By now you know the drill: full bar, comfortable seats to chill in, a disco ball, a big blue sound system and a wood dancefloor. Come before eleven for beers on the house, and RSVP to mister@mistersaturdaynight.com for reduced entry at the door before midnight.

Bring yourself, bring some friends, and meet some strangers.

Mister Saturday Night
with residents Justin Carter & Eamon Harkin
All Night Long

at House of Yes / 342 Maujer St between Waterbury and Morgan, Brooklyn / Saturday, February 25 / 10p-6a / advance tickets available at residentadvisor.net/mistersaturdaynight / $10 before midnight with RSVP to mister@mistersaturdaynight.com / $15 otherwise / map to venue / 21+*

*Although we absolutely love to play host to our underage friends, the operators of the space make the rules. When we can, we do it all-ages, but for House of Yes, we’ve gotta keep it twenty-one and over.

So I’d been pretty out of it with the latest developments of Whitney Houston’s life. The little I heard about was bizarrely awful, and addiction problems always bother me in a very personal way. I felt like I was feeding the beast by even paying attention to it.

I saw Whitney in Richmond on one of her first tours, during my “born-again” phase, at the invitation of a very musical kid who was on a similar tip. To be honest the one song I could relate to was “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

But I just read a piece in Salon that tapped me into what it was like to be a girl in the 80s and dig Whitney’s ballads, and it gave me new respect for her talent for just nailing a song – I went back and listened to a few of them. The other thing it reminded me of was how ballads about star-crossed love really give me the creeps, and it’s not just because they leave me limp, although that doesn’t help.

Maybe it kind of is because they leave me limp. There’s a weird co-dependent vibe that seems baked into those chord changes and epic lyrics, and it always freaked me out. I figured professional songwriters wrote those kinds of songs, and when I listened to them I imagined they were basically heartbroken old men – I didn’t think a woman who looked like a teenage sitcom goddess could have lived such heavy love stories. So for me, the weepy thing fit her like a bad suit. Those songs would be believable if Etta James sang them at age 60, but having a 20-year-old sing them felt to me like a bad game of dress-up.

But a lot of people were feeling it, like that Salon writer, who fell in love with all the drama at age 12.

The point where her article bugged me out, though, was when she noticed that the whole arc of Whitney Houston’s life was pretty much summed up, ahead of time, in the lyrics of “Didn’t We Almost Have It All.” Even the way the melody peaks very early, and then “throws out its back” trying to recreate the magic of the first verse – it’s the same in a bunch of her huge hits, like “I Have Nothing” or “I Will Always Love You”. Her signature songs were always the “heroism” of a very wrong love scenario that she refuses to give up on.

And I thought of how she had to sing those songs, over and over, for worshipful audiences from a very young age… and how she then met her husband. And lo and behold, within a few years she was, in fact, living one of those awful, fatalistic “love” arcs she had been singing about. It’s a weird side-effect of performing that seems to hit lots of actors and singers. It’s like they meditate on the scenario and then manifest it for themselves.

So what I’m saying is: I kind of believe, in a way, that sappy songwriting killed Whitney Houston. It’s like a bunch of people outsourced their heartbreak to her as a teenager, and since she got a big thumbs-up from the world for her ability to dramatize, she took that as the script for her life.

I just think, you know, maybe when somebody says a song is bad – and I can tell you that when I was 16 I thought those ballads were wrong, wrong, wrong on a ton of levels, starting with the keyboard sounds – sometimes they’re saying, that song would kill me.

But Whitney could sure put them over. The songs still give me shivers, even the ones I can’t stand.

MSN: Where are you guys from?
Devon: I live in Brooklyn now, but I’m from Jacksonville, Florida.
Henry Andrew: I’m originally from San Diego. I’ve lived in NJ, and right now I’m in the Upper West Side.
MSN: And what do you do?
Henry Andrew: We dance!
Devon: I do graphic design mostly.
Henry Andrew: OH! You mean what we do, like, for our lives. I thought you meant here! I DANCE! We make other people dance, and they don’t like it! No no no – she graphic designs, and I’m a massage therapist.
MSN: Oh wow! You’re the second massage therapist that we’ve interviewed at these parties.
Henry Andrew: Well, find me the first and I bet I’ll know them!
Devon: Massage therapist – like “touchin’.”
Henry Andrew: Touchin’ people.

