Published
Wed, Nov 29, 2023, 15:40
- "I always had a sense for what a club should look like from a DJ's perspective," the artist told RA.
New York nightlife veteran Eli Escobar is opening his own club in Brooklyn next month.
Called Gabriela, it's located on the site of former Williamsburg venue Kinfolk 90. December 15th is the official opening date. Opening hours will initially be Friday through Saturday, from 10 PM to 4 AM. Named after Escobar's late friend who he first discussed the idea of opening a club with years ago, Gabriela features three rooms: a bar area serving food and beverages, a dance floor in the back and a balcony above the dance floor.
The space is equipped with a range of vintage hi-fi equipment, including speakers by Gary Stewart, the man responsible for some of New York's best-sounding and now-shuttered clubs, such as Love and Vinyl. Gabriela is also home to Richard Long's RLA X3000 crossover, an iconic piece of hardware by a legendary sound designer whose systems were housed in Studio 54, Paradise Garage and Zanzibar.
Escobar himself and Luke Solomon will play on opening weekend. Bookings for the next few months include Kim Anh, Dee Diggs, LADYMONIX, Justin Strauss, Donis, Cosmo and Planet B. No residents are being announced yet. One or two artists will play per night, unless acts request otherwise. Artists can choose how to split the hours or whether they want to go back-to-back.
"We want to encourage and foster creative freedom for any DJ who plays here," Escobar, who will be handling bookings alongside 4AM NYC, told Resident Advisor. "There's a huge swathe of DJs who are being overlooked and not given their space and time to play extended sets."
He added: "The focus won't be on ticket sales and long lineups. We're gonna do our best to create a reputation for the spot that stands alone, to take the promo pressure off of DJs so they can do their thing and have a lighting technician working with them to enhance their narrative."
Escobar opened Gabriela alongside three partners: Rafael Ohayon, his childhood friend and owner of the Cafe Mogador restaurant, plus Justin Ahiyon and Ilan Telmont, who are Ohayon's cousins and co-owners of local club House Of Yes.
"Opening a space felt like the logical next step for me," said Escobar. "I love DJing more than ever but I always thought about having a backup plan. I always had a sense for what a club should look like from a DJ's perspective."
He continued: "Nightlife in New York has mostly shifted to Bushwick and Ridgewood and there hasn't been a new place in Williamsburg with great sound and an intimate dance floor in a while so I'm hoping we can fill a hole there. I want it to be a hangout for nightlife folks with a family vibe."
Check Gabriela's Instagram for updates.
For more on Escobar's contribution to New York dance music, revisit our podcast with him from last year.