Weekend Quick Hits: A Bevvy of Sadness

Take a day off and look what happens. The weekend was filled with a second DJ's death and news of multiple closings, rocking a hospitality industry that many thought was showing signs of recovery.

• DJ AM was found dead in his apartment in Soho on Friday night from an apparent drug overdose. According to sources, "when they rolled him over, cops discovered a near-empty bag of crack stuck to his chest." Friends became alarmed when AM missed his flight to Vegas for a gig at the Palms and did not answer his cellphone, but by the time they got to his apartment, it was already too late. He will be missed.
• In a restaurant shocker, Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield closed their 9 month old restaurant, the John Dory. The 2 star seafood joint was well reviewed, but according to Friedman, the lack of foot traffic killed their business. The staff will shift to the Breslin while the owners search for a new space to reopen.
• The Griffin has already closed, just months after opening. This could be a clear sign that a standalone club may no longer be able to make it in the Meatpacking District 3.0.  Au Contraire! The Griffin has not closed, with owner Chris Reda saying, "This is absolutely, 150 percent not true. I don't even know where this came from. Business has been great. We have a seven-year lease and aren't closing before then."
• Manhattan stalwart Cafe des Artistes has closed. Originally opened in 1917, the restaurant has been a beacon of Continental cuisine for legions of city residents and tourists looking to enjoy a gourmet meal in a gorgeous setting. Don't believe us? Check out the outpouring of love from the commenters who have special memories from CdA.

The DBTH Happy Hour Rules

Thursday is, in our humble opinion, the perfect day for Happy Hour. The week's almost over and everyone is ready to kick back and have a few pops, knowing full well that they aren't going to put in a full effort on Friday anyway. But how do you pick the location? You could just pick the closest bar to the office, but closest does not always mean the best. So we decided to come up with the DBTH Happy Hour Guidelines to help guide your decision making.

1. The bar should not be further than a 3 block walk from the office.
2. The bar must have a happy hour special that goes until at least 7:00 PM, but 8:00 PM is preferred.
3. The special must be a real special (2 for 1). $1 off domestic drafts doesn't cut it.
4. While a bar with food is not mandatory, the option to order food is a bonus.
5. Outdoor space (see #3)

Follow these rules, and you are sure to get a solid turnout resulting in drunken good times. And just maybe, some shenanigans.

RIP Josh Link

Last night, Josh Link was killed in a motorcycle accident on the Williamsburg Bridge. A friend of Josh's asked DBTH if he could say a few words in memory of his friend.

Last night a lot of us lost a true friend in Josh Link to a tragic vespa accident on the Williamsburg Bridge. He was a man with a true soul and spirit that touched many people that may read this letter. He was 29 years young, a brother, a son, a DJ, a teacher, a voice of reason, and if you ask anyone that knew Josh, one of a kind in a city and world that is very special. This is a nightlife blog and Josh was nightlife, the genuine and real side to it if you know what I mean. He made this whole thing we do, "make sense" He made going to work and making music the true joy, he'd walk into the room and people would smile from ear to ear. He just had that way about him to make us all feel good and safe. I wrote this because I didn't know what to do after this devastating news of the loss of our friend. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. DBTH is good about posting things and we are all guilty of being silly with the blogging, but, last night is a Reality Check. Enjoy life.

We are leaving the comments open for if you care to share any memories.

Cool Down At Pacha!

Thank God that Pacha reopened, because we've been craving some $70 pitchers of frozen margaritas!

[Via]

NPC's Big Joke

Last week, the Nightlife Preservation Community announced their "attempt to swing the election towards four candidates who are in very close races." Noble effort all around. The only problem is their candidates have almost nothing to do with nightlife! The Comptroller is the CFO of New York City with absolutely no legislative authority, the Public Advocate is a relatively toothless office held over from a previous era that acts as the ombudsman of City government, and both Council candidates are from outer boroughs, including one from the Forest Hills section of Queens. Who in this movement even lives out there? The kicker is that the elected official from each council district is usually the only vote that counts, with the rest of the council following their lead. So while the effort is nice, the NPC's plan will not bear fruit. What is needed is more transparency in the licensing process (a State issue) and limitations on the Community Boards to impose arbitrary restriction on restaurants and bars. But since the CB's are feeders into the Council, good luck getting these candidates to go along with it. But hey, they love your money and votes, so yay nightlife!

