THE LATEST NEWS AND NIGHTS, 2010

WHERE'S JOHNNY? LATE WINTER NEWS AND NIGHTS

Johnny's first newsletter of 2010, with hope and excitement for the brand new season and year. The first weeks of the new decade find him hard at work on his upcoming 21ST CENTURY VOGUING project, due out in early Spring, with appearances by The Legendary SADE PENDAVIS of PARIS IS BURNING, PRINCESS XTRAVAGANZA and PAUL ALEXANDER of THE ONES. We'll have news on that release and several others in our next newsletter(s) but wanted to alert you to all of Johnny's special DJ nights and events coming up through FAT TUESDAY. See you on the dance floor!

SUNDAYS
SUSANNE BARTSCH AND KENNY KENNY PRESENT
VANDAM SUNDAYS @ GREENHOUSE
150 VARICK STREET @ VANDAM
FROM 10 PM
COMP DOOR
VANDAM on Facebook

Downtown Divas extraordinaire SUSANNE BARTSCH and KENNY KENNY are ruling Sunday nights with their weekly VANDAM party and providing a dressed-up night out for their faithful followers and new acolytes alike. Honored by the VILLAGE VOICE as a 2009 BEST OF NEW YORK, VANDAM is wildly popular and insanely well-dressed in the most CREATIVE way. An integral part of the magic is DJ JOHNNY DYNELL rocking the dancefloor with his unique mix of what MICHAEL MUSTO dubbed "oldish new and newish old" (for which he won the BEST DJ GLAMMY AWARD last month).

Other weekly highlights include visually stunning guest performers, fabulous tableau from DIRTY MARTINI, AJOSHUA and CHUCK ATTIX and JORDAN FOX upstairs, and a downstairs DISCO DUNGEON helmed by DESI MONSTER and LADYFAG. Add free admission, complimentary cocktails 10-10:30 and the marvelously mixed crowd and this is a weekend MUST. We've seen nightclub legends and New Kids from all different eras out at this one - which practically guarantees that you'll see friends on any given Sunday.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28
BLUENEFERTITI'S PARIS @ NIGHT
TO BENEFIT HAITI'S OASIS FOR CHILDREN
THE BUBBLE LOUNGE
228 WEST BROADWAY
FROM 8:30, SHOWS BEGIN PM
DONATION $15
bubblelounge.com

The Thursday-night DJ series at BUBBLE LOUNGE is pre-empted by a fantastic night of French-African music for a great cause - grassroots Haitian charity OASIS FOR CHILDREN. PARIS @ NIGHT is a new multi-media performance project from CELIA FAUSSART of the Afropean duo LES NUBIANS, "exploring the complexities of CITIES and LOVE... Tracing the echos of Edith Piaf, Miriam Makeba, Josephine Baker, Sly & Robbie, and Minnie Riperton, BlueNefertiti and her Ek'lectric Band take you on a journey through time and space". Two live sets, the first beginning at 9 PM, with DJ JOHNNY DYNELL spinning before, between and after.

Plus, EVERY THURSDAY IN FEBRUARY: It's a treat to hear great NYC club DJs like JOHNNY DYNELL and SAMMY JO spin in a more intimate setting, as they will for the months of January and February at the Thursday-night TINY BUBBLES DJ series at BUBBLE LOUNGE. Except for the 1/28 benefit, there is no cover, and either Dynell or Sammy Jo will be manning the decks from 9 PM - 1 AM. This Tribeca mainstay is a perfect place to bring the boys (or girls) for a round or a bottle of champers and some dancing, and has a marvelously mixed crowd - gay, straight, local, tourist, etc.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13
DANCE:208 PRESENTS
VALENTINES DANCE
THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER
208 W 13 ST NYC
Doors 9PM-1AM
$10 at door, $8 online
gaycenter.org

Johnny returns to one of his most unique and truly fun Saturday night gigs - the DANCE:208 series at the LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER, for their Valentines extravaganza hosted by the NEW YORK CITY IMPERIAL COURT. DANCE:208 is the long-running series showcasing New York City's legendary DJs in various genres - it is a joyous, no-attitude dance party where disco and house classics are the norm. Check the GAYCENTER.ORG website for event details and advance tickets.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 16 (FAT TUESDAY)
THE LOWER EASTSIDE GIRLS CLUB PRESENTS
THE MARDI GRAS BENEFIT MASQUERADE BALL
ELEMENT
255 EAST HOUSTON AT ESSEX, NYC
FROM 7 PM - MIDNIGHT
TICKETS $22 ADVANCE / $30 AT DOOR
Ball Information and Tickets

JOHNNY DYNELL and his wife CHI CHI VALENTI are New Orleans/ Mardi Gras fanatics - they've been flying down for the festivities most years since 2002 and often participate in one of the bohemian walking parades. This year, with Valentine's Day two nights before Fat Tuesday, they will be spending this enchanted evening in New York City. Thankfully, there's going to be a New Orleans-sized costume ball to go to, and THE JACKIE FACTORY is involved! This benefit Ball features live music by LOOSE MARBLES (from NOLA), NYC's great HUNGRY MARCH BAND and DJ JOHNNY DYNELL. Witness the crowning of LES Mardi Gras King JONATHAN AMES and Mardi Gras QUEEN CUCU DIAMANTES and enjoy an hour of open bar 7-8 PM. Masks and costumes are encouraged, so turn it out!

THE LOWER EASTSIDE GIRLS CLUB is one of our favorite hometown forces for good - we salute these amazing folks every day of the year. This event benefits all of their great community work, as well as their sister group in NOLA, the YA/YAs. In the past week a Haitian Relief charity has also been added to the beneficiaries, it is THE BATEY RELIEF ALLIANCE in Haiti. If you'd like to make a larger contribution to these three great causes, a dinner ticket is $125.

Photo: Johnny spins REMEMBERING GILBERT STAFFORD at HIRO BALLROOM 1/19/10. Photo by PAUL ALEXANDER.

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