OLD RUSSIAN NEW YEAR EXTRAVAGANZA was fun.  A lot of fun. It started with HUNGRY MARCH BAND providing terrific danceable jazz (think AUCTION but with more fun and flare) that began onstage but then migrated right into the welcoming audience. Then they traded places, as the audience migrated onstage.  The idea of dancing on the stage is not unique, but infrequently employed, and, in case of Galapagos, is a perfect fit.  Thus the energy level was set high from the get-go and was maintained by an pair of DJs, accompanied by a live percussionist, as the crowd shifted from jazz to dance.  I was especially impressed with DJ Budulai, who played, in rapid succession, BRAVO’s “Vasya,” LENINGRAD’s “WWW,” and KAOMA’s “Lambada”:  all of them – staples at my own parties ;).  To me, good club music is about two things:  versatility  and presence of rock’n’roll.  To hell with never-ending house and techno!  I only wish there were some slow numbers… Russians like slow stuff, goddamnit!  Other than that, the music was spot on, exactly what I wanted.  Professional photography, tarot reading, and face painting completed the mayhem.  Up on the second floor the volume was manageable enough to talk, which, again, is a major rarity in contemporary NYC clubs. 

- Sentinel