MSN: Right. So Devon, what kind of graphic design do you do?
Devon: I do a lot of web design, because that’s what’s really in now right now, and what people need.
MSN: Is there any work in particular that you are proud of?
Devon: All the work I’ve done is under the company that I work for, and I like everything I’ve done with them. The company deals with a lot of web design and network design, like if you wanna get on Facebook or whatever. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr.
MSN: How’d you get into graphic design?
Devon: I went to school for graphic design, and then I realized that everybody’s into web stuff, so I did that.
MSN: Where’d you go to school?
Devon: I went to school at Pratt, which is like, three blocks away from here! Which has NO relation to this party, but…
MSN: Well, there are a couple of bars, and Dope Jams that is kind of connected to this scene…
Devon: Yeah, I like Dope Jams a lot.
MSN: And Henry Andrew, how’d you get into massage therapy?
Henry Andrew: I hated college and –
MSN: Where did you go?
Henry Andrew: Some fuck-off school in New Jersey.
MSN: Just name it!
Henry Andrew: William Patterson. I just wanted a job that I don’t hate, and massage therapy was it, and so far it’s working pretty well for me!
MSN: That’s great. And how did you find out about these parties? Is this the first one you’ve been to?
Henry Andrew: Oh no. We’ve been coming here for a while now!
Devon: Yeah, we’re really big fans. We used to live a block away from here, which was really cool!…but now we live a little further away.
MSN: So you guys live together?
Devon and Henry Andrew: Noooo… [laughter]
MSN: You were roomates at one time?
Henry Andrew: We used to, at “Pratt Days,” hang out all the time, but then we just kinda went our own ways. But we still come here all the time.
MSN: When was the last one you went to?
Devon: It was here. And also at the House Of Yes.
Henry Andrew: There was that one party you had in the afternoon. Four Tet was actually DJ’ing there.
MSN: That was last summer at Gowanus Grove.
Henry Andrew: I’ve been following Four Tet since I was 18. That’s like, seven years. The first record I heard was “Pause.” And he’s only like, two years older than me! That makes me feel fucking weak!
MSN: He’s a really nice guy.
Devon: I saw him when he played at the Gowanus Canal, and it was really fun, so I look forward to hearing what he plays tonight.
MSN: Do you go to any other parties in NY?
Henry Andrew: I go to Lit Lounge. I go to Planet Rose, because I’m an All-Star Karaoke man – my karaoke name is Naughty Jimmy. I love it because it’s an actual bar with karaoke.
MSN: So you really like singing?
Henry Andrew: Um, I like singing drunk. Well, the thing about Naughty Jimmy is that he makes up his own lyrics for songs.
MSN: That’s you.
Henry Andrew: That’s Naughty Jimmy.  I’m Henry! Naughty Jimmy does that. I have a lot of “things” in my life right now.
MSN: Hey, that’s cool. So, do you have any parting words for anyone out there?
Henry Andrew: Here’s my message: There’s no such thing as peace. You have to fight for peace, and you definitely have to fight for love; but it’s always gonna be worth it, baby!
Devon: I’m afraid that this – I – no, I don’t have any parting words. I almost did, but now I don’t.
MSN: Bye-bye works well!
Devon: But off the record, thanks for caring about our night! This is really nice.
MSN: For sure. Thanks for sticking it out in this weather.

photo by Steve Rogenstein

For this installment of the Mister at the House Of Yes, we’re happy to announce that we’re doing something we’ve been hoping to do for a long time now – incorporate live music into the party.

Justin and Eamon will DJ almost all night long, and all the trappings that make the House of Yes extra special – comfy seats, a full bar, a disco ball, and our big blue sound system on all four corners of the wood dancefloor – will still be in place; but at some point earlier in the night, the guys will be handing the keys over to a trio of very talented and ingenious acoustic and electronic musicians from Brooklyn called Archie Pelago.

On cello and Ableton is Greg Heffernan (Cosmo D); Dan Hirshorn (Hirshi) operates the turntables and trumpet; and Zach Koeber (Kroba) plays sax and assorted effects. Their technical set-up alone has received plaudits from electronic music producers, and the resulting sound they create is just as uniquely impressive. More than ready for the dancefloor? Mary Anne Hobbs thinks so, and so do we.

Come before eleven for some beers on the house, and RSVP to mister@mistersaturdaynight.com for reduced entry at the door before midnight.

We’re looking forward to trying something new with you.

Mister Saturday Night
with residents Justin Carter & Eamon Harkin
and with a live performance from Archie Pelago

at House of Yes / 342 Maujer St between Waterbury and Morgan, Brooklyn / Saturday, February 11th / 10p-6a / $10 before midnight with RSVP to mister@mistersaturdaynight.com / $15 otherwise / map to venue / 21+*

*Although we absolutely love to play host to our underage friends, the operators of the space make the rules. When we can, we do it all-ages, but for House of Yes, we’ve gotta keep it twenty-one and over.

To keep things comfortable, we’ve decided to make this party a ticket-only event. All tickets are now sold out. If you weren’t able to get one in time, periodically check the Facebook or Resident Advisor pages for ticket holders who can’t attend.

We’re looking forward to spending an intimate evening with you. It’ll be good to be back home.

