$NORMALPRICE=15; $DISCOUNTPRICE=10; $CLUBNAME="Albion/Batcave"; $CONDITION="with flyer"; ?>
echo $CLUBNAME; ?> is the premiere Gothic Industrial dance event of NYC, and by far the largest on the East Coast. Combining the best of the legendary Albion and Batcave events, it is a magnet which draws the young, freakish and beautiful, coming from Manhattan, New Jersey, Long Island, and Connecticut. In many respects it is a crossover event; bringing together the Goths, the Gearheads, the arty NYU students, and the ever-popular Unclassifiables. The crowd lines up around the block before opening, and the dancefloor remains packed with people gyrating to the pounding beat until 4:15AM.
In the main room Ian Fford spins a melange of popular Gothic, Industrial, New Wave, Alterna-pop, and more. Imagine Depeche Mode, Cruxshadows, Iris, Rammstein, Dead Or Alive, and Switchblade Symphony. The music tends to run along alternating genres which last about twenty minutes each. In the back room, Patrick (and a few of his friends) spin popular Gothic tunes, with a little bit of Synthpop sneaking in.
On the mezzanine and ground floor are the traditional Batcave DJs, including the heavy-hitting Industrial DJ Hellraver, and Rob Xian spin industrial, EBM, electro, and various goth music. Some of the most amazing local and international alternative music performances occur on the Downtime stage.
Downtime is one of the largest venues associated with the Gothic-Industrial scenes in New York. Three stories tall, it is sometimes divided into two or more medium sized events. On the ground floor is the stage and main bar, and the two floors above it have their own DJ stations, bars, and dance space. The top floor has a small lounge area. Whether you are seeking to flail wildly on a dancefloor, or drink cocktails on sofas with strange and exciting people, Downtime has that environment and much more.
Unlike the usual "sticky floor" claustrophobic environments at the average Goth-Industrial club, Downtime is cleaner and has more of an upscale feel. Following the departure of Batcave, the management invested a ton of money to renovate on a very large scale. Because of this, Downtime has a dazzling futuristic appearance which leaves every new visitor somewhat awed. The space seems much larger than before, and much more exciting in both architectural layout and imagery.
Ventilation and mobility can be a problem when big events, especially on holidays, are hosted there. This shouldn't discourage people from attending, but one should be aware that bringing bulky or fragile garments might be poor choices for a keynote night at Downtime.
Commentary by Clifford Hartleigh Low, Monday, October 23, 2000.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|