A little white rabbit told us that the Mad Hatter would throw a party to help raise funds for the Camp Alborz Burning Man Art Car. So on Saturday, May 28th, we hopped over to Moonrise, a creative performance art space, and nightclub located in Brooklyn, New York, for the Alborz in Wonderland Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. We learned that hundreds of others had the same idea as us as we arrived. They came to dance to the sounds of Ace On, Catamine Therapy, and C A T O R I. As soon as we walked in, it was clear that this event was bringing people together and for a shared experience, creating a powerful sense of community. We immediately caught a glimpse of a colorful laser sweeping across the room upon entering the enchanting venue. We saw a few white rabbits placed around the dance floor, a white teapot in the middle of the bar, platforms we could dance on, and trippy decorations, like a poster that read “we’re all mad here.” Tea party-goers were encouraged to dress up and take on a unique personality by choosing an unconventional or zany hat or an ensemble related to the theme. And in true Burning Man spirit, most guests were dressed up and radically expressed themselves with intricate fabrics, jackets, and accessories. It was delightful to see how well people had paired colors, wigs, and headdresses and how they combined disparate pieces into coherent and exquisite costumes. Shortly after getting a cocktail at the bar, we shimmied to the front of the dance floor, directly viewing Ace On, who was first up on the decks.
Ace knows how to please a crowd with his signature style that features progressive and deep house tracks with tribal beats and brain-liquefying sounds. He kicked off his set with a track called “Long Way Home” that had hypnotic vocals and percussions and gave us a spaced-out feeling. He took us on a journey through the past with remixes of “Don’t You Want Somebody to Love,” “Feeling Good,” and ended his set with a variation of “Enjoy the Silence.” Next up, Catamine Therapy took over the decks and immediately engaged the crowd with his expertly curated tracks. At one point, we got lost in the energy and the sound when he played “Into the Moon” by DarkSideVinyl. We went back to the bar for another round of drinks and saw a professional dancer on the main stage. We were immediately captivated by her expressive movements, and she was dancing with no inhibitions. As we walked back towards the DJ booth, we noticed the space became more crowded, which was more reason to dance. The place was packed, and all we could see were hats. C A T O R I transported us to another universe with stunning soundscapes perfectly suited for the atmosphere. Ace On and Catamine Therapy closed out the party with a 30-minute b2b set.
It was a privilege to see these artists and planners overextend themselves to make this event a success; we saw many incredibly talented people who genuinely love their craft and the supportive community who came out to support them. The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party had reached its end – but the crowds demanded more – filing out of the venue and into the Brooklyn streets, engulfed with talk of the afters.
Ciao!
T&P
Techno & Pizza 