Roaming Reviews: Be Yourself @ ARC , NYC 12/27

[swank]

I just got back from NYC last nite, and decided that i had to do a review on Be Yourself @ ARC on Friday night. Why? Why would a bunch of Seattle ppl give a shit about a club night in new york? Because maybe some of you are disallusioned about the scene as you see it...believe its stale..its boring...and maybe you, like me, are looking for something more than you have available to you now.

Be Yourself is a weekly that is held at a club called ARC, formerly VINYL in Manhattan. This nite celebrated its 4th year running this past weekend with a marathon set by weekly resident DANNY TENEGLIA. Arc is an 18+ club that is better decorated, better lit, and has better sound than any club/event you have ever seen in seattle. It is also attended by mostly 21+ers, meaning, this is like no 18+ club you have ever seen in this area. Arc opens at 12am, and closes around noon the next day. Cover is pretty standard for the city, $20-25.00/nite, but to see Danny T, man...its soooooooooooo worth it.

Also, this club is packed every friday night with easily 700-1000 people, who ALL dance, and ALL stay till well after 6am.

After going to this nite for the 2nd time in 2 years, I have come to some sort of epiphany showing me that whatever is happening in this city (seattle) is happening terribly wrong. holy shit man, i have never felt the energy, the power, the excitement and overall happiness of a crowd like i did on friday night _EVER_. Danny did one of his marathon sets that nite...where he spins on average of 10-12 hours straight. In these sets, you get to hear some of the most amazing cuts...stuff that is so old, even oldskoolers wouldn't remember it...stuff thats so new, no one in the world aside from danny and the producer have ever heard it...classic underground disco cuts...maybe even some top40hiphop rmx's...its so diverse, and so amazing...and even though the music goes all over the board, someway, somehow, danny t makes it all work wonderfully.

and the crowd! the crowd eats it all up! arc is like no club in seattle. approx 80% of the club is dancefloor, 0% is seating (mod looking benches on the walls of a small sideroom) and the other 10% is coatcheck/bathrooms/security/ticket/djbooth. There are no tables. There is seating in one side room with a ratio of people to seats of probably 80:1. Which means....EVERY DAMN PERSON IS DANCING. Period! Its great fun...they know all the songs...they scream and clap along..sing out vocals if there are any, and they dont stop as a whole, till the sun comes up. as a sidenote, albeit a very shallow and piggish thing to say, seattle girls...man...take some lessons from the nyc club babies...its DAMN TOUGH not to walk thru a club like this w/out a semi all damn nite. YEOWSERS.

This nite is absolutely awe inspriring, and i hope that every seattleite has/takes the opportunity to be a part of something this amazing.

[Tekno_Kid]

Wish Seattle had something like this.. First we'd need a club that could hold that many people, and a tight resident DJ. Nice to see that there are tons of 21+ peeps attending an 18+ event.

Jesse

[theperfectcyn]

swank -

i too visited ARC @ the old vinyl: Be Yourself w/Tanny Tenaglia
and you are soooo right. i left there feeling like i was smarter for just having entered the building. it was such an unbelieveable experience that it's been hard to match since.

check it out:
no fuss
no drama
just a big dark room full of people
dancing
and dancing
and dancing.

the funny thing, nobody promises anything at this event... any "vibe" or "spirituality". they just open the door and people line up, around the fuggin corner. and they keep coming back.

the music carries them through the night.



& trooo... the people are beauty too :D

[swank]

best quote of the nite...

round 3am, a break circle started in the middle of the room. danny saw this, and cut the music, and got on the mic and said:

"Be yourself isn't about you, its about the music. Go break in the bathroom, leave the dancefloor to the dancers"

the circle dissapated very quickly :)

*bows down to danny*

[Jizosh]

Originally posted by swank
best quote of the nite...

round 3am, a break circle started in the middle of the room. danny saw this, and cut the music, and got on the mic and said:

"Be yourself isn't about you, its about the music. Go break in the bathroom, leave the dancefloor to the dancers"

the circle
*bows down to danny*

that is fucking boss. i would have done the same thing, heh.

[LveeUh]

That sounds awesome...

all except the bit about the break circle -- they too are dancing, no? From my understanding, it is. So why hate on something that you're supposed to be encouraging?

[Jizosh]

Originally posted by LveeUh
That sounds awesome...

all except the bit about the break circle -- they too are dancing, no? From my understanding, it is. So why hate on something that you're supposed to be encouraging?

because you're a house snob, heh...and for no other reason...but i agree, it would be pretty harsh if it wasn't pissing a lot of people off.

