Tag Archives: DanceSafe

From The Trenches: Mohawk The Educator

Posted on by

(I have been waiting to do this interview for years now. Mohawk is a luminary in the NYC underground scene, my boss at New York DanceSafe , a spectacular dancer & a generally all around stupendous person. She’s throwing a party that you need to go to, and I’ll be giving two tickets away, so you have no excuse. But before you do, kick back and enjoy this long-form conversation with someone who is fielding a tactical force to keep your sorry butt alive if you’re partying in the Tri-State area.)

Mohawk, Harm Reduction Coordinator Extraordinaire.

1. How is the party coming along? Any new surprises to announce, or should we just show up and find out? The party is pretty much ready to go and we’re in our last week of ramped up promotion. I wouldn’t say there are true “surprises”, however I’m sure many people are hearing about the party through different sources, so beyond the musical talent we’ll have on board, the additional performers, vendors, and workshops might come as a surprise to many. We’ve been making announcements a few times a week, highlighting some of what’s to come. We don’t expect everyone to keep up with these announcements, but we definitely want to showcase all that we have in store. It’s getting pretty late in the game and we still have people wanting to take part in the festivities. Don’t bank on this type of event happening again–we host events with specific objectives and move forward from there. It’s a “launch party” of sorts, so come find out for yourself and see what it’s all about!

2. You’ve been doing harm reduction for a long time, have you seen any changes in the work/scene that you’d see as positive? Any worrying trends you are trying to sound the alarm about? I’d like to preface this answer first: I really only have visibility of what’s happening in NYC. In doing this work with a nationally represented organization, a lot of people assume that we all see the same things or face the same problems. This is not necessarily the case, so I’ve chosen to take the New York chapter in different directions based on what we learn each year. The good news is, people overall are becoming more “hip” to testing. People want kits! The worrying thing about this is that, people forget that drug use comes with risks beyond just the potential of ingesting the “wrong” drugs by accident. An obvious worrisome trend is how much do we need to fear fentanyl popping up in drugs, especially non-opioids? This is one with a lot of hysteria around it right now. It takes a lot of work to keep the most accurate information in circulation and weed out the sensationalism and myths.

Continue reading →

Ten Questions With Terry Gotham: Dede Goldsmith, Amend The Rave Act Founder

Posted on by

(I was given the incredible honor of speaking to Dede Goldsmith, mother of Shelley Goldsmith, who died of heatstroke in Washington DC at a dance event. Mrs. Goldsmith is leading an army of artists, non-profits, volunteers & activists to Amend The Rave Act. Join ravelrie, NY DanceSafe, Stay Safe Seattle & I as we talk about her work!)
1. Can you tell us a little bit about Shelley & how she inspired you to begin this massively important campaign? Shelley was an amazing young person. She was full of life, ready to tackle the world’s injustices head on. From an early age, she viewed herself as a citizen of the world. Although active politically her whole life, (I worked for our local congressman for 28 years so she had little choice!) the events of 9/11 cemented her role as an activist for international peace through justice. Continue reading →

We’ve Reversed The Google Ad Words Ban But MDMA: The Movie Still Needs Your Help!

Posted on by

Emanuel Sferios, The founder of the national organization over 15 years ago, has been working on a documentary movie about MDMA, as all of you are aware of, is extremely popular in our culture, especially today as it’s often targeted in music and the media and almost always misrepresented and misinformed. This film explores its history and use today. And yes, it’s not just some small pet project. Thump from VICE has already covered it and the media campaign is heating up. So much in fact, that Google Ad Words had banned them from advertising. That’s right ladies & gentlemen, Google believed that the first film ever to discuss the harm reduction potential of MDMA and the research surrounding it as a PTSD medication, so Emanuel was told they can’t advertise using the dominant advertising platform of our time, because drugs. That’s why the video you clicked on above this paragraph, was the one that they (temporarily) banned.

In one of Google’s dumber moves this side of Google+ & Wave (you remember those right?), they decided that this movie “promotes” drug use, and will not allow the movie to advertise. This has put the brakes on the fundraising inertia it was developing, but they’re still moving along at a brisk pace. However, in a stunning reversal after a serious crowd-sourced push to get Google to change their minds, THEY HAVE! To celebrate, I’m bringing you a few tidbits from the movie that I hope you’ll watch & donate to/for. First off, Dr. Julie Holland, one of the foremost clinicians in the world when it comes to dealing with substance use, MDMA-use & general rave-related behavior from the drug standpoint. Lastly we’ve got Dede Goldsmith, founder of the Amend The Rave Act movement we’ve been discussing around these parts off and on for months. Both of these ladies are exceptionally relevant within the movement, so please watch & then dig deep.

