Whiplash! Comedy Afterparty

The Party: Whiplash! Comedy After-Party
Location: The Molly Wee Pub (in Chelsea)
Total Party Count: 54

Last week I went with a bunch of friends to Upright Citizen's Brigade to catch the weekly comedy show Whiplash - Monday nights at 11 hosted by Leo Allen-- Its kind of the best!

You know the funny thing about comedians? Answer: Just their routines. I don't want to shatter your world, but your favorite comedian is likely not funny in real life, and also really weird, and probably even a douche. Even though it may seem like, say, Eugene Mirman would be the best nicest coolest awesomest guy ever to hang out with, he's actually not (he dissed me much harder, don't feel bad). Bottom line- your regular friends are way more funny than most "comedians"-- and possibly "comedy writers" too (still working to confirm this-- anyone?). Yet despite all, when the prospect of the Whiplash Comedy After-Party presented itself, there was no turning back!

Apparently NYC's comedy scene hangs out after shows at  "The Molly Wee Pub,"or "The Molly" as they affectionately refer to it. I was in molesting distance of Sarah Silverman, Colin Quinn, Leo Allen, Todd Barry, The Sklar Brothers, and some other comedians. If you didn't read the first paragraph you might think that this bar was full of jokes and laughter, maybe people punk'n each other, some pies in faces, banana peels and fake mustaches, but it was more like a casual business meeting.

 The funny table! birthday girl francesca, me, jay ruttenberg, kev ped, and whiplash's awesome jeremy levenbach.

 

 Me at The Molly!! I met Mindy Tucker   and she took this photo.... she seems to be the official photographer of comedy and she's pretty amazing at what she does!

Me 'n' Peg's Pump Up The Jamz Party

The Party: "Pump Up The Jamz" 90's Dance Party
Location:  Blackout Bar (in Greenpoint)
Total Party Count: 53

As I become an avid partier, I sometimes feel like too much of a party go-er and not enough of a party do-er. Well Saturday night was my chance to give back to the partying community! My bff peggy (from the pains of being pure at heart) and I DJed an all-90s dance party, "Pump Up The Jamz" at Blackout Bar in Greenpoint.

The party was a total rager! Actually there was an hour between 11-12 where it was the opposite of a rager and we were worried that our jock jams were making everyone leave but it filled up quickly and the night was a smashing success. I'm kind of obsessed with digging up the hits from the 90s, maybe in a creepy way, where I want to pretend I'm wearing fluffy dresses with fruit prints to fancy bar-mitzvahs (actually i think i only had one of those dresses and i wore it every time). Plus how can you possibly deny the genius of Snap, Technotronic, Black Box, Ace of Base, Boys II Men, Bizarre Inc. etc?? What the hell happened in the 2000's? How did we go so wrong?? When Primitive Radio Gods and  Gin Blossoms were replaced by Creed and Eve 6,  that's when I switched over to Pavement and Belle & Sebastian.

you gotta kick it before we lick it!

U Can't Touch This!

Groove is in the Heart

I saw the sign!

 

Best Things in Life Are Free

 

is that thing a needle? no its an ipod.

 

The Rhythm of The Night

Another Night Another Dream

Mr. Vain

It was really nice to see so many friends!!! Thanks for coming-- it was so fun, definitely doing it again! I feel like we really contributed to society.

Nick Gray's Culturally Significant Party

The Party: Nick Gray's "Fresh Cocktails & Games" Party
Location: Nick Gray's apt in Williamsburg
Total Party Count: 52

I use the internet for lots of things (mainly for playing wheel of fortune and sending e-cards) but one thing I don't do often is read blogs. However, I do recall an item a few weeks ago on NYMag.com titled Meet Nick Gray, Thrower of ‘Culturally Significant’ Williamsburg Parties. Ok, but how do I meet Nick Gray? And how do I get to his parties? Whats a girl gotta do to be culturally significant??  Is producing an indierock tv show not enough? No, apparently what I needed was a party blog!

When I received an email invite for Nick Gray's "Fresh Cocktails and Games Experiment" party, in which it was specified that there would be "hot and motivated people" and a "strong focus on quick interactive games" I was really excited to have the opportunity to pledge at this Secret Society of Williamsburg, and play awesome games, like "Lincoln Logs" and "Trust Falls." The invitation continued, in bold...."You are expected to participate.... Anyone who is not participating will be asked to leave....Absolutely no friends allowed unless you clear it with me first." In that NY Magazine post, a guy from The Hype Machine said "Nick's parties are all about togetherness — not about exclusivity." Yup, just like Skull and Bones!

I did my best to impress Nick Gray (who impressed me with his awesome party hosting skillz) and the other cult members so I could officially be recruited. You want me to wear a nametag, put on a party hat, play weird HR games with strangers, dance all night in your living room and learn to juggle?? NO PROBZ! Actually the juggling was a big problem. If a man came up to you at a party with some bean bags and said "Wanna learn to juggle" and 3 minutes later you were a live circus act, you'd be pretty amazing. Wish I could be amazing like you!!!

