MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

GUY DEGIACINTO

Canadian native and West Palm DJ Guy DeGiacinto talks about unsnapping bras at The Palace and what he’d do for a day if he was Oprah

PHOTOGRAPH BY GUY BROOKSBANK PHOTOGRAPHY

Where did you grow up?  In Cornwall, Ontario, which is the same city that Ryan Gosling is from.  How long have you lived in South Florida?  For three years.  Why did you move here?  To escape the brutal Canadian winters.  What part of South Florida do you live in?  We live in a community called Andros Isles, in West Palm Beach.  What do you like most about living here?  Until early January 2018, I would have said the warm weather (laughs)!  What South Florida venue do you miss that’s gone?  The Copa.  Where do you hang out in South Florida?  Mostly in our yard by the pool, which is like a mini-jungle.  It’s filled with many different types of orchids.  What’s claim-to-fame?  A DJ at many different venues, including Gay Days and Le Stud.  How would you like to be remembered?  As kind, compassionate and empathetic.  Will you ever retire?  Not as long as I remain relevant and my passion doesn’t become my “job.”

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Who would you like to be for a day?  Oprah, and the day when she yelled to the audience, “You get a car!  You get a car!  You get a car…!  Everybody gets a car!!”  Do you believe in the afterlife?  Yes.  Who or what is the greatest love of your life?  My husband, Charlie DeGiacinto.  What talent would you most like to have?  To be a good singer.  What talent do you admire in other DJs?  Their ingenious creativity, and the ability to remain approachable and well-grounded (for those that do).  What kind of music do you like that might surprise people?  French-Canadian folklore music.  What’s your dream gig?  Headlining at World Pride.  What’s the weirdest question that a fan has asked?  “Could you unstrap my bra so that I can let these babies out to bounce to your phat beats?”  That was said to me at The Palace.  What celebrity did you act like a “fan” around?  Madonna.  What’s the last thing that you looked at online?  Beatport.com, to buy some new music.

What the best place that you’ve visited, and why?  Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.  It’s a Pacific Coast city that’s very gay friendly, and I loved being part of nature, with the many species of wildlife.  What did you learn from your parents?  To always treat everyone with respect.  What performer do you admire, and why?  Charles Aznavour.  He is 93-years-old and still performing.  He could have retired a wealthy man many years ago, but his life is his music, and he will perform until the very end.  What’s your best characteristic?  That I’m an eternal optimist.  How do you enjoy spending your time?  Producing music in the studio, hanging out by the pool in our yard, scuba diving, travelling, and learning something new.  What celebrity do you have a crush on?  Well, until recently, it was Kevin Spacey.  But I’ve always had a crush on Tom Selleck as well.  Who do you admire, and why?  I admire Tony Moran.  He’s a legendary singer, music producer and DJ, but somehow he’s remained grounded, approachable and such a nice person. 

If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be, and why?  My mom.  She passed when I was 15, and I never got to come out to her.  And—although I know she accepted me unconditionally—I would have loved to spend more time as an adult with her, which is when we develop a special friendship with our parents.  Where would you go in a time machine, and why?  Actually, I wouldn’t be going that far back.  I’d like to return to the Olympia Theater in Paris in 1960 to see my all-time favorite singer Edith Piaf live in concert.  What would your last meal be?  Definitely a large pepperoni pizza with double everything!  What do you worry about?  Getting old, and remaining relevant in a youthful industry.  If you were a musical instrument, what would you be?  An accordion.  Are you more like a sheep or a wolf?  A wolf.  Who depends on you, and for what?  Our white miniature schnauzer, Cody!  I take care of him as my child, as he really is the child I never had.

Who are you closest with?  Our friends Jim and Jerry, my BFF Karen Torrie-Racine (who’s someone I don’t see often), and my husband Charlie.  What would your autobiography be called?  Aucuns Regrets.  What music do you listen to when you’re upset?  French music—like Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour and Michel Sardou.  What’s on your bucket list?  To visit and DJ in Australia.  What’s your greatest regret in life?  I was asked by my ex-partner in the 90s to choose between my music or a relationship.  At the time, I chose the relationship, but somehow I lost both, because I wasn’t happy without my music.  What’s something that you never told anyone else?  I once dated a high school teacher, who, after I fell in love with him, told me that he was really a priest.  I was crushed.  Where can we see you?  At Gay Days in Orlando, from May 30th to June 4th.  The details about my set will be posted online very soon!

