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Seva Granik

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Seva Granik (born April 20, 1975 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan) is a New York City-based party promoter.

Background

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Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Granik immigrated to Brooklyn where he became involved in Brooklyn's underground techno rave scene.

Dubbed "the reigning king of NY nightlife"[1] by i-D Magazine, Granik has since become an event producer known for holding parties for queer Brooklynites as well as the international world of high-end fashion.

Nightlife and events

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In 2005, along with his roommate and friends, Granik started the email listserv and experiential events company MyOpenBar,[2][3][4] which published information about open bars and notable nightlife events, and produced parties featuring experimental performances in off-the-grid settings. Between 2005 and 2009, MyOpenBar opened offices in Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

Following the closure of MyOpenBar in 2009, Granik and ex-MyOpenBar editorial director Rebecca Smeyne launched ABRACADABRA,[5][6][7][8][9] a boutique underground performative events agency that showcased left-field and unusual talent in unsanctioned venues.

In 2010, Granik joined the curatorial committee at MoMA PS1's Warm Up event series as Bookings and Production Manager.[10][11] He quit this position the following year.

In 2013, Granik partnered with the NYC nightlife personality and event producer Ladyfag on the launch of SHADE,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] the first queer underground rave event series in New York. Granik and Ladyfag also produced New York Fashion Week parties, for such clients as Givenchy, Alexander Wang, Dsquared2, and magazines such as Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari's Toilet Paper.[20][21][22][23][24]

In 2015, as an employee of the fashion PR and events agency KCD, Granik acted as the senior producer on fashion runway shows for clients including Derek Lam and Narciso Rodriguez.[25][26][27]

The aforementioned seminal event series SHADE ran for three years and was shut down in the fall of 2015 as Granik's next underground queer rave project, UNTER, was already underway.

Eschewing press and media coverage, UNTER[28] was an underground techno rave project that frequently moved between unsanctioned locations and spawned several spinoff event series highlighting the diversity of musical genres in the dance music underground, such as gabber, "slambient," House music, and faster strains of techno.

Throughout this time, Granik contributed his writing and voice to various print and online publications[29][30][31] such as Medium and Vice .

In 2018, Granik was invited by the New York University to write a syllabus for and teach a course on producing electronic dance music events.[32]

In the fall of 2023, Granik shut down the UNTER project. Two new underground party series were launched in the spring of 2024: Faggots Are Women (with his partner Kay Gabriel and friends), and Zero Chill.

In the fall of 2024, Granik co-produced FKA Twig's Eusexua Brooklyn event,[33] a dance party and an installation that sought to promote the artist's eponymous new album.[34]

Art

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In the summer of 2023, Granik partnered with the NYC-based trans artist Ruby Zarsky on "ALL DOLLED UP,"[35] a one-night immersive art installation of NYC's first and only Trans-Women Dancers Strip Club featuring all trans women performers.

In the fall of 2023, Granik produced and co-directed "CHOKE HOLE,"[13] a queer drag wrestling show.[36]

References

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  1. ^ "meet seva granik, alexander wang's go-to party guy". Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  2. ^ Kurutz, Steven (December 4, 2005). "When It's Always on the House". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  3. ^ Buckley, Cara (January 2, 2009). "Web Site Points the Way to Where Drinks Are on the House". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Carlson, Jen (2005-11-22). "My Open Bar, Your Open Bar, Our Open Bar". Gothamist. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  5. ^ Caramanica, Jon (2010-10-21). "Distracted With Salem at CMJ". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  6. ^ sandberg, patrik (2010-10-21). "Salem, the Sound of Givenchy". T Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  7. ^ "Don't Leave Me This Way Baby! Crystal Ark Take Over Retro Disco in Bed Stuy". Observer. 2011-06-20. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  8. ^ "The Party Artists: ABRACADABRA and the Science of Creating a Scene". Observer. 2010-12-14. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  9. ^ "Bash Compactor: Bikini Stuy". www.nypress.com. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  10. ^ "Warm Up: Peter Zummo Ensemble / Glissandro 70 / Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra / Tim Sweeney". MoMA. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  11. ^ "No Matter How Many Times Your Band Plays MoMA, You'll Never Be an Artist". Observer. 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  12. ^ "Wie Seva Granik das New Yorker Nachtleben neu erfindet - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  13. ^ "The Everything Guide to Dancing -- New York Magazine - Nymag". New York Magazine. 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  14. ^ "NYFW: Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, and Hello Kitty at Alexander Wang's After-Party". ELLE. 2013-09-08. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  15. ^ "The future of NYC's queer techno scene". The Face. 2019-10-30. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  16. ^ "Celebrate Queer Pride This Weekend At An NYC Nightlife Icon's Warehouse Rave". HuffPost. 2015-06-19. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  17. ^ Siegler, Mara (2013-11-20). "Shade party shut down by cops | Page Six". Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  18. ^ "Physical Therapy Made A Mix Of Forgotten Club Sounds From New York". The FADER. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  19. ^ "Inside Club Shade, Brooklyn's Biggest DIY Nomadic Dance Party". ANIMAL. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  20. ^ Bernstein, Jacob (2015-09-12). "Fashion Week Parties: Night 2". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  21. ^ "39 Photos From Givenchy's After-Party". The Cut. 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  22. ^ "Photos: Miley Cyrus Danced Topless in a Tiger Mask". The Cut. 2014-09-07. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  23. ^ "Fashion's Best After-party Featured Cage Dancers and Solo Cups". The Cut. 2015-02-15. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  24. ^ Barasch, Emily (2015-10-26). "Naomi Campbell, Binx Walton, and Lexi Boling Celebrate Dsquared2's One-Year NYC Anniversary". Vogue. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  25. ^ Staff, Jessica Iredale,WWD (2016-02-14). "Derek Lam RTW Fall 2016". WWD. Retrieved 2024-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ Phelps, Nicole (2016-02-14). "Derek Lam Fall 2016 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  27. ^ Staff, Bridget Foley,WWD (2016-02-17). "Narciso Rodriguez RTW Fall 2016". WWD. Retrieved 2024-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ Brown, Harley (March 23, 2016). "36-Hour Party People". SPIN. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  29. ^ Smith, Andy P. (2018-01-15). "Ten Years of Music in Williamsburg 2002–2012: An Oral History". Medium. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  30. ^ Granik, Seva (2016-05-03). "I Went to a Steampunk Rave in Bushwick and Learned to Accept Gentrification". VICE. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  31. ^ "The Man Behind The Lights". GAYLETTER. 2013-05-23. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  32. ^ "ReMu Talks: How To Make Money In Nightlife". tisch.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  33. ^ Bloom, Madison (2024-10-22). "Hard Beats, Bondage, and Body Paint: What Went Down at FKA twigs' New York Eusexua Rave". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  34. ^ "I experienced "eusexua" at FKA twigs' exclusive Brooklyn rave". The FADER. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  35. ^ Byron, Grace (2023-09-12). "LOVE IN THIS CLUB". Artforum. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  36. ^ Frishberg, Hannah (2023-10-12). "Scenes from Choke Hole: 'Raw, queer strength and talent on full display'". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-13.