Here are some party pics, taken by Random Night Out's Nick McGlynn, who is an awesome culturally significant person I met at the party....

The cult of Nick Gray

Trust Falls!

Well, i guess there are a lot of amazing people in the world.

 

Nick McGlynn, magically taking a photo of himself

 

 Tell me if I'm not partying hard enough

 

Me with the one and only Nick Gray!

PS-  I PASSED THE INITIATION!!! Nick made a bid for my membership and put me on his friends email list!!! Thanks Nick, can't wait for the next one!

Bloomberg's Official Victory Party!

The Party: Bloomberg's Official Victory Party & Staff After-Party
Location: Sheraton Hotel (in midtown)
Total Party Count: 51

A party a day is a noble feat, no doubt, but its possible that there are some people in this world who put my party project to shame... Meet Auntie Elaine! For nearly a decade Auntie Elaine has been trying to drag me  to parties, and I quickly learned to turn down those invitations because 1) its weird to party with your mom's sister 2) she is crazy and tries to pawn me off to any Jewish guy around and doesn't even get the facts straight. Somehow "Smith College Graduate / City Employee" always becomes "Ivy league / Works for Bloomberg." Well, maybe she's onto something.

Anyway, on election night when my aunt sent me a text along the lines of "Want to go??: Sheraton for. --Blomberg," I thought I would give Auntie Elaine another chance (since Mike & I are bff). Here's what I have to show for it....

This is Auntie Elaine.

 She pushed everyone to get up front

Auntie Elaine with our 3rd term mayor!

 

The money shot. 

 

Just partying at Bloomberg's staff party, No Big Deal!

 

"Yale Law" + "M.I.L.F."

THANKS AUNTIE ELAINE!!!! xoxoxo

MY PARTY TONIGHT!!!!! 90s Jock jamz

COME TONIGHT TO BLACKOUT BAR!!

Peggy (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) and Me- Shirley (New York Noise TV / PartyaDay.com) are DJing early 90s Jock Jams!!! Its gonna rule.

Sat Nov 7, 2009    10pm-4am

blackout bar- 916 Manhattan Ave (in greenpoint)

FREE!

Marathon After-Party

The Party: Karen & Dave's NYC ING Marathon After-Party
Location: Jake's Dilemma (Upper West Side)
Total Party Count: 50

The day after Halloween was slow for partying, but I was determined to discover where da party at! Utilizing my life-long borderline-creepy internet research skills, I found out about Karen & Dave's Marathon After-Party! The facebook-invite-via-meetup.com-whippets-running-team-page said to head over to Jake's Dilemma, a bar on the Upper West Side, and make sure to tell them you're there for Karen's party.

With a private party bracelet now affixed to my wrist, I was surrounded by a bunch of strangers who just finished the marathon, and their friends! Would I be able to work this? Absolutely, because when you've just run 26.2 miles, you're probably more concerned about your legs falling off than whether or not I was actually invited to this party, plus why would anyone want to crash it?? That's kinda weird.  An awesome dude named Adler struck up a conversation with me and we talked about relationship problems and the importance of good character. And then under the guise of "I was supposed to meet my friends here but I got here too late....I'm always late to everything!" he introduced me to the entire Whippets crew. I even got to hang with Karen & Dave, and Dave's mom and sister and brother!

SO PROUD OF U DAVE!!!!!

Dashing Whippets, thanks for letting me crash your marathon party and eat your onion rings, you guys were awesome!! I'll be rooting for you at NYC ING Marathon 2010.

Guggenheim Green Room Party (+louis's bday)

Party #48: Tanlines Green Room Party @ The Guggenheim Museum
Party #49: Louis Abelman's B-day Party @ M. Shanghai

I decided to go to the Tanlines / Yeasayer show at the Guggenheim, not to party, just for regular life. One catch- tickets were $45. Who pays $45 for a show? This is Tanlines, not Michael Jackson! (Just kidding-  I know Michael Jackson is dead!). Unsurprisingly I couldn't get on a guest list 3 hours before the show, but according to Eric Emm, if you said the code word "twitter" its would only be $25. As I was prepping  to have the ticket seller laugh in my face and send me back downtown, wuddyaknow.....

Kandinsky...LIVE!

Well I was glad I splurged because not only did I get to go to the show, but I got to partake in a Guggenheim Tanlines Green Room Party. BOO YEAH! Theres something about eating a free cookie in the basement of a museum that really makes you feel like you've made it in this world!

IF THEY COULD SEE ME NOW!

Hey guys, what should we call our new band???

 This is what its like to party in 3-D!!!!

