Sarah Maple and other parties

Can I remix you?

Hey you,
It was a heavy Friday night. It started with two exhibition openings, continued with my first ever bowling game, then a house party and finally Sinilind. It took most of the weekend to recover.

My favorite spectators.

The first opening was that of Sarah Maple. Her works were impressive and the exhibition was well organized. I can't remember the last time that there were so many excited spectators at an opening.

There wasn't much of Sarah to see from the last row.

The second exhibition was in an appropriated cellar with wire frame trees and a photo series of people posing on the same graffiti-covered corner in Tartu. However I managed to find Zuks there.

Changing gallery openings.

The exhibition was cool because it wasn't in a gallery and also because the "tree" engulfed most of the space and couldn't even  be circled. Too bad the wine was already gone by then.

The Kalamaja house party.

I then went to bowling for the first time ever. It was harder than I had expected. However I did better than I would have expected and managed to score a couple of strikes.

Sigue Sigue Fabrique.

Next stop was a house Party in Kalamaja. My phone had run out of juice and I only managed to get the house number. As I arrived I also discovered that there were two houses with the same number. I decided on a window by vague party lights on the second floor. After ten minutes of throwing snow at the window I was invited in by the arriving neighbor couple. The window turned out to be the right one and it was a great surprise to find SS Fabrique and Kalvik also at the party.

Sinilind was so crowded that the seated were worshiped.

From there a group of us went on to a party in Sinilind. There we had a couple of drinks too many and saw a lot of friends - old and new. The night ended at around 5 am.

Meeting Sarah after her artist talk, I was extremely hungover.

See you soon!
Barthol

Happy birthday hospital!!!

Why did you take a photo of the queue to the girls' toilet?

There's a fine line between a party with too many people and a party with not enough people. Both of those factors can ruin a good party. This weekend we went to the Birthday party of Haigla pidu (Hospital) at Sinilind.

Haigla was one popular birthday child as Sinilind which I estimate can fit around 1000 people was packed full. I went there to take photos and that's what I did. I also did a lot of standing in lines.

Fredy (of Laika Virgin and Animal Drama) just had to be colored sixties.

I jumped queue to get in when I got to the door, as I was already running late. Greetings to the ticket crew and I think even the security guard harassed me less than usual.

DJs Ats Luik and Jan Tomson playing.

I had to talk to everyone I was taking a picture of because as I don't have a huge camera people wan't to know why am I taking photos or they want to take a photo with me or something third.

Girls-boys-girls in the queue for the toilet.

Too bad Westons wasn't available on tap anymore and so I waited ten minutes for nothing and then as much to get something else.

Matching the picture on the bandage with your image.

The music selection was very interesting and I was a bit surprised by some of the tracks and genres. I have to admit that this was my first time at a Haigla pidu.

This wall pattern always gives me flashbacks.

Girls insisted on going to the men's toilet and they always wanted to be the first ones. Because of that some guys had to go to the booth four at a time.

The party was tight and at times you couldn't understand what was going down.

I met a lot of old friends and that always helps the party go better.

VJs were using old tapes for visuals, lovely 90s feel.

As this is a huge 11 photo post, I have ran out of ways to bitch about there being too many people and too long lines so from here on just photos.

Girls sipping on Cider

Legendary "climb out the window" smoke room

Lonely boy with a balloon.

It's too bad there was a lack of space as the party seemed great. See about another time at Sinilind from here.
See you soon,
Barthol

First time in Club Studio [updated]

Happy New Year!
Fluon is now FOUR YEARS OLD. Here's a track from the coming EP to celebrate:
Barthol Lo Mejor - NYorky Bounce (free download until 20.01)

New year - dye your hair.

On Saturday I went to different venues. We started at Clazz with my lil sis. There the jazz-rap band Külalised was playing with Sander Mölder and Dj Quest playing inbetween them. I don't think I've ever watched them play before, but it was enjoyable.

"Dance all you want, the playas wait in the corner"

Next we headed over to the Studio club for the Tallinn Express party. The line-up included Programm Extra DJs Quest, Paul Oja and Critikal aka Bert on Beats on the first floor. The second floor was for the Rulers of the Deep.

DJs Paul Oja and Critikal spinning in the booth.

I hadn't been there before, but I had heard about their expensive sound system and tickets. The first impression I got was that they have the friendliest and politest security guards I have met. Even though the first guard couldn't find us on the list.

DJ Critikal aka Bert on Beats and the moves like Jäger.

I was surprised as I had thought the club to be white on the inside, but it was full of color and lights. The DJs played a good balance of commercial and obscure and constantly mixed from one to other.

The colorful lights and lots of smoke.

The downside was that there was no room to move around even though there weren't that many people there. If you wanted to move you had to squeeze or elbow through crowd. There also wasn't a place to rest from the constant hustle. It got worse when we tried to hit the dance floor girls were whipping their hair around and guys were hustling in all directions. The couple guys with too much speed in them were the less annoying part.

The black light on the second floor with stars on the wall.

There were some familiar faces around and the music was superb. A lot of people didn't agree with me and a girl even put two middle fingers in the air when they played Prodigies Everybody In the Place. Another girl  gave Paul Oja a request to play. Too bad I don't know what it was.

