COREY CRAIG.
If ever there was an evangelical voice for the power of House music in queer nightlife, it's DJ Corey Craig.
His closing set at NYC Pride's Dance on the Pier 2009 laid the path to an international career with highlights at some of the top events and music festivals, including RealBad, Purple Party, Masterbeat, Matinee, Whistler Gay Ski Week, Sydney Gay Mardi Gras, and again at NYC Pride's Sunday for the redubbed Pride Island in 2018. You've heard him at The Eagle NYC, the D-World Underwear Party in Fire Island, and alongside DJ partner, Bobby Duron, to form Haus of Oz, which has a new monthly party at Bedlam.
I recall one of the first times I heard Corey spin was at a 2017 event, Stag by Brian Rafferty, when he closed out the night with reads on the mic of some of the stunts he witnessed from the queens throughout the night, followed sweetly by, "I love youuuu,” all in rhythm to the beat of the track. Corey and I share an affinity for letting queens have it when called for.
When he's not serving up his signature sound for the children on weekends, DJ Corey Craig trades in his alter-ego for Dr. Craig, working as a nuclear pharmacist. Very casual. In a profile for Health Matters, Corey best compared his two careers when he said, "With both parts of my life, I feel like I’m helping people. Sometimes music is the medicine. And sometimes medicine is the medicine."
I caught up with Corey ahead of MLK Weekend, where he will be hosting/spinnning two Haus of Oz events - Friday night at Bedlam and Sunday afternoon at The Eagle NYC.
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DXD: First and foremost, you are Doctor of Pharmacy by day, and DJ by night. You earned your Doctorate in Pharmacy for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine alongside building your DJ career. How in the hell did you accomplish that?
CC: Well, I have been a pharmacist since 1995, when I moved to Dallas from OKC, then moved to NYC in 2001. Going back to get my Doctorate in 2015 was just my way of staying competitive in the field. Weirdest mid-life crisis… ever.
DXD: When and why did you first start getting involved in NYC nightlife?
CC: When I moved to Dallas, I took some of the energy I had for DJing from my fraternity parties to making mixtapes for my friends. The urge to actually DJ hit me around 1996 when I started traveling from Dallas to NYC and really immersing myself into the nightlife scene at that time. I fell in love with the diversity and the House Music scene and by Y2K I had decided to move to NYC when I turned 30.
DXD: How was the scene different during that time?
CC: House was prominent in the bar/club scene and the parties felt more queer than gay if that makes sense. Chelsea was booming with nightclubs everywhere. The sexual energy matched the music and people communicated by dancing and engaging each other. You literally had to grab a “trick card” off the bar and write down your information for someone you liked — it was cute. The whole time, house and vocals oozed from the sound systems and we anticipated hearing remixes from Junior, Peter, Frankie. Remixes premiered at bars and clubs and we felt honored to hear them first in NYC and then brag about what we heard. Word of mouth lured people to parties. The apps did not exist. Whatta world.
DXD: How would you describe your signature sound, and who/what were your references for building it?
CC: I am influenced strongly by Frankie Knuckles, Larry Levan, Masters At Work, Defected, Shapeshifters, Todd Terry, Mousse T, Freemasons, Moto Blanco, Bimbo Jones, Basement Jaxx, Armand Van Helden, Duane Harden, Dennis Ferrer. I would describe the signature sound as Updated House Classics peppered with a bit of tech house and disco influences.
DXD: Where do you go to get continue getting inspired and developing your sound?
CC: I listen to several podcasts (Defected, Let There Be House, Glitterbox to name a few) which continue to give me the pulse of the music scene. I am also very fortunate to be a part of some great music pools which allow me to hear some upfront tracks and offer feedback before they are released. Attending the right events which complement the sound I am forging never hurts. The Eagle (home), Ultramaroon, Horsemeat Disco, Glitterbox, Battle Hymn, Defected parties and events at Elsewhere, House Of Yes, and other Brooklyn warehouse events perk my ears.
DXD: You're very much a voice for House music in the community. What pushes that passion?
CC: There’s an old phrase, “House is a feeling." I remember the dance floor diversity back in the 90’s which lured me to move to NYC. The music was the focus. We didn’t have gogo dancers dictating the physical aesthetic. Everyone there WAS the aesthetic. You could look around and be stimulated by the look or fun attitude someone on the dancefloor served and feel welcome to engage with them. House music was the backdrop for how people met and interacted with each other. It was (and still is) the conversation piece that showed everyone at a party we all have at least the music in common and challenged us to find out how else we are the same. We had something to sing along with and be silly together.
