Ticket holders may have been skeptical when a last-minute change of location was announced last Tuesday. The show was originally supposed to take place at the Brooklyn Terminal Project, a brand new venue located on the waterfront across Governor’s Island, but organizers had to operate a last minute switch. No one however seemed too disappointed upon entering the Beekman Beach Club, a lovely slice of boardwalk located directly on the East River.

Seemingly unaffected by the occasional rain, ravers and ragers were already waiting in line at 4pm, the show’s official kick-off time. Those ‘early’ birds were able to enjoy pounding electro sets by Djs Sazon Booya, Nick Catchdubs and Alex English, while playing fussball or chilling on the sand. An impressive amount of colorful sunglasses, skimpy bikinis and fruity cocktails achieved to make the event feel like a true Californian beach party.

As the sun began to set, the night took a whole new turn and madness descended upon the crowd. Knife Party’s Aussies hit the decks around 9pm, and fans immediately left sand and sun behind, flocking towards the main tent to see the duo perform. Highly anticipated Knife Party did not disappoint, delivering a two hour set best described as a mix of heavy electro, grinding drum’n'bass and very, very angry dubstep. Meanwhile, hundreds of kids seemed to let go of all their inhibitions and entered into a raging party trance, the likes of which South Street Seaport has probably never seen.

While Knife Party’s Rob Swire and Gareth MacGrillan were busy raining down hellfire on masses of shell-shocked ravers, logistical problems due to the last minute change in location started to shine through. The main entrance quickly turned into a monstrous traffic jam, as only a narrow corridor multitasked as pathway to the show, the bar and the restroom. For over two hours, getting a beer involved risking one’s life fighting off dozens of thirsty, fist-pumping ravers, and reaching the bathroom became a trial comparable to Ulysses’ Odyssey.

Knife Party, who were mainly here to promote their latest 4 tracks E.P Rage Valley, delivered as promised. For the span of one afternoon, Manhattan’s South Street Seaport truly turned into a Rage Valley of sort, an epic summer rave in the heart of the city. The set ended at 11pm, leaving Brooklyn Dj Hellfire Machina the honor to finish off the remaining die-hard dubstep addicts. And finish them off he did, spinning a brutal and chaotic set that seemed to have been designed for one thing and one thing only: to put us all out of our misery.

Despite a few minor hiccups due to the change in venue, Sunday’s Knife Party did achieve its primary objective, to make us dance until we drop. Ravers went home that night with barely enough energy to sustain the smile on their faces, but ready to go again next weekend. New York will dance to the sound of dubstep this summer. You have been warned.

Article by Laurent Berstecher

Veronica Hogland

Everyone was glad that the weather had turned out nicely—even during the event, the event’s organizers made an announcement saying how glad they were that people had the faith to come out despite the warnings of rain.

It seemed as if people had definitely prepared. There was a group of people on the dance floor who knew all the steps. A good portion of the people were wearing clothing from the era. Looking around at the crowd, I scoped out who I thought was the best dressed. I really liked the girl sitting down with the hat and the red lipstick—she had one of the best outfits. Whole families had even come dressed up together. There was definitely a recognition and appreciation for the fashion of the time, along with a general enthusiasm for the event, among the partygoers.

Being on Governors Island in this secluded little area, it certainly felt like we’d stepped into a time machine.” — as told to Marissa Maier

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“Yeah… uh… cool. Where’s your bathroom?”

I held out, at arm’s length, a bottle of bodega wine, 10 degrees warmer than room temperature. Our guest stared blankly at me for a response.

“It’s next to the kitchen,” I replied. “Careful. The handle’s tricky.”

He slouched off as I looked for a place to hide the “gift” that had just been bestowed upon us.

Hopefully, most of you reading this have the common sense not to plop down $7 at the corner coffee-and-toilet-paper store for a party gift. The fact is, a decent bottle can be bought for $7. It’s just a matter of letting your brain work for a minute or two before you buy the first thing you see. But then there’s the main thrust of the issue: What wine do I buy for someone else?

This is the eternal problem with “wine as gift.” What if the wine you get is something they hate? What if their tastes are completely different than yours? What if—gasp—they don’t drink wine?

Relax. There are a few easy do’s and don’ts that can make buying a bottle of wine as a gift a lot less stressful:

DO: Ask for help. In every store, even the little mom-and-pop, hole-in-the-wall shops, the sales staff will know something about the wines they sell. It’s always best to visit a store where the staff are knowledgeable, but truthfully, when buying wine as a gift, the most important thing is that the wine is good. The sales staff will usually have one or two personal favorites that you can rely on.

DON’T: Buy the most expensive bottle in the store. I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue saying it until the day I die: In wine, higher price does NOT equal higher quality. There are a great many brands that are expensive simply because of the name. There are also expensive, mediocre wines that have a higher price tag due to import taxes. Along the same lines, don’t let a flashy label seduce you, either. Stick to the suggestions of your (hopefully) helpful sales staff.

DO: Go bubbly. A go-to, almost never-fail choice is sparkling wine. Most people enjoy a glass of celebratory sparkling wine, and it’s the perfect bottle to share at a party. It’s also a great choice if you show up and your host doesn’t happen to drink. They can pour it for their guests, and you’ve done them the favor of providing something for the party that they didn’t have to buy. Also, it doesn’t have to be expensive. Great sparklers from Spain and Italy can be had for between $10 and $15.

DON’T: Get a dessert wine. I am a dessert wine fanatic. I can’t get enough of port, sweet sherry, Madeira, sauternes and Banyuls. That being said, unless you know your host’s taste, steer clear of the sweets. Most people have an aversion to sweet wines and bringing one can be expensive for you, and disappointing for your host.

DO: Find out info on the wine. The gift of wine is made even more special if, when you present the gift, you give the host two or three specifics about the making of the wine, the region it’s from or the grapes in the bottle. It can be as easy as asking the sales person about the wine or reading the back of the bottle. You’d be surprised how many people never look back there. Giving them info on the wine shows you really cared about the gift, and it makes you look like you worked harder than you actually did.

DON’T: Gift-wrap the wine. Just give it as is. Wine is something that shouldn’t be frilled up and made untouchable. It’s meant to be drunk, and the sooner, the better. Hand it over, au naturel, and the host will be more compelled to open and enjoy it—and in doing so, appreciate your generosity more immediately.

josh@pennilessepicure.com