Promoting a bar's stripper party with a Disney character.

We left around 3 and I passed by Must Puudel where Kalamari Unioon was taking place. I didn't make it inside, but there was plenty going on outside too. There were chipmunks, people with joints and a bum with two lit cigarettes,

A quick look at the Kalamari Unioon at the Must Puudel.

See you at our birthday!
Barthol

Top 10 Tartu nightlife venues - current

These are the top 10 venues I go for the nightlife in Tartu. (This was posted in 2012 and sadly the top three venues have since closed and not many new ones have taken their place)

10. Illegaard - a (former) Jazz club and allegedly the first gay venue in Tartu. A few concerts and events take place there and it's probably the only bar where you have to pay for tap water. The layout is cool though and there's room, if not to sit then at least to move around.

photo of illegaard from likealocalguide.com

9. Illusion - a former cinema and the prettiest commercial club in Tartu. there's music from retro to D'n'B and if you want to go clubbing then Illusion is the way to go. Girls flashing legs and guys getting drunk with a great light show and bass. Not much to do except for browsing the meat market, unless there's a special appearance.

A really good overview once again from likealocalguide.com

8. Teine Maailm -  used to be just Maailm before new management. Occasional alternative events take place, but otherwise it could be considered a mini club. Hosts dubstep and commercial nights and occasionally the likes of "Neljapäev with lazers".

Legendary "Neljapäev with lazers" night , classy shot by Mr Whip.

7. Möku - I would say it's the offspring of Zavood. It was my favorite venue when it was opened an it was ran in a fresh way. The best part was that it turned Rüütli street into a never ending festival with up to hundred  people drinking and socializing and hooking up. Now the local police has destroyed that scene by constantly patrolling the street and fining people for public drinking.

The crowd in front of Möku which is by the umbrella.

6. Zavood - the father of  alternative Tartu nightlife. I remember looking in through the windows when I was 11 and getting thrown out of there when I was 13. It used to be a obscure smoky student bar. Now it's an end-of-the-night spot with cheap beer and super drunk people dancing on a square meter at 3 am. Not much to do there before midnight.

I couldn't leave this photo of Zuks in Zavood out :D

5. Pirogov - hardly a venue, but a picnic area, the only place in Estonia where it's legal to drink in public. From the first warm of days of spring, it turns into a non-stop festival of drinking (minors), tanning and an occasional fight. You should know which side of the park to stay on and not to pick up any empty bottles, as both of them might end up with an ass kicking.

Didn't find the author to credit or a photo depicting the night-time madness.

4. Genialistide klubi - for a long time Genclub was the only place to go for an alternative concert. The biggest alternative venue in Tartu. It's also a theater and a cafe with a wide variety of events happening on it's two floors. It's a culture central and possibly a way of life for the people working there.

A concert in Genialistide klubi

3. Nälg - the most recently opened venue.
This restaurant/club/boutique has a flashy design  with it's custom made Dj booth and the light fixture. The dancefloor is one of the smallest in Tartu, fitting around 20 people side by side. It's still being established and we'll see how long their appeal lasts.

Last time I played in Nälg.

2. Nott - now reopened after court hassles with the neighbors. It's the best venue during summertime with it's outdoors terrace where the party goes on until 6-7 a.m. The beer and cider are cheap and the goers are cool. The drinks are reasonably priced and the bartenders usually have great taste in music.

Blurry Nott terrace 

1. Kink Konk - former Plink Plonk indie club, is now an electronica club. Ran by real music lovers, the venue is well organized and firendly. It has cheap prices for beer, cider and long drink. There are lots of couches for sitting and a reasonable dance floor. The nights include house, techno and hip-hop, usually the Thursdays are free.

Photo of Kink Konk by Märt Kose

Check out also the top 10 of past Tartu venues here. Which would your top venues be? Leave a comment.
See you on Friday at Von Krahl in Tallinn.
Barthol

Did you miss the best party ever?

...Not yet and I sure hope you won't.

Take a shower! Because soon my bass will get you dirty ;)

The live is on the 20th November in Tallinn and where else than Von Krahl. Be prepared for another world as you enter. I will be up on that stage giving you the raw fun to dance to.

I will play after the foreign bands. First up are Zebra and Snake from Finland and the other band thinks that they are animals as well. Who are they?

you can try to guess...

iiiiiiit's Instrumenti from Latvia, two guys in Panda suits playing Indie dance.

So after they make you cry I make you dance!

As a girl once put it:

Barthols music is raw. I love that when I listen to it then I don't care for a normal life anymore. I just want to put on tons of make-up and wear high heels. Really high ones and smoke in a dimmed out room and just enjoy being vain. His music has got a sharp dangerous edge to it but gets me out of the everyday routine.

But don't believe her before you've seen me play live in full gear. A good friend of mine will come all the way from Paris to party with us. You know it will be wild, when we do it Paris style.

If you somehow did miss it in Tallinn then don't give up hope and come to Tartu on the 10th of December. As the next party will be there.

Meanwhile get prepared for the party with my:

music

remixes

videos

And if you want the afterparties then follow me on facebook or blogger