NOTS Review

[The Catdancer]

Fly Life
Band of Gypsies
Feast your eyes on the Night of a Thousand Stevies, a riveting cavalcade of gold dust women
by Tricia Romano
May 15th, 2007 4:07 PM

There aren't too many female performers I'd like to see replicated 1,000 times. Madonna or Debbie Harry might be fun, but consider the prospect of that many Courtney Loves. It takes a special lady to withstand thousands of impersonations over the course of 17 years, which is exactly what Stevie Nicks has done, indirectly, as the subject of the annual Night of a Thousand Stevies, thrown by the Jackie Factory and helmed by Chi Chi Valenti, Hattie Hathaway, and Johnny Dynell.

Friday night at Hiro Ballroom, everywhere I looked was a Stevie, from door girl Abby Ehman to the cashier to the twirlers onstage (including Amber Ray). The DJ, Poison Eve, spun an all-Stevie set while looking the part. The performers included one Justin Bond, not in total Stevie Realness drag, but lovely just the same. I spied Mike Albo under a Lindsey Buckingham wig. Later, Sherry Vine turned up in a blonde wig that must have made her eight feet tall in heels. Inexplicably, however, one patron appeared to have gotten lost on the way to the Night of a Thousand Janis Joplins.

It was a dazzling sight, made even more dazzling by all the white-winged doves who twirled and shook their tambourines (inscribed with the NOTS logo) to such hits as "Stand Back," "I Can't Wait," and "If Anyone Falls"— the originals and every remix ever recorded. Sitting with promoter Daniel Nardicio, we swooned over one performer in particular: Legend of Stevie Realness Nicole Nicks, a NOTS veteran turning in her farewell performance to the night's official theme song, "Edge of Seventeen." She had every single detail down, from the way Stevie dances to even the slightest of head movements, which along with the absolutely perfect patchwork of frizzy, waist-length, butterscotch-and-bronze tresses made us believe that She was really there.

Chi Chi first got the inspiration for NOTS 17 years ago, when she went to see Stevie at Jones Beach and ran into Joey Arias and Dean Johnson—together, they decided to host a one-off event at Mother, the legendary now-defunct nightclub. The event was such a success they repeated it the following year, but Chi Chi says, "It never dawned on us along the way that we'd actually reach the edge of 17." Since then, it's gone through three venues (Hiro Ballroom is the event's latest and biggest home), and has even inspired a movie called Gypsy 83, a road flick about two Stevie obsessives that culminates with their arrival at the event. Through the years, celebs like Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Boy George, and yes, even Courtney Love have attended or performed.

While she's been invited every year, Stevie herself has never come. But Chi Chi says fans think otherwise: "Many people believe she was there at the last one at Mother, and that she came as just another Stevie. People who are in really deep said, 'We recognize the patterns in her retinas.'" Chi Chi suggests Stevie has instead sent people to film it. "I totally understand why she's never come. I think it would be too much to see 800 or 1,000 people dressed as you, crying and singing every word and fetishizing the leg warmers you wore in a video." Funny, the part about the retinas would be enough to freak me out.


http://www.villagevoice.com/music/07...,76667,22.html

[Livia]

One of these years, I HAVE to go to this, I just have to! Thanks for posting!

[ELIUD]

Oh it's definitely a MUST ATTEND event for the devoted fan - I went five years ago when it was in a tiny fire hazard of a club but that just made the Stevie-vibe extra thick and heavy. I can't believe you're not there every year.

[JazmenFlowers]

sounds like it was another great year. everyone I've talked to, attendees and performers alike, say the new Hiro ballroom is fabulous and a good choice of venue for the most part. I'm hoping I can perform again next year.

[Travis]

Last year was my first year so I had the chance to experience both the Knitting Factory and the Hiro Ballroom. I'm torn between which I liked better. Both were great venues. I liked how you are able to walk into different areas of the KF. If you needed a break from the main room you could go downstairs to another room for a change of pace, and then make you way back to the main room. Just like clubbing basically. But the Hiro was pretty fabulous as well. Having everyone together in one room makes for a more intimate setting. Both are great.

[missdiatribe]

Originally Posted by Travis

Last year was my first year so I had the chance to experience both the Knitting Factory and the Hiro Ballroom. I'm torn between which I liked better. Both were great venues. I liked how you are able to walk into different areas of the KF. If you needed a break from the main room you could go downstairs to another room for a change of pace, and then make you way back to the main room. Just like clubbing basically. But the Hiro was pretty fabulous as well. Having everyone together in one room makes for a more intimate setting. Both are great.

I have to agree, I'm torn between last year and this. It was nice to have room to twirl and so much space. However, the seedy, downtown vibe of the Knitting Factory really added to the insanity. This was so much more posh. Although the performances were fabulous, the comedic highlight for me was when the dj mistakenly played a Madonna song (he may have not thought it was a mistake at first) but he should've known better!

[Travis]

Originally Posted by missdiatribe

Although the performances were fabulous, the comedic highlight for me was when the dj mistakenly played a Madonna song (he may have not thought it was a mistake at first) but he should've known better!

Actually, he was playing a club mix of Madonna's "Music" and Stevie's "Planets of the Universe." It was played a lot in clubs in 01 and 02 I imagine. "Music of the Universe" was the title I believe.

[Livia]

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by Livia

That was pretty hysterical.