Afterwards we decided to head over to Louis Abelman's 30th Bday Party in the basement of M. Shanghai, a chinese restaurant in williamsburg. I remember hearing a few years ago about parties there and they sounded really trendy & intimidating, but now it seems pretty dumb to be scared of the downstairs of a dumpling house.

"Best Music Writing 2009" After-Party

The Party: "Best Music Writing 2009" Book Launch After-party
Location: Puck Fair (in Soho)
Total Party Count: 47

I have generally been enjoying my party-a-day project for nearly a month and a half now, but there is a cost and effect for everything. When all your free time is spent partying, there are things that just naturally fall by the wayside....for example, reading books, being healthy, cultivating true love, and everything else in life! Fortunately, last night I was able to get in a little bit of book reading before the obligatory afterpartying.

Housingworks hosted a reading of selections from "Best Music Writing 2009," compiled by an old friend Daphne Carr and edited by the legendary music writer Greil Marcus. All the pieces seemed really insightful, and Carrie Brownstein (of Sleater-Kinney) and the infamous Nick Sylvester were especially hilarious, but now I remember why I don't go to many book readings....because my attention span was worse than a kid failing out of kingsborough community college. Its a good thing one of the readers had a character named "Shirley" in his story, because it kept reminding me that i was conscious. I'm officially never going to grad school.

After a blush-red Cassie got her book signed by Greil Marcus, we were off to the AFTERPARTY in the basement of The Alamo Puck Fair . The free quesadillas  held my attention just fine.

 Daphne Carr at her awesome party! and guest!

 

yay us!! nicole, ben, me, daphne carr, and pegs

 

this man kept stealing our free french fries!!! writer jody rosen

 

just a bunch of gals who love some good music writing

Halloween Parties Part II

Party #45: Someone Nice's Halloween House Party in Williamsburg

Party #46: Cathy & Co's Halloween House Party in Greenpoint

This is Part Two of my Halloween party adventure. Just to recap, the earlier part of the evening was spent waiting outside, in the rain, for an hour, to get into the vice party, which wasn't even good. But with daylight savings time I was afforded another hour of partying, a second chance at life, and i wasn't going to waste it there. NEXT!

Pavla told me about a house party going on just a block away, so I met up with my pal  and NY Times Arts Writer Melena Ryzik outside, who brought her girls, who by that point were going to be attending a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend's party.  It was better than the vice party cause you could like, eat fancy cookies and play with a dog and not have beer raining on you or have to listen to bands who maybe were once good depending on who you ask but now really suck. Call me old fashioned!

Due to my dwindling energy level I probably should have called it a night by 3am (4 without the time change), but we headed to Cathy / Balla / Zach / Stewart's party in Greenpoint, and when I got there I realized this dolla sto' needed some sleep, cuz I was no fun at all! My time at this otherwise awesome party was split between sitting on a couch, and calling Northside car service, who kept me on hold for 16 minutes, which was when my blackberry got down to one little red bar and i had to give up.Well, I got home in the end, whatevs!

 

Vice Halloween Party

The Party: Vice Magazine's 15th Anniversary Halloween Party
Location: N10th & Berry in Williamsburg
Total Party Count: 44

In my pre-party-a-day life, I would probably have stayed home on Halloween-- too much pressure to have fun, too hard to get a taxi home. But thats the old Shirley! The new me has no choice but to party on Halloween, and I figured if I'm gonna do it, I'm going to make sure I am as miserable as possible! Hello Vice Magazine 15th Anniversary Halloween spectacular!

The night started out very very bad cause I waited on line FOR AN HOUR (i usually won't even wait 5 minutes). Thats with a wristband and everything. I tried to VIP my way in but it was useless, I saw actual VIPs giving up. Fortunately I was able to cut the line (thanks alex) and save myself 15 minutes, so I felt like less of a loser even though i was still a loser. Its kind of like when you go to the Barneys Warehouse Sale and buy a sweater for $104 instead of the original $1,395, but then you realize you probably still paid too much (true story). The only difference between the party and my sweater is that my sweater is awesome (cashmere!).

"No, I know the guy who works with the guy who is running the party, you don't understand!"

this is a time-elapsed photo (we held this pose for 60 minutes)

We finally got in and then i was like wait wtf this is just a regular stupid party. According to the NY Post the party cost $250,000, but there were no lavish floral arrangements, no filet mignon, no magnificent centerpieces to be found. Giant Lies!!!!!!

I dressed up for halloween as a 99 cent store that is having a bad time at the vice party

then i saw mark & cathy & stewart and I was a happy dolla sto!

vice party

I looked at my watch and I couldn't believe I had only been there for 15 minutes, it felt like an eternity!!!!!! When I realized I had actually been there for an over an hour due to the "turn back the clocks" thing, I felt I had done my due diligence and I was eager to move on to something else. TO BE CONTINUED.

(ps-- i have other parties from before this to post about but i figured id do this now for the sake of holiday timeliness)