• by Kelly Samardak , April 14, 2010

Food Party and Dinner with the Band Premiere Concert, Santos Party House, New York
April 13, 2010

People ask me all the time what makes one party better than the next.  They also ask how I'm not drunk all the time. The answer to the first question is simply "food and music." The answer to the second question is less intelligible.

Last night I met my guy, David Factor of ADA Music, outside Santos Party House for the IFC premiere concert event buffet of food, music, and a boatload of hipster to celebrate their shows "Food Party" and "Dinner With The Band."  I had heard of "Dinner With The Band," but "Food Party" was new to me.  When clips of puppets and talking pasta piles flashed across the screen at last night's party, well, it's safe to assume that if I remember to set the DVR, I'll be tuning in.

While waiting in line, two nice young fellows in front of me turned around, introduced themselves as Christian Ciferri and Anthony Maiello, and asked if I knew anything about the situation.  Turns out these guys are seniors at SUNY Maritime in the Bronx, from where they made the trip.  In 27 days, if they qualify, they're shipping out with the Merchant Marine.  Really nice guys, they were actually at the party for Andrew WK, the host for the evening.  They heard about the party because of their Facebook "friendship" with Andrew WK.

After talking to the future seamen, I glanced down the sidewalk and saw that the line had quickly multiplied during our conversation.  Small clusters of people were being let in, which made me wonder if I wasn't in the right line.  Of course I wasn't.  But because of my mistake I was able to check out people entering, like Food Party's ThuTran and Thrillist Director of Marketing John Wiseman, and I was able to meet the adorably pleasant brothers Darin and Greg Bresnitz, Executive Producer and Series Producer respectively on Dinner with the Band.

Inside I was shocked to run into Pollock Spark's Michael Pollock, who admitted this might not be quite his scene.  From the VIP nook I saw him make friends quickly, though.

This was my first dive into the house of Santos and what a scene it was.   All blue and pink with a brain-blending pinwheel light that made its way back and forth across the crowd.  Neo-punk and hipster types in highlighted, side-swept hair, angry black spike-hawks, sparkly backpacks, grommeted leather jackets, pin-up style shorty shorts, and loud swatches of red lipstick rippled across the floor.  It was like a human Jackson Pollock piece up in there.

Yummy sandwiches of pulled pork and something with a meatlof consistency were inhaled from around 7 to 8 p.m., while guests ears were treated to the best mood-setting DJ set I've heard yet - the first from Au Revoir Simone, I believe.  After the DJ set, Gators! yanked themselves onto the stage and barreled through a handful of songs that kept heads bonking.  Andrew WK literally hosted the show.  Look up the definition ot literally.  I thought for sure he'd hit the stage, but by "LOST" time (which was when we had to leave, priorities, people) he hadn't done more than into the band, DJs, Thu Tran, and rock and roll cheffy dude Sam Mason.

No big whoop - the white-jeaned wonder is such a living lightning bolt, he could have been talking about new developments in cotton-ball engineering and it would have sounded kickass.  He could have been introducing a bran muffin and it would have rocked! He could have been describing line items on his tax return and... well, you get it.

Fun party, kids.  IFC has yet to disappoint.

Tomorrow night I'll be attending what sounds like a super-artsy-fartsy documentary premiere.  And you know what that means? Quirky creative film types.  And you know what that means? Fantastic photo ops.  Can't wait!

Food, party, music photos are up on Flickr!

Send invitations to kelly@mediapost.com and you're in!

Both Food Party and Dinner With The Band premeire on IFC on April 27 beginning at 10pm ET/PT.