HALLOWEEN SUBWAY PARTY 10-31-03
Ah, the fine art of a well put together subway party. If you have never heard of a subway party, or been to a subway party, I will clue you in. Dig this-
I first heard about this phenomena back when I was in school (SVA) from my friend R.EVAN . The classic party, when done right goes as follows.
1) An e-mail is sent out, or very vague invite is handed out alerting friends or strangers to show up and wear a certain color. Finding out the location is always a last minute thing. The reason for this is because it is very easy for one of these parties to be busted by the cops, because they are usually illegal, or have illegal things going on during them. I do not advise you to do or plan one. (but if you happen to do that, invite me)
2) The party is generally named after the color of the train line the party is going to be rolling on. The classic and what I believe to be the original subway party was the BLUE party.
IF the party is a blue party then that would mean it is running on the A, C, or E line, because those are the trains who's symbols are the letter A C E within blue circles.
Being a blue party on the blue line the people would then be asked to dress in blue, and bring blue things.
3) You show up at the train station you were prompted to go to, or if you know the direction the train is headed, you can show up further down the line and wait for the party to arrive and pick you up (which is a strange concept, but fun).
The party we were waiting for was actually starting in Harlem and going to the last stop in Brooklyn, it was on the 3 train, so it was red, although color didn't matter because this one was Halloween theme so you were supposed to wear a costume.
Subway parties are usually either the last car of the train, or the last two cars. So you wait at the end of the platform, and the party comes to you, almost like appearing out of thin air. (Harry Potterish)
4) If the party is done right they will have a traveling DJ set up or a marching band, all in the colors of the party or at the very least a few boomboxes. Acetate gels will be stuck in the ceiling over the garish lights making the train have an ambient feel of whatever color the party is, also giving it a club-like feel. Usually 2 sources of music are in one train, one at either end, so if you walk the length of the train, the music will change over the course of your journey, but a good party is so packed, you might not venture to both sides too often.
5) Candy, Booze, and Drugs might be on the train. Candy- the color of the train will be passed around in bowls to the people partying, and if the party is good, there will be someone on the train with alcoholic punch made with grain alcohol and fruit juice (colored the color of the train) and it will be passed out to all who want it. (crazy train man, crazy train). People also spark joints (so I've heard) on these trains.
6) Some girls pole dance on the poles, which is very unsanitary, but also very fun to watch. The last two cars on the train basically become a pimped out moving club. Picking up new clubbers with each stop, and also people who were just expecting to catch a train unexpectedly join the party, and usually (if they aren't square) decided to blow off their previous plans and ride the party train to the end of the line.
7) When the train reaches the destination, it either disperses, or the whole party moves to a predetermined location. Usually a club or bar that has in some way sponsored the event (although they won't admit that because of all the illegal activity). Where the party continues on into the night.
Well, we got down there-the 14th street stop at 11:01 when the train was supposed to whip by 14th St. at 11:02. We stood on the side that the 3 train was supposed to come through on. Little did we know there was a fire further up the track and the 3 trains had been rerouted to run on the 1 & 9 side. When a train came down the 1 & 9 side that was marked 3 at 11:02 we ran over to see if it could possibly be the party train. There was no music, no costumes, and no gels. "Is this the party train we asked?" Some people said no. We started to walk away. "Yes, it is!" someone inside yelled.
RAN-D jumped on and the doors closed.
"Ran-D is gone." I told JEN. We couldn't believe that was the party train, other people were there at that stop waiting for the party train and didn't get on it either. We all figured that it wasn't the train because the trains are almost always late. We stuck around down there for 45 minutes talking with other people waiting for the party train. It was hot as hell down there and I was sweating through my crummy, cheap, make-up, which by now was cracked like those photos you see of the desart floor in death valley. My nose started running and I realized that the weird fluctuations in temperature and the sticky make-up were making me sick.
We eventually decided that the Party train was a bust, Ran-D had caught it. So we decided to just catch a random 3 train and take it to the subway party afterparty. We got on and BRETT, who somehow got shitfaced at the first party we went to (we left him alone for 10 minutes!) started flirting with this girl. In his warped mind he thought telling her she looked like Sarah Jessica Parker was a compliment. When she said that she does try to keep in shape he said "no, your face."
Just another day in the life of an Art Juggernaut.
-Cojo