SUSAN LEVINE SPINS YOU INTO GAY PRIDE 2012

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SPINNING WITH DJ SUSAN LEVINE

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Susan Levine

It is Gay Pride weekend in NY and Pride is all about the celebrations and the music that moves the parties! So let's talk gay music! If I have to pick THE song that symbolizes PRIDE I think that the quintessential gay dance song is "I AM WHAT I AM." The song was originally introduced in the TONY award winning Broadway musical "La Cage Aux Folles" (1983–1987). It was composed in 1983 by Jerry Herman an openly gay man. "I Am What I Am'" was then recorded by Gloria Gaynor in 1983 and eventually became one of two Gaynor songs that became anthems for the gay pride movement the other being 1978's "I Will Survive." I closed the 2009 women's pier dance in NYC for the 40th anniversary of The Stonewall Riots with "I Am What I Am." The perfect song for such a big anniversary!

Since there is so much great dance music that is associated with gay dance club scene I want to give you some my all time favorite picks of some of the best dance music that has weathered the test of time. There are so many fierce dance songs that consistently resonate on my dance floors over the years and are also Pride favorites so it is the perfect time to give them their due. Who hasn't been compelled to shake their groove thing to the BIG female vocals that are infamous in the gay clubs. 

Here are some of my all time favorite picks:

I am having a hard time choosing which Whitney because there are so many. The one I love to sing at the top of my lungs while I am DJing would be "My Love Is Your Love" and I am loving the new remix Joe Gauthreaux produced. Of course who could resist the Jr Vasquez remix of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody!" And I can't leave out the Thunderpuss version of "It's Night Right But It's OK."

Deborah Cox has given us many big vocal anthems with "Absolutely Not" remixed by Hex Hector and "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here", always getting the crowds moving. 

I've had the pleasure of DJing for the amazing diva Reina once at pier dance and also at Cherrys On The Bay. "No One's Gonna Change You" is definitely a gay fav. 

Where do I start with Queen Diva Madonna? There are so many great Madonna songs over the years so how do I pick? My personal favorite is "Ray Of Light" which the one Madonna that crosses over to all crowds. Sunday, August 28th I will be DJing a Madonna lovefest at Cherrys On The Bay before she hits NY on tour! 

As I am thinking about the twinks idol Britney Spears, there she is on my TV talking about X-Factor! Old school "Baby One More Time" or "Toxic" (Peter Rauhofer). More current "Till The World Ends" and Irish producer Liam Keegan"s remix.

Put your hands up for super diva Mary J Blige because Moto Blanco has given us legendary remixes of both "Be Without You" and "Just Fine" which draw in a dance floor without fail.

Certainly Adele has added her voice to the list of big gay female vocals with "Rolling In The Deep." My 2 favorite remixes were done by Dark Intensity for a hard mix and Tom Buster with Kidzoy for a tribal beat. Last summer "Someone Like You" became the song of the summer and the Funk3d version blends the vocal drop and the beat superbly. Gets you singing and dancing.

I just Want To F*****G Dance

I absolutely must mention a Fire Island dance floor fav because it is just soooo gay. "I Just Wanna F*****g Dance" from the Jerry Springer Opera sung by Alison Jiear is the song, and if you have never heard it check it out on youtube above.

I could go on and on with this list but since we started with Whitney we need to end with Donna Summer. We've sadly lost two of our best female vocalists this year.

Since her death the producers out there are finally remixing all her greatest disco hits but first there was Rollo and Sister Bliss who gave us an incredible version of "I Feel Love."

I absolutely love "I Will Go" which is a reinterpretation of an Italian Classical crossover sung by Andrea Bocelli "Con Te Partiro." Very moving! Of course we can all relate these days to "She Works Hard For Her Money" and Alex Dubbing did an amazing new remix of the classic! So my darlings let's dance the "Last Dance" for love and PRIDE!

Empire State Of Mind

Speaking of PRIDE and music we all have proud moments in our lives and last summer in 2011. I was lucky enough to be the headlining DJ for the NYC Women's "Heritage Of Pride" Pier Dance "Rapture On The River" the day after gay marriage was passed in New York State. Talk about dancing PROUD! I dedicated the last song of the night to New York State with the perfectly remixed and moving Alicia Keyes/ Jay Z "Empire State Of Mind" mashed with Frank Sinatra "New York New York" done by the producers Chew Fu. There was not a dry eye on the pier!

Since the readers of Times Square Gossip like to be kept abreast of the hip and trendy happenings in our lives, I am DJing a gay fabulous event tomorrow night Thursday June 21st for PRIDE. South Beaches Lord's Hotel is doing a pop up hotel in NYC for Pride at the Hotel on Rivington. Super Producer Hex Hector and I are spinning two side by side events one for the men and one for the women for "Proud To Care" which benefits fashion designer John Bartlett's Tiny Tim Foundation. 7PM-1AM The event is free but you must RSVP at proud2care@gmail.com. 

