Since the beginning of 2010, Todd Pendu, the preliminary hand churning the wheel for the annual New York Eye and Ear Fest, has thrown a weekly Tuesday Nite Disco party at Glasslands. We talked to him for a few minutes about the “Horror Scores for the Dance Floor” that aren't goth and the many talents who have already come through under his and DJ Harrison's watch.
How long have you been doing these shows?
Tuesday Nite Disco a.k.a. “Horror Scores for the Dance Floor” began at Glasslands on Tuesday January 5 with an overcapacity sold-out show with Salem and Gatekeeper. Musically they are quite different from each other, but they both employ a darkness in their music and sound and that's really the idea behind the party: it's to bring some dark shit to the dancefloor.
Would you say the parties have a “goth” focus, at least per the DJ-ing.
I wouldn't say that this is “goth”, or at least the way people have thought of that term over the years. If it's goth at all, it would have to be simultaneously re-defining goth. There is no doubt that the through-line in the music is its dark-leanings, so some could misconstrue that as goth. However, it's not so fashion-conscious or limited to a particular music style.
Bands like White Ring and Salem as well as several of our DJs including Venus X are inspired by Juke, Houston Hip-Hop and screwed music as well as industrial music, while bands like Gatekeeper and White Car as well as DJ Harrison are inspired by Wax Trax records and John Capenter and Goblin soundtracks.
Other DJs and musicians that have performed are inspired by Minimal Synth and Cold Wave; so if this is goth, this is definitely not a reliving of the old days. We're sponsored by Pernod Absinthe, so we are able to have an open bar each week giving a way free absinthe for the first hour. I guess it's kind of goth to drink absinthe?
Either way, whatever it's called, it seems there's something new happening; a new scene or perhaps a movement that is in the middle of development from all over the country, specifically in NYC, Houston/Austin, Chicago, and LA, and the idea is to bring these people together – bands, DJs, and audience. Each week there are two, sometimes three bands who perform, and attached to that is a dance party with DJs who play classic as well brand new music that keeps within dark vibrations; but always danceable.
I encourage people to come out and check it out for themselves. It's an unpretentious atmosphere and welcoming to the new and curious.
Do you plan to tie them into the Eye and Ear Fest?
Definitely, there's not much that I do that isn't in some way tied to everything else I'm doing. Several of the bands who have played Tuesday Nite Disco will also play NY Eye & Ear Fest III including: White Ring, Led Er Est, Blondes, The Gamut, Mirror Mirror, Living Days, Omega Jarden, and a few others.
Who else is involved in them on a weekly basis?
Harrison is the resident DJ as well as co-conspirator behind the weekly events. We have a great working relationship and bouncing ideas off each other keeps our ideas fresh. We have so much we'd like to accomplish with this weekly party, we definitely have a major goal to have a huge one-year anniversary in January 2011. Let's hope that happens.
