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6 years ago
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Long known for billing top grade, sophisticated acts that cover indie, jazz, electronic and everything in-between. West Village staple Le Poisson Rouge hosted a special event on Sunday, ‘I Feel Pride.’ The heated dance party was not only dedicated to NYC Gay Pride, but also the 10th anniversary of the music venue.
Aptly named LPR X, the yearlong event series presents an eclectic roster of headlining acts – both previous and new to the venue. Considered the founder of disco, Italian producer Giorgio Moroder hosted and headlined the night.
Moroder is considered key to Donna Summer’s rise to fame, producing “Love to Love You Baby” and “I Feel Love.” He is also responsible for the timeless movie soundtrack tunes “Take My Breath Away” (“Top Gun”), Irene Cara’s “Flashdance … What a Feeling” and Blondie’s “Call Me” (American Gigolo). Moroder wrote compositions for “Superman III,” “Rambo III,” “Beverly Hills Cop II,” and “Scarface.” Over the course of 50 years he has not stopped his output, working with premier acts including Barbra Streisand, Elton John, David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Eurythmics and Daft Punk, et al.
The night was truly standout due to the caliber of artists, who bought a heavy arsenal of quality music. The crowd also contributed, as gays, straights and people of all persuasions convened on the darkened dancefloor for opening act Holy Ghost. The duo played an uplifting, funky set of electro and disco house, seamlessly mixing and building up their set. The room was[...]
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10 years ago
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Within recent years, Brooklyn has become a place that many artists have flocked to. One such artist is Dianna Carlin, who has been active within the Brooklyn arts scene since 2000. Carlin who is better known as Lola Star, has become a local celebrity through her popular Lola Star's Dreamland Roller Disco. Dreamland Roller Disco first opened in 2010 and combined Carlin's love of rollerskating and the glamor of Coney Island for a wide audience to enjoy. However, the skating rink sadly closed in 2010.
After four years of searching for new location, Dreamland recently reopened in Prospect Park's Lakeside Rink. Each Friday Lola Star will host themed skating parties in the new location. This week's party will be based on the 1980 film "Xanadu” staring Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly and Michael Beck. With more dance parties on the horizon, Carlin is “excited” to have Dreamland up and running again. The skate parties are scheduled to go through the end of August but Carlin hopes to offer more parties in fall and winter months.
I recently spoke with Carlin about how she got the name Lola Star, how she has adapted to the changing face of Brooklyn and what role community activism has played within her work. Carlin got the nickname because, “I use to skate around my parent's basement listening to Barry Manilow's 'Copacabana' on repeat and dreamed of being a rollerskating star. My parents would yell downstairs 'What are you doing down there Lola?'” This was in reference to the [...]
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