JD Samson is a multimedia artist and performer who achieved fame for her work in music projects like Le Tigre and MEN. The sometime DJ—who helms the popular queer party PAT at Union Pool—also writes and produces music, and teaches at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in Greenwich Village. Samson moved from Ohio to Bronxville, just outside the City, in 1996 to attend Sarah Lawrence College, where she made connections in NYC’s art world; after college, she moved to Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood and still lives there 18 years later. We caught up with Samson over email to discuss what’s great about NYC nightlife, how the City has influenced her artwork and the significance of the Stonewall uprising.
Photo: Walter Wlodarczyk
What’s your take on the current LGBTQ+ nightlife scene in NYC?
JD Samson:
New York has so many different kinds of nightlife all happening at once, so there is always somewhere to be where you belong. We have so many incredible promoters creating inclusive spaces that range from shirtless disco parties to Queer People of Color (QPOC) grind nights to queer rock ’n’ roll events to after-hours glitter explosions. The fun is finding which party is best for you, and to do that…you have to go to all of them.
Quais são seus lugares favoritos para dançar em NYC?
JDS:
Adoro um bom som. Preciso da música alta o suficiente para não conseguir ouvir você falar, mas cheia o suficiente para não sair com o zumbido nos ouvidos.
Sutherland é um novo clube queer no Brooklyn que foi construído exatamente para esse propósito. Obviamente, não posso deixar de amar minha própria festa, PAT na Union Pool, porque há muito de uma só vez. É grátis, e essa inclusão realmente define a noite.
How do you envision the future of LGBTQ+ nightlife in New York?
JDS:
I have no way of knowing what is next, but I can say that change is always good. What is the sound of the next generation? We have to listen to the younger people and hear what they hear. There is a new groove coming, a new dance to go with it—as there always was. I see more freedom to take over large rooms, better sound, better equipment, the ability to take up more space than we ever have before.
While you were in college at Sarah Lawrence, how did going into the City influence you?
JDS:
I was lucky enough to have internships with working artists in the City, so I ended up meeting a ton of people that weren’t from my school. There was a place called Dumba in Dumbo that became a kind of queer utopia…I met tons of people there that are still my best friends.
Quais são seu lugares favoritos aqui — jóias escondidas que vocês compartilha com os amigos que a visitam?
JDS:
Sempre amei a Vila Ocidental. Por suas ruas tranquilas e arborizadas. Para o som de um táxi solitário dirigindo sobre paralelepípedos. Para lojas sexuais ao lado de pontos de cachorro-quente. É a parte da cidade em que sempre sonho viver. Adoro o Angelika Film Center and Film Forum. Adoro o New Museum e os parques. Adoro encontrar lugares tranquilos para me lembrar da natureza no meio de uma cidade.
Vemos você como um ícone queer, mas também um pioneiro da moda. Como você descreveria seu estilo e onde você faz compras em NYC?
JDS:
Tenho duas versões de compras: baratas e fáceis, e artísticas e caras. Normalmente, eu emparelho um com o outro para não esvaziar minha conta bancária na roupa. Para o primeiro, a Uniqlo rege; assim como Stella Dallas, J. Crew (sim, é verdade), Century 21 e Nordstrom Rack. Para este último, Assembly, Bird, APC, Acne Studios e meus velhos amigos, Cerimônia de Abertura.
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You've spoken at length on the importance of gender-neutral spaces. How does NYC measure up?
JDS:
I am mostly perceived as a male-identified person in public, and whenever I attempt to go to a female-gendered space (as I identify), I have a hard time getting through the door without some kind of confrontation. I have seen a lot of change with unisex bathrooms, and I think that is great. I would love to see more [in terms of] restrooms, changing rooms at shops and locker rooms at gyms. For the most part I have taught myself not to use any of these in order to stay away from the awkward confrontation, but I think that as we move toward a safer city, it would be nice to feel comfortable to try something on before buying it.
Em 2019, a cidade celebrará o 50.o aniversário de Stonewall. Está animado para o World Pride vir aqui?
JDS:
Estou animado que Nova York tenha sido convidada a sediar o World Pride. Muitas vezes, lembro às pessoas que, à medida que o Orgulho se torna mais comercialmente financiado e expresso, devemos lembrar que é, na verdade, o aniversário de um protesto. Espero que, no próximo ano, isso seja lembrado pela revolta da nossa comunidade.
For more information and to learn about her parties, follow JD Samson on Twitter and Instagram.
