Tied
When this clandestine collective of “like-minded people tied together” first appeared, it was to throw parties that bounce from one nondescript location to the next, start at hours during which most folks are calling it a night, and showcase artists at the forefront of underground house and techno music. Though the organizers occasionally collaborate with other (legal) venues like Spy Bar, the best Tied parties happen at off-the-grid locations where the music is the main attraction. Yet as the collective have grown, so have Tied’s ambitions—they’ve recently inaugurated a record label and podcast. Residents Mantas Steles, Max Jacobson, and Ari Frank deliver smart, smooth mixes live and on Soundcloud, drawing praise from taste-making sites such as electronic-music publication Resident Advisor. They’ve also managed to book an eclectic lineup of DJs and producers who rarely play the U.S. (Topper, Shonky, Federico Molinari). Weird, sexy, and impossibly hip, Tied are further proof that the city’s underground nightlife scene is as relevant and progressive as ever.