Bash Compactor: The Big 3-0

Do you want to lose your mind on the dance floor? Relax. You still can. It happened at DJ Nita’s First Annual Birthday Beatdown last week at Santos Party House. “Who do you think the best DJ in New York is?” I asked one of my favorite party promoters. “Nita Aviance, of course.”

It was no surprise then that for his 30th birthday bash, Aviance had assembled a cast of eight of his favorite DJs, including Sammy Jo of Scissor Sisters, SPANK, JohnJohn Field, Gant Johnson, Michael Magnan, Christy Love, Ryan McKnight and Josh Sparber. Meanwhile, the lineup gave Aviance the opportunity to do what he loves best: dance, twirling around in a gray Nike shirt and a white headband.

For those of you who don’t know his name, Aviance has been DJing for the past eight years. Famed for playing three decks at a time, he was recruited into the drag performance group House of Aviance back in the late 1990s when he danced backup for Kevin Aviance at Twilo, as well as venues world-wide. “There’s never a lack of crazy new ideas when it comes to Aviance. It’s punk rock, it’s fuck you, it’s the embodiment of cunt,” Nita told me.

In the early aughts, he made Opaline the ultimate dance party in the East Village, and then, in late 2006, opened Tubway with Gant Johnson, which later joined forces with underground dance club impresario Mr. Black.

I had no doubt the Beatdown party would keep going all night long with all of the professional party people who were showing up. I spotted Paul Alexander, Lady Fag, Jackie Birdy, Jeremy Xtravaganza and plenty more. Since Thursday is the new Friday and Saturday, some of the party promoter guests came after their own party had ended.

Luckily, starting Sept. 2 you can jump the turnstile and ride the Tubway again downstairs at Santos on Thursday nights, when Nita will be spinning records at a new party called The Beat.

“I told them we need to keep it free to get a good crowd,” Aviance confided. “I want to keep that Downtown New York flavor—and that means free drinks.”