Circuit party

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A circuit party is a huge disco-type dance party, extending through a night and into the following day, almost always with a number of affiliated events in the days leading up to and following the main event. Circuit parties resemble underground rave parties in some respects, but differ in that circuit parties are highly publicized and professionally produced, and tend to attract people from a wider age range and a broader geographic area.

While open to anyone, the parties generally are viewed as social events for gay men. Circuit parties charge admission, with some being run for-profit and others benefiting charities, generally those which benefit the Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender communities or HIV/health related programs.

Attending more than one party per year, due to a variety of factors such as differing locations, can be rather expensive and only the most dedicated party-goers attempt to run the whole "circuit". Gay men who are regular attendees at multiple circuit parties are sometimes referred to as circuit boys.


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Background

The start of the circuit has been attributed to many different parties that sprang up during the same time frame of the late 1970's and early 1980's. Although Flamingo and 12 West were New York clubs that had theme-centered gay parties, these nightclubs were eclipsed by the opening of the mega-nightclub the Saint in the East Village in 1979. The mostfamous early parties were in New York at the famed nightclub in the East Village named "The Saint" . This members-only male (with very limitd exceptions) club was very technologically advanced, some say its like has never since been recreated. Featuring a domed dance floor that was suspended in mid-air, inside of a cavernous former theatre, and a complete planetarium mechanism that could project a starscape onto the dome above the dance floor. The staff treated all members with dignity and respect. The once monthly parties were marathon events that drew gay men from around the world. Its regular Saturday night parties were would typcially last until Sunday afternoon. Those Saint members who regularly attended its events felt part of a community and to this day, memories of those times remain important. After The Saint closed, mega-parties in New York have been held in its name promoted as "The Saint at Large." Its Black Party was a two-day event held in March 2006 and attended by thousands of people. These parties attempt to continue the musical and personal traditions of The Saint while continuing to change along with the community.

Another party was founded in the same time period by Corbett Reynolds, a Columbus, Ohio-based artist and nightclub owner in the late 1970s. Initially Reynolds envisioned a one night party to end all parties, designed around the theme of the color Red (hence the name Red Party) which was held at Reynolds nightclub “Rudely Elegant”. The Red Party proved so successful, and drew so many outside visitors to Columbus for the event, that it became an annual event, outliving the closure of the bar in the early 1980s, and eventually filling Valley Dale Dance Hall to capacity.

The early 1980's saw the start of the AIDS crisis and whole communities were impacted. Several benefit parties sprang up around the country which were run by volunteer organizations that donated their proceeds to HIV-related charities. The success of these early parties gave way to other events hosted in other cities, with each party having its own theme. Many are named after colors, such as White Party, Black Party, Blue Ball, and Black and Blue Festival.

On the 25th year of the Red Party, the theme of which was to have been "Rome", Mr. Reynolds unfortunately passed away. Those in charge of his estate thought about how, if at all, to continue the event and in the end decided to retire the concept of the "Red Party", and leave it to history. Columbus organizers met shortly afterwards and elected to create a new party, called the Chrome Party, as a replacement, which continues successfully to this day.

An economic reality of a well-run circuit party is that the event can bring large amounts of tourist dollars to the locality where the event is held.

Throughout the 1990s, the circuit party scene continued to grow and expand into ever-larger productions featuring superstar DJs and performers, as more and more gay men became attracted to these mega dance-events. Promoters turned events from one party into a major series of parties at various venues, transforming a weekend into a three-day or longer continuous party, for example, consisting of a pool party that might go from 12 Noon-5PM, a "t-dance" from 5PM-9PM, a main event from 9PM-4AM, and an afterhours from 4AM-12Noon, when the cycle repeats itself again.

To keep putting together these increasingly elaborate and costly productions, the prices (cover charge) of circuit parties increased greatly, so that it was not uncommon for the full weekend of parties to cost $400 or more.

In the early 2000s, promoters became worried as attendance decreased dramatically at many circuit events. This has been attributed to several factors. The original circuit audience that began partying at circuit events in the 80s and 90s has grown older and no longer have such an active interest in multi-day partying. Promoters have struggled to attract younger partygoers with limited success. One belief is that the younger gay community is now more comfortable and accepted in the mainstream world and no longer seek the escape and comradere of the gay-oriented circuit event. Alongside this is a change in popular culture in general that the younger generation does not enjoy the deeper techno and house music popular at circuit parties, and prefers either a more pop sound or, for others, a lounge or hang-out atmosphere the circuit parties do not provide. In addition, as the pricing for circuit parties has increased, younger gays have not been able to afford the high cost of attending these events.

The circuit party is currently in a transition period. Many smaller circuit events have been shuttered and even the largest events have struggled with attendance numbers in recent years. Promoters, DJs, and other members of the circuit community have continued to reposition their events to attract a new audience. For example, the yearly Palm Springs White Party, one of the largest circuit events, attempted this in 2005 by calling their event "White Party: The Next Generation", and the 2006 event is entitled "White Party: Spring Break".

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Circuit party culture and controversy

Many observers within the gay and medical communities have concerns about the culture of circuit parties, particularly the use of drugs (including alcohol, crystal methamphetamine, ecstasy, and other "party drugs") at the events. They point to the risks of overdose, dehydration, and impaired judgment leading to unsafe sex and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Circuit parties have been blamed for the spread of methamphetamine abuse and the rise in transmission of STDs, particularly HIV, among North American gay men (for full article, see Crystal and sex). In many cases, medical and gay community organizations work with party organizers to promote risk awareness, harm reduction, and safer sex practices to attendees.

Compared to single-evening events, the risks during three-day or longer events are heightened as participants stave off exhaustion, possibly by drug use, and become prone to errors in judgement, especially if they do not take caution to "pace" themselves.

Despite these concerns, many believe circuit parties serve an important social, recreational, and cultural function for some gay men, especially those who live in communities where homosexuality is still highly stigmatized. Often, a circuit party will be the largest gathering of gay men that the attendee has ever witnessed. This, along with the generally celebratory atmosphere of the event, can result in an experience that is uniquely gay-affirming for many gay men.

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External links

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