Saturday, June 25, 2005

Parties are a very important aspect of having a social life. They can be very fun to throw because of both the anticipation leading up to the party and the result of the party. People should talk about the party before it happens, and hopefully have something good to say after the party. People tend to be excited about announcing a party that they plan on throwing, but usually hovering behind their excitement is the terrifying possibility that their party might be a complete disaster. No one might show up, and if they do, only a few people will decide to attend, and then those few will cluster in awkward pockets within a small area of the space, with nothing to do and nothing to say.

I have attended different kinds of parties ever since I was a child. My parents took me to parties, my parents and various members of my family always threw parties. From them, I learned how to throw my own parties. Throwing a good party is an important part of strengthening your personal relationships. Giving someone a fun memory is one of the kindest things you can do for your friends. You want to create an event that becomes a reference in people's stories.

These are the things you need to do in order to throw a successful party. Your friends will respect you for pulling it together and will want to attend the next party that you organize.

STEPS TO THROWING A SUCCESSFUL PARTY



1. MAKE SOME FRIENDS



2. Call your friends

Get an idea of what their schedule is like. Use this information to assist in figuring out what a good day to throw the party would be. Fridays and Saturdays are good days for parties, since they are the classic days for parties. If you are concerned about your friend's schedules possibly conflicting, and whether or not certain people will get along, consider the possibility of having two, even three parties, if you are celebrating your birthday.

3. Decide what kind of party you want.

Do you want a laid back party? Or do you want a let-me-get-so-crazy-I-want-to-scream-and-go-nuts all night party? This intention will help you decide which of your friends you need to prioritize for getting to come to the party, which venue the party will be held at and what kinds of things you will provide for consumption at the party.

Ideal venues for a laid back party include small apartments that are not well stocked with refreshments, don't have much of a sound system and have plenty of places to sit. The minimization of alcohol, music, people and space results in a very laid back situation because usually people don't get that hyper and animated, and therefore they end up not wanting to stay for too long. A sit down restaurant that doesn't have much lounging space is also an ideal place for a laid back party because people are restricted to their seats, and there are too many other random people present to form a cohesive crazy force.

If you are throwing a dinner party, smaller is better. 10 people is the largest amount of people you should invite to a restaurant. If you are needing to invite more than that, then you really need to make sure that the bills can be separated into at least three parts. This makes it easier for people to have to really pay instead of acting like they paid.

Venues for a let-me-get-so-crazy-I-want-to-scream-and-go-nuts all night party include large apartments, rooftops, lofts or clubs that you can take over with your friends, because your friends are the ones controlling the music. Make sure that there is plenty of standing space, a loud sound system with your various friends taking turns dj'ing and a well stocked supply of refreshments.

4. Decide when and where your party is going to happen


Call all your friends two weeks in advance and invite them to your party.

If the party is laid back, a phone call or text message will suffice for notification. If its a let-me-get-so-crazy-I-want-to-scream-and-go-nuts party then you need to use your skills to create an invitation that you can mass email to all your friends. Make it look like the kind of invitation that you want to receive to notify you about a party. The invitation should be aesthetically appealing, arouse interest and provide all the necessary details about the party.

5. Follow up!

You need to call your friends a week in advance and then two days in advance to remind them about the party. It is YOUR JOB to get them excited about your party.

After you get a final count of people attending, then you can make a reservation at the restaurant for your party. When deciding which restaurant to have the event, take people's budgets into consideration as well whether or not the restaurant can provide enough seating space for all the people in your party. Restaurants with round tables will ensure that everyone can have a conversation. People that sit at the ends of rectangle tables, unless they are extremely social, will always feel left out of the dinner. If you do end up with a rectangular table at the dinner, it your responsibility to sit at one of the ends of the table, and then assign the other end to your most social friend.

6. Acquire all the supplies needed for the party.

Buy refreshments, get rid of clutter, set up the sound system, dress up, BE THERE and then wait for people to show up.

7. BE FESTIVE!

Talk to all your guests, make sure they have what they need, and take plenty of pictures!

REMEMEMBER:

Never expect someone else to throw a party for you. If you want the party done right then you need to do it yourself, or if absolutely necessary, designate assistance from the people you trust will help you out.

Friday, June 17, 2005

I haven't been writing because...

I was here


Now I am back. I have been back for two weeks now and I have finally snapped back into nyc pace. The first few days I got back were depressing, as is the usual case when one goes on vacation and comes back to reality. It took me a week to accept why I like living here, but there are events happening this weekend that have gotten me excited for the summer and what it brings to the city.


Meme award ceremony at Eyebeam tomorrow, June 18 from 6-8pm. $10 entrance fee, free if you dress for the red carpet.


From June 12 through September 26, site specific artwork from 25 emerging and established artists can be seen throughout Coney Island.

The PS1 Warm Up schedule has also been posted.

July 2
DJ Harvey (Black Cock, MOS, 39 Hotel)
Live: Groove Collective (NYC)
Simon James (Woolfy/Projections, LA)

July 9
Hans Peter Lindstrom & Prins Thomas on Decks, EFX, & Keys (Feedelity, Oslo, Norway)
Carlos (Whatever We Want)

July 16
Juan Atkins aka Model 500 (Metroplex Records, Detroit)
Alex from Tokyo (World Famous, Tokyo Black Star)
Kimyon (Pockit Rockit USA/ NYC)

July 23
Live: MU & Maurice Fulton (Output)
Darshan Jesrani (Metro Area)
Tim Sweeney (DFA, Beats in Space)

July 30
GusGus DJ Set featuring
Buckmaster De La Cruz and Biggi Veira (Reykjavik, Iceland)
BMG of Ectomorph (IT) vs. Sal Principato of Liquid Liquid (99 Music, DFA)
(BMG: Electronics and Sal P: live vocals and percussion)
DJ Kaos (K7, Berlin)

Aug 6 > > THIS IS THE DAYYYY!!!!
Josh Wink (Ovum, Philadelphia)
Stacey Pullen aka Kosmic Messenger (Black Flag Recordings, Detroit) > Prepare to get owned by him.

Aug 13
Lovebug Starski (original hip-hop legend)
+ Very special guest
Jason Blackkat (Blackkat Soundsystem, NYC)

Aug 20
Live: Tortured Soul (Central Park Recordings, NYC)
Jerome Sydenham (Ibadan Records, NYC)
Ben Cook (Triangle Orchestra, Rong Music, SF)

Aug 27
Monolake (live laptop set)
Phil Smart (Australia)
Nikola Baytala (S.W.A.T., SF)

Sept 3
Extended Set: Norman Jay M.B.E. (Good Times Sound System, U.K.)
DJ Bluewater (funk 45 set, NYC)

Thank god for summer.