Attend: Vitamin B Presents About:Face

Posted on by

I don’t say this very often, but this event is truly important. Not only is it going to be a sweet party with some of the best breaks anywhere on the planet at this point. Not only is it going to be at The Paper Box, one of the last semi-retail venues in the area of Brooklyn it’s in. Not only is DanceSafe going to be there (so happy about this), but it’s to help one of my favorite people. Lexi, or as you know her, Illexxandra has been producing some of the most innovative & infectious dance beats Brooklyn has ever seen, and she needs our help. Because Vitamin B has actually created a community over the years, it’s coming together to support her in her time of need. For this reason, above all else, you should support this party. This is what community in dance culture looks like, and we need to lionize it as such. The music will of course be second to none.I won’t go on about Lexi anymore, so just put the bass in your face. Tim The Enchanter continues his global quest to get people to go “omg breaks are dope” that is shaping up quite nicely actually, as his recent work illustrates. There’s always been an accessibility to the genre when Tim gets behind the decks which I think other DJs could take notes from.Tektite is one of my favorite truly real people in Brooklyn. His taste in music, food & design are all second to none, as this perfect set of his illustrates.  Shisaa is a recent addition to the team but acquits herself quite nicely. This is some global bass that fits in perfectly with the rest of the Justice League.  I wanted to save this for last because it’s gigantic. Parametric’s 2.5hr Vitamin B set from their 6th Anniversary. As I said, this is a group that is a true member of the community. Get tickets here and drop by the DanceSafe booth when you get there. If you’d like to donate to her fund personally, show this link some love. This is what we’ve been fighting for ladies & gentlemen.

MDMA, Molly & The Movie!

Posted on by

unnamedThis afternoon with Ravelrie, NY DanceSafe & Stay Safe Seattle , I’m talking Molly, MDMA, the Love Drug, and all those wacky names Gen X’ers gave it back when you could still buy it at the bar. The name is short for 3, 4-methylenedixy-methamphetamine, so, yes, it’ll be referred to as MDMA. Not the pills you take, not the caps you got at a festival that one time, the actual drug. Because, as we’ve seen MDMA isn’t freaking pure. And when it’s pure, it’s incredibly strong. While pills used to be cut with filler, Stacker 2 or other fat burning over-the-counter faux stimulants (who remembers Dexatrim?!), now, the caps of “molly” or the baggies you see kids “dip” into at festivals have stuff that we can’t readily identify. This quote from the Miami PD explains the point better than I could.

“According to the Miami Police Department, methylone and mephedrone, along with another synthetic cathinone called 4-MEC, account for the vast bulk of the molly seized by narcotics cops in the area. A DEA spokesperson told me that in the first six months of 2013, the DEA’s Miami field office seized 106 consignments of molly, which contained 43 different substances, 19 of them so obscure even government chemists couldn’t identify them. So much for purity.” ~Playboy

To be clear, that means that not only are kids doing drugs that they can’t readily identify, they’re doing drugs chemists & VICE squads can’t readily identify. When dozens of new research chemicals come to light every year, the law can’t keep up. We’ve got MAPS doing as much as they can to get the word out, but they need help. So, to that end, the founder of DanceSafe would like to share with you his cinematic debut. This is going to be providing a fantastic history, overview and analysis of the drug, and the current effects it has on dance culture, its medical role in PTSD & harm reduction associated with it. For more info, check out the trailer below:

LSD, Adulterants & Killing The Vibe

Posted on by

This week, I’ll be talking about LSD testing. A somewhat taboo subject, the NY DanceSafe chapter, Ravelrie, Stay Safe Seattle & I really think this needs to be discussed. The appeal of and demand for LSD isn’t going away anytime soon, and now, for the first time ever, there are analogues that are deeply harmful & violently different than the drug you actually want.  There’s a lot of good information out there for people who are looking for it, but the problem isn’t just that we’ve got plebes running around. It’s that there’s now, and I do mean only in the last 5 years, a few different things that are very much NOT LSD, but people attempt to pass off as at events. In this post I’ll be briefly reviewing a few of the things commonly being passed off as LSD, but first I want to stress something.

Again, LSD is tasteless unless it is highly concentrated – as in more than would normally fit on a blotter or in a drop of liquid. Liquid LSD is usually a mixture of the crystalline substance and either distilled water or alcohol, which both lack a bitter flavor. If your sample has a taste, especially a bitter one, it may indicate the presence of another substance.

I’m not sure how to emphasize this point made by The Bunk Police more. If someone is trying to sell you on LSD being “good” because of how it tastes, that is either a dealer who doesn’t know what they are talking about, or actively trying to pass off another drug as what you’re asking for. In either case, fly you fools. That being said, here they are, the things you’re probably getting sold if you’re meeting some shady dude at a festival to buy.

