upcoming events

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past events

Ongoing: Russian Banya Parties 12.31.13 - The Bootleggers' Ball 10.26.13 - Masquerade Macabre #5 08.09-11.13 - G&S 10th Anniversary (First-ever NYC Steampunk Weekend) 10.27.12 - Masquerade Macabre #4 12.31.12 - Black & White Masked Ball 08.11.12 - The Lost Circus 04.12.12 - The Drowned Ball 02.11.12 - Meet Me in Paris 12.31.11 - The Glitter Ball 10.31.11 - Speakeasy Dollhouse 10.29.11 - Masquerade Macabre #3 08.21.11 - Black & White & Red All Over Ball (Coilhouse Magazine BDay party) 07.16.11 - The Lost Circus 07.14.11 - Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing 2011 - Swing House 12.31.10 - The Bootleggers' Ball 10.30.10 - Masquerade Macabre #2 07.31.10 - The Lost Circus 04.24.10 - Swing House 2-Year Anniversary 03.07 & 21.10 - JaNk! 02.14.10 - The Vault of Golden Vapors 12.31.09 - The Bootleggers' Ball 10.31.09 - Masquerade Macabre 07.17.09 - Nouvelle Époque Cabaret-Salon 06.27.09 - Hobos & Mermaids on the High Seas 04.03-05.09 - Luminous Flux NYC - video art weekend 03.15.09 - Swing House 1-Year Anniversary 11.01.08 - Halloween Vintage Masquerade Ball 10.31.08 - Voodoo Culture Clash 2008 - Swing House vintage dance monthly 02.14.08 - Get Off...Line VI: Roaring 20th 08.18.07 - Radiate Fire! 10.31.06 - Halloween Parade Afterparty II: Devils n Dolls 10.31.05 - Halloween Parade Afterparty: Mardi Gras 06.21.05 - Exotica: Tiki Lounge Shindig 02.14.05 - Get Off...Line III: Say Cheese (and Chocolate) 02.14.04 - Get Off...Line II: Code Red

2010: Swing House

The Green Building and The Brooklyn Lyceum, Gowanus | Event on Facebook

A dazzling vintage dance event:
"Gatsby-era fun with a twist of new-school vibe" - The Village Voice

Bootleggers and speakeasies...wild dancers and smart mouths...art that sizzles and music that roars...A costumed all-night dance ball with live swingin' sounds by authentic vintage jazz bands, re-bopin' DJs remixing and reinventing vintage grooves, blazing burlesque divas and exotic cocktails.

"We love any excuse for a fancy-dress party, and Gemini & Scorpio present a doozy with Swing House...patrons in zoot suits and full flapper regalia dance the night away to live swing, jazz, and be-bop." - Flavorpill

"Gatsby never attended a party this good" - 24/Seven

"It's like a remixed version of the Roaring '20s, with live music and burlesque dancing." - TimeOutNY

With:

  • Authentic swing cats Nick Palumbo and the Flipped Fedora Orchestra
  • Special guests from Berlin swing/ska/gypsy punk rockers Budzillus
  • Two sets of danceable early Americana by Tin Pan Band
  • Swingin' brass attack by Chicago's Environmental Encroachment mini-band and guests from Hungry March Band
  • Live swing remix dance set by FreeBass on bass and laptop
  • Renown burlesque divas Amber Ray, The Maine Attraction, and Gigi LaFemme
  • Re-bopin' jazz swingin' beats by renown mix master DJ Shakey
  • Charming hostess and songstress Kim Boekbinder of Vermillion Lies
  • FREE dance class before the event with Akemi Kinukawa of Dardo Galletto Studios
  • Exotic cocktail menu featuring herbal concoctions by The House of St Eve and other delectable potions

The Jazz Age never ended, it just got funky. Dress accordingly: "An event worth wearing that ridiculous zoot suit for." - TimeOut NY. "Corsets and top hats tweaked with studs and leather are totally appropriate." - The New York Times. Suggestions: classy, tailored, glamorous, vintage (1920s-1940s), evening, hats, feathers, sequins, beads. No casual attire. Past Swing House details & photos here and here; hi res press photos here and here.

See below for detailed info on all performers.





More on our artists:

Swing cats: Nick Palumbo and the Flipped Fedoras

Dressed to kill, with their trademark Fedora hats and vintage ties, Nick Palumbo and the Flipped Fedoras have created their own unique sound with a 1940's-inspired Swing beat and modern-day edginess, performing a mix of Jump Swing standards and originals.

Gypsy-Swing-Punk rockers: BudZillus

Insanity has a name, and chaos has a soundtrack - BudZillus! One of Berlin's most infamous live acts, these masters of Oriental-Swing-Punk build their own instruments and belt out tunes in German, English and Hungarian. leaving audiences from Berlin to Istanbul euphoric, bewildered and sweaty. Recent concerts with World Inferno Friendship Society, Firewater and Kultur Shock have driven thousands of fans into a dancing frenzy, and now the band has landed in NYC for the first time for only a handful of shows.

Vintage jazz n blues: Tin Pan Band

Tin Pan connotes a world from the past - the most dominant and enlightened strains of American music of the early part of the 20th century - jazz, blues and American popular song. But it would be a mistake to say that Tin Pan is fixed in that past. Rather, it is music created to be enjoyed profoundly and joyously in the present. The band has created a rabid following by playing music that resonates powerfully because its intention is pure - to make people dance, smile and conjure with the spirit of music itself. On their new album, Hound's Tooth, the band has perfected their sonic vision - effortless, wondrous and festive, feeling much like, as the band describes themselves, Ray Charles and Tom Waits at a Bourbon Street Parade. "The singer lowers his trumpet and leans back against the wall, belting out another song, eyes shut, heart open." - The New York Times.

