SIREN celebrates the old and the new this Friday at its flagship party, the
4th Annual ROBYN RIOT at one of DC's gems of a venue, the Green Lantern. We celebrate for the fourth time the leading lady in our dancing lives, Robyn, and also welcome a new DJ to the fore - Sam Blodgett.
A DC resident, Sam has surfaced with a great new party in the District called
BUTCH QUEEN that basically focuses on shaking your ass non-stop for hours - and that's just what the doctor ordered for SIREN. Additionally, his skills are beyond his experience and he brings his A-Game every time he plays. This boy is definitely one to watch in the scene and worth every sweat stain on the dance floor.
Sam is a welcome addition to the plethora of amazing DJs that've graced the stages of SIREN and MAJRmusic events, including Nacey, Wesley Della Volla (who returns this week), Aaron Riggins, Cale, Vanniety Kills, Matt Bailer, Ca$$idy, Shea Van Horn, Charlie Kordes, The PocketGays and countless others.
He had a few words to say about what Robyn means to him, his favorite Robyn tracks and his own party:
Robyn is probably my favorite pop star ever. I first heard her on Z95.7, the Bay Area's finest radio station in the 90s -- they had Robyn's early singles on heavy rotation. I have distinct memories of singing along to Show Me Love and Do You Know (What It Takes) with my mom in the car when I was 8. Robyn Is Here was one of my favorite albums growing up. If it were a record, it would be worn through.
Yes, she's great because writes fantastic songs and is an extraordinary performer but (maybe this is my fantasy) she also seems like a top quality human. I'm very drawn to her story: she walked away from a huge record deal after Robyn Is Here's success because she didn't want to compromise her artistic integrity. It took her years to recover that success, but she did it on her own terms, with her own record label. And now she's a household name, at least for the gays. Talk about the power of perseverance.
And then 2012 came along and I found myself front and center at the infamously sweaty U Street Music Hall show. She came on for her encore, and it was Show Me Love (of course). I was blissing out. And then, while she's mid-chorus, she reaches out, touches my hand, and sings the damn song straight into my eyes. After 18 years of living with her music, that was pure magic.
TOP 10
1. Girl and the Robot (Robyn/Royksopp)
2. Hang With Me
3. Show Me Love
4. Dancing On My Own
5. Time Machine
6. None of Dem
7. Do You Know (What It Takes)
8. Indestructible
9. Just Another Girlfriend
10. Konichiwa Bitches
About Butch Queen
Butch Queen started as three friends fooling around with DJ equipment in my living room. The three of us (Kris Sutton, Dioni Rey, and me) share a love for hip hop, house, 90s RnB, Baltimore and Jersey club music, and more, and we weren't hearing a lot of those jams out at bars. Eventually our impromptu in-house dance parties grew big enough that our apartments were too small and we kept running out of booze. So Butch Queen was born.
We're also hoping to create a diverse, inclusive party -- one that is mixed gender and mixed ethnicity (like the three of us). DC's scene lacks that sometimes. But above all else, our top three priorities are loud bass, strong drinks, and low booties. Everything else is just gravy. Really awesome gravy.