Be All That You Can Be!

More fun from the Help Wanted section! The US Army is hiring a bartender for the Community Club at Fort Hamilton, which houses the the North Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in Bay Ridge. But this job may not be perfect for everyone, since the job requires, "Skill in mixing drinks using alcoholic beverages, beer and soda. Applies simple arithmetic in calculating bills and making change." Do we smell smoke? The working conditions are not the best either, since the winning candidate may be "Exposed to cuts and bruises." But it does pay a sweet $12 an hour, and you all know what they say about engineers near a bar. Don't you?

Violence Ruins Weekend Revelry

The weekend was marred by a pair of downtown murders, brining back memories of the bad old days of New York City. In the East Village, Eric Pagan, a bouncer at Forbidden City, had decided to head to the bar to grab some tools at 4:30 Sunday AM on his day off. According to reports, Pagan "joined a group of people outside the bar looking for a lost set of keys, . . . A dispute began as several of the men searching for the keys were grazed by a passing white Nissan Quest . . . The men on the street angrily yelled something at the driver, prompting him to stop and his passengers -- three men and a woman -- to jump out and start attacking them." One of the attackers then returned to the car, grabbed a gun, and began to shoot, hitting Pagan in the head and killing him. Meanwhile, at the South Street Seaport, what was supposed to be a late night party cruise never set sail due to overcrowding. According to DJ Stanly Darius, "It started when a girl was hit in the face with a bottle, and then it turned into a full on brawl." One of the instigators left the boat and returned with a gun, shooting party promoter Omar Trent, who died soon after. These incidents reinforce the need for caution while enjoying everything this city has to offer.

M1-5 Is Still Open

Apropos of nothing, we happened to be in Tribeca last night and couldn't believe that M1-5 was still open. Seriously. This place has been around forever. That is all.

Goldman Sachs Int'l Wants to Party

Ah Thursday's - the night when office warriors throw caution to the wind and get sloshed, not caring about how they feel the next morning. It's an international desire, including for a group of Goldman Sachs investment bankers stationed on Fleet Street in London. A Little Birdy forwarded along an email between a group of these bankers who are about to descend upon NYC and our looking for a Thursday evening filled with debauchery.

From: XXXXX

To: XXXXXXX
Subject: NYC Clubs - Thursday Night

Guys,

The big party is on Thursday night if my understanding is correct!

I hear from a cousin in New York that the following are cool:
- The Box
- Jane Hotel: apparently very trendy since 1.5 months
- The Gate
- The One Oak

Any thoughts/comments on your side?

Cheers!

This cousin is oh so knowledgeable, especially about the One Oak. You have to love it.

JE Finally Conquers Tavern on the Green

After lying about his connections to Tavern on the Green, Trash Man JE Engelbert has finally been allowed to throw a party in the venerable Central Park venue. According to JE's latest press release, This Saturday 8 22 09 RAIN or SHINE!! we keep it moving as it Continues. Thousands of people walk through the doors every Saturday night making it New York Citys largest Indoor and Outdoor party....YES Tavern On The Green!!! Now don’t get lost going to the bathroom. A lot of people say its like a maze inside but have no fear its all in good fun...." Rain or shine, we promise not to come within 40 blocks of this hot mess.

Mr. West Is Dunzo

Mr. West is closing its doors next month, almost a year to the day since it opened. For those of you who took the under, congratulations. A friend of owners DJ Jus Ske and Danny Devine tells Page 6, they "got an offer they couldn't refuse" from party promoter Patrick Duffy, who plans to open a Japanese restaurant and late-night lounge. We're guessing the offer was somewhere in the range of $47.50, and the over/under on the number of times we will eat in this new Japanese restaurant is being set at 1. Or is that too negative?

Flyer Follies: Here Comes Fashion Week

Here comes Fashion Week everybody! But after the past year's economic disaster, will we be seeing seeing a return to the glitz and glamour of 2007? Or will it be a more middle of the road experience, with an uptick in parties but produced in a subdued way? And which venues will go down at the FW hotspots for the fall? We predict the Standard will get some serious play, as well as Avenue, the Jane, the Cooper Square penthouse, and the Bowery's 2nd Floor. It's all so gosh darn exciting, we can hardly sit still.