Dope Jams in New York State

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  • Since relocating upstate from Brooklyn to tiny Oak Hill, Paul Nickerson, the proprietor of beloved (and now defunct) record shop Dope Jams, has held family-friendly parties as the warmer seasons come and go. His day-long dance-a-thons go down in and around the beautiful, secluded store, renamed Preserved Instincts, which sits at the end of the only main drag in Oak Hill, a hamlet with a population of just 434. The shop might be Oak Hill's most idiosyncratic feature.  In-stores aren't exactly a novel concept for Nickerson. Anyone who attended one of the Celebrate LIFE all-nighters at his former Brooklyn locale, on Myrtle Ave, will know that he knows how to throw a proper party. This reputation still holds firm today—any mention of a Dope Jams event within certain circles guarantees a pilgrimage from the city to the bucolic hamlet, despite its remote location. Oak Hill is the antithesis of New York City, the irony of which was not wasted on the flock of urbanite attendees. That's partly why they turn up again and again, though the main reason is for Nickerson's DJ sets. Warming up for him on this occasion was Ivan Monegro, a former Dope Jams clerk and record aficionado who can now be found working days at A1 Records or Turntable Lab in the East Village. He showed off his sharp tastes while people slowly filed into the cheerfully adorned shop. The party started slow, but once the sun set and the lights dimmed, the dancing quickly picked up. At some point, Nickerson moved from behind the front register and up into the built-in booth. He wasted little time, cranking the volume several notches with his first record. Spontaneity has always been central to his style. He cruises comfortably between genres and eras, the kind of DJing that only works if you have a superb collection. At one point, I heard Masters At Work's mix of BeBe Winans' "Thank You" and Mary Clark's 1980 gem, "Take Me I'm Yours" in the space of a few songs. The event wasn't without its hitches: fuses blew throughout the night, while rain hindered any outdoor activities. But mostly the dance floor was bustling with an energetic and diverse mix of dancers. These Dope Jams parties have the refreshing ability to strip away any of the drama you might encounter on a night out in New York. Here, the focus is placed squarely on the tunes. That's why people return religiously, and it's certainly why I'll be back.
RA