Columbia Street shakes with party on Pier 9, by George Fiala

Residents of the Columbia Waterfront District were invaded by the booming disco sounds of a dance party coming from Pier 9 on Friday evening, Sept 12.

Normally a part of the working waterfront, the Port Authority has recently starting renting out space to music promoters. Tonight’s event was billed as Absolut Night. A press release issued by the vodka company states that “Beginning in Brooklyn, New York, Nights by Absolut will seek to embody the spirit of Absolut’s Transform Today brand ethos. Each event will feature an artistic collaboration that reimagines different elements of nightlife – from the city skyline to the dance floor – turning them into a playground of creativity designed to engineer a previously-untapped territory of imagination and invention.”

A dance floor is just what it clearly sounded like from the neighborhood. In the distance one could see shimmering lights, as well as a giant shimmering Absolut bottle etched in bright red. Outside on Degraw Street food vendors were selling their wares, as invited guests mingled with curious onlookers.

We saw a young couple with a baby around 10 pm trying to find out why their apartment was suddenly full of sound. Others hummed along to the music, and would have loved to get in.

The event was sold it. It is being taped for a possible movie or promotional piece.

Nights by Absolut will continue for the next three weeks in Johannesburg, Berlin and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

There was little notice to the local community, with no evident outreach. Nonetheless, by 11 pm, all was quiet again as the show evidently ended. Both Alma Restaurant and Mikniks Bar, two Columbia Street businesses close to the Degraw Street entrance to Pier 9, reported more business than usual for a Saturday night

The next event scheduled is the Escape Music Festival, a two day event on October 11 and 12. It will feature a number of live bands as well as DJ’s. Bands include Placebo and Yeasayer. There will be a Community Board 6 meeting on Wednesday September 17th, 6:30  at the Miccio Center at which the Port Authority will present its plans and be available for questioning.