Frank Sinatra got it right when he sang about New York City as the city that never sleeps. So when you come to town for Electric Zoo this weekend, there is plenty to plan after your time on Randall’s Island ends each night at 11pm. Follow along for the 4-1-1 on New York’s hottest clubs and my local picks for the afterparties in town.
THURSDAY
Facebook / Tickets – Seaport District’s Community Concert: Z100 Summer Bash
Pier 17 – Doors at 8pm: For those of you in New York City a night early, NYC’s famous Top 40 radio station Z100 is hosting a mainstream lineup of Lil Nas X, Marshmello with Kane Brown, and Quin XCII. South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 is an open-air venue in downtown Manhattan and the show should be over by midnight to allow for a decent night’s sleep for the weekend ahead.
Before we get started with the weekend, a quick note about Brooklyn’s 80,000 square foot EDM mega complex Avant Gardner. One of New York’s premiere party headquarters comprises an entire square block in East Williamsburg and is home to the legendary open-air venue Brooklyn Mirage. The Mirage, which has sweet city skyline views and expansive dance floors, is open only from May through September, (so good timing coming to EZoo over Labor Day weekend.) Open all year round, two weather-proof warehouses provide state of the art club space for New York’s EDM faithful, the main stage of the larger Great Hall and the second stage of the smaller King’s Hall. These venues can be open for a single large event or can function on their own as standalone spaces, so be sure you pay attention to the locations listed for each event.
FRIDAY
Facebook / Tickets – Official EZoo Afterparty: Brownies & Lemonade with Special Guests
King’s Hall – Doors at 10pm: Sadly this event curated by the Los Angeles promotion crew is currently sold out. However for those of you dead set on making it to this official after party, we do have a local NYC facebook group for buying and selling tickets, in addition to other established third party companies. As always, please be aware of scammers and take the proper precautions in vetting any transactions made through Facebook.
Facebook / Tickets – Cosmic Gate
Marquee – Doors at 11pm: The German trance duo won’t be performing at EZoo on the weekend, so this is the only way to catch these 20 year veterans of dance music. The Marquee New York is an upscale nightclub, so be prepared for a stricter dress code and a Vegas-style vibe at this midtown Manhattan venue at 10th avenue and 27th street.
Facebook / Tickets – DJ Jazzy Jeff & DJ Scratch
Villain – Doors at 8pm: While not technically EDM, I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to plug these two influential hip-hop DJs of my youth, especially the former and his collaborations with The Fresh Prince, Will Smith. I know the doors are early, but the event runs until 2am, so there should be plenty of time to get to this Williamsburg, Brooklyn venue in time to catch the main attractions.
SATURDAY
Facebook / Tickets – Official EZoo Afterparty: Shaq’s Bass All Stars
Avant Gardner – Doors at 11:30pm: THIS is the can’t miss after party of the weekend as DJ Diesel assembled a truly all star lineup to takeover the entire Avant Gardner complex. Borgore, Kill the Noise, Yultron, Chris Lorenzo, Destructo, and Wax Motif are just some of the artists joining the standout NBA personality as they throw down in Brooklyn’s premiere EDM venue.
Facebook / Tickets – Official EZoo Afterparty: Green Velvet
Analog – Doors at 10pm: For all the house heads, Green Velvet and company will be in command of the decks at Analog in Brooklyn. One of my favorite smaller clubs in NYC, Analog has an intimate and isolated feel to it, a little further away from Randall’s Island than the other Brooklyn clubs in Williamsburg. But if you love house music or missed Green Velvet’s set at the festival, Analog is well worth the trip.
Facebook / Tickets – Official EZoo Afterparty: Benny Benassi
Schimanski – Doors at 9pm: Another EDM legend lights up the after party stage as Benny Benassi brings his sound to Schimanski with support from MIME. Entrenched in the hip neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Schimanski is a mainstay in NYC’s EDM scene. In addition to the main room, there is a second dance floor attached next door called Bar Schimmi.
SUNDAY
Facebook / Tickets – Official EZoo Afterparty: Eric Prydz
Brooklyn Mirage – Doors at 11:30pm: I am seriously struggling to stay calm thinking about the stunning visual graphics and experiences Eric Prydz has planned for the Brooklyn Mirage venue. Along with support from Cristoph, this promises to be an unforgettable after party at the best open-air venue in town.
Facebook / Tickets – Official EZoo Afterparty: Gud Vibrations
Great Hall – Doors at 11:30pm: Slander + NGHTMRE present Gud Vibrations along with support from Boogie T, Wavedash, and Shadient for an afterparty packed to the brim with bass. With so many headliners going head to head Sunday night, this party is a good idea if you couldn’t catch the set at EZoo (because maybe you were glued to the Ophelia stage takeover.)
Facebook / Tickets – Horse Meat Disco
Elsewhere – Doors at 10pm: For something a little different, I offer you Horse Meat Disco – New York, one of the premiere producers of modern disco parties. Just as notable is the venue, Elsewhere – a multi-level, multi-stage space with indoor and outdoor areas. Both the venue and the artists are very LGBTQ friendly, so please be ready for and respectful of our community here in NYC.
While this wraps up my coverage of EZoo afterparties, Monday is Labor Day and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a few notable events going down on detox day here in the Big Apple.
MONDAY
Facebook / Tickets – Dada Life Labor Day
Profundo Day Club – Doors at 12pm: NYC’s version of the day club pool party, Dada Life hosts the Labor Day edition of Monday is my Sunday at the Profundo Day Club, a rooftop pool venue in Long Island City, Queens. While I haven’t been to this venue yet myself, it looks similar to what you would experience at a Vegas style day club with shallow pools, cabana rentals, lockers, and a long list of dos and don’ts that you should read over before heading over.
Facebook / Tickets – Teksupport: Junior Vasquez & Joseph Capriati
99 Scott – Doors at 5pm: For those of you looking for a taste of the 90s and the warehouse rave scene of yesteryear, these two house music mainstays have held down residencies at some of NYC’s most renowned clubs and are prepared to party from 5pm to 5am. With a venue simply named as its address, 99 Scott is a no frills Brooklyn space with an outstanding sound system and a reputation for all night affairs.
Finally, there are so many other events going on Labor Day weekend in New York City I couldn’t possibly highlight them all. If you want to take a peek at other options that went unlisted in this article, just pop over to EZoo’s complete afterparty page or the local EDM Train to check out everything going on in the city that never sleeps. If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me @SamWolloch on the socials.
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