<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
     xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
     xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
     xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
     xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
     xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss"
     xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#"
     xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/">
    <channel>
        <title><![CDATA[1Oak founder’s #ZoomFest invites everyone behind the velvet rope — finally]]></title>
        <atom:link href="https://usagag.com/2020/05/29/1oak-founders-zoomfest-invites-everyone-behind-the-velvet-rope-finally/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
        <link>https://usagag.com/2020/05/29/1oak-founders-zoomfest-invites-everyone-behind-the-velvet-rope-finally/</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Fri, 29 May 2020 17:52:03 +0000</lastBuildDate>
        <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
        <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
        <generator>https://usagag.com</generator>
        <media:content url="/uploads/2020/05/1oak-founders-zoomfest-invites-everyone-behind-the-velvet-rope-finally.jpg" medium="image">
            <media:title type="html">1Oak founder’s #ZoomFest invites everyone behind the velvet rope — finally</media:title>
        </media:content>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&#8217;ve ever wanted a glimpse of what star-studded club culture is like, you probably won&#8217;t get it at #ZoomFest.</p><p>In fact, you may not ever get it again, according to Ronnie Madra, co-founder of the illustrious <strong>1Oak</strong> nightclub in New York City, where celebs such as Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Rihanna, the Kardashians, Leonardo DiCaprio, Katy Perry and many, many more are known to hang.</p><p>&#8220;As an operator, as a nightclub person or hospitality person, I don&#8217;t see myself going back to business as usual, unless there are major changes being made,&#8221; Madra tells The Post after recently founding the fledgling digital music and entertainment festival <strong>ZoomFest</strong>.</p><p>When the <strong>coronavirus pandemic</strong> hit New York, it took out the $35.1 billion hospitality industry and left 300,000 out of work, including nightlife professionals like Madra and his partner, Richie Akiva.</p><p>Madra, a former DJ and event producer who also invented the <strong>Earos In-Ear Protection device</strong> ($40) for nightlife and concerts, lost his job on March 16, when Mayor Bill de Blasio <strong>set citywide restrictions</strong> on bars, restaurants and all gatherings of 10 or more individuals. He lived for his profession, but the lockdown marked an end to his entire way of life — one filled with live music, dancing and high-powered friends.</p><p>He was about a month into statewide stay-at-home orders when he realized his previously scheduled annual sojourn to Coachella was approaching. He felt a yearning for that camaraderie and, in an effort to lift his and others&#8217; spirits, he brought a virtual festival to laptops.</p><p>&#8220;I woke up and I was like, &#8216;S - - t, man. I want to see my friends and Coachella is coming up, like, literally this weekend,&#8217; &#8221; says Madra, 48. So he called a musician-friend to &#8220;see if she would do a song on Zoom chat&#8221; with his friends. Ever the party promoter, he added a few more musicians and asked friend Josh Beckerman — a k a the &#8220;Foodie Magician&#8221; — to perform.</p><blockquote class="pullquote right"><p>&#8216;How can we make this more, you know, meaningful?&#8217;</p></blockquote><p>The first gathering started with &#8220;just &#8230; 10 people,&#8221; but by the fourth gathering, he had amassed a VIP-worthy guest list of more than 140 people, including Paris Hilton, Robin Thicke, G-Eazy, Shaggy and more. The Zoom sessions are known to last hours, with Madra acting as emcee of programming.</p><p>But what turned out to be a way to entertain isolated friends became, well, work.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not doing this anymore,&#8221; he says he&#8217;d told himself after the third gathering, then nicknamed Zoom-chella — which didn&#8217;t stick due to copyright issues. &#8220;And then I get a phone call from a friend&#8221; — jazz pianist Eric Lewis — &#8220;saying, &#8216;I think you&#8217;re onto something here. How can I help you organize it some more?&#8217; &#8221;</p><p>Sucked back into the fold, Madra wants #ZoomFest to become something that isn&#8217;t for the exclusive nightclub scene on which he&#8217;s built his career. He hopes bringing the party to the digital space will help make the whole scene down-to-earth, so to speak.</p><p>&#8220;How can we make this more, you know, meaningful?&#8221; he asks. &#8220;[There&#8217;s] a rope at the club. Not everyone can get in. There&#8217;s nothing inclusive about that. And I&#8217;m guilty of it.&#8221;</p><p>For now, #ZoomFest is still an exclusive ticket, with a capacity of just a few hundred. But party voyeurs can experience the somewhat dystopian get-down via the festival <strong>streaming site</strong>, as well as VASTLIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/VASTLIVE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a> and <strong>TikTok.</strong> They will broadcast the most recent ZoomFest gathering — albeit an edited version of the production — today at 5:01 pm.</p><p>As for what will become of 1Oak, Madra assures they will return, in some capacity.</p><p>&#8220;1Oak is a brand,&#8221; he says, &#8220;and 1Oak will reinvent itself.&#8221;</p>]]></content:encoded>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[USAGAG]]></dc:creator>
            </channel>
</rss><!--Time: 0.026295185089111-->