Photo By: James Edstrom

 

THE TOP MUSIC HITS FROM DJ SUSAN LEVINE

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SPINNING WITH DJ SUSAN LEVINE

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 DJ Susan Levine

Just want to say hi to all you followers of Times Square Gossip. My big fan James Edstrom has spent many a night grooving to my tunes on my Fire Island dance floor and has asked me to write a dance music column for you about what's hot in the clubs. I am a pop music dance DJ primarily on the gay scene in the North East. I just won "Best Dance DJ" by GO Magazine (www.gomag.com). In the summer my favorite residency is the club "Cherrys On The Bay" in Cherry Grove on Fire Island. I will be reporting from there. I have been a resident DJ on Fire Island since 2006 which is a seasonal beach community attracting tourist from all over the world. The majority of the dance crowd on Fire Island are gays from the Tri State area. The clubs in the Grove are legendary and are an excellent barometer for what's hot in the clubs!

The Fire Island season officially kicks off with the BIG Memorial Day crowds and dance parties all weekend! The first summer dance hits will start their rotation this weekend. The question at the beginning of the summer is which song will eventually be the quintessential summer anthem for 2012! Last summer hands down it was Adele's "Someone Like You." We won't know until September but we can always make some early season predictions. Predictions anyone? Drop me a line at djsusanlevine@gmail.com

There is so much fun music out there moving the dance floor and J Lo's "Dance Again' is at the top of the pop request list at the moment. There are a bunch of excellent remixes out there, the original remix being a fav as well as the Cosmic Dawn remix and Miguel Vargas' remix.

At the end of last summer I was OBSESSED with the infectious David Guetta/ Sia collaboration on "Titanium." Still one of my favorite tracks. "Wild Ones" Sia's 2nd hit with David Guetta was an  follow up and made me LOVE LOVE the Australian songstress. She was the vocalist in one of my favorite UK chill groups Zero 7! Check out Zero 7 if you're into chill tunes! "Destiny" is a dreamy ballad made for seduction! The "Wild Ones" remix I am dropping at the moment is the Basto Remix.

So, is Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" on your iPhone yet? Gotye who's real name is Wouter De Backer is from Australia had his first US billboard #1 hit in April 2012 with "Somebody That I Used To Know." Listen to the Brian Cua remix which is highly danceable remix. "Somebody's" female vocalist New Zealander Kimbra just dropped her much anticipated solo album "Vows" this month in the US.

Who can resist the pop sweetness of Canadian recording artist Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe?" The remixer Lyrakill has taken it to a more interesting place musically by sampling in Daft Punk's "One More TIme" and Calvin Harris' "Feel So Close." FIERCE remix! Calvin Harris is the hot go-to producer of the moment and his work with Benassi on "Feel So Close" is dance floor magic!

There are tracks I like to call the singers because not only do you dance to them but you want to sing a long as well. Nicki Minaj's pop anthem "Starships" is one of those tunes ya can't help singin'! There are several remixes I like. Funk3D, Liam Keegan and Cosmic Dawn will get your feet moving and you singing at the top of your lungs!

When I first heard this Pitbull I loved it and thought it was a perfect example of how to mix a throwback into a new track. "Back In Time" which is from the soundtrack of the new "Men In Black" movie is a beautiful use of Mickey and Sylvia's "Love Is Strange." Works as well as the track Pitbull recorded last summer "Shake Senora" which of course it a clever remake of the calypso classic by Harry Belafonte "Jump In The Line" which also I love playing in it's original form when I spin an afternoon TDance.

Those are just a few of my commercial picks this week. If you have a broader taste in house music check out "Cry Me A RIver" by The Cliks the Tracy Young remix, "You and I" by Serge Devant featuring vocalist Rachel Starr. You might remember her from that dance floor fav from 2006 "Till There Was You." Serge Devant did another track I adore "Addicted" with the vocalist Hadley. Ida Corr who you remember from that dance floor banger "Let Me Think About It," has a new song I am vibing called "See You Later" a collaboration with the producer Bimbo Jones. The DJ's From Mars who always create the most interesting remixes and mashes have done justice to this track. "You can find and listen to my remix picks on youtube."

Have a fabulous holiday weekend and get out on the dance floor!

Photo By: James Edstrom

DJ VICE HITS NEW YORK CITY CLUB HOTSPOTS

DJ Vice

DJ Vice was playing at Avenue on Wednesday night in NYC. The DJ powerhouse was also spotted at NYC hotspot Beauty And Essex on Thursday night catching up with friends and checking out the DJ booth before jet setting back to Vegas for shows at TAO and LAVO.

SUSAN LEVINE & PORSCHE GET STONEWALLED

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THIS AND THAT

Story By: James Edstrom
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The Legends Porsche And DJ Susan Levine

Considering it has been a very boring winter with not much snow or any real excitement here in Times Square, I had a wonderful evening with DJ Legend Susan Levine the other night. I just had to see her before the summer season started on Fire Island. On the famed gay mecca, Susan is always working and even when I get a chance to hang out with her there, she has so many fans coming up to her, I can't get anything much to say in without being disturbed. So it was a relief the other night when I met her for drinks at the Cubby Hole and then went over to Stonewall to see the superstar herself perform, Porsche. This is where the whole gay revolution started and it seems Miss Porsche has started a revolution of her own. The place was packed!

