DJ Brent Covington :: Boston's Niche Club Night Guru
"In an increasingly integrated club scene, LGBT nightlife is moving toward niche parties aimed at specific subcultures and sets of music lovers," wrote Boston Magazine last summer in picking FUZZ as 2015 Best Gay Night in their annual Best in Boston list.
FUZZ, which takes place once a month at the old-school Alley Bar, aims at flannel-shirted, gay hipsters and bears who come together once a month to dance (or just listen) to the eclectic mixes by the night's promoters, DJ Brent Covington and DJ Taffy. The pair spins (according to Boston Magazine citation) "a m�lange of indie-rock remixes, Britpop, New Wave, and dance anthems-are appropriately synth-splattered. The next FUZZ is this Friday, January 8 at 10pm at the Alley.
Covington is one of Boston's leading proponents of these niche nights. On the third weekend of the month in another club across town - the Milky Way in Jamaica Plain, he hosts the gay dance night Boyfriends. The hook for this event is to offer an alternative dance night, often highlighting the music of dance music icons.
The next Boyfriends takes place on Friday, January 15 at 10pm and is dedicated to Kylie Minogue. Join Brent Covington and guest DJ Taffy for a night of her biggest hits, deep cuts, b-sides, remixes and rarities. Jimmy Babu will be programming the live visuals featuring her amazing videos.
EDGE caught up with DJ Brent Covington for a quick Q&A:
EDGE: Where are you from?
Brent Covington: Little Rock, Arkansas
EDGE: What was your coming out experience like?
Brent Covington: I came out in high school, and thanks to an amazing group of friends it was pretty painless.
EDGE: How did you get into mixing music?
Brent Covington: I DJ'd my first event in college - an 80s dance - and I had a radio show. I got my first DJ equipment in 1999 and started playing at friends' parties.
EDGE: Why do you choose to live in Boston?
Brent Covington: I love living on the East Coast, close to NYC but not in NYC. Boston is a very connected, historical city. I also like how Boston gets just about every touring band because it's THE college town.
EDGE: You have been able to sustain these theme nights at different clubs around town. What makes people want to seek them out?
Brent Covington: I think the main attraction to small, different nights is to specialize in special, less mainstream music that you can't hear everywhere else. That music tends to attract its own crowd too, so that helps form the vibe of the night.
EDGE: How did Boyfriends come about?
Brent Covington: In 2012, the Milky Way contacted Sean Johnson and me after reading about our monthly night Fur And Gold at The Alley Bar. They wanted to start a new night that catered to a gay male crowd. The look and sound of Boyfriends is purposefully different than Fur And Gold because we didn't want to cannibalize that night. And since the Milky Way has a big video screen, we decided to add live video programming along with DJ'ing.
EDGE: Several times a year you highlight a different pop star and devote a night to them. Have you ever chosen one that you don't particularly care for, but did so because they are popular?
Brent Covington: Mostly I pick an artist that both my crowd and I have a lot of love for and who has a big enough catalog devote a whole night too. So far we've done Kylie, Madonna Robyn and Lady Gaga. I have to admit I'm not a big fan of Gaga, but her style fits the Boyfriends pop sound and the crowd loved it.
EDGE: On January 15, you are dedicating the night to Kylie Minogue. Why Kylie?
Brent Covington: Kylie is just so much fun and her pop sound is perfect for Boyfriends. Also, she has so many great videos that we can use as visuals for the night. We did a Kylie night when her last album came out in 2014, and we just really wanted to revisit her.
EDGE: Do you have a favorite Kylie drop cut?
Brent Covington: It's hard to pick just one, but I REALLY love 'In My Arms.' I also love the famous Scumfrog remix of 'Love At First Sight.' It's an epic, unique remix.
EDGE: When she appeared in Boston a few years ago, it was the gayest concert ever. Why is she such a gay icon?
Brent Covington: I think her dance pop sound, her costumes and videos really appeal to gay audiences in the same way Madonna does.
EDGE: What did you think of the EP she released last year with DJ/producer Fernando Garibay?
Brent Covington: I thought it was a rather strange release, but I loved the songs. I wish she would record more with Garibay. 'Glow' and 'Break This Heartbreak' are gorgeous songs.
EDGE: Where do you see Boyfriends evolving over the next year?
Brent Covington: I think we will be doing a few more artist theme nights and I would love to have some guest DJ's back.
EDGE: With the line between EDM and pop having blurred in the past few years. Why do you think that happened?
Brent Covington: Unlike some genres of dance music, EDM started embracing the pop song structure and EDM live shows started looking more like pop concerts than just DJ's playing songs.
EDGE:Who is your favorite DJ?
Brent Covington: Jamie xx
EDGE:What's your favorite trend today in music?
Brent Covington: I love deep house music and remixes.
EDGE:And least favorite?
Brent Covington: EDM, the Skrillex bro-step kind.
EDGE: Do you post your playlists on line? If so, where can I find them?
Brent Covington: I always post my set list on https://www.facebook.com/Boyfriendsdance/ after each event, and I also post a Spotify playlist of the tracks I played at each event.
The next FUZZ takes place on Friday, January 8, 2016 at The Alley Bar, 14 Pi Alley, Boston, MA. 10pm - 2am. For more information, visit the FUZZ Facebook page.
The next Boyfriends takes place on Friday, January 15, 2016 at The Milky Way, 284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, MA. 10pm - 1am. For more information, visit the Boyfriends Facebook page.