Monthly Archives: January 2024

Double the Go-Go at Do The 45!

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The first Do The 45! of the new year took place on January 12 at Quinn’s—the rock ’n’ ramen joint in Beacon, NY. This was an especially exciting Do The 45! because host DJ Pete Pop added another Go-Go dancer: Bella Bombora. She and Sheba Shake were up on the dance floor doin’ the watusi nearly all night. Man, those girls can move!

Another thing that made this Do The 45! special was the addition of DJ Benny Trokan. Mr. Trokan has played in such bands as Spoon, Reigning Sound and The Jay-Vons. Plus, he’s toured the world as a member of Lee Fields’ band. He’s got some pretty darn good records and at the Do The 45!, he showed everybody that he knows how to play them. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was invited along for the ride; he started each of three sets with “The Batman Theme.”

DJ Pete Pop played his usual assortment of garage, R&B and Latin stuff that always keeps the party going. Miss Nancy baked some banana cupcakes with peanut butter icing and these almond-flavored, star-shaped things that were excellent.

Above: Benny – Phast – Benny – Pete Pop

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus played these records at the Do The 45!:

None of these songs are for sale.

Stooges and Shumba for the New Year!!

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The expectations for a New Year’s Eve party are always very high. People expect the event to be so totally fabulous that you’ll be talking about it for the rest of the year. On the New Year’s Eve that went from 2023 to 2024, our friend Sterling Knight put together one swingin’ affair. The Boogaloo Bag writers met her when she was the guiding light of Mama Roux, the fabulous eatery in Newburgh, NY—now defunct. She has recently taken her Mama Roux brand and become a professional event planner in the greater Newburgh area. 190 Bar, a new joint in Newburgh, came to her and asked her to produce a New Year’s Eve happening, the first for the fledgling club. Ms. Knight knows how to swing. She enlisted a tarot card reader; a tattoo artist; Go-Go dancers Sheba Shake and Bella Bombora and the Hudson Valley’s bossest DJs, Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.

“Magnificent revelry” was promised… and delivered!!

190 Bar, as noted above, is a brand new establishment and it is located at 190 Broadway. It is beautifully appointed with artful paintings on the exposed brick walls and sparkling lights hanging from the ceiling.

DJ Pete Pop
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus

The hero of the evening was DJ Pete Pop. Earlier that day, he DJ’d at the Jet Set for the monthly drag brunch. Then, by 6:00 PM, he was setting up his equipment at 190 Bar and soon after started playing records as folks were already showing up.

Sheba Shake!
Bella Bombora!

Phast Phreddie and Miss Nancy dropped by around 9:00 PM or so—still dragging a bit themselves; recovering from the Funky Kingston the night before. But Pete Pop’s records were so boss that rejuvenation was instant. Sheba Shake showed up and Miss Nancy got into Bella Bombora mode and the two Go-Go danced on the groovy platforms that were built just for the occasion. Soon the club was filled to the brim, with folks dancin’ and jumpin’ around and drinkin’ and making merry in all sorts of ways.

Miss Nancy’s yummy treats!

How fun was this New Year’s Eve? Pete Pop called it the best New Year’s Eve he’s ever experienced. The Go-Go dancing of Sheba Shake and Bella Bombora inspired everybody to watusi and frug! Folks were boppin’ to every record played—even “Egyptian Shumba!” At one point, a fellow showed his phone to Phast Phreddie and it said, “Stooges?” So a record by The Stooges was played! Best song request ever!!! The Boogaloo Bag writers were so enjoying the evening that few good photos were taken! Hostess Sterling Knight sure knows how to throw a wing ding! The merriment didn’t stop until the wee hours!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sometime after four in the morning, the exhausted 190 Bar staff pleaded with the DJs to cut the jams. They had such a good night that some of them even helped Pete Pop carry his equipment out to his car!

Here’s a list of all the songs played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the 190 Bar New Year’s Eve Party:

None of these records are for sale!

Funky Kingston Swings Again!

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The Bat Signal at the Salt Box signifies that Funky Kingston is happening!! Stuart Millman of The Greyhounds and Miss Nancy dig it!

In 2023, the last fifth Saturday of the month fell on December 30—the day before New Year’s Eve! It was the perfect time for folks to celebrate the New Year without dealing with amateur drinkers. Some folks took advantage of that by attending Funky Kingston at the Salt Box in Kingston, NY.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Scott Boyko swing at Funky Kingston!

