I don’t usually endorse events by people I don’t already know, but I really think this event is worth it. Why? I’ll break it down into points for you lazy people:

• Nemr Abou Nassar
• Allo Taxi to-and-from the event thanks to Kunhadi, included in the ticket
• Ameen the Illusionist
• Two DJ sets, one RnB one House
• 32USD for 3 drinks, and don’t forget the taxi rides

To be honest, this event had me at the Kunhadi sponsored Allo Taxi transportation. I absolutely love it when organizers take the time to arrange for affordable transportation so no one drinks and drives. Also, the lineup is super-diverse and impressive, I mean, it’s the pegasus-lover, Nemr, along with Ameen the Illusionist and a mix of music that can please most clubbers.

For all the rest, check their Facebook event, and see you all tomorrow.

Don’t you just love good House music? That’s why I’m endorsing and covering “One Night in May” on the 11th. Beirut in the Mix and Retro Clash are getting Djebali straight from France to spin the decks with Ronin & Nesta, the BCE and Phil next Friday May 11th.

Even before going on his soundcloud and looking him up on YouTube, it was a sure endorsement. After all, he plays regularly at Club Rex in France, where Daft Punk began their prolific career, and a club I need to visit before I die.

So, if you’re free next Friday, there are 8 hours of beautiful House music at Art Lounge for 25USD a piece. Check out the Facebook event for more details and a map. See you there hopefully, and till then, have a listen to some Djebali:

Remember that 2500 year old Phoenician port some company wants to turn into apartments we can’t afford? No? Then read this before continuing this post.

This Saturday, at 3:00PM, we’re making our voices heard beyond the interwebs. We are meeting behind Hotel Monroe, and making our short trek (don’t worry about walking too much you lazy people) to the plot that houses one of Lebanon’s most treasured, and recently discovered archeological finds.

Let’s force the government to act and protect this site. They seem pretty good at hunting down rotten meat, I’m sure they’ll have no problem saving this fantastical port if they get rid of the rotten money too. So, I really hope to see you guys this Saturday afternoon. More information on the event page here.

If you’re not old enough to be worried about jobs, rent, benzene, then you’re very lucky. It also means you can party more often, and harder than the grandmas and grandpas which tend to produce overrated events. Underrated are a group of party-loving, up-and-coming DJs and organizers who have held a string of very successful underground events across Beirut.

You guys know how I am when it comes to obscure, non-mainstream events. So, I went down to an Underrated event before my trip to the US, and I was impressed a party movement with such a loyal following hadn’t been on my radar before. The mix of Indie, Electro, Nu-disco with a dash of Dubstep sprinkled with Minimal is definitely a crowd-pleaser for more than one type music lover.

Anyway, why am I telling you this? Because they’re planning their biggest event yet this Saturday. Also, with the recent decline of the Lebanese underground music scene, such events are a must-attend. Find out who Underrated are, and if you enjoy it, remember I’m the one that told you about them (if you didn’t already know them of course).

What I also liked is that apart from the bargain deal of 25USD for open bar, they’ve struck a deal with Geryes Taxi to make fares from as far as Hamra, for just 15,000LBP. So, don’t drink and drive. Plus, with current gas prices in Lebanon, I think it would be cheaper getting a cab =P

Here’s the event page, and that’s their Facebook page

Venue: 20/25 (don’t know the venue, but the photos look promising, distance problem fixed by taxi deal)
Music: 25/30  (I hate indie =P)
Ticket: 20/20 (open bar, plus they get points for the taxi deal)
Crowd: 10/10 (diverse, young)
Date: 5/5 (cause it’s after I’m back from the US =P)
Promoters: 5/5 (as I said, I was very impressed last time)

Total: 85/100 

Wiz Khalifa’s Official DJ and Big Sean/Adidas Official DJ at Stars Faraya Mzaar
100-160USD
70626353

TGOD. Nuff said. But, if you’re wondering, the man who co-produced Black and Yellow, Roll Up and No Sleep among others is coming to celebrate NYE in Lebanon. I’ve also been informed that another international DJ, Moe Beatz, will also be taking the decks on the last night of 2011, so this is sorta like a mini-leak before they announce it later tonite.

