NEXT MAG PROFILE'S OCCUPY THE DISCO

Glad to see that next mag is giving these guys some ink. In the same issue that they review Miley Cyrus's album but it's a start. Next: If you could, what would you change about contemporary New York club culture? Appelbaum: We’ve segregated ourselves and become entrenched in a very stagnant model over the past decade. Places like the Paradise Garage, Studio 54 and Twilo were melting pots of NYC’s night culture. It feels like we’ve become very homogeneous and music has not been the centerpiece of gay nightlife for quite some time. I would love to see us rise up again as a community, to see diversity and great music as the pinnacle of club culture—which is something we’ve striven to do with Occupy the Disco. What is funny to me is that every promoter we’ve worked with outside of the world of gay nightlife actually loves that we bring an energetic gay crowd to their traditionally “straight” parties and venues and are continually asking to work with us on making their parties more mixed. Hães: Josh just lined out my main thought also, that nightlife should be diverse and welcoming, and mostly it should be a channel for artists and DJs to connect with music-loving crowds. I believe everyone should feel comfortable and take a night out dancing as an opportunity to express who they are and how they feel. When people go out focused on finding a hookup and not to experience the music, nightlife becomes boring and segregated and loses a lot of its cultural relevance. Right now, there are places for twinks, places for bears, for hipsters, etc.—but very few for new music. Fortunately that is slowly changing and people are starting to come together again for the music at parties that are very mixed, like Mister Sunday. Oh, and one other thing I’d change: no more bottle service! Bhatt: I agree. NYC club culture has become so promoter specific that we’ve segregated ourselves into boredom. No one cares about the music anymore, they’re too focused on getting drunk, hooking up and showing off. Nightlife used to be place for you to experiment and experience the unknown. Now everyone wants to know exactly what to expect, thereby killing the fun in the element of surprise. If you focus on the music then it allows people from all walks of life to enjoy and experience it together, creating a new and culturally enriching adventure every night on the town. MORE: NEXTMAGAZINE.COM