Dance music and club culture is all about the latest tastes and trends, but there’s something about hearing one of the original creators live that makes for an unforgettable experience. This is what has made the two Sullivan Room sets from the “Godfather of House” Frankie Knuckles such memorable nights of soulful and uplifting house music. Now we’re honored to welcome this legend back to Basic NYC on Saturday, October 23rd, when Frankie returns to New York for another intimate dancefloor session. This will be Frankie’s third appearance for Basic NYC in less than a year, and we’re eagerly awaiting the return from this musical maestro.
Music is Frankie’s life, and he has been devoted to dance music for over 30 years. His list of achievements and successes is long, but perhaps his most important contribution to this culture was his residency at Chicago’s Warehouse nightclub in the late 70s. Frankie, who came to Chicago from his native New York (where he played alongside Larry Levan at the Continental Baths), developed a powerful connection with the Warehouse crowd through the music he was playing. Alongside contemporary R&B and disco music, Frankie played his own re-edits and reel-to-reel rhythm tracks. Emphasizing the drums, and amplified on the Warehouse’s powerful sound system, Frankie’s music gave birth to a new form and a new term came to describe it: “house” music, the shorthand name for the club itself.
It’s been a magical ride for Frankie ever since those days. He’s become one of house music’s most beloved global ambassadors, sharing his spirit at clubs and festivals around the world on a weekly basis. He continues to have a thriving and very successful production career, having crafted some of the most enduring house anthems to date. He co-founded New York’s Def Mix production group, and in 1997, he won a Grammy Award for Best Remixer, Non-Classical. He had a street in Chicago named after him in 2004, at a ceremony presided over by then Illinois State Senator Barack Obama. In 2008, he earned a whole new audience based on the strength of his stunning remix of “Blind” by the contemporary disco group Hercules and Love Affair
Joining Frankie on the night will be Open Bar Music’s Davidson Ospina, who is making his Basic NYC debut on the night. An experienced producer with a discography dating back to the mid 90s, Davidson’s fusion of deep and tech sounds will be setting the room up for Frankie. Getting the party started is the Mixer Assassin duo, who have contributed many memorable opening sets to the Sullivan Room over the years. Basic NYC residents Sleepy & Boo will be on hand as well, as they continue a stellar Fall season of dynamic Sullivan Room nights.
BASIC NYC PRESENTS FRANKIE KNUCKLES AT SULLIVAN ROOM
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, 2010
9pm – 5am – Presale tickets at wantickets.com/basicnyc
For guestlist and VIP table reservations email rsvp@basicnyc.com