Apart from the RnB and Hip Hop sensations, a host of local DJs will also be spinning, including Rudebox with some good old House music and MiniB, Ruji and Jay-R. It’s for a hundred dollars with open premium bar and 160 for the VIP package which includes better seats and a chance to meet the star DJs.

This is a party I’d love to be at if I were in Faraya this year. I must say, I’ve developed an addiction to Wiz’s music and having the man who puts the beats to the words in the house on NYE 2012 means Taylor Gang party!

Noir Mekanik at Faraya Mzaar
133USD
76349596

Mak, lil’T and Serge will be on the decks that night, bringing you their take on RnB and House as well as a promised mix of Rock and Pop before the countdown to midnight.

The venue is of course the 5-star Intercontinental Mzaar, so it’s close to where the main attractions will be, adjacent to the pistes and has the cozy, warm feel to the chilly night up in the mountains.

Consider this if your chalet plans got ruined and you need to find a somewhere to countdown to the new year whilst you’re up on the slopes.

Igloo
240USD
03066999

I have a ton of friends who love the Igloo menu. This NYE, they’re offering a 4-course menu with open premium bar at the club and restaurant adjacent to the Faraya square where all the chalet-dwellers come out to play at 12:00AM.

A pricey option, but if you like the food and venue, and have the cash, you might want to consider it!

After leaking the news about MIMS coming to Lebanon, here’s the endorsement after reviewing the event details. First of all, what’s nice is that this artist is coming to a club, but is actually fully accessible to his fans. What I mean is that even though clubs were getting international artists regularly this summer, chances you would get in rested on weird door policies of weird club staff, instead of your appreciation of the featured artist. With MIMS, if you can legally drink alcohol, you should be all set to attend by buying a ticket.

Venue (20/25)

I’ve never been to it, but from what I hear it’s pretty good. Apart from that, it’s location on the top floor of a posh hotel sorta lets you feel at ease that the venue won’t be run-down or lacking in facilities. I give it a 20 because I’ve never been there myself, only seen photos.

Music and Artists (30/30)

I love RnB and HipHop tracks that stick with me, and during my visit to the US a few years back, all I listened to was “This is Why I’m Hot”. So, Mims and his friendliness expressed on Twitter and YouTube, gets full marks! The presence of friends like Dimix and Rudebox on the lineup also sweetens the deal for me.

Ticket (15/20)

Regular tickets are for $40, VIP are for $60, VVIP $80, and Elite tickets are for $100 where you’ll be able to hang out with Mims. There are far too many ticket categories, and I wouldn’t know what to choose, but the fact you could pay extra and get perks like open premium bar and meet Mims, make it pretty cool for his faithful fans.

Prospective Crowd (8/10)

Don’t expect to see the regular crowds I hang with, because this is a completely different setting than what I’m used to. Based on what I can see from the Facebook RSVPs, the crowd will be the RnB scene regulars which tend to be younger and more in tune with the genre and lifestyle of music that’ll be on display.

Date (10/10)

It’s a Monday, so not the ideal day of the week to party! BUT it’s also a day before Lebanon’s Independence Day which means we all have the next day off!

Promoters (5/5)

Their track-record is impressive and with NRJ Mastermix residents and Krities Agency on board, you’d expect the management of the event to be up to standards!

Total Score: 87/100

So, it gets the Gino’s Blog Seal of Approval

The event is on November 21st, make sure you go on Facebook for the rest of the info and to RSVP

When my friends Deema and Samer invited me to the event, I hadn’t heard of Pawas. After reading his bio and visiting his Soundcloud page, I decided this is an event I, and you should not miss. Well, should not miss if you’re a Detroit electronic music scene fan. By that, I mean brands of House and Techno similar to the sounds of Richie Hawtin (Plastikman). I’ve embedded a couple of tracks for you below to sample the man’s work.

