, who contributed and on and on. It was a beautiful and stellar night. Thanks to everyone.

A labor of love from the beginning, we rented out the space, hired the security, set-up the sound, there were bands and drinks and DJs, but most of all it was the first party I’ve thrown from scratch where I felt like everything came together perfectly allowing me to be behind the decks radiating this immense love I felt in the pit of my stomach for everyone there and the world beyond us.

there was a guy dressed as Tigger giving out hash hits

I almost set-up the recorder for the “what we played last night series” but in the end decided against it. I’m so glad I did. If you were there you know what it sounded like. If you are curious, try to make it next time. I did the warm-up set, Heidi the birthday girl followed and Osamu after her. They both killed it. I really felt like they were sharing and exploring something new within themselves via the music.

Little pieces of magic happened everywhere, like my friend Jose who flew in fresh from New York and surprised me on the dance floor. We got into a lot of crazy dance styles and chants like, “who’s your mama? Obama!” and somewhere in the middle of it he lost his iPhone. Now, what are the chances of it showing up on a crowded dance floor, and showing up not crushed by someones heel?

The funny thing was, there’s this song Jose gave me on 45 a while ago, and I thought of it before I left the house knowing that for some reason I had to play it at the party and not knowing he’d be there. Its a slow song and when things were dying down, around 6am, I played said  song and as it was ending, this guy came up to the booth and said, “Someone lost their iPhone.” Low and behold.

That’s the kind of magic we had going. Happy Birthday to Heidi, Helen of Soccermom, T the security guy and Helen’s drummer Matt.

XO and until next time.

p.s. once again we’re short on photos. If you have any to share I’d love to see them. Send them to me! cr@christinerenee.net

more photos here

Feb 16 2008, originally uploaded by ChristineRenee.net.

HA! I’ve been very busy lately playing lots of music for people so i have a few “What I Played What Last Night’s coming. But for now… prepare yourself for this Saturday. Another all nighter.

Happy Birthday Helen & Heidi!

Double Fisted Underground, originally uploaded by ChristineRenee.net.

I’m playing with Mr. Scotty Coats and Crew from Ubiquity Records in Costa Mesa this Saturday. Thrifting in the Orange County goldmine of thrift Sunday morning… Yeah! Join us if you can.

Xo,
CR