Mister Saturday Night
with residents Justin Carter & Eamon Harkin
and very special guest Four Tet

at 12-turn-13 / 172 Classon Ave between Park and Myrtle, Brooklyn / Saturday, February 11th / 10p-6a / this is a ticket-only party / tickets are now sold out / map to venue / 21+*

*Although we absolutely love to play host to our underage friends, the operators of the space make the rules. When we can, we do it all-ages, but for 12-turn-13, we’ve gotta keep it twenty-one and over.

This is Mister Saturday Night. We’re a party from New York City. Brooklyn to be precise. Twice a month we roll our soundsystem out of storage, take it to a secret loft, hang a disco ball, invite some friends and get down until the sun comes up. Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter, the Mister’s residents, often play all night. Occasionally a guest will play alongside them. No matter who’s playing, though, it’s about as no-nonsense a good time as you can have.

Until now, Mister Saturday Night has always happened in New York City. It’s the only place we’ve ever felt fully at home (it being our home and all). But last year, when Eamon and Justin were invited to play with Floating Points at Plastic People, we fell in love.

The reason why we host our party in Brooklyn lofts is because there’s no New York City club that really does it right. When we stepped into Plastic People, though, we found lovely people at the door, the bar and behind the scenes; cosy corners for chatting and a perfect dancefloor; and a pristine sound system. Check, check and check.

So now, we are elated to say that we’ll be hosting the first ever Mister Saturday Night outside of Brooklyn at Plastic People on Friday, January 27. (Yes, you heard that right. Mister Saturday Night will be on a Friday Night.) Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter will be playing vinyl all night long, and Plastic’s got all the other bits and pieces covered. Except one. That’s you.

We’re hoping you’ll come and make it complete.

Love,

Mister Saturday Night

Mister Saturday Night
On A Friday Night in London Town

with Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin All Night

at Plastic People / 10p – 4a / 147-149 Curtain Road, London, EC2 / Friday, January 27 / £7 before 11pm / £10 otherwise / advanced tickets here

And then on Sunday the 29th, we’re at Sub Club all night long, playing for our Optimo friends. It’s gonna be a good weekend.

MSN: Is this your first time at a MSN party?
Christian: The fourth time. Last time was here, the other times before that was one of these alleys in Brooklyn, and somebody took me there. I don’t remember where.
MSN: Anything particularly interesting happen at these past parties?
Christian:  The music got me pretty high!
MSN:  Where are you from originally?
Christian:  I was born in NY, Manhattan; but I grew up in Argentina.
MSN:  What are you’re interests, jobs, etc?
Christian: I surf, and fragrance.
MSN: How do you mean fragrance?
Christian:  I study perfume! It’s not that common.
MSN:  Wow, how interesting! So you learn the chemistry of creating perfume?
Christian:  I’m not a chemist, but yeah, there is some chemistry involved.
MSN: And what about you, Jameson? What’s up?
Jameson: This is my first time here. I’m a student, I live in NY, but I’m from Houston, Texas.
MSN: Oh, nice! Never been there.
Jameson: Get your ass down there, you’re welcome. Eat some Mexican food, have a good time.
MSN:  You know what’s funny? There’s a Houston Street in Manhattan…
Jameson:  …and everybody calls it “Houston Street” [as in the pronunciation of Houston, Texas].
MSN: Well, that’s the debate!
Jameson:  Well, here’s the thing. When I get lost in the LES – and I’ve been here for 4 years, so I got it down pat – I just pull up next to a cab and say [in a thick Southern accent] “Hey, do you know which way down Houston street I can get to Katz Deli?” It’s the only time that accent is acceptable.
MSN: So what do you do, do you like music?
Jameson: Yeah, I study the Internet, pretty much. I like music. I heard about this place through the Internet, word of mouth, and I wanted to come down here and see what’s up. I’m havin’ a good time dude, sweet party!
MSN: Did you come with anybody?
Jameson:  Nope, just here for the music.
MSN: Well, that’s awesome.

If you’re stumped on that last city in the list, you’re probably not alone. Stuttgart may not be the best known city in Germany, but it is the epicenter of German auto engineering, hence the name of our guest on January 21.

Motor City Drum Ensemble is the alias of Danilo Plessow, a young Stuttgart-born artist who, with some incredibly mature and inventive music, has been freaking people out since 2007. He played a great set for us on the Gowanus three summers ago, and he hasn’t visited the States again since. Needless to say, we’re excited to have him back after all this time.

The rest of the story is just the way you like it: Music surging through our big, blue soundsystem at 12-turn-13; plenty of room to dance, chat, sing, and work up a sweat on the wood dancefloor; and a beautiful, scenic, rooftop patio for taking a breather. If you RSVP to mister@mistersaturdaynight.com, you’ll get in for $15 if you show up before midnight, and if you get there before eleven, beer’s on us.

Mister Saturday Night
with residents Justin Carter & Eamon Harkin
and very special guest Motor City Drum Ensemble

Photo of Mississippi John Hurt by Bernard Gotfryd