It was kinda the same thing in the village, everyone coming up to Miss Levine, but I found a secluded spot way in the back of Stonewall where we could talk and laugh without being disturbed. It was like a flashback to the past, but the club has changed over the years.



THE NEW VILLAGE


Gone were the old video slot machines where if you won the bartender would pay you. There were no orgy's in the men's room like the old days, drinks are not 3 bucks anymore and there is now a second floor that was filled with a lesbian party. Gone are the days when you stood out in front of Stonewall and you got harassed on the street by str8 people. I used to love that. I can't tell you how many times years ago when a str8 person would start a fight out in front of Stonewall thinking they were gay bashing and were so cool, only to be surprised when we kicked their ass and they were the ones running down the street like a crying queen. We used to be able to smoke at the bar and always were allowed to light up some good marijuana and no one blinked a eye. We had our own world and nothing could match it in this day and age.

I know I may sound like one of these old people who always say, "things were better in the old days", but they really were. The fight for gay rights and Aids has taken a toll on the gay community. Now that being gay is accepted everywhere, being in a gay bar feels like a str8 club. The gay community has been assimilated into str8 society and in a very big way this sucks. We used to have our own clubs, our own shows and our own identity. Now you can be gay everywhere.

As I looked at the young gay people in the club, I turned to Susan Levine and told her that they had no idea how they got here. They have no idea about the gay beatings, the gay murders and the harassment that being gay brought. They have no idea about the fight for equal rights, the raid on the village clubs where they could just arrest you for being gay. They have no idea how much fun the village used to be. Gay leather men walking up and down Christopher street, butch dyke lesbians fighting on the sidewalk, hundreds of naked men sun tanning on the piers at the end of the famed street. Yes, this was fun!

The str8 people have taken over the village. You can always see Sara Jessica Parker and other celebrities walking around with their children, high end stores are open everywhere, and gone are the days when every bar was open at noon time. Being accepted by everyone has cost the gay community their identity. I liked it better when all you str8 people hated us, I really do.

One thing that Stonewall has, besides it historic past, is bartender Tree Sequoia. This guy is a legend in village history. I first met him at a seedy bar called The Ninth Circle on West 10th street. I was 17 years old and Tree was the bartender downstairs. In the old days when you were young and gay, the gay community and the clubs used to take you in. You couldn't drink, but you could meet other gay people. You were shown that being gay was nothing to be ashamed about and you were taught gay life, because you really were not accepted in any part of str8 society. And the drinking age was 18 then. There was always magic in the air in the village and Tree was a huge part of that. You also had another famed bartender Johny Pool in those days. These were the guys a young gay kid could trust.

So watching these young gay kids at Stonewall was really surreal. Gone are the days when a young gay kid would be welcomed into a club. The drinking age is now 21 years old and anyone under that age will not be allowed into any club. Gone are the days when a confused young gay or lesbian could reach out looking for answers. As I watched these young kids ordering a drink from Tree, I knew that they had no idea that they were in front of history and even if they did, young kids do not appreciate the fight of so many people before them had, that give them their freedom today.



THE KEEPERS OF GAY HISTORY



Tree Sequoia and Johny Pool should write a book. These two were part of the revolution and it seems that this era has not been well documented at all. Seems that anytime gay history is explored on some television show, it's the same old thing. The Stonewall riots, the fighting in the streets for gay rights. I really believe Tree and Johny could shed some light on what it really was like to be gay back in those days. It was fun and exciting and being gay was a world of adventure. These two could help to preserve the real story behind gay history for future generations.



SPRING AND SUMMER IN CHERRY GROVE



Spring and summer is almost here. Petra Brehl and Rick Dugas from Dune Point are still busy putting on the finishing touches too all the renovations they did over the winter. I am so excited about seeing all the work done there. Remember Times Square Gossip readers this summer will once again get a 10% discount at Dune Point Fire Island. Just type in the word "GOSSIP" at your checkout to receive this. You might even see me in the Dune Point office, working on stories for Times Square Gossip. I might even check you in. Master Chef Steven Daniello from Top Of The Bay restaurant will be writing recipes for our readers and DJ Susan Levine who will be spinning at Cherry's On The Bay this summer, will be writing about the top club tunes. For all you West Coast gals, you will have a chance to meet Susan Levine in Palm Springs for The Dinah Shore weekend coming up. You can find out more info on FACEBOOK.



DO THE CHERRY GROVE WOBBLE WITH DJ SUSAN LEVINE



You have no idea what a great DJ is, till you hear the spinning Of Susan Levine. Spring and summer are almost here and Cherry Grove has her. Weather it's the top guest house Dune Point or dancing at Cherry's On The Bay, the excitement is about to begin. Fine dining is right off the Cherry Grove dock at Top Of The Bay and a new addition coming to the ocean side will be Sand Castle, run by Donna and Jacque from Cherry's. There is so much happening, I really hope to see so many of my new and old friends there. To experience the way gay life in NYC used to be, Cherry Grove Fire Island is the place to be.

Photo By: James Edstrom