[LveeUh]

Originally posted by Jizosh


because you're a house snob, heh...and for no other reason...but i agree, it would be pretty harsh if it wasn't pissing a lot of people off.

just for the record, I am not a house snob. If I was, I wouldn't attend dnb events :cool:

[Jizosh]

huh? i was talking about danny t. you said 'why hate'...and so i was answering that question. =)

i also go to dnb events...but i'm still a house snob, heh. =P

[swank]

because breakdancing puts emphasis on the individual dancing, and not the music...u cant get the solid power and energy of the music thru standing and watching someone spin on their head.

[EV]

I posted about Club Arc when I arrived back from DC/NY in late July, the week before they hosted Sasha's AirDrawnDagger record release.

It really is a great spot, and I had seen nothing like it. . .I must take opposition with your assessment of 'no seating room,' because that side room has plenty of benches, and couches even. . .but you're right - everybody is dancing, and the vibe is spectacular. I like the location, as well - TriBeCa rocks.

Oh yeah - and it was on till 11am, which was incredible, and Danny's set was about six hours!

Way to be, Swank.

[Elroy]

Hrmm...

I saw this review, and honestly was quite surprised to see you having such a positive outlook on it.

I've been to the club about 5 times, and although I agree with some of the things you've said about it... I've never really had too much fun.

Yes, people are dancing.

That is true. That is good. In fact, out of all the clubs I've been to in nyc I would say this was the best for consistant dancing (besides maybe direct drive at baktun).

However... I'm going to list some of the things you didn't mention:

1. The hoards of NASTY shirtless Jersey guys, high on e, skipping around and clapping in circles. It probably would bother me a whole lot more if they were female as well, because they hit on girls and grind etc. In fact, the whole club is sort of this equation in general: rave + meat market = arc.

2. You actually can hardly ESCAPE the music... which I think is a pain in the ass. I usually spend most of my time in the side room... but I still have to lean in and yell to people most of the time.

3. The e-tards that sit on the bassbins... occasionally going into convulsions and being dragged out (I've seen this TWICE).

4. Over priced water, coat-check, bitchy staff, and all of the regular drawbacks to mega-clubs.

I dunno. I don't want to sound negative, but I would be heartbroken if the nw rave scene turned into places like this. The community is strongly lacking there.

Grass is always greener I guess... but trust me... my side is NOT that green.

[theperfectcyn]

Originally posted by Elroy

1. The hoards of NASTY shirtless Jersey guys, high on e, skipping around and clapping in circles.
2. You actually can hardly ESCAPE the music... which I think is a pain in the ass. I usually spend most of my time in the side room... but I still have to lean in and yell to people most of the time.
3. The e-tards that sit on the bassbins... occasionally going into convulsions and being dragged out (I've seen this TWICE).
4. Over priced water, coat-check, bitchy staff, and all of the regular drawbacks to mega-clubs.

at first i thought it might have been that you were there over the holiday break so the crowd was different? but then i noticed you said you'd been there a few times. well, i only went once, random friday night in july, WOW, i was surprised that you had that experience. i'll give it to you, if ARC was ANYTHING like when you went when *i* went? i wouldn't go back. what you described sounded a lot like how i found Centro-Fly on the thursday night before. but i found my experience was totally different:

i didn't run into the clapping jersey circles (thankfully!) and didn't encounter the e-tards either.

the way it was laid out was perfect contrast for me music submergence/escape-wise because in the danceroom that's what i personally want, the MUSIC to be the focus, but also to have the option of the side room if what i really wanted was to go talk, hang, etc. my preference, i know. you virtually can't hear the music at all in there... could be a drawback if you want to hang and still hear the music pretty dominantly.

the water was VERY overpriced, you got that right. but i actually had a GREAT interaction w/the woman running the tshirt booth thing. i think i even commented on it later on that day?

anyway, thanks for the warning for when i go back...

[prog-lover]

Cool review Swank, thanks I appreciated hearing that.

