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The best way to judge a party isn’t by the advertising, which celebrity is supposedly showing up or which obscure DJ is resurfacing to command the booth. No, the thing that will make or break the bash is who’s throwing the damn thing: the party promoter. For some, the word promoter conjures images of guys who slide annoying postcards hyping their events under your windshield wipers. But the term also applies to the creative people who work hard to make the vibe and atmosphere for their events just right. They don’t own the clubs, but they handpick the DJ talent, fine-tune the playlist and make sure the right people know about the event—via the Internet, text messaging, handbills and sometimes just word of mouth. It’s a cutthroat, often drama-filled biz where creativity and taste can often conflict with the club owner’s bottom line and primary interest—bodies in the club.
Promoters come in many flavors: Some drink Champagne, some swig PBR; a few are DJs crazy about music, while some are more about cultivating a “look” or a “vibe.” The one trait they have in common is a ruthless dedication to your night out— each cultivates a mood, sound or attitude that brings something indispensable to Chicago’s nightlife.
Shooting from the hip
In March 2006, Jillian Valentino and Scott Cramer of production collective Avant Trill threw their first party together, the now influential OUTdanced! Cramer runs the Abbey Pub’s publicity office and previously organized the gay-friendly Flawless dance night at Four before joining forces with Valentino, an instigator of house parties in Logan Square and a former doorgirl at the Funky Buddha Lounge. Since then, OUTdanced! has hosted everyone from Peaches to electroclash instigator Larry Tee for live and DJ sets on Tuesdays at Buddha. While the duo has thrown parties at Lakeview Broadcasting Company and on Ohm’s second floor, it’s OUTdanced! and its collision of streetwise fashion rebels and up-to-the-minute sounds that’s emerged as one of Chicago’s most talked-about parties.
Party philosophy Live music, forward-thinking DJs and arty dressers drive the duo’s signature bash. “We try to do something that no one else is doing,” Valentino says. “We run the only weekly night in town with dance music that’s interesting without taking itself too seriously.”
Who’s there? OUTdanced! attracts a polysexual crowd that’s attuned to new music trends. “Our crowd is curious and warm, the type of people who look forward to getting dressed up—whatever that means to them—on a Tuesday night,” Valentino notes. Those highly stylized partyers make OUTdanced! a favorite stop for nightlife documentary photographers from gallery websites everyoneisfamous.com and lastnightsparty.com.
As Valentino tells it, OUTdanced!’s chemistry and popularity is due to the bizarre mix of regulars. “The best parties, period, are when the music’s on point, everyone’s dancing, and there are lots of wild cards in the audience: the botanist dressed like a harbinger of the apocalypse in black leather and red reflectors, the elderly blind gentleman with two trannie dates, Ashton Kutcher, people dressed as furries, break dancers, hula hoopers, old-school club kids, drag queens and models,” she says.
Sounds like Cutting-edge DJs spin everything from crunk to electro-indie-punk.
A night to remember “The night we had recently with Crystal Castles deejaying sticks out in my mind,” says Cramer. “I haven’t seen that much energy and dancing in a long time, maybe ever.”
Next up Performers who have been smash successes at OUTdanced! (like electro performance artist Dandi Wind) will likely play bigger venues like the Abbey later this year. In January, Avant Trill will team with the Dark Wave Disco DJ-promoters to bring in European indie-electronic-pop act the Teenagers for a live set.
Check it out OUTdanced! (myspace.com/outdanced) goes down Tuesdays at Funky Buddha Lounge (728 W Grand Ave, 312-666-1695). Avant Trill also hosts the party Fridays at Debonair Social Club (1575 N Milwaukee Ave, 773-227-7990), and the after-party every other Tuesday at Continental (2801 W Chicago Ave, 773-292-1200). The duo also hosts one-offs and special events at Berlin (954 W Belmont Ave, 773-348-4975) and the Abbey Pub (3420 W Grace St, 773-478-4408). Valentino occasionally produces events at Reversible Eye Gallery (1103 N California Ave, 773-862-1232).
