Apollo's Lounge is quickly becoming quite the Phoenix nightlife hotspot. The Hot Pink crew set up shop on Friday nights for RAD, and DJs Roya and Funkfinger take over on the first Saturday of every month for Tongue Tied.
Apollo's is a natural transition for Roya and Funkfinger after participating in Obscura at Rips Ales and Cocktails. The duo now hosts a high energy party full of themed gags, photobooths, dirt-cheap drinks, special cameos from a member of Treasure Mammal, and more.
We recently chatted with DJ Roya (a.k.a. Michele Chinichian) about Tongue Tied's forthcoming Old School/New School party on Saturday, September 7. Find out more about "Humpty Dance" shenanigans and what to expect at Tongue Tied after the jump.
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The Old School/New School party will be Tongue Tied's fifth event to date, but the night is doing pretty well in spite of its newness: "We launched in May," DJ Roya says. "We wanted to get in before the summertime hit, as that's a pretty risky time to try and make something work... we figured if we could survive a brutal Arizona summer, we'd be in good shape for the rest of the year!"
She describes Tongue Tied as an event for "indie music lovers who aren't too cool for a few guilty pleasures in the mix" that may remind guests of the Hot Pink glory days. One can expect to hear cuts from artists like Daft Punk, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Prince.
Even though all of Tongue Tied's events have been themed so far, including a tiki kiki, a Daft Punk party, and a Fourth of July bash, that won't necessarily be the case in the future, with the exception of an arcade-themed Arcade Fire party in October. "I've always had a soft spot for a themed party and had a lot of ideas of things I had always wanted to do going in.
"We don't want to have a theme for the sake of having a theme, but if we have an idea that we feel would make for a more festive and memorable night, we are likely to go for it."
Tongue Tied at Apollo's Lounge **Every First Saturday** from Travis Black on Vimeo.
And what to expect from this month's Old School/New School Party?"Old school and freestyle tracks mixed in with indie and retro '80s sets. Think bands like LCD Soundsystem, M83 and New Order mixed in with some Salt N' Pepa and Bel Biv Devoe!
"We'll also have a food truck (Chi-town hot dogs), old school visuals projecting on our big screen, and props for everyone to pose with in our photo booth like boom boxes and plenty of bling: gold chains, bandanas, g-money novelty glasses and fake 'benjamins.'"
If dancing isn't really your thing, Dave Driscoll of Treasure Mammal will provide plenty of entertainment. He "'interprets' our music with his hilarious dance moves while wearing a full bodied leotard," she explains. "We don't take ourselves too seriously as DJs, we just want to throw a fun and unpretentious party. We just love him, and so does our crowd!"
Another special feature of Tongue Tied is the giveaways--and there are plenty of goodies to go around. "We wanted to be a part of supporting the businesses in Phoenix we felt make this city great. We're sponsored by Zia Records and also work with Film Bar, Churn, Stand up Live Comedy Theater -- to name a few. Typically our prizes are gift cards, event tickets, drink tickets and even cab vouchers."
So far, Apollo's appears to be a great fit for Roya and Funkfinger; "We wanted a space that had a down to earth feel, strong drinks at inexpensive prices, and a great smoking patio - Apollo's has all of that.
"The owners of Apollos are extremely generous. We were all on the same page about wanting to donate part of the proceeds from the night to revolving charities, and they organize all of that for us. 100 percent of their Jell-O shot sales, as well as any donations we collect, go to charity."
Top 40 Songs with Arizona in the Title 9 Tips for Using A Fake ID To Get Into A Show Here's How Not to Approach a Journalist on Facebook The 30 Most Disturbing Songs of All Time DJs Roya and Funkfinger present Tongue Tied at Apollo's Lounge on Saturday, September 7.
