An Introduction to DC Club Life

Yesterday I wrote my first blog posting for TrenDC. A few months ago Dan Kelly invited me to revive my nightlife writing skill with a blog on the popular WB TV web site. Since the site gets attention for hosting celebrity diva Paul Wharton's blog, I figured I should join the team and contribute with my love of nightlife and electronic music.

My first submission is listed below. I'll update you with a link as soon as things go live on TrenDC.

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Nocturnal Vibe...
Friday, December 5, 2008

Hello DC! Several months ago I was asked to join the TrenDC team and contribute my thoughts to a blog dedicated to nightlife. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about the nocturnal happenings of a city. And since I love writing, photography and nightlife, I figured why not? So what you’re looking at today is the start of a blog that will take you on a journey through the inner-workings of the DC club scene. It’s called Nocturnal Vibe because there is an essence of life that pours from the nightclubs and lounges of major cities worldwide. It’s a feeling. It’s like a sixth sense. It’s a way of life that touches all corners of your emotions and is on display virtually every night here in the District. And I’m going to do my part to make sure you know everything you need to know to be well equipped for a night on the town.

First, let’s get a few things out in public right off the bat. I’m not your typical features writer. I’m not going to play footsies with you by discussing unnecessary details of a club. You already know there are beautiful people there. You already know there will be lines to get in. You already know you can spend your hard-earned cash on a VIP table and get piss drunk off your own bottle of vodka. You don’t need me to tell you that. But what I can do is tell you why you should go to one club or another. I can tell you what the VIP tables at Tattoo have that Ibiza can’t offer you. I can tell you why BT is a show worth braving the December chill and why Baby Anne might just leave you blue. In other words, this is an inside look at clubs. It’s not a press release.

Second, I’m not going to tell you about every single place in DC or the surrounding metro area. There are publications out there that have staffs much larger and far more equipped to do something like that. And frankly, my liver just can’t handle a relentless pounding night after night. But I will tell you about places I believe are the true purveyors of the club world. I’ll tell you about clubs that focus their attention on the true star of their show, the DJ. If it has something to do with electronic dance music; be it house, trance, Dnb, I’ll write about it. If you like to dance at a club, this is your new publication home.

Third, I’m rarely negative. I just don’t like the idea of reading a column about something as enjoyable as a night out on the town and walking away feeling like the author is perpetually bent out of shape. To me, nightlife is enjoyable. And so my blog should reflect that.

So that covers the bases of what this blog is. Now the big question: who in the world is this cat telling me to go to 18th Street Lounge to hear such-and-such DJ?

My name is Doug Van Sant (dougvansant.com). I grew up in Delaware, got a broadcast journalism degree from Shenandoah and have spent the better part of my career working in the online departments of various newspapers and publications. I started writing about nightlife while living in Greensboro, North Carolina. The start was modest with a personal email blast that hit almost 1000 of my closest friends. When I moved to Tampa, Florida, I was introduced to a club scene ripe with world-class talent but starved for attention from the local media. I quickly found a number of clubs bringing in the some of the greatest trance and house DJs in the world, and yet no mention of the fact in any publication, independent or corporate. So I created Nocturnal Vibe as a connection to that scene on TBO.com, the online partner of the Tampa Tribune and WFLA. It fast became one of the most visited pages on the site.

I then moved to San Francisco and expanded my interest in nightlife photography. I shot most nights at the world famous Ruby Skye nightclub and started getting exclusive gigs from DJs like Christopher Lawrence, John Digweed, Timo Maas and Paul Oakenfold. My resume now includes a nightlife column in cities spanning from Miami to LA with photo shoots from Tiesto to George Acosta.

To say I enjoy nightlife is an understatement. I’ve pretty much lived it for the better part of 8 years now. My only true side attraction is my love of dancing Lindy Hop. If you’re lucky, I may break out some words on the subject from time to time. But aside from the occasional talk of 30’s jazz, this blog is all about the club world of DC. Ready… Steady… Go…

Labels: Clubs, DJs, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife, Trance

posted by DVS @ 11:25 AM