Funky Kingston is the groovy new DJ night hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. It features all sorts of funky music (see list below) as well as special guest DJs. For this occasion, we were able to fly in Scott Boyko from south central Pennsylvania and he dropped some heavy, heavy funk and really righteous reggae jams. Mr. Boyko is a serious record collector and has been sharing his sounds at DJ events for more than 20 years. He once was a host of the Garden State Soul Club. Now he guests all over the place: Keystone State Soul Weekender (Lancaster, PA), Soul Finger (New York City), etc.

Scott Boyko in action!
Scott Boyko keeps the action going!

This particular Funky Kingston event went swingin’ly—with all sorts of friends showing up. Some friends even insisted on making this a sort of a late birthday party for Mr. Phreddie as he turned 70 two days before! 70! Wow! That means Phast Phreddie has been DJing for folks for about fifty years—since the early seventies when he worked at keg ’n’ Quaalude parties in San Pedro and Carson, California. Those were the days: trying to play records with one Garrard turntable hooked up to somebody’s guitar amplifier!!

Birthday cupcakes at Funky Kingston!

Anyway, the Funky Kingston had folks funkin’ all over the place. The historic stone building that houses The Salt Box could barely contain the fantastic rhythms that Mr. Boyko and The Phast One were letting loose! Miss Nancy baked some pumpkin/chocolate birthday cupcakes that were devoured pretty quickly.

These Funky Kingston happenings take place on the fifth Saturday of the month, when there is one. The next one will be March 30. Start planning now to make the scene for this fabulous party.

Here’s a list of records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Funky Kingston:

None of these records are for sale.

Soul to Soul in Lancaster!

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The Keystone State Soul Weekender Family!

The Keystone State Northern Soul Weekender is perhaps the premier soul music dance party in the United States—certainly east of the Mississippi River, anyway. Every year for the last eight years (skipping 2020 because of the pandemic) a bunch of world class soul music DJs (and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, for some reason) are rounded up and together they present a high class event at the Elks Lodge in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In previous years it was held in November, but this year—the seventh in the series—it took place on December 8, 9 and 10 (2023).

Julio Fernandez is a Spaniard who now lives in Lancaster and he is the chief architect of the event. He produced another excellent experience.

Folks came from all over the east coast to dance and to dig. We’re always happy to see the contingent from New York City. We understand that folks also came from California, Maryland and Virginia and probably places we’ve never been. Plus, record dealers from around the area–and even Georgia!–were on hand to sell records—mostly 45s— and folks—mostly the DJs—dropped some heavy, heavy loot on them. Not only that, but this year KSNSW corresponded with the monthly record show hosted by the Keystone Record Collectors. More records!!!

There were a bunch of new faces selecting records this year: Ed Maruscello (Sweet Side Records, Glens Falls), David McDaniel (Nor’Easter Soul Club, Albany), David John (DJ) Bywell (an English fellow now living in Southern California), Sean Connors and Eric Zimmerman (both of the Philly Soul Club), Debbie Benjamin-Koller (Heart of Chicago Soul Club) and Mr. Finewine (Down Town Soulville, WFMU). Returning for more action were Tony Chackal (Atlanta), Chey Frazier (Easton), Mikey Post (Daptone), Eric Svirida (Long Island), Paula Carrillo (Minneapolis), George Rodriguez (Hipshaker, Minneapolis), Cher Gingras (Slow Fizz, Toronto), Big Al Aitchison (Soulfinger, NYC), Yana Lil’ Jerk (Soul, Soul, Soul, NYC), Scott Boyko (Garden State Soul Club), and the tag-team of Chas Gibson & Ivy A. Gogo (New Paltz). Plus, there was an unexpected extra DJ when Kenny McDonald, a fellow from Scotland who is associated with the Emerald City Soul Club, tag-teamed with his friend George Rodriguez on Saturday night.

The DJs played fantastic records all weekend long and the Elks Lodge’s fabulous wooden dance floor was crowded nearly the entire time. With so many DJs on hand, Mr. Fernandez had to ‘double deck’ them during the afternoon sessions—that is, two DJs split the 30 minute slots. Some approached this by each DJ taking 15 minutes. Others took turns spinning a disc. Phast Phreddie took the latter approach when he double decked with Mikey Post during the Saturday afternoon gig and with Chey Frazier on the Sunday Soul Day. Brother Weems, once a member of the legendary Empire State Soul Club organization, was the MC on Friday and Saturday nights and he did a splendid job.

Miss Nancy was on hand with double-chocolate cookies and her signature vegan brownies. Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Seventh Keystone State Northern Soul Weekender:

Friday Night

Saturday Afternoon

Sunday Afternoon

None of these records are for sale.