:)

[corbettfields]

Originally posted by theperfectcyn


at first i thought it might have been that you were there over the holiday break so the crowd was different? but then i noticed you said you'd been there a few times. well, i only went once, random friday night in july, WOW, i was surprised that you had that experience. i'll give it to you, if ARC was ANYTHING like when you went when *i* went? i wouldn't go back. what you described sounded a lot like how i found Centro-Fly on the thursday night before. but i found my experience was totally different:

i didn't run into the clapping jersey circles (thankfully!) and didn't encounter the e-tards either.

the way it was laid out was perfect contrast for me music submergence/escape-wise because in the danceroom that's what i personally want, the MUSIC to be the focus, but also to have the option of the side room if what i really wanted was to go talk, hang, etc. my preference, i know. you virtually can't hear the music at all in there... could be a drawback if you want to hang and still hear the music pretty dominantly.

the water was VERY overpriced, you got that right. but i actually had a GREAT interaction w/the woman running the tshirt booth thing. i think i even commented on it later on that day?

anyway, thanks for the warning for when i go back...

been there a few times, but ARC seems to be very different from Vinyl (talking to a worker there this was emphasised!!) and Be Yourself was very different from Body and Soul....

On the whole I think it's improved and getting better.. want to hit Danny H's night next, heard it's off the darn wall... water, etc is expensive??? compared to what other clubs in Manhatten?? ... yeah, maybe here, but c'mon! you cant compare NYC to here, really!

and if i remember i paid $25 (20??) for Be Yourself... that's for like AT LEAST 12 hours, maybe more..... here you're pushin' to pay $13 for 6 hours and it aint no Danny T playing!!

And another thing about ARC - it's DARK!!! as a night club should be.... and since they updated the sound system, you dont get the headaches!

[juice]

mmm..vinyl..
missing new york city.. :(

body and soul @ vinyl on sunday morning/afternoons was off the hook..

[jovana]

body and soul was delicious...alas it is no more.

i had (and always have) a wonderful time at vinyl / arc.It reminded me that sometimes i actually do like to go out. I danced...a lot. I never dance in seattle. but in ny i always feel perfectly comfortable

[corbettfields]

Originally posted by jov13
body and soul was delicious...alas it is no more.

i had (and always have) a wonderful time at vinyl / arc.It reminded me that sometimes i actually do like to go out. I danced...a lot. I never dance in seattle. but in ny i always feel perfectly comfortable

agreed, but honest, Body and Soul aint no Be Yourself! get on a plane and try it..... probably bes to do it on the weekend with Danny Howells on Saturdays....

xx

[Elroy]

what you described sounded a lot like how i found Centro-Fly on the thursday night before.

Yes... that would probably be a good comparison. Out of all the "first-rate" clubs in nyc that have been around in the past five years (Twilo, Vinyl/arc, Centro Fly, Exit, Sound Factory, Webster Hall, Limelight, Roxy), Vinyl/ARC and centrofly appear to be most similar to each other (DJ line-up and crowd wise). Though I have to admit to never having gone to centro-fly, I've heard things... and know people who go to both. Those clubs are kind of the "rich semi-yuppie house/trance/progressive/whatevertheyarecallingtheirmusicthisweek hangouts" of the nyc "rave-club" scene. Twilo also would have been considered a part of that genre before it closed.

been there a few times, but ARC seems to be very different from Vinyl (talking to a worker there this was emphasised!!) and Be Yourself was very different from Body and Soul....

Well of COURSE workers would say that. Granted, I think the changes have been a tad bit for the better... but overall it's the same damn club. The set-up is essentially the same, the music is the same, the prices are the same... Really, it would be kind of like giving naf a slightly newer sound system, and changing the door staff.

The only MAJOR difference to the club overall, is that when Vinyl left the space, Body and Soul left with it... which is lame as hell because I hear that it was one of the best house nights in existence (from people that went to Be Yourself and agreed with me that it was not all-that).

[corbettfields]

Originally posted by Elroy


The only MAJOR difference to the club overall, is that when Vinyl left the space, Body and Soul left with it... which is lame as hell because I hear that it was one of the best house nights in existence (from people that went to Be Yourself and agreed with me that it was not all-that).

"slightly" newer sound system - hmm, it's a steve dash system which is one of the worlds best, Vs one of the worlds worst before.... made surviving in Vinyl for more that 3 hours (sober!) very difficult!

The back room is now clean and lit and a great chill space - it was a dump before with crap all over the floor, so , yeah we miss Francois K and all that (see him @ centro-fly!), but really the club is MUCH better now and they will be going to tray nad get a licence this year again....

but i think we're in violent agreement here..... NW clubbers should raise a few thousand $$, send the local club owners and promoters over to NYC and London for a few days and push PROFESSIONALISM and QUALITY up there noses for a change,,,,,,

[Elroy]

Hrm... I honestly don't see the hype about the new sound system... but maybe that's just me. See, I just know that I STILL didn't feel a need to be in there longer than 20 minutes.

