- It's become a truism that New York is in dire need of a quality nightclub. But is it really? Sure, the move to unofficial venues outside Manhattan was almost certainly a reaction to there being nowhere else to throw good parties. But as back-breaking as retrofitting a loft for an evening of revelry might be, you'd have a hard time arguing the strategy wasn't working. Promoters have managed to build thriving scenes without a permanent dance floor to call their own, and crowds can dance to house and techno free from the stigma of nightclubs in a post-bottle-service city. Ask anyone who's spent an hour queuing as early as midnight for a headliner-free Mister Saturday Night party if they're selling themselves short, and they'll almost certainly say no.
Stationed on a fast-gentrifying strip of Wythe Avenue near the Williamsburg waterfront in Brooklyn—right in the midst of things these days, at least in terms of nightlife—Output brings us what's great about nightclubs (top-notch sound) while sparing us the bullshit (striped shirts, VIP tables, flirtinis) that's become synonymous with them in New York. It's been buzzed about for months, thanks to the air of mystery surrounding it: there was no official announcement of its opening, no promotional photos of the interior, just whispers about a tight door policy and a soundsystem whose price tag grew bigger with each link in the telephone chain. ("I heard they cut Funktion One two blank checks!")
Given the club's hype and the quality of the lineup—Minneapolis techno fiend DVS1 and local heavyweight Anthony Parasole—I arrived at the club with high expectations. Inside, Output feels both overwhelming and intimate. When you're staring up at the DJ booth, which sits above an imposing bass bin (apparently one of several Funktion One prototypes worked into the club's rig) and below a wall of lights, the place feels massive. Turn 180 degrees, and you realize it's perfectly manageable.
The soundsystem is definitely the beast it was rumored to be. All told, it sounds like a well-maintained Funktion One system, with one major caveat: the low-end is absolute perfection, physical but never overpowering. It ties all the frequencies together in a way that makes it the best club system I've heard. I spent my first hour on the mezzanine level, which sits perfectly within the sight-lines of the DJ and has its own Funktion One support system. DVS1 and Parasole shared warm-up duties, playing wispy house that kept flirting with techno, and I eased into things without missing any of the brilliantly selected sounds pumping through the speakers.
As the club filled up and Parasole took full control of the decks, I made my way downstairs. He made the transition from house to techno seamlessly, playing what seemed like the entire Novel Sound catalog in the process. By the time DVS1 stepped up for his set, the crowd had thinned a little—New Yorkers have last call built into their body clocks and compulsively make an exit around 4 AM. He did plenty with what he had, though, playing wonderfully textured and completely un-trainspot-able techno that didn't need a packed floor to make an impact.
Something about this space—its industrial rawness, maybe, or the general standoffishness of the staff—makes you forget you're at a nightclub in New York City more than a decade post-Twilo. Though drink prices are higher than at your average warehouse event, and the toilets feature the awkward presence of breathmint- and cologne-proffering bathroom attendants, Output gives dance-hungry Brooklynites a wonderful new alternative. When it's going off like it did that night, it's as good a party as you'll find anywhere.