It’s coming! I’m talking about the Black Party, New York’s great stab(!) into “the Circuit.”
Now, for all those living under a rock, pay attention to this next part: the Black Party is no longer at the legendary Roseland Theater. Mainly because there is no legendary Roseland Theater–it got demolished in 2015, meaning that the Big Apple’s biggest fetish party had to find a new home. And it did, but forwent Manhattan entirely and jumped the East River to a warehouse in Brooklyn. This becomes really important when you start looking for conveniently-located hotels.
Now that I have that out of the way, this year’s Black Party, like all of its predecessors, is themed. This year is “SUBmerged,” and is “set in world of surging sea levels and drowning cities, where rogue submarines break the surface in the black of night to whisk willing survivors to an unregulated subterranean world of brothels, dungeons and decadence lorded over by maritime pirates.”
OooOOOooo.
Anyway, the Black Party always takes place on the vernal equinox (March 19-20), and unlike the White Party of Palm Springs, is unabashedly festishized. BDSM, leather and kink rule the day, and it is a very good idea to look the part. In other words, put the body glitter away and think about getting a pair of chaps. The Black Party is one of the rare showcases not only for bondage, but how deep bondage and fetish really get. And once down with the native fashion, march in with your head held high and be prepared for an eyeful.
Sure, the shows can get pretty crazy, but take a gander at the spectators. Leather and rubber, dominance and submission, they are a whole way of life for some guys, and the Black Party is a venue where they can let the freak flags fly. Even if you aren’t into “the scene” so much, you win cred for respecting those who are, and who knows? You might learn something about yourself…
The downside of circuit parties is that they ain’t cheap. Pre-advance tickets for the Black Party (on sale now!) alone cost $150. If you want to be frugal over the whole thing, I suggest you still go, but show up not when the doors open at 10 PM on March 19th, but at 8 AM on the 20th, when the door price comes down to just $50. You still get all the thrills of the party, and it’s this morning “second wave” that really keeps things going.
And c’mon! It’s pirates! Raaahr!
For more info, go to saintatlarge.com