As for the back room, there wasn't much change as far as I can remember. I don't remember there every really being crap on the floor... and if there was it wasn't THAT bad.

Also, a lot of the people APPRECIATE the fact that there is no liscense also... so I think the vibe will change a lot when alcohol gets in there.

While I do value the professionalism of the nyc scene, it also detracts GREATLY from the fun there is to be had in it. Trust me... when everybody is a businessman, things aren't so fun. While there is moderation and things to be learned from nyc, I wouldn't take anything said without a grain of salt.

[corbettfields]

as its opinions, i agree re: salt grains...

we all miss Twilo, and NYC is NOT london....

mores the pity...

night night!!

[Elroy]

Well once again, I don't much particularly miss twilo...

*to each their own*

[bandicot]

I hit centro-fly on NYE for Jimmy Van M and Chris Fortier. It was pretty much exactly like Elroy described his experience at ARC/Vinyl - lots of bridge n' tunnel crowd. Plenty of etards (even more gel-haired euro[jersey]trash asking if I could, "score them some pills"). Plenty of greaseballs looking to grind on anything with a (preferably drunk) heartbeat. I leave for like three minutes to get water and I have to swat like seven i-talians away from my wife and friend. Ridiculous.

I should've known better than to go out on NYE. It was like amateur night at the Apollo.

[LudingtonGT]

Originally posted by corbettfields


... NW clubbers should raise a few thousand $$, send the local club owners and promoters over to NYC and London for a few days and push PROFESSIONALISM and QUALITY up there noses for a change,,,,,,

Ain't that the truth, ah London, went to HOME in Leicester Square (the time square of London), what a great club, although it is now something else, this was 2 summers ago.

5 floors, main floor is 2 stories tall, incredible sound (and loud), they spent something like 15 million on the place, and it showed. They take the music and the scene seriously and give you a place that caters to adults, not some skank warehouse thats cold and dirty (and yes, we've all have had fun at those parties, but if the music was great at both venues and the price the same, which would you pick). Home was full by about 11:00PM and didn't let anyone else in til it closed about 4:00, there were 2000 serious punters that were there for the night and knew the music. The crowd in the main room would explode at the first beat of the segue into the new song, recognizing it immediately (and I thought I knew music).

What was very cool was the door policy, it was not like some places in New York where they'll perhaps only let you in if you are beautiful, this was about music. You had to go through 2 check points in the fairly long line outside. The very first bouncer asked if you knew who the DJs were that night and what kind of music you were into. He told you that if you didn't know this at the door you would not get in. He also was not going to tell you. At the door the head woman there really grilled you and checked you out to see if you were drunk, high, a lager boy (someone there for the drink and the girls not the music, Brit equivilant of a Frat Boy). She looked at me and my boi skeptically until I said that we had flown over from the States for go to Homelands (an out door festival, 40,000 people, that Home sponsors) which was the next weekend and thought that we would check out the club.

Anyway, is was my greatest recent club experience recently. I wish that in Seattle there was an Uber club that someone put some serious money into that catered to the music, not the meat scene (Medusa!!), cause the music deserves that respect.

[jovana]

Originally posted by corbettfields


agreed, but honest, Body and Soul aint no Be Yourself! get on a plane and try it..... probably bes to do it on the weekend with Danny Howells on Saturdays....

xx

oh i've tried it. I have to say that be yourself fridays are peobably my favourite club night in existance.

And i am greatful there is no alki there. Whats great about the crowd at vinyl / arc is that it can get realyl crowded but less peopel are in a state of drunken stupor and i don't get pushed and shoved around. In general dancing space is respected so much more then any club i have been to where alcohol is served. I thinkthis contributes to why i love it so much....people don't use vinyl as a place to go have a drink and go listen to good music...its just a good music place which weeds out some of the jackasses.

[theperfectcyn]

Originally posted by jov13
people don't use vinyl as a place to go have a drink and go listen to good music...its just a good music place which weeds out some of the jackasses.


this is the point i was trying to make :D
glad you experienced the same.

[corbettfields]

Originally posted by LudingtonGT


Ain't that the truth, ah London, went to HOME in Leicester Square (the time square of London), what a great club, although it is now something else, this was 2 summers ago.

