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Parties and nightclubs are the lifeblood of this crazy city. It’s where fashion is stated, where we meet our friends and lovers and where we become our true selves.
For years, Time Out New York has been your go-to source for the best parties, nightclubs and venues, but in 2024, when nightlife is largely surviving off monthly and weekly parties that are curated by specific collectives and promoters on social media, we’re revamping our coverage, starting with a new column named “Out Late,” by DJ, Whorechata founder and Staff Writer Ian Kumamoto.
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Going forward, this new column goes live every other Tuesday—bi-monthly—so that you have time to make your weekend plans based on his recommendations.
The column will highlight underground parties and demystify their organizers, from favorites like the Black and brown-centered queer party Deviant at Le Bain to the K-Pop-forward collective Bias. Ian will report from these parties and talk to the people behind them and fill you in on important details from the where to the when and how to get in and more.
“I wanted to create a column that gives New York nightlife the respect that it deserves and platforms the people and parties who are pushing the culture forward at a time when our city seems hell-bent on moving towards a more sanitized, more curated, and more surveilled version of itself,” Ian says. “On top of their ethos, the column will also give you practical advice—when to get there, what to wear, how much you’ll spend, and all the little details you might want to know to make the most of your night out.”
Ian’s passion is nightlife, entertainment and anything that gets people’s bodies moving. Before joining Time Out New York in January, he wrote about culture, entertainment and identity for several places including VICE, CNN, HuffPost, Them, Mic and others. In his free time, Ian is also a DJ who goes by oyystersauce and founder of Whorechata, a collective for queer and trans people of color.
The dance floor is a space of catharsis, of imagination, of community, of drama, and for many marginalized people, it remains a place of survival.
“I always tell people that I was raised by the nightclub: As an Asian-Latino queer kid, I spent most of my high school and college years trying to find myself in bars, clubs and late-night saunas,” he says. “It was in those spaces that I met people who empowered me when I couldn’t find a way to love myself, and eventually led me to create Whorechata.
“During my time doing Whorechata, I’ve noticed that many people don’t take nightlife seriously,” he adds. “In our culture, clubbing is something you’re supposed to grow out of. What people don’t realize is that much of what we consider cool—from the fashion, to the makeup, to the music, and dance people pay millions to consume—probably originated, in some way or another, in a dingy New York nightclub. The dance floor is a space of catharsis, of imagination, of community, of drama, and for many marginalized people, it remains a place of survival. I maintain that the right party can change your life and shift your view of the world.”
For any nightlife and party tips, email him at ian.kumamoto@timeout.com.