Venue (25/25)

I like Art Lounge. It’s sort of a club, but also good as a venue. The trippie art work which keeps changing is also a huge plus. It’s also non-mainstream, making it fit with the artist and theme

Music and Artists (25/30)

I loved his tracks, but I haven’t heard of the guy before. That’s the only reason he doesn’t get full marks.

Ticket (20/20)

It’s 30USD with two drinks, which is even cheaper than most university welcome back parties! So ticket price is a definite plus in this case.

Prospective Crowd (10/10)

The ticket is not particularly cheap, and the double-edged sword of open bar policy is not present in this case, making it a safe bet that no losers who wanna binge drink (only) are gonna be there. The underground street cred of Pawas and the genre of music will likely attract people who are electronically well-educated. So, the crowd should be cool.

Date (0/5)

It’s a day after MixFM are getting two DJs from the massive M_nus label, Barem and Gaiser, which play a very similar, if not identical, brand of House and Techno. So, even though that might not be their fault, the date is far from ideal.

Promoters (5/5)

They’re new on the scene, but they come highly recommended by many friends of mine, so I’ll put my faith in them based on their taste in music and give them a solid 5.

Total Score: 85/100

So, it gets the Gino’s Blog Seal of Approval

The event is on October 22nd, make sure you go on Facebook for the rest of the info and to RSVP

If there is one reason I like MixFM, it’s because of these club nights. The DJs and labels they fetch are usually perfect, which makes up for the sickeningly cliche commercial people they get, like David Guetta for example. This time, they’re getting a pair of DJs from Platikman’s mighty M_nus label, and that’s enough to guarantee I’ll be at B018 on October 21st.

Venue (25/25)

If you need to know why, read my B018 review.

Music and Artists (25/30)

Even though I absolutely adore M_nus’ brand of Techno, I must confess I didn’t know about Gaiser and Barem before I saw the event poster. Unlike Magda or Marc Hoole, whose tracks can be easily found on my iTunes, these guys are somewhat less-known. However, a quick trip to the soundcloud and I was quickly reassured that the deep, dark, massive techno I was looking for was indeed there.

Have a listen here

Ticket (10/20)

No prices listed yet, but I expect it’ll be 40USD like it usually is, which is a bit much considering it’s double the b018 entrance, but with just one drink.

Prospective Crowd (10/10)

It’s gonna be the B018 regulars, plus hardcore M_nus fans such as myself. There’ll be a sprinkle of clueless people who decided to try out B018 for the first time on October 21st, but they’ll be gone well before the warm-up set ends if they’re not used to Techno and Minimal Tech, OR, better yet, they’ll be converted and embrace the music.

Date (5/5)

Doesn’t look like it conflicts with any major event on the day or weekend, so, you could afford to dish out a couple of tickets to enjoy that Friday night without worrying about another event that weekend.

Promoters (5/5)

MixFM and I might not agree on many large-scale events, but these club nights are what’s keeping them on top with the niche fans like myself. Danny Howells, Paco Osuna and all the rest of the DJs they’ve hosted in b018 or other intimate venues like it with a few dozen or hundred clubbers have always been the highlights of each season. So, they get full marks on promoting this particular type of events =P

Total Score: 85/100

So, it gets the Gino’s Blog Seal of Approval

The event is on October 21st, make sure you go on Facebook for the rest of the info and to RSVP

In respectable nations, during election campaigns, magazines and newspapers often endorse one candidate or party over the other. In Lebanon, free, independent media is non-existent and instead of endorsing a candidate or party, they try as best they can to hide and deny their underlying affiliations.

ANYWAY, I’m not assuming I’m as big or as important as those magazines and newspapers, but Gino’s Blog will be endorsing events I find worthy from now on. It will be extremely tough to get endorsed by me because I’m super-picky, I have enough experience in the nightlife sector to choose and because organizers will not be able to sway me to their side, no matter what the bribe.

I won’t elaborate any further, and I’ll get right to my first ever endorsement of an event on the blog: We Are Your Friends: A Really, Really Big Party.

