These were made for the 8BC Fashion Extravaganzas we put on and I produced MC'd and DJ'd at the legendary East Village club named for being between Avenue's B and C. Run and curated by Cornelius and Dennis whose motto was 50% bands the rest performance art, theater and in our case fashion shows. My first tune I spun was David Bowie's "Panic in Detroit" from Alladin Sane and it set the right mood while the glitterati was held outside due to overcrowding. The doorman calmly told Details editor Annie Flanders who pulled up in a stretch limo "I don't care if you're the Queen of Sheba you're not getting in." and we ended up on the cover the next month and 109 was IN. You know if you know! But here's your ticket to the audio. Jennifer Blowdryer's "I Love My New Clothes" from the 109 Anti-Folk comp White Trash, a big hit with a lead Village Voice music section article, was used in a GQ promo video with bold credits for my 109 Records label. We were on a roll of a lifetime. The blend of low and high met in an explosion of color and vibrance and old artworld sophistication with everyone who wanted to be in and participate could, that feat has never been duplicated / experienced before or after. It is what scenes are all about, a temporary blip that changes everything forever but the scene itself dissolves and all that's left are the tapes videos & books.  All scenes have expiration dates and people move on. The East Village 80's underground fashion theater music performance art scene lives on in the illustrious works of contributors who made it like John Lurie or Eric Bogosian or Ethyl Eichelberger or Keith Haring or Wendy Wild or Pat Hearn, Gracie Masion, Sir Rodney Sir, Sonic Youth, Live Skull the list is long... many, many bands Madonna too. It is what it was and it's better than you think! A rose is a rose is a rose. Left hand yellow! Right hand green! it's Twister! The 80's were better than today artistically speaking. The Conspiracy to Maintain Mediocrity is real. Be different, try something, anything. Learn from us now old fogies not to be too cool to do so. When I got my Thom Burns (lead make-up and stylist for 109 fashion shows) gave me my outrageous close-cut sides, fop on top Kamikaze Fashion show haircut (also a KilPig concert) and EV Fashion book release party for the release of THE first of a few books about the entire scene... Pat Field's and 109's rivalry (we were far east she was simply east village oh my!) "Wild Style" by Simon & Schuster promoted by none other than 109 hanger-on Michael Alig who kept bugging me to give him the job and he did do a good job packing the cavernous joint with his little club friends (Yes, I got him his start promoting shows which I regret but don't regret not getting credit for launching his Club Kids Limelight mis-career.) My mom was horrified with my DJ/MC shaved head "I miss your long hair" and uttered her most famous line "Cool's not cool!" Well, we were fucking cool Mom! and she was proud that day at the breakfast table reading the NY Times and said, "Isn't that your band Robert Palmer is writing about?" and then I went to the New Music Seminar that day and heard Jon Pareles (the other NYT music writer) say at a publicity panel, "The only good thing about publicity is your parents will feel better about what you're doing."  I laughed; he was right. It all means nothing, but nothing is everything. We had it all. Now you can get little pieces of it and make your own art. At least that's what I hope for all you young fashion-conscious arty folks looking for inspiration and a roadmap to the future of underground creativity. Strike a pose! Play a note! DJ an underground party, write a play, star in your own performance piece.  The world's your oyster. 
https://stevegabe.substack.com/p/do-the-drag-the-109-st-marks-place

Live! From the Vault #5 "I Love My New Clothes" - More 109 Fashion Show Music Mixes

My new mixtape "Smokin' Aces". It's a short and quick mix just to introduce you into some old and new stuff that I was digging through years and also playing recently. A lot of genres from HipHop to Funk, Afrobeat and Electronic beats to Jazz. 
Feel free to listen to the mix and practice to it.
Enjoy! 

I do not own or claim any rights of these tracks.

Cover photo from my Cypriot Brother "Chopo"
Mastering from my brother "DJ Cron".

Smokin' Aces 2024

Party and Battle DJ
Founder of the party "When The Funk Hits You"

AmazeMe,born in 1988, started as a graffiti writer in 2003 and as a bboy in 2006.In 2012 he started spinning the wheels at dance competitions and later he found himself behind the decks at night clubs,bars and music events. He is a passionate music lover and a  vinyl collector. Being in love with good music he tries to keep up with the latest music trends while tracking down old music diamonds. For his DJ sets he chooses everything good.
Oh, and he is a cool guy too.

Music is the key!! 🎶

contact for bookings : maze_knb@hotmail.com

From NYC / North Jersey now in Greensboro, NC.  For more stories, podcasts and free music go to:

New tracks tagged #bobbybyrd