Purim parties aplenty

By ARI MILLER
Published: MARCH 1, 2007 17:49
Saying Purim three times is probably safer than that age-old Burton chant that goes, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." No scary, half-rotted corpse of Haman will return to comically disrupt your dysfunctional family life. However, Purim itself appears thrice on the Tel Aviv scene with parties spanning a long weekend. Barzilay Club (03-687-8090, 13 Harehev) comes on strong all three nights. The Devil's Kitchen is Friday night's theme with DJ Food tending the turntables spinning electronic hip-hop. To being at midnight, entrance is, like all the Barzilay shows 22 and up. Come in costume and admission is NIS 60, without costume it is NIS 70 and you are not as cool. Saturday night the Policia Purim Party starts at 11 pm, with local acts The Models and Yaron Cohen. The evening's main event is DJ Jacek, a Polish import who was one of the pioneers of electronica in Eastern Europe and founded the label Recognition Recordings in 1991. Entrance is NIS 40 until midnight and NIS 50 afterwards. Funk is the word come Sunday night with the James Brown Special Live Show, because there is never a wrong time to celebrate the musical genius of the departed Godfather of Soul. It seems that the bulk of Israel's funk scene agrees and is coming together over him, including Funk'N'Stein the band, Shanan Street of Hadag Nahash, Gal Toren of Mercedes Band, Guri Alfi of Esek Shahur, Momi Levi and the MC's of the Parvarim Refugees. Doors are set to open at 11 p.m. with admission at NIS 40 until midnight and NIS 50 there after. The Purim Disaster Show promises to be one of the more interesting parties of the season with its organizers vowing that this one is set to take on legendary status, combing two of the hottest line ups in the city - Notorious Gay and PAG with the straight My Space and Electro Panika - to party in honor of the memory of Anna Nicole Smith, that unique personality with the ability to unite gays and straights. Set to fill all three floors of the Kaliph Club (33 Hazorfim, Old Jaffa) with ten D's, doors open at midnight with entrance set at NIS 60-80. Layla Dance Bar (03-522-1156, 77 Ben Yehuda) rocks it old school tonight at 10 p.m. NIS 30 will get you into their retro costume party - and it will help if you are dressed for the 70s, 80s or 90s. The legendary Haoman 17 (03-681-8686, 88 Abarbanel) keeps it surreal with a Fellini themed afterparty beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. DJs Ellen Allen and Mark Night, along with Haoman's crew of regulars will keep the soundtrack going all the way to midnight. Entrance is NIS 120 while supplies last, at which point the price jumps to NIS 240. Sunday's scene on hip Sheinkin Street should prove festive and interesting. With street performers, musicians, a collective treasure hunt and t-shirts to be awarded to those in the best costumes, hit the pavement between noon and 6 p.m. If it is a more relaxed themed evening out that you crave there are options galore with numerous cafes and restaurants offering special deals over the holiday. Of particular note, is the Bugsy Bistro Bar (03-681-3138, 26 Florentine), which will serve up themed cocktails, including Haman the Devil (honey Yeigermeister, After Shock and absinth) and Dvashti (honey Yeigermeister, whisky and sour mix). If it is just coffee that you are after, do not be surprised if it comes fortified courtesy of the bar. Not to be left out, the kosher diner should most likely make his or her way to Toros (03 525-6455, 49 Bograshov). This steak place will be serving a bottomless glass of Recanti's cabernet sauvignon with the order of a full course meal. Over in Jerusalem, a new club venue is the Jerusalem Theater, whose Saturday night Purim "Lighting the City" costume dance party starts at midnight. Two dance floors are promised, along with DJs Yaniv Danon, Atzmon Avrahami, and trance group Bubble (054-621-2121). And for the religious looking to dance, Heichal Shlomo also hosts a Purim dance party on Saturday night at 8, with separate dance spaces for men and women.