5 floors, main floor is 2 stories tall, incredible sound (and loud), they spent something like 15 million on the place, and it showed. They take the music and the scene seriously and give you a place that caters to adults, not some skank warehouse thats cold and dirty (and yes, we've all have had fun at those parties, but if the music was great at both venues and the price the same, which would you pick). Home was full by about 11:00PM and didn't let anyone else in til it closed about 4:00, there were 2000 serious punters that were there for the night and knew the music. The crowd in the main room would explode at the first beat of the segue into the new song, recognizing it immediately (and I thought I knew music).

What was very cool was the door policy, it was not like some places in New York where they'll perhaps only let you in if you are beautiful, this was about music. You had to go through 2 check points in the fairly long line outside. The very first bouncer asked if you knew who the DJs were that night and what kind of music you were into. He told you that if you didn't know this at the door you would not get in. He also was not going to tell you. At the door the head woman there really grilled you and checked you out to see if you were drunk, high, a lager boy (someone there for the drink and the girls not the music, Brit equivilant of a Frat Boy). She looked at me and my boi skeptically until I said that we had flown over from the States for go to Homelands (an out door festival, 40,000 people, that Home sponsors) which was the next weekend and thought that we would check out the club.

Anyway, is was my greatest recent club experience recently. I wish that in Seattle there was an Uber club that someone put some serious money into that catered to the music, not the meat scene (Medusa!!), cause the music deserves that respect.

after Home [London] got shut down and it dragged down the Empire (20 clubs, that housed ,amongst many others - Renaissance, Gatecrasher, etc) Ron [McCulloch] and Brian and associated girlfriends, babies etc sold out for $30m and headed to Sydney leaving Glasgow, the Tunnel and 20+ years of history behind......

If you go there, get to Home, Sydney...... crawl out of the club ~ 5am ish and witness sun rising above the Opera house/ Sydney bay..... head back in and dance yer butts off till noon.... say hi! to Ron for me

The guy had taste and style up the yazoo! If I remember right, Home had a couple of up and comming DJs as resident headliners Friday and Saturday in Danny Howells and Steve Lawler..... sigh.....

[LudingtonGT]

Originally posted by corbettfields


Home had a couple of up and comming DJs as resident headliners Friday and Saturday in Danny Howells and Steve Lawler..... sigh.....

The resident I watched that night was the Dope Smugglrz, which as an act are 2 guys and as DJs only one, they were in the small floor (Chill DJ on top floor, Small floor on one below- 4th floor, 2 floor main room on 2nd & 3rd floor, restaurant on first floor (which was one floor off the ground)

Anyway never seen someone work 2 turntables, 2 CDs and a mxer like that, the boy was busy. Were able to stand right next to the DJ booth on the floor and watch him up close. He was constantly playing 2 to 3 tracks as once (which is the kind of mixing I like). And kept floating Massive Attacks Unfinished Symphony over the top of all these beats, keep floating it in all night long.

Way cool.

My Boi just got back from Sydney and had a great time, I am putting it on my list of places to hit.

[corbettfields]

Originally posted by LudingtonGT


The resident I watched that night was the Dope Smugglrz, which as an act are 2 guys and as DJs only one, they were in the small floor (Chill DJ on top floor, Small floor on one below- 4th floor, 2 floor main room on 2nd & 3rd floor, restaurant on first floor (which was one floor off the ground)

Anyway never seen someone work 2 turntables, 2 CDs and a mxer like that, the boy was busy. Were able to stand right next to the DJ booth on the floor and watch him up close. He was constantly playing 2 to 3 tracks as once (which is the kind of mixing I like). And kept floating Massive Attacks Unfinished Symphony over the top of all these beats, keep floating it in all night long.

Way cool.

My Boi just got back from Sydney and had a great time, I am putting it on my list of places to hit.

nice...

the "nu smugglrz" are probably Audio Bullys from a kick up the arse sound kinda point of view by the way.... Basement Jaxx with a street attitiude... which is nice too..... whatever happened to Dope??? I think i will try and find out if they just disappeared into the Fabric Massive.... Stanton Warriors are same line up - 2 guys, 1 DJ and an amazing DJ at that....

[crudisacult]

We drive up from the North Philly area to Arc about once a month and it seems like once in a while the Jerk-sey guys are out but for the most part, they stay at Centro-Fly.

[flutter]

i would love to go. Sounds like just the kinda place i have been dreaming about.

gonna make it to NYC someday

[crudisacult]

Be Yourself was greeeeeeeeeeeeeat last night
I'm STILL up