That fun looking fella is DOI. DOI is generally seen as the more stimulant-y version of LSD for people in the know. For a lot of people, psychedelics have a significant amphetamine-like effect, and this stuff packs even more of a punch. I think this is important to note. This drug has been noted to be more stressful on the body while giving more energy, to the point where sleep is exceptionally difficult for days. This stuff is marketed as “good” LSD because of the stimulant punch. Ask anyone who has ever been done tripping and just wants to sleep whether they’d want to have that feeling stretched out for another 24-48hrs and you can see why I’m not an advocate. Also, it’s still a research chemical, so we have no idea if 30 years from now you’ll grow an ear or something. Just sayin’

Pictured above is 25C-C-NBOMe, which is one of the couple of different NBOMe bad ideas roaming the party scene currently. I wrote about NBOMe previously and maintain that NBOMe is worse than Ebola. I’ve been largely vindicated in that, but that’s the problem. This stuff is put on blotter and people are taking massive amounts, as it’s psychoactive at the microgram dose. This is the thing that’s been causing ODs & hospitalizations across the festival scene and is scarier than anything else out there. If you don’t test, you might find this stuff instead, which is bad news bears.

Sadly I wasn’t able to find a .gif to go 3 for 3, but AMT is another thing you might get instead of LSD. Differently than DOI, people who know what they’re taking take this because it’s reported to give symptomatology that seems to mix a couple of different drugs such as DMT, MDMA & psilocybin. However, there’s a butt-ton of side effects. Butt-ton is a technical term, it stands for, a bunch in combinations that will probably ruin your day. Additionally it’s got MAOI-style effects, which brings up an entire world of dietary complications that most LSD users will totally overlook. This means you go from zero to enzyme-level fucked up very quickly. Again, also a research chemical, so we got no idea what will happen to you. Your mitochondria could explode. We don’t know!

This isn’t meant to be garbage DEA-styled scare tactics, but to drive home one simple point. People want a drug, because the experience they attribute to taking that drug is something they want. They can’t find it, so instead of not having this experience, they either find other drugs that do similar things, or some pusher comes in claiming the stuff he’s got is that. These substances can mess your body up, while LSD is a physically harmless substance. Our current drug policy has allowed these terrible chemicals onto our streets & dance floors. Until we can change that, make sure you test your stuff, don’t believe the hype, and be excellent to each other. For more on this, check out #DFFryday on Twitter at 4:30 PM. We’ll be there, getting the word out.

Spice, Or What Happens When Frontier Capitalism & Psychopharmacology Collide

Posted on by

EgqnRypWhen you create a prison system so bad we regularly joke about forcible rape as a penalty, people really don’t like breaking the law. And because of that, certain people apparently will never smoke pot. They will however, smoke a whole lot of this stuff. I should know. Someone I lived with smoked it by the fist full. To explain why K2 or Spice is popular, we need to understand what cannabinoids, the things that get you “high” are. Because there are chemicals in your brain right now, that your brain makes, that are analagous to THC. That’s right, your brain can get you high any time you want. One of these endocannabinoids (literally “internal cannabinoids”) is called CB1, and it does…quite a bit.

So, this stuff is kind of bizarre, because a lot of the early ones, were just straight CB1 stimulating chemicals, sprayed on potpurri. Literally, someone got the idea to just take the test chemicals used in lab procedures to explore this chemical system & stimulate it directly. It’s such a perfect metaphor for both the the explosiveness of a “had an experience/want stronger version “behavioral cycle, but how our markets meet the needs of our consumers, no matter how complex. These different brands littered gas stations, delis and convenience stores all over the country, as they were legal, “not for consumption” and you got a gram or two for 20 bucks. Proof of exactly what can happen when profiteering combine with poorly constructed & implemented drug laws. The vast majority of the K2/Spice/Synthetic herb brands out there are largely unlabeled and have generated state bans as early as 2010.

If you’ve been playing along on these Friday posts, we’ve seen how drug laws force people to do drugs they’re not familiar with, to keep getting the same symptoms without penalty. People that have to take drug tests still want to get high, and the market will help them. We have no idea what the effects of smoking these chemicals, or the “plants” they’re being sprayed on, largely. But until trees are legal, there are going to be people who would prefer to use this instead of the real McCoy. This is one of the dozen insidious issues with the War on Drugs.  So let’s talk about this, 4:30 PM EST, using #DFFspice on Twitter & get more info on our #DrugFactFriday Pinboard.

