If you were partying with us at 12-turn-13 this past Saturday, we don’t need to tell you how brutally cold it was, especially on that roof. Well, despite the fact that their coats were still in coat check, and that their clothing was especially light, Mister Henry Andrew and Miss Devon were resilient and patient enough to spend a few chilly minutes with us on the roof. Thanks guys for freezing your butts off, so that we could take a minute to get to know you.
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