Andre Saraiva's latest incarnation of Le Baron lit up last night in the first edition of its inaugural concert series "Encore!" with self described proto-pop scenesters HeartsRevolution.
It's 10:00pm and we receive a text from a colleague that it wouldn't be unwise to get there soon: "We're at the table with the girls from Absolut vodka...hurry up"
We poured ourselves down the N train to the undiscovered part of Mulberry Street, dog leg left and we find ourselves bathed in familiar faces. Andre's storied Fort Knox door team was in fact staffed with our old friends from Kenmare, hugs all around as we dove in.
Smoke machines everywhere. Also: leather. Le Baron lends itself to the feeling that this isn't far off from a turn-of-the century Parisian opium den, partly because you couldn't be sure people weren't smoking opium, partly because we overheard an insightful party-goer, "...yeah I'm pretty sure Andre was going for like an opium den feel..."
Observations out of the way, we turned our attention to the diminutive stage where the post new wave distortion band HeartsRevolution had set up shop, belting out something in between Joy Division and The Go! Team, influences alluded to in their deftly named single "Life Will Tear Us Apart." Everyone firmly convinced that they were enjoying themselves, we decided it was time to sneak out of the sweatbox balcony and see what we could find in the basement.
More fake smoke parted ways, and we found ourselves saddled up next to Stephen Dorff who graciously detailed his itinerary over the next 3 months on an Israeli press junket for his new thriller Brake. Shooting the shit a bit longer, we were able to witness Mr. Dorff play the Stephen Dorff card, as he again began graciously detailing his Israeli itinerary to a leggy blonde we had recognized from some of the night's earlier events.
Another round of drinks was proposed, but as we stood in a half empty basement while a plumpish DJ labored through his set, we knew it was time to say goodnight.