Brass attack: Environmental Encroachment & guests

Environmental Encroachment is a 20+ person brass and drum ensemble from Chicago. On the final days of their HONK Festival of Radical Marching Bands tour, EE brings a smaller crew to NYC to play fun music and offer entertaining performance antics, including guests from Hungry March Band and ther brass ensembles. EE has a storied NYC underground history, including NYC Burning Man Decompression, Rubulad, Staten Island Ferry, as well as numerous clubs, bars and street busking. In Chicago, they are veterans of the famous Speakeasy Tour.

Blazing burlesque: The Maine Attraction

Burlesque dancer, samba dancer, belly dancer, African dancer, hip hop dancer, modern dancer, fire dancer, specialty dancer, go-go dancer, pole dancer, showgirl, walkabout host, contortionist, voiceover and singer, Maine forges a link between live instrumentation, DJs, multimedia, spoken word and the art of dance. She has worked for and alongside such artists as Pharell Williams, Jessica Simpson, James Brown, Meshell N'degeocello, Matthew Barney, DJ Tiesto, DJ Carl Cox, DJ Johnathan Peters, and fashion designers Patricia Field and Marc Jacobs. In June 2007, GO Magazine honored Maine in their annual "100 Women We Love" issue. With her powerful and uninhibited movement, sexuality, rhythm, and sense of humor, Maine is a ball of fire that lights up any stage.

Blazing burlesque: Amber Ray

Amber Ray's pageantry is easily described as iconic. She's well known for her many characterized acts and adventures based on collaborations for style makers such as Anti-Gravity, Susanne Bartsch, Thierry Mugler, Jackie 60, Penny Arcade and many others. Ardently sharing her love of style and luster in a purely spiritual expression, Amber Ray works as an artist, costume designer, singer, burlesque entertainer and all around creative force of nature. She regularly appears in various publications, and has cameos on cable & network TV. Brace Yourselffor her power-packed manifestations of absolute fabulousness. "...Creative Sexpot..." - NY Magazine.

Blazing burlesque: GiGi La Femme

One of the most active performers on the New York Burlesque scene, GiGi La Femme is a striptease artist, go-go dancer, pin-up model, chanteuse, host, and producer. GiGi has appeared in shows including Le Scandal, Pinchbottom Burlesque, Revealed, Starshine Burlesque, Sweet & Nasty Burlesque, and is the star and host of Wasabassco Burlesque. GiGi is also a founding member of The Burlesque Alliance, producers of some of the east coast's largest burlesque events.

"...clearly the most outrageous risk taker of all the performers. Her act is a combination of male fantasy and female desires." - NY Theatre Wire

Live swing remix: FreeBass

A swingin' collaboration between beat producer and celebrated maven of the underground Miss DJ Shakey and hep cat of the four strings Aaroneous, FreeBass has been making the denizens of the groove from Atlantic City to Reno shake what their mommas gave them with their blend of snazzy beats and vintage basses. Produced on the spot by Shakey on her array of space age effects and electronic doodads with Aaroneous on live upright and acoustic basses from across the known galaxy, a FreeBass performance strides the tightrope-taught line between the future and past, electronic and organic, exotic and familiar. For Swing House, FreeBass will be doing a special all-jazz set, mixing vintage samples with live bass lines.

Beats wizard: DJ Shakey

Julie has been a professional nightclub / mobile disc jockey / wedding dj for over 14 years. She is also a record collector, music consultant, and veteran of the music video industry. She specializes in diverse music, music in media, dance parties, and special concepts. Her music collection includes over 9000 vinyl recordings and cds. She is a party co-ordinator, promoter, experienced host, and has performed on radio, internet, and television broadcasts.

Charming hostess: Kim Boekbinder

Kim "Vermillion" Boekbinder has your heart. She stole it in the future and has traveled back in time to make sure you remember how to fall in love with the world. Her songs range from murderous waltzes to epic pop ballads, from country sing-a-longs to sonic sculptures. She usually plays electric guitar, but is also keen on making noise with ukulele, accordion, piano, and squeaky toys. She spent the last five years touring with her internationally acclaimed band, Vermillion Lies, and is now recording a solo album that's hooked artistic luminaries such as Neil Gaiman, Rosanne Cash, Molly Crabapple and more...Forget where you are, let your heart dance, and fall in love with the world Kim invites you into.

Living art installation: Katelan Foisy

Katelan V. Foisy is a visual artist, pin-up model, writer, and tarot reader living in NYC. Her fine art pieces have been displayed at The Worcester Art Museum, Ohio History Museum, Mae West Fest, MODA, Museum of Contemporary Art DC, as well as the A&D gallery in London. Her illustrations have graced the pages of the Grammy Awards, Scholastic Books, as well as appearing on the stage of Ensemble Studio Theater. She is the art director for Constellation, an astrology-based arts magazine, and released her memoir Blood and Pudding earlier this year.

FREE dance class: Akemi Kinukawa

Since Akemi fell in love with Lindy Hop in Washington, D.C. over 10 years ago, she has been an avid social dancer who performs, competes and teaches Lindy Hop. She has performed with New York based dance team, Lindy Hop All Stars as well as Big Apple Lindy Hoppers, at several major events including the Midsummer Night Swing Opening Night at Lincoln Center. Most importantly though, she held the Guinness World Record for Dance Marathon by dancing for 52 hours! She currently teaches swing dancing classes at Dardo Galletto Studios near Times Square every Wednesday.

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