PHOTOGRAPH BY SERGE BLAIS

 

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

MICHAEL TRONN – PART 1

In a two-part exclusive, founding club kid, artist and promoter Michael Tronn tells us what South Beach was like before the Versace era, before letting us into the elite world of some of New York’s and Miami’s hottest clubs

PHOTOGRAPH BY NATALIE CAROLE

Where did you grow up?  In New York, across the street from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  How long have you lived in South Florida?  I moved here in 1997, but I was visiting here since about 90’ or 91’.  What was South Beach like then?  My first trip was fairly spontaneous, and I knew nothing about South Beach except that it was a cool, secret spot for New Yorkers and fashion people.  This was before Versace, before Lincoln Road—the place was virtually a ghost town.  Back then, the Versace mansion was a run-down apartment building for seniors.  Ocean Drive was lined with elderly people in plastic chairs sunning themselves with reflectors under their chins.  The only things that were going on then were photo shoots and some very hedonistic nightclubs, such as Warsaw and Paragon.  Why did you move here?  I decided that if I could get a good job at one of five companies that I was interested in, then I would move permanently—and I did.  Liquid hired me to be the new creative and marketing director, and I stayed in Miami from then on.  What part of South Florida do you live in?  When I’m in Miami, I live in South Beach.

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What do you like most about living here?  The ocean, the air, and the amazing memories that I have of South Beach’s heyday, such as the beginning of Wynwood.  Where do you hang out in South Florida, and why?  I don’t hang out at any one spot like I did in the past, but I find that Wynwood is the most interesting neighborhood.  In some ways, Churchill’s is my favorite.  What’s your claim-to-fame?  I was one of the co-creators of the “Club Kid” scene in New York.  That was in 1987.  I also promoted and/or launched many notable clubs in New York such as Tunnel, The World, the Red Zone, Mars, The Saint, Studio 54, Roxy and MK.  In Miami, I’m known as the director of Liquid, building and launching the Ice Palace Film Studios, launching Crobar and promoting ANTHEM Sundays there, opening the restaurants Rumi and Studio, and for having my own art space in Wynwood.  How did you come up with your name?  People think I made my last name up, but Tronn is an old Russian family name.  Whose fashion look do you admire, and why?  I much prefer style over designer clothes, and I always have.  My favorite style idol is Iris Apfel.  She’s 100 percent unique and real, and she dresses only for herself.

What’s your favorite place that you’ve lived?  It’s a tie between Miami from 1991 to 2006—there was never anything as amazing as that, and I don’t think there ever will be again—and New York in the 70s and 80s.  That period was New York’s golden age in so many ways.  What New York venues do you miss that are gone?  Palladium, The World, Area, Danceteria, Mother and Studio 54.  What are your favorite events that you’ve produced in New York, and why?  Well, I’ve produced over 1,000 events, but three New York events stand out: one, a hair-sculpture completion at Tunnel (we had salon tables in the basement… the creations were amazing).  Two, the opening night of the “It” party at The World (I had the entire first floor done in tin foil as a tribute to The Factory, the entire stairwell—including the floor—was painted with the sky and clouds as a tribute to Magritte, the top floor was designed and decorated red as a tribute to Diana Vreeland, and I had mountain climbers rappel down the face of the building while the crowd waited for the doors to open).  And, three, the opening Night of Crobar New York (the production was over-the-top, and we had 15,000 people).

PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM SCULLY

What South Florida venues do you miss that are gone?  Warsaw and Paragon.  Warsaw is a heartbreaking loss.  At least the site of the original Paragon became Level, and then Mansion [it closed in 2016].  But Paragon really is the best venue in Miami.  What are your favorite events that you’ve produced in Miami, and why?  Once again, there are three major standouts: the Grand Opening of Crobar, which was insane.  I had a $70,000 budget, and I staged a car wreck out in front with live models—people still talk about it today.  The “White Starz” party at The Coconut Grove Convention Center, where I not only transformed the entire space, but I had Yoko Ono perform in between the sets of Junior Vasquez and Tony Moran.  And “GUIDO” on Fridays at Liquid, which was in the VIP lounge.  We had immersive themes there each week, such as a “Bollywood” wedding, and it became the place for major fashion launches.

Stay tuned for PART 2 next week…