Nocturnal Vibe by Doug Van Sant
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House Music Paradise
Roll up kids, it's that bewitching hour again, when everything nocturnal comes to life. We're coming off a truly epic weekend for nightlife in Tampa and for Nocturnal Vibe. Last Friday night, I sat down with America's No. 1 DJ, Christopher Lawrence. If you had the chance to attend the show, you'll agree with me in saying, it was a fantastic night of trance at The Amphitheater. Lawrence was very cool in answering questions about his trade and where he thinks dance music is headed these days. His set was full of energy and innovative material, symbolic of why Lawrence is the most celebrated DJ in American history. Click here to listen to our exclusive interview.
We also had the chance to hang with Real World San Diego cast member Randy. Big Rand was as down-to-earth as he seemed on the show and spoke volumes of Tampa nightlife. "I'm surprised man! I had no idea the scene was this live." His fresh look was summed up with... "I'd say it's a nice mix between South Beach and Mardi Gras." Nice words and perspective coming from someone split between Boston and NYC.
So enough of the social jargon, let's get to the meat of our weekly nightlife morsel. Just when you think we've exhausted all our big-name DJ resources, the crew from Paradise comes through again. This Saturday night, April 16, The Hyde Park Cafe, Paradise and All World Entertainment welcome for the first time to HPC, DJ Heather. Celebrating her 36th birthday and the release of her latest mix cd Fabric 21, Heather will hit the decks along side Paradise residents JASK and Joshua Wilkins (also celebrating his 30th birthday). It's a night that will bring out the stars over Tampa Bay.
Speaking of stars, DJ Heather is one of the premier ladies of the house music movement. She grew up in Chicago; a city with a rich underground history and perfectly suited to a kid with a keen interest in music. Her parent's collection of LPs became the backdrop for her own musical explorations. The prevalence of all-ages clubs in Chicago were a gateway into late 80s dance music and the wealth of local radio shows, playing everything from new wave to rock and disco to hip hop, created a wide base of influences. Heather's undiluted appreciation of music has seen her develop from the hip hop DJ playing rare groove, soul and funk into primarily a house DJ. It wasn't a conscious decision but a natural migration.
Widely regarded as one of the premier selectors in the nation, this Brooklyn born Chicagoan demonstrates her skills and sharp deck acumen for the massives throughout Chicago and the world at large with verve and undeniable talent. Its talent that has taken her to countries across the globe and seen her become a resident at fabric. Heather has released on Seasons, 20:20 Vision, Aroma, and launches her own Blackcherry Recordings in May. She's lent her warm voice to many tracks, and has collaborations with Brett Johnson, Slater Hogan, Bobby Valentine, Miles Maeda, DJ Colette and No Assembly Required released over the coming months.
Early arrival is extremely advised for this exclusive show. All VIP tables and reservations have been sold out for weeks. Late arrival can and may result in an extended wait in line due to venue capacity limitations. If you want to be apart of something special here in Tampa, make sure you hit this event. Paradise is the source for house music in the Bay area and consistently brings in the biggest names in the biz. Oh, this is just the beginning kids. Joshua and JASK have planned quite a summer to remember at HPC.
Latin Lounge In SoHo
So our daily looks at Tampa nightlife has found a Thursday night home. Latin Pop Promo and Bahasa Lounge continue their weekly blowout with Latin Ladies Night, Thursday, April 14. We spent some time there a few weeks ago and I plan to attend the party again tonight. The camera will be in hand, so stay tuned for some sexy and sultry photos. As I said last week, if you haven't been to Bahasa on a Thursday night, you do not know what you're missing. It's a perfect combination of beautiful hard bodies with fashionable minds blending with fantastic music and well thought out promotions. Wall to wall takes on new meaning here. Here are the details...
Every Thursday evening at Bahasa Lounge, the local scene is boiling with a little Latin flavor and passion. Latin World Ladies Night, presented by Latin Pop Promo is setting a new standard as the best Latin night in the Bay area. Blending the diverse sounds of Latin pop, rock, tropical, house, tribal, as well as salsa and meringue, it's obvious why this party bumps. In the main room, Pedro M kicks out world beats unlike any you've heard. In the blue room, Chino & Tony mix it up with smooth and sexy tribal and Latin house. On the patio, guests enjoy the visuals of VJ JC.
If music isn't enough to grab ya, ladies receive free entrance and free drinks until 1 a.m. And for those looking for other qualities of a hot party, high-end fashion is always on tap. Dolce, Armani, Ecko, and many other famous labels will be noticed walking through the door, so don't go light on style. For more info on this party, reservations, VIP tables or the guest list, contact Pedro at 813-839-4430 or Chino at 727-459-8445.
Reality Roundup On NBC
Another little event that caught my eye this week is a reality TV casting call at The Roundup in Tampa. Now, it seems every one has a reality show these days. Some are enjoyable to watch while others are so bad; interrogators are now using them as threat tactics. A certain dog show on Bravo comes to mind. At any rate, "Treasure Hunters" is a show that actually looks interesting. NBC is casting unique groups of three to compete for thrills and riches in television's first global treasure hunt. The new quest-oriented series will send teams on a global search to solve a puzzle -- and the first team to uncover all the clues will be given the location of a hidden treasure.
But what caught my eye about this event was the location. The Roundup, located on West Hillsborough Ave, is one of the Bay areas top country nightclubs. Obviously we focus most of our time on the DJs of the velvet rope club world. But country music is fast becoming one of the most popular genres of music in America and if you pay attention to the demographics, most of the fans are women. Needless to say, nightlife on TBO.com will be adding country to our weekly agenda in the upcoming weeks. Photos will be coming from the world of The Roundup and you certainly won't be disappointed. In the meantime, check out The Roundup on Thursday, April 14th and become the next reality TV superstar. Yes, that's an oxymoron, but we'll roll with it.
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