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.

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.

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.

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!!

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:

• The Righteous Brothers Band–Green Onions (Verve)
• Dale Kahr & Christy Boughn–Black Is Black (Foggy Love)
• Junior Dell & the D-Lites–I’m a Man (Original Gravity; UK)
• Ronnie and the Pomona Casuals–I Wanna Do the Jerk (Donna)
• Little Eva Harris–Get Ready – Uptight (Spring)
• Norman T. Washington–Tip Toe (SLD; France)
• Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez with Lonnie Youngblood and His Bloodhounds–Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Norton)
• The Beatles–Taxman (Capitol)
• Dave Phillips & the Hot Rod Gang–Tainted Love (Rockhouse; Netherlands)
• Tony Roman Cinq–Mickey’s Monkey (Canusa; Canada)
• Ricardo Ray–Nitty Gritty (Alegre)
• Cornerstone Trio; vocal – Stu Gardner–Summertime (Logo)
• Los Salvajes–Es Mejor Dejarlo Como Esta (Regal; Spain)
• Sylvie-Anne–Un Tour Dehors (Dorval; Canada)
• Little Bob–I Got Loaded (La Louisianne)
• The Pineapple Heard–Valleri (Diamond)
• Bob Kuban and the In-Men–Drive My Car (Musicland U.S.A.)
• Richard Wylie and His Band–Money (That’s What I Want) (Motown)
• New York Dolls–Trash (Mercury)
• Mud–Tiger Feet (Odeon; Japan)
• The Stooges–Real Cool Time (Elektra; France)
• Los Rockin Devil’s–Gloria (Orfeon; Mexico)
• Shocking Blue–Send Me a Postcard (Pink Elephant; France)
• The Wonders–That Thing You Do (Play-Tone; UK)
• Brinsley Schwarz–(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding (United Artists; UK)
• The Jimi Hendrix Experience–Stone Free (Reprise)
• [no artist listed]–Satisfaction (Milliat Freres; France)
• [no artist listed]–Dance the Slurp (7-Eleven)
• Dave and Ansil Collins–Double Barrel (Big Tree)
• Honey and the Bees–Auld Lang Syne (Chess)
• Archie Bell & the Drells–Tighten Up (Atlantic)
• Sly and the Family Stone–Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin (Epic)
• Los Johnny Jets–Bule Bu (CBS; Mexico)
• Aretha Franklin–Respect (Atlantic)
• Donnie Elbert–This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak for You) (Mojo; UK)
• Les Rats–Wooly Bully (Fantastic; Canada)
• The Carnabeats–Mony Mony (Philips; Japan)
• Los 5 del Este–Satisfaccion (Satisfaction) (Odeon; Spain)
• Bobby Fuller Four–I Fought the Law (Mustang)
• Don Gardner–My Baby Likes to Boogaloo (Tru-Glo-Town)
• Alvin Cash & the Crawlers–Twine Time (Mar-V-Lus)
• The Aces–Reggae Motion (The Loco-Motion) (Sire)
• Bob & Earl–Harlem Shuffle (Jay Boy; UK)
• Jun Mayuzumi–Black Room (Capitol; Japan)
• Billy Butler–Right Track (OKeh)
• Della Reese–It Was a Very Good Year (ABC)
• Bob Seger & the Last Heard–Sock It to Me Santa (Cameo)
• The Tammys–Egyptian Shumba (United Artists)
• The Rivingtons–The Bird’s the Word (Liberty)
• Ronnie Cook & the Gaylads–The Goo Goo Muck (Audan)
• Los Freddy’s (canta: Javier)–Me Siento Bien (Anahuac; Mexico)
• Bob Kuban and the In-Men–Batman Theme (Musicland U.S.A.)
• The Who–The Kids Are Alright (Decca)
• Jacqueline Taieb–7 Heures Du Matin (RCA Victor Canada International; Canada)
• The Top Notes–Twist and Shout (Atlantic)
• The Tip Tops–Rama Lama (Kapp)
• Prince Buster’s All Stars–One Step Beyond (Blue Beat; UK)
• The Special A.K.A.–Gangsters (2 Tone; UK)
• The B-52’s–Rock Lobster (Island; UK)
• The Cramps–Let’s Get F*cked Up (Medicine)
• The Flamin’ Groovies–Shake Some Action (Sire; UK)
• The 4 Seasons–C’mon Marianne (Philips)
• The Heros–I Can Only Give You Everything (M-Gee)
• Raspberries–Ecstasy (Capitol)
• Pete Rodriguez–I Like It Like That (Alegre)
• Damaso Perez Prado y su Orquesta–Mexico 70 (Orfeon; Mexico)
• Grupo Santa Cecilia–Africa Bump (Orfeon)
• Booker T. & the M.G.’s–Melting Pot Part 2 (Stax; France)
• Sandy Nelson–Peter Gunn (Liberty Germany)
• Jimmie Haskell–The James Bond Theme (Capitol)
• Dave Collins–Ride Your Pony (Capitol)
• Huey ‘Piano’ Smith & His Clowns–Rockin’ Pneumonia Part I (Cotillion)
• R. Sayre – The Vacant Lot–Don’t You Just Know It (Ltd.)
• Hubert Hunter–Twist It Up (Hit)

None of these records are for sale!