a message from a friend-

Friends -

This has been a sad week for me.  One friend hospitalized across the country, and another having passed.  If you can, please join me to celebrate their respective spirits and lives.  Raising money while listening to great music is secondary, but will happen as well.

A Benefit For Gabe Allen
Friday Aug 20th
7pm - 4am
$5-10 sliding scale, wristband gets you $1 off canned beer all night
Wreck Room, 940 Flushing Avenue, between Evergreen and Central, Bushwick

One of my greatest fears has taken place.  Last week, my friend Gabe was hit by a car (that ran a red light) while vacationing with his girlfriend in San Francisco.  He's currently listed as being in stable condition, but still under a medically induced coma while he recovers.  He has some other fractured bones as well, but the good news is that he is showing signs of improvement.  

We're throwing a party to raise money for his medical bills and to support his girlfriend and family, who flew out there to be with him in his time of recovery.
Some of his friends' bands are playing, and myself and other of his friends are djing.  There is a raffle with great prizes as well.  Come thru if you can.
Bands: Maxwell's Demon, Sleepies, Rats in the Walls
DJs: J. Smasher, Quarters, K-Tel, C-Note

for news and info, or to make a donation on your own, visit http://www.getbettergabe.com/
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Carlos Alvarez 1980 - 2009
Sunday Aug 22
8pm - 4am
$8 - all proceeds to Alvarez family, additional donations welcome
Glasslands, 289 Kent Avenue, between S1st and 2nd streets, Williamsburg

I met Carlos recently, when djing the series of benefits and parties for both the Swoon Swimming Cities project and the Braddock Transformazium brought us together.  I had seen him around before then, and recognized him from soul parties I had attended in the past.  He was one of the best dancers I've ever seen, and his energy and love for music was apparent from the moment I met him.  It's with great saddness that we are celebrating his life and legacy this weekend.  Be sure to check out the online memorial being written here - meliferasmusings.blogspot.com/2009/08/rip-carlos-alvarez.html

A benefit and celebration of life. Carlos Alvarez was one of a kind. New York Night Train’s favorite dancer hands-down was also one heck of a guy and died last week at the age of 29 -- far too soon. Carlos didn’t drink, smoke, do drugs, eat meat, etc. He was a New York nightlife fixture for over a decade, during which his ecstatic personality and wild electric dancing was awe-inspiring, providing a much needed spark to what could have otherwise been a relatively ho-hum dance party scene. Our city and our dance parties will never be the same without him. The door money all goes to pay Carlos’ funeral expenses. And don’t worry, this won’t be a somber affair -- all of Carlos’ favorite friends and DJs will be on hand and Carlos would’ve wanted us to stomp and slide and hoot and howl deep into the morning -- and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do. Join us in celebrating this remarkable person.

DJ Fine Wine, Steve Pestana, Jumpy, J.Stacher, Jimmy T / Das Booty, and more DJing sets of Carlos' favorites and soul classics, after which there'll be some memorial speaking and remembering and a multimedia show. Then Mr. Jonathan Toubin (New YorkNight Train) kicks the party into high gear at midnight. Hope to see you there.
 
From Jeff Stark at NonsenseNYC: We didn't know Carlos, but people we care about did, and it's clear that not knowing him was our loss. This is what happened: He was dancing and then he wasn't. He was vegan and straight edge and sober. He had a heart attack. These things happen. And they are terrible and what do you do. You get together with your friends and you dance. And you invite anyone who knew Carlos to dance too. And other people who love the same things -- dancing, gardens, very good people -- they can come too. His friends say he would have wanted that. And you dance and you wear a hole in the concrete floor and maybe it makes you feel better and maybe it doesn't. But you do it because that's what you do.


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thank you
james (Dj Stachemaster)