Update 8/22: Over the weekend, Chelsea Manning stopped by Elsewhere in Brooklyn to perform a late-night DJ set at sksksks. For an audience that included the likes of Hari Nef, Manning wore glowing cat ears and spun through tracks like SOPHIE's classic queer hit, "Immaterial" and, notably, a ton of Charli XCX: "Hot In It," "Beg For You" and "Claws," to be specific.
See highlights from the party and a roundup of Twitter reactions to the "historic moment," below.
Just when you thought Chelsea Manning couldn't get any cooler, the former NSA whistleblower is making good on her promise to get back behind the decks at Brooklyn's hottest new party.
Fresh off a fling with Grimes, Manning is making a return to DJing this Friday during the latest sksksks at Elsewhere. The club night announced the news that Manning would be joining their latest lineup, sharing a tweet that she made towards the end of May saying, "I'm gonna DJ again," and adding that it had been 15 years since she last played a set.
Considering it's been more than a decade since Manning last stepped into a DJ booth, there's no telling what to expect. She'll be sharing the bill with acts like food house, Isabella Lovestory, Swan Meat and D4rkcircles, so it's safe to say that plenty of hyperpop will be on the menu.
It's no secret that Manning's musical tastes are aligned with the PC Music and friends crowd, with Arca, Lil Texas, 100 gecs, Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek among the artists she follows on Twitter. Also given that sksksks is specifically aimed at being a safe space for queer, trans and nonbinary folks makes it a great fit for Manning.
The brainchild of DJ, organizer and former Bubble_T affiliate David Chan, sksksks has in the past year seen the likes of Dorian Electra, GRRL, Uffie, TDJ, Hyd, Petal Supply, Lil Mariko, DJ Fuck play live. "Chelsea Manning is a national hero," Chan tells PAPER, describing this Friday's lineup as "true to sksksks' spirit" with "a really unhinged combination of icons that we want to celebrate."
The whole thing goes down Friday, August 19 from 10 PM to 4 AM at Elsewhere in Brooklyn. For tickets and more info on community guidelines, head here.
Photography: Matt Barnes (courtesy of sksksks)
Flyer: Kