Shakey’s Record Fair
We love record fairs, who doesn’t? Digging through crates of vinyl is always exciting, but getting up early on a Saturday or Sunday morning can be hard at times. So thought DJ Shakey aka Julie Covello too and decided to do something about it. Inspired by the record fairs thrown by WFMU and her own experiences as a DJ and party promoter, she set about organizing a record fair, different from most other fairs.
First of all, as a working DJ, she wanted to hold her fair at night during the week. “Being part of New York City nightlife made me think of throwing my fair differently than other fairs. My most important idea was to have it on a weekday in the evening, this is much easier for working djs and producers to attend. Most fairs are Friday night and early Saturday and Sunday mornings, these are the worst possible times for a dj to attend!! I know because I am a dj and I suffered so many times trying to hurry up and buy records on Friday night before spinning at the club, or trying to get up early after a late night working.”
But there is more to Shakey’s fairs, they move around, it’s a specific concept to each fair and DJ’s spin records while you dig. As she explains “I also throw my fairs at nightclubs, you can have a drink and listen to local djs spinning rare records while you shop. It’s a combination of a party and a record fair, many people come just to hang out to socialize and hear the sounds. Wax Poetics magazine and Turntable Lab have been sponsors and I’ve co-promoted events with RE:UP mag and Halcyon Records. The fair is a fun event for our digger community.”
DJ Shakey herself has steadily been building her own reputation as DJ in New York’s nightlife. At 15 she started out playing records at parties and to friends, “There would only be one turntable, I would play a song or an album side, then take the record off and put on another one, we would all dance around!” Later on she got hold of two turntables and a mixer and learned to segue and match beats, but it was first a stint as a snowboard instructor that really pushed her in the direction of paid djing, “There was no good music in the mountains and I was very frustrated! I brought up my dj equipment and started spinning at house parties, then cafes, then clubs. Now I was getting paid to dj – I had become a “professional.” From there on things progressed and DJ Shakey has become well-known name spinning records in various New York clubs private parties, corporate events, underground warehouse parties, and on the Internet and radio as well.
When out playing she has a varied collection to choose from, “With 9000 records, plus thousands of CDs and MP3s, I have some of everything. The largest sections of my collection are Hip Hop, Jazz, Soul, Funk, 60s Latin, Breakbeat, Extreme Metal, Reggae, New York Club Classics, and Stoner Rock from 1968 – 72. These days I am especially interested in music that is a combination of funk, electronics, and international styles like Balkan beats, Cumbia, and Indian music”.
However, as an avid record collector, she also saw a void that needs to be filled when the radio station WFMU decided cut down to one record fair per year. The first Shakey’s record fair was held in the summer of 2005, “I knew a lot of djs, record collectors, and sellers so I decided to try it. I started small and it was very successful.” Under the motto “Dig, Drink, Dance!” she has continued to organize fairs with specific concepts and DJ’s, but with records from a wide range of styles and forms. “Dealer participation is by invitation only, that means I choose them or they are referred by a guest curator who is working with me. Dealers must have good records at a reasonable price so my customers don’t waste their time sifting through records with ridiculous price-tags or boxes of junk. My fair is smaller but I keep the quality high. I also try to make sure there are many styles being sold, not too much of one thing. Some of my fairs are only 7″ records, others are all formats albums, 12″s, 7″s, she explains.
“In addition to the professional vendors, I also encourage djs and record collectors to sell from their personal collections, Chairman Mao, Franco, Phast Phreddy, dj Swingsett, Mr. Fine Wine have had tables. There have been sellers from record labels like Daptone, Truth and Soul, Broklyn Beats and others. I have specialty sellers like Wolmar who brings records from Brazil, he has Baile Funk on vinyl!”
If you’re looking for vinyl, check out Shakey’s next record fair on Tuesday, December 9th
DJ Shakey, Wax Poetics Magazine, and APT join forces for:
SHAKEY’S RECORD FAIR
special event: 7″s only!!
from 8pm – UPSTAIRS:
Dig, Drink, and Dance
The areas finest Record Dealers offer you the coolest 45s for sale,
15 + Digger Djs spin 7″s all night !
from 10pm – DOWNSTAIRS:
WAX POETICS MAGAZINE presents
DJ Monk One, Amir, and the Wax Poetics All-Stars
Tuesday December 9th 2008
at club APT
419 West 13th st. betw. 9th ave. and Washington st., NY NY
FREE ADMISSION - both floors
Tags: DJ Shakey, new york, record fair, Vinyl