Venue (25/25)

It’s that old sugar refinery behind Zaatar w Zeit in Zalka. If you’ve been to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious or Pretty Clean, you’ve already been there and know how awesome it is. This time though, it’s not on the rooftop, but inside the factory itself.

There’ll be three massive rooms, each housing one of the three promoters of the event: Beirut in the Mix, the BCE and We Run Beirut. The three rooms will be operating simultaneously, allowing you to choose between the available varieties of beautiful, underground house music.

The venue gets full marks because it is authentic, because it’s a much-welcome change form the all-too-familiar club and stadium set-up and of course because it portrays the spirit of the music and the party: non-mainstream. (pics soon)

Music and Artists (30/30)

I’m definitely biased here, but I’m ecstatic about the music. It’s a large spectrum of beautiful House music. Deep House, Progressive House, NuDisco, Tech-House and all their jolly friends and derivatives will be blasting from 9:00PM. I also heard rumors that a set of dubstep might be sneaked in to one of the rooms. However, the 15+ featured DJs are all well-established underground House connoisseurs. So, no commercial garbage, no hip hop and RnB, no Pop and no Rock (YESSS!)

The DJs include: Ronin & Nesta (Beirut In the Mix), Phil (Splonge), Carl Bardawil (Elicit & Snatch), Djette (Cotton Candy), Salah Sadeq (SexonWax), Diamond Setter (The Basement), Myli (Lumi), Ayla Hibri (The BCE), 2manySultans (We Run Beirut), Alias (The Basement), Romax (Kid Bliss, Get Physical), Richie Kahwagi (The BCE), Georges Khawam (The BCE), Tim Winters (We Run Beirut) and a bunch of others.

They’re all top-notch underground names, several of which are good friends of mine. Now, I expect some of you will read “Ronin & Nesta” and say “that’s not underground, that’s commercial.” False, you emo person. Underground music doesn’t mean unknown or unpopular music, it means music which is true to its genre and creator. In other words, a song made to be a track on a meaningful album or series that stays with you, not a song engineered to become a hit on a radio station which you forget a couple of weeks later. And for the more knowledgeable listener, Ronin & Nesta’s sets are everything but commercial. (Ronin & Nesta were just an example, this applies to everyone else featured!)

Ticket (20/20)

50,000 LBP for 15 DJs, 3 rooms AND open bar is like a dream come true. Especially since most events these days are in the 40$ and above, and if they’re not, they’d be 33$ and with one or two measly drinks. So, the tickets are priced very fairly, with no VIP and VVIP gibberish sections. These guys really are our friends…

Prospective Crowd (9/10)

The crowd will be the combined awesomeness of all three promoters’ fans. That means most of the people there understand the music, appreciate it and are there to listen and dance to it. I didn’t give it full marks because the 50,000 LL open-bar ticket might seem appealing enough to the binge-drinking portion of Lebanese society that thinks Pitbull is an artist. I wouldn’t worry though, they’ll leave soon enough and let us enjoy our evenings.

Date (5/5)

It isn’t in anything else’s way, which means we don’t need to choose it over something else. It’s also on a Saturday, so the next day is definitely off and enough for you to recover (unless you work in Saudi Arabia). The date is also after the panic-attack period you experience at the start of a new semester… You know, the first couple of weeks you wear nice clothes to university and decide you’re gonna study instead of club (mmmmmhm).

Promoters (5/5)

All three are known for their passion and enthusiasm, not their extravagance and millionaire-plans. Also, the event coincides on the 5th anniversary of Beirut in the Mix, the 2nd anniversary of The BCE and the end of a very successful first year for We Run Beirut. Which means, these guys are gonna do everything they can to make it as memorable and awesome as possible. After all, who doesn’t want their birthdays to be the most epic ever?

Total Score: 99/100

So, it gets the Gino’s Blog Seal of Approval (get it? I used an actual seal =P)

The event is on October 15th, make sure you go on Facebook for the rest of the info and to RSVP