D.C. lost another gay nightlife venue last Tuesday when Cobalt, located at 1639 R St. NW, closed its doors for good. It follows the closure of Town, another city gay hotspot that played its last dance this summer.
D.C.’s gay nightlife is struggling… but it isn't dead yet. In fact, the international party phenomenon Papa Party will debut in D.C. this Friday, March 15 with their “Army of Love” event. Local gay party producer Q, aka Mother Fantasy, of La Fantasy Productions announced this weekend that, due to strong ticket demand (likely from Cobalt closing), he is moving the party to a larger venue. It will now be held at Karma DC (2221 Adams Pl NE).
“We are working to redefine people's expectations of what makes the best party in the world,” says Papa founder Eliad Cohen who will be on hand to host "Army of Love". “We’re doing it by taking The Papa Party to the hottest cities on every continent.” Recent events have been held in Paris, Lisbon, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Rotterdam and Lyon.
The internationally renowned DJ/Producer Danny Verde will headline "Army of Love" with local D.C. DJ TWiN providing the opening set.
“I discovered my love for the dance floor while attending music festivals around the world," explains Q, "so when Eliad approached me with the opportunity to bring The Papa Party to Washington D.C., I seized it as my chance to put the city I love on the global party map.”
Eliad Cohen is an Israeli producer, actor, model and entrepreneur. He launched the first Papa Party in 2011 at Tel Aviv Pride. Its combination of high-energy, progressive music, arranged by world-class DJs, with surprise performances interspersed throughout, helped the party gain a large international following. After several successful events in Israel, Papa Party premiered in Europe with a groundbreaking event at Madrid Pride. Then, in 2012, it launched its World Tour in New York.
34-year old Q is a military veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is best known locally for his themed-events, incorporating wild surprises such as dancing Chinese dragons or dancers in electric body suits into his parties. His last five Washington D.C. events – including his most recent “Sex Shop Party” during MAL weekend – sold-out within weeks.
This Friday's Papa Party "Army of Love" will be Q's most ambitious undertaking yet. "I have a lot riding on this as eyes from around the globe will be watching to make sure I do it right,” he says. “You better believe I will not let Papa down.”
Click here for tickets and additional information.