DXD: Your podcast, Coreyography, has been going strong for many years. Is there one set in particular in that body of work you identify as one of your favorites you've put out? Why?
CC: The Corey Craig podcast launched in 2006 with “GEETAR”. At the time I was doing all I could to stand out and experiment with sounds I felt were missing from night life a decade after visiting NYC for the first time. As my DJ life progressed, the sound in LGBT nightlife changed and in some ways more of the sound I looked forward to hearing started to become harder to find. I officially started “Coreyography” in 2012 to coincide with a format change for my own sets. I told close friends and colleagues that I was going to make a drastic change back to Deep house and House Beats. The standout which I feel made many people take notice was “GLUTES” so much happened around that episode and the positive feedback let me know I was on the right path weaning my audience away from the earlier sound. It was a benchmark.
DXD: One of my favorite's is your Countdown to Pride 2018, promoting your set at the NYC Pride Pier Dance. What were the most important things in your head when preparing for (and during) that major Pride gig?
CC: Thanks Daisy! I think when we met you paid me this same compliment and I appreciate that. I remember playing the Pier Dance at the original Pier back in 2009. Having attended many Pier Dances before spinning “Dance 23”, I knew the closing / sunset sound was crucial leading to the fireworks and pulling everyone together for the end of Pride each year on that pier. That formula seems to work when preparing for any Pride gig. A cohesive set with all the music placed in just the right moment also brings the dancefloor together. You can see it in how people let their guard down in front of their friends and total strangers. I saw that at the pier in 2009, and in 2018 it worked again. Both of those experiences guide me in all my sets and especially during Pride.
DXD: You just spent your NYE and New Year's Day spinning in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, and will be heading back in Feb to DJ several Sydney Mardi Gras Parties including the iconic Poof Doof at the Ivy as well as the Harbour Cruise “Sugar on Seadeck” party in Sydney. What is it about Aussie nightlife that seems to align so well with you?
CC: We complement each other. The open format vibe helps me feel comfortable playing music American audiences don’t hear on the radio or at nightclubs. Our charts and radio are so controlled. We hear loops of the same 20 songs all day. Radio and nightlife in Australia aren’t limited to pop charts. Dance / house music is just as likely to be on terrestrial radio as anything else, which leads to more people knowing the House tracks that DJ’s play in nightclubs. Australia and I get along because all their methods of listening to music lend themselves to introducing new dance songs to multiple audiences. They are familiar with more dance music than our general public gets exposure to.
DXD: Are there any notes you think American nightlife could take from the Aussies? Vice-versa?
CC: I think we have to stop being afraid to let DJ’s go where they want to go. The music policies in Sydney and Melbourne don’t stifle the DJ. We are trusted to play what we play versus what a promoter (who does zero music research) wants for their own parties. We also have to stop letting one sound define American nightlife in general. When gay audiences have to visit traditionally straight parties to hear something different, we have failed our community. It has been said time and time again that LGBT Nightlife used to be where record labels went to find out what is new, hot and next. We may never be the tastemakers again but I challenge American nightlife to pop the bubble, listen to some Spotify channels for the UK, Australia and throughout Europe for a taste of what else is out there.
DXD: Tell me about Haus of Oz. When and why was it formed?
CC: I have been DJing Beer Blast at The Eagle NYC for years now and Bobby Duron always follows with his “Beats” set. I am a big fan of his work as a DJ ever since he and Honey Dijon used to spin Hiro and even during our G Lounge days. The Aquarian energy between us just sparked one day in 2015 and I asked Duron if he ever thought about forming a production duo and spinning sets together. My goal was to serve up some sets that go back to the days when people focused on each other, not staring at the DJ or their phones. The “Oz” element is very that. I remember a time (those naughty 90’s) when you had to hunt for the DJ booth in the clubs or they were very sealed off. Without that access, people were less likely to make requests or hover around the booth and most likely to focus on each other. Haus of Oz wants to see you guys interact and enjoy each other without wondering who is playing, what they look like or what their gimmicks or antics are in the booth.
