Let me count the many reasons why my New Years was better than an overrated  club.

Every year, flyers, text messages and emails of new years celebrations entices people to spend an unnecessary amount of money for the same damn shit they get every other night of the week.

Though, there is that distinctive difference between spending the last night to reflect on all 365 days in year in a positively reflective setting.

1) I didn’t pay for shit!

Except for the gas in my car. Granted in most cases, I never do, but every once in awhile I’ll get swindled by a con promoter; and in most cases, there’s not too many options that live up to a desired attempt in ringing in the new year. Frankly, I don’t understand the idiotic persuasive notion that spending a couple hundred to a few thousand dollars on the same bull that you get free any other day could be more rewarding. No, it’s just being suckered into paying for something that isn’t worth the grill in a rappers teeth.

2) Great ambience

After awhile, the clubs get really old. I prefer not to become a living fossil doing the same tired routine of rounding up a crew of temporary friends in order to carry them out into the new year. Sprinkles of glitter and confetti impress me no more than a party city store. Bottles of champagne are in no comparison to frolicking through the aisles of a Bevmo; and the overall crowd of people are forgettable.

I really wasn’t planning on celebrating the count down to end the year in order to ring in the next. Was I looking forward to it? Yes, but because I had not built up the excitement, I wasn’t forming any high expectations considering my prior letdowns. My friend Marque had came through with a more suitable plan of attending a more intimate party at a house; and the home of celebrity vocal coach, Stevie Mackey, was right up my alley. It was a young Hollywood crowd with people who possessed the legitimate idea of what I consider the concept of young Hollywood to be. Which goes to my next reason.

3) Great Company

I’ve gone through three cycles of “cliques” and each of them were shorter than the last. I guess I can say I’ve tired from the repetitive idea of staying in one place without stimulating any ounce of growth. Similar to the club scene. As a high school cheerleader years ago, I always thought I’d be a part of the peter pan syndrome alumnis attending every single  jailbait game; but overtime and a change of course in friendships, I organically grew out of that premature phase. With the club scene, I organically started to phase out and moved on to lounges and then events. Probably because times have changed and they’ve changed for the stupid. The only time I might step foot into a club is when I’ve slipped into a coma of forgetting why I haven’t found myself there.

At Stevies party, it was a respectable and humbling tone that I could honestly take with me without any doubts or regrets. While I wasn’t able to celebrate with all my friends who chose to stay home, those who I was unfamiliar with made a bigger impression on me than that of a crowded club.

4) I could breath!

I’m not sorry for saying that feeling like a canned sardine is not at all fun in a room full of hot breath and air. Whether you have a table or not, you’ll still have that sardine moment and it’s suffocating. Crowd surfing to go from one millimeter to another. Waiting for a porter potty driven bathroom stall or testing your balance on an overcrowded couch. Being able to breath, unless you walk around with an inhaler, is almost impossible in these types of environments which is why I wanted to do something a lot less of a headache.

I’ve had my fair share of clubs, but when it’s with a New Years celebration,  there’s that bigger annoyance. I tend to dislike people even more, I become very territorial, and I want to shove cigarettes down peoples throats. Lets not forget about those damn champagne showers that smells like acid vomit once it sets in. Yeah no thanks. Which brings me to

6) An open bar

Not and open table, not a table for bottle service and not a suspicious drink. No, a legitimate open bar which you’ll most likely find at an event, but not a club. In majority cases.

There were actually options of wine, champagne and already mixed drinks Stevie had set up for arriving guest. No fighting for service at a bar like a bunch of wild dogs, no obligations of buying a self-entitled broad a drink and not expecting an ill mannered guy in buying you one. Even Marque made the effort in pouring wine for anyone with a cup. Tables are great and all, but having to share one with a country full of people comes with its many disadvantages. 

7) Live performances

Okay, now unfortunately I didn’t find out till last minute about the Samsung event with a live performance from Neyo himself which technically would’ve been my third exclusive show, but either way, I still experienced something a tad bit more meaningful and Djs don’t count. As I stated, this was the house of a vocal coach who works and has helped to develop the lungs of Selena Gomez, J-Lo, Jojo and so on. So it’s at no surprise that many of his guest and friends have significant  credibility in the industry. In most cases due to a club, everyone is more in favor of being loud, drunk and too obnoxious to appreciate the value in the Auld Lang Syne. It tends to be a beautiful moment when you see people singing in harmony to celebrate each other and life in that single moment. Stevie took it one step further by involving his special guest while he sang and played on his piano.

Video is up on my Facebook page

Sitting surrounded by people who shared that same type of passion each taking turns to sing duets with our respected party host was like nothing I have ever experienced. And I’ve experienced a lot.

Sure there were times when I felt like the odd man out where I couldn’t chime in knowing I’d sound like a dying moose, but when that moment came for No Fucks Given, I belted my heart out at a degree with no judgment.

8) No fucks were given

Realistically, there never really are, but I’m solely speaking in terms of enjoying what you have in front of you and knowing you can take something away from it. it’s a no brainer that music tends to bring people together, but here, I felt as if everyone came together in sync. The wall flowers weren’t on one side of the room while the other half danced. No one was wearing their shades on after dark with an escorted  seeing eye security guard, ladies weren’t acting too cute as if they were stiff mannequins and well everyone just equally blended.

Once every early 90s R&B song started playing, the place just got hyped. No twitching, fist pumping and seizure moves that you’d commonly find during dj spins, but that good ole “take me back to that old school” type of feel that you don’t find too much of now a days. Screw a twerk! I’m speaking of the toosie roll, rump shaker, da dip, the kid n play, the butterfly, the train, the big daddy kane, the rebok, the biz markie, the prep, the wop, the bogle the robocop and the butt!

Yeah, that’s a lot of dance moves I grew up with, but that moment when you bring that very past to the present,  it’s a done deal and little moments like that make the celebration even better!

9) My midnight kiss

Hence I’m putting emphasis on the word my; and not a sloppy drunkin kiss either. Truth be told, I’ve never actually had a midnight kiss. I mean a real one. I’ve also never been desperate enough to radar through a sea of people in finding that one sole match that could make one happen. Like I said above, I’ve had some notoriously bad new years moments that can stay right where I left them in the past. Initially, I was at this house party to be around friends and positive vibes unbeknownst to me that one gorgeous hunk of a guy would walk in standing out like a sore thumb. There was not one gay, straight or curious head that didn’t turn in his direction. I held my composure and played it cool in hopes that we’d make casual eye contact.

Somehow, he made his way over towards our direction and introduced himself until Lauren shocked us with her 21 questions. I was immediately smitten not only by his charm, but also by his foreign accent. He was a little goofy for my taste, but I clearly have a thing for the model types and he won me over non the less. When it came time for the countdown, I had my camera phone ready and waiting to catch the moment of everyone celebrating and clearly he did too; but what moment I did not expect to be caught on video, was of him laying one right on me. Talk about being spontaneous.

By the end of the night we exchanged numbers and one last kiss and he left the party to go on to the next.

10) My new years bliss

Well, that number ended up turning into him asking me out on a date the very next day; or actually later into the evening considering new years was on the 1st. Even better we’ve continued to stay in casual contact.

Although I’m trying to maintain myself in not becoming too sprung on this guy, who has a fan base of females due to his background of being on a popular hit show as well as being a sought after Wilhelmina model, what did I tell you, 
he’s an all around genuine guy. That being said he managed to make it into my new year with humble beginnings and new endeavors starting it off right.

Therefore being the reason why my new years was better than an overrated club.

Now I just need to adjust to my Blessings which you can read here.

Xox