{"id":101116,"date":"2026-01-15T13:59:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T13:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/101116\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T13:59:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T13:59:25","slug":"connie-t-empress-spins-45s-and-keeps-the-east-village-dancing-at-tiki-bar-amnewyork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/101116\/","title":{"rendered":"Connie T. Empress spins 45s, and keeps the East Village dancing at tiki bar \u2013 amNewYork"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"DJ\t\t\t<\/p>\n

DJ Connie T. Empress , always looking out for some great tunes for the Empire State Soul Club.<\/p>\n

Photo by Bob Krasner<\/p>\n

\u201cA soul night in a punk rock tiki bar? This I gotta see!\u201d a man once remarked to DJ Connie T. Empress, founding member of the Empire State Soul Club (ESSC).\n<\/p>\n

If you feel the same, you should know that the ESSC takes over the back room at Otto\u2019s Shrunken Head<\/a> in the East Village on the second Saturday of every month, with Empress spinning her 45s along with a changing roster of guest DJs for a room full of happy dancers who are guaranteed to hear more than a few discs that they\u2019ve never heard before.<\/p>\n

This past weekend was a one-year anniversary celebration for the current incarnation of the party, but Empress \u2014 proudly at the age of 71 \u2014 has been at it for a lot longer than that. \u201cI\u2019ve been doing this for 40 years,\u201d she lets us know.<\/p>\n

It all started at a long-gone joint called The Dive, a former belly dancing club, where \u201cthey would just let anybody up there,\u201d Empress recalls.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI came up with my little box of records and a black and white TV, and I just sort of fell into it sort of by accident,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

\"WhenWhen Connie T. Empress wasn\u2019t spinning discs she was taking a spin on the dance floorPhoto by Bob Krasner \"\"Nancy Gardner (who brought homemade vegan brownies for the crowd) dancing up a storm with Phil DePaolo of the band Secret FoxPhoto by Bob Krasner \"\"Phast Phreddie cueing up a 45Photo by Bob Krasner \"\"The Empire State Soul Club kept the music alive on Saturday night with DJ\u2019s (L-R) DJ NoGoodNick , Connie T. Empress (founder of the Empire), Phast Phreddie Patterson, Agent JayPhoto by Bob Krasner \"\"Photo by Bob Krasner<\/p>\n

Over the years, she has set up shop in various venues such as the Mudd Club, Tramps, Coney Island High and the North River Bar. There were various names as well: \u201cGet On The Good Foot,\u201d \u201cSoulfinger\u201d and an earlier version of the ESSC that was founded by Empress, Warren Lee, and Jeff (The Chef) Loshinsky. That was a party with a theme song \u2014 \u201cBig Bird\u201d by Eddie Floyd \u2014 and the whole idea was to get people dancing and smiling. If they were just listening, that was fine, too.<\/p>\n

Along with classics from the Stax label, Empress would throw in hard-to-find discs from Cajun Heart, William Bell, Tabby Thomas, Wally Cox (not that Wally Cox!<\/a>), and the finger-popping northern soul version of \u201c16 Tons\u2019\u201dby Tennessee Ernie Ford.<\/p>\n

Her embrace of the Stax tracks inspired Steve Greenberg from Atlantic Records to create the \u201cComplete Stax\/Volt Singles\u201d box sets, employing Empress as a consultant and even mastering some songs from her 45s in cases where the original masters were missing.<\/p>\n

Although Empress took an extended break from NYC, working for the Olympics in Atlanta from 1995 to 2005, she \u201cmissed New York terribly\u201d and jumped right back into DJ\u2019ing upon her return.\n<\/p>\n

\"PeopleOtto\u2019s Shrunken Head was hopping for hours with sweet soul musicPhoto by Bob Krasner \"\"Photo by Bob Krasner \"\"Photo by Bob Krasner \"\"Rock out with your nose out !Photo by Bob Krasner \"\"DJ NoGoodNick on the left , grooving to the tunesPhoto by Bob Krasner \"\"Photo by Bob Krasner<\/p>\n

The current version of the ESSC differs from the original in that the first version featured Empress, Lee and Loshinsky at every gig, with only the occasional guest spinner. The new configuration features Empress and different guest DJs at every gig.<\/p>\n

The party on Saturday featured Phast Phreddie Patterson, DJ NoGoodNick (aka Nick Cruc\u00e9), and Agent Jay, who also happens to play guitar in The Slackers, a long-running reggae band. Each had their own unique mix of the familiar and unknown, which kept Empress busy between dancing and running up to the decks to find out what was playing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how I get my steps in!\u201d she laughs.\n<\/p>\n

Liza Kramer took a break from dancing to muse on why she is a fan: \u201cI love dancing on her dance floor because when she\u2019s DJing, I feel like I\u2019m tapping into something that\u2019s really authentically New York. She has a coolness that sets the vibe for the whole experience. This has been a hub for so long, with music bringing us together, and she\u2019s been the center of it all. And I\u2019m lucky to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to say that there is one thing that we do really well, that the ESSC does really well,\u201d says Empress. \u201cWe make people happy.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Follow Connie T. Empress on Instagram at @connie_t._empress<\/a> and the Empire State Soul Club at facebook.com\/p\/The-Empire-State-Soul-Club-NYC-61571286161142<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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