IMG_7083

Ten Questions With Terry Gotham: Tommie Sunshine

Posted on by

Tommie Sunshine

1. How is 2014 ending out for you? Any crazy summer stories or projects started early on that are coming along nicely? I don’t even know where I could possibly begin. There’s so much going on right now, I have so much music about to come out. I have a television show in development with Red Bull, a lot of things.

2. Do you have a favorite sized crowd that you like to play to? Hotel room sized? Ampitheater? Somewhere in between? I mean, to me, it doesn’t matter how big the crowd is. It never has. I’m just as comfortable playing to 10,000 people as I am to 10. The way I see it, if somebody is going to go the distance, of driving from somewhere far away, like proper ravers do. Then, they deserve the complete show. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a club and it’s not particularly packed, or if it’s a particularly crazy night. I think I deliver the same intensity in every situation.

Continue reading →

Party of the Month: Cosmic Mirrors by Gratitude NYC

Posted on by

Tickets Here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/fb/511435

This event last year was actually my inspiration for my “Party of the Month” series & this year’s version looks incredible. At a secret 60,000 sq ft. location in Brooklyn with different theme camps, areas domes, lounges and ostensibly, activities! There’s something for everyone at this event, with the Impresario Drew Meeks being joined by Daniel Zen, Tim The Enchanter, The Wizzard Disorient himself & an old friend KaytiBunny and a literal cavalcade of stars. I’m actually kind of concerned the post is going to be too long and you’ll stop reading because of all of the music I’m about to shove into your face. And just to top it all off, this is all being done to support the artists, Figment (discussed here), Dance Parade, Burners Without Borders and other charitable organizations. Yup, it’s non-profit and awesome.

567000_10152350394440534_1163430902_o

An-ten-nae is Acid funk/crunk/spunk at its finest, and OneGoodReason has pulled some strings & called in some favors to get some excellent West Coast talent out here. Kraddy is another highlight, Android Porn (one of his best tracks) being one of my very favorite tracks of all time. The Human Experience is showing up with a delicious funky, dubby, soulful batch of goodness, being backed up by Love and Light, emerging to remind us we’re wonderful with heady beats. I’m not going to mention every DJ spinning, but there are some real stand outs for me on this line-up.




Connie has a devoted techno & tech-house following in Brooklyn & once you put one of her mixes on, you’ll understand why. Smooth perfection awaits you. Orion Keyser does wonderful house-related work & I can happily brag that I’ve paid the man for his time and skill. I’ve not had the honor of doing so for the deep, funky & stunningly smooth stylings of REsy (discussed previously here, here & here), but give me a minute. Tektite & Tim The Enchanter are doing something that looks like a vs. set, which, has officially has a billion percent chance of being awesome.




In the Silent Disco (Fuck Yea Silent Disco!), the hits just keep on coming, with dueling beat warriors pushing out some of the best underground music in NYC. Alex Funk has been talked about quite a bit around here, as has Barney Iller. These two could just spin for 6 hours and people wouldn’t mind in the slightest. But they’re being joined by some other stalwart Burner warriors like DK, Friar Tuck, Kannizle & 2Melo. I could yammer on about how awesome they are, but, the music does the talking way better than I do. There’s even live acts, with the rock band I recently interviewed (Suntalk) performing. I told you it was going to be ridiculous.







The VJ work is going to be second to none. VJ Krunch is joined by a platoon of VJs & art by DomeStar, Thunder Gumbo & Livio Mancini. It’s going to be as wonderful for your eyes as your ears. KaytiBunni Roberts is bringing like 30 flow performers to amaze while Kae Burke & Anya S will be repping Lady Circus in glorious fashion. Rewi Bracy & Jeff Robinson of Hoop Hooligans are actually traveling all the way from New Zealand (yes, really) for the first time to perform for all you lovely people. Locally, Seanna Sharpe has been amazing audiences overhead for years, traveling the world & finally settling down in NYC to blow minds and win hearts.

This is an event with all of the trappings, so dust off your favorite disco tuxedo and angel wings. Just in case you need some help, DanceSafe will be there along with Gratitude’s own Love Patrol to ensure that people remain hydrated and can deal with the massive sensory experience that this is going to be. If that’s something you’re into (I’m a HUGE fan of these kinds of services at dance events), drop them a line, they’d love your help.

There are very few tickets left, so grab them if you want to enjoy something special this holiday. I know it’s a touch pricier than the events you usually see me recommend, but this is one of the few cases it’ll be worth it I wager. If you can swing it, swing for the fences & enjoy yourself in grand fashion. Check out this photo gallery from 2011 if you don’t believe me: http://gratitudenyc.org/2013/gallery/gratitude-2011

This is Terry Gotham, see you on the dance floor.