DXD: You'll be hosting not one, but two Haus of Oz functions during MLK weekend. At Bedlam on Jan 17, and The Eagle NYC on Jan 19. What can we expect for those two events?
CC: Haus of Oz at Bedlam Friday night is still a growing event. Daniel Nardicio wanted me to curate something not completely gay for a monthly cocktail / dance party. I appreciate that he trusts his DJ’s to serve something unique and different. That trust has allowed myself and Duron to spin together and bounce musical ideas off one another. Haus of Oz at Bedlam is an open canvas. We are not labeling it as a gay party. Everyone who loves house music is welcome to attend. We want to widen our audience while giving our listeners somewhere to bring their straight friends for a night out together. The sound is funky, jackin house at a comfortable socializing volume. The EAGLE version for SUNDAY FUNDAY will showcase our progressively darker sexier sound with me doing Beer Blast transitioning from happy hour to the flirt fest Eagle NYC is known for by the time Duron comes on. Both events are designed to bring different audiences together using the same unique sound that Duron and I are curating.
DXD: The weekend commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is close to your heart, which I feel you captured beautifully with your 2017 set, "Be the Dream." Tell me more about your intention going into your sets for MLK Weekend.
CC: Ultimately, I would like to see Martin’s dream reflected on the dancefloor. One night out, a promoter whom I will not name apologized to me for how “white the dancefloor is." I chuckled, then agreed with him. It is my hope with Haus Of Oz and Coreyography that everyone feels welcome to attend parties and coexist with house music being the soundtrack. We bring elements of soul and funk and gospel to our sets to lure more diverse gay audiences out to the scene. I applaud The Eagle for the black presence throughout their staffing – even their marketing shows diversity. I see more diversity at The Eagle than in other setting so I feel it is a perfect place for interaction during MLK weekend.
DXD: The Eagle is a favorite crossing of paths for you and I. To me, The Eagle NYC stands as a bastion for House music in New York. Why do you think that is?
CC: The Eagle as a brand symbolizes a different experience than your regular bar/club. The music should reflect that. There is a reason people line up down the street for that experience. When other clubs are afraid to give people House music, they can depend on The Eagle to give them an earful, an eyeful and... (grin.)
DXD: When you're not working, what are you doing on your ideal night out?
CC: People think I am out every night. Nope. I still work as a Nuclear Pharmacist during the week. I am a home body raising a kitten these days. When I do go out, I love pre-drinks with friends somewhere in Hell’s Kitchen then piling into an SUV and hitting Brooklyn for some Purple Disco Machine, Tedd Patterson, Horsemeat Disco. You get the picture.
DXD: What is a dream DJ duo you'd love to see come together in 2020?
CC: I would actually love a HIRO reunion with Duron and Honey Dijon together again. Freemasons / Moto Blanco reunion for some “Happy House.” We need some hands in the air. I also love to see Rosabel play a set with Gorgon City or CamelPhat bridging sounds and influences.
DXD: Top 3 things you love seeing at parties?
CC: 1) Every part of our community on the same dance floor enjoying our differences. 2) People getting the courage to talk to each other for the first time — then later seeing them happy they did. 3) Production. Lighting. Decoration. Interactive performers (House of Yes does this well.)
DXD: Top 3 things you loathe seeing at parties?
CC: 1) Straight security people who think they have to manhandle or verbally abuse the gay audience. Gay parties are peaceful events. We don’t fist fight. We just gossip. The only swinging we do is with other people’s dates. 2) Fans as musical instruments. This seems to be a circuit thing so I am safe these days. 3) Straight ladies thrown into an environment they are not prepared to enjoy. I have evolved on this, but straight ladies brought to hypersexual gay parties who are then expected to know how to interact with the crowd around them kill the energy. The unintentional awkwardness just bugs me. I am not a good icebreaker in those situations but I am working on myself in this regard.
DXD: What is one thing you wish you could say to everyone arriving to a party you're spinning?
CC: Relax. Everyone here is fierce. Let’s love on each other.
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Thank you Corey! You can catch him spinning as part of Haus of Oz twice this MLK Weekend – first at Bedlam in LES on Friday night, and again on Sunday at The Eagle NYC. Then he joins Ultramaroon again on Sunday, 1/26, as he celebrates his b'day before jetting back to Australia for Sydney Gay Mardi Gras. Get into it!
Xx,
David X Daisy