They love to boogie on a Saturday night!
Long-running glam rock party Glamdammit will celebrate 10 years of feathered hairdos, heavy makeup, and tight spandex at the Grand Victory in Williamsburg on Oct. 4. And the genre is still in fashion after all these years, according to the event’s founder.
“I think we’ve kind of seen a renaissance of a glamorous aesthetic,” said Twig the Wonder Kid, whose moniker comes from a David Bowie song. “If you look at the major artists nowadays, a lot of them have ’70s makeup and outfits like that — kind of the opposite of grunge, in a way. I think people are embracing that again.”
In fact, all the young dudes show up in droves to feel the noise as live bands and DJs play glam, punk, and rock tunes at the monthly ballroom blitz, the DJ and nightlife promoter said.
“I’d say the crowd is in their 20s and 30s, though we do get some old-time rock ’n’ rollers come out, too,” he said. “Surprisingly, there’s a lot of young people who are into glam and punk rock.”
Twig started Glamdammit in 2004, after staging several successful one-off shows, including a David Bowie tribute night in 2001 called “2001: A Bowie Odyssey,” and a glam-rock-themed New Years Eve party. The theme night took place at various bars in Manhattan for eight years, but in 2012, Twig finally brought the party over the river to Brooklyn — which is where it now belongs, he said.
“This party in part is rock ’n’ roll, and it seems like the rock scene has moved more into Brooklyn now than Manhattan,” said Twig, who lives in Bushwick.
Over Glamdammit’s decade of existence, plenty of rock royalty have stopped by to show some hot love and take a walk on the wild side. Guest DJs have included Andy Rourke from the Smiths, Transvision Vamp singer Wendy James, fashion designer Keanan Duffty, and former T. Rex publicist B.P. Fallon. Other highlights have included a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Halloween party, and an Andy Warhol-themed show, where revellers dressed up like people from the Factory scene, Twig said.
The anniversary show will include performances by glam tribute band Michael T and the Vanities, and the Brats, a punk outfit that began as an offshoot of the New York Dolls in the 1970s, and has played with the likes of Blondie, the Ramones, Television, and Talking Heads.
“They’re still playing and they still put on an amazing performance,” said Twig.
Twig said he hopes Glamdammit has the same kind of staying power.
“I hope I do it for another hundred years,” he said. “This party really like my labor of love. I don’t really gain anything from it financially. The reason I do it is because it’s the type of party I want to go to.”
“Glamdammit 10-Year Anniversary” at The Grand Victory [245 Grand St. between Driggs Avenue and Roebling Street in Williamsburg, (347) 529–6610, www.thegrandvictory.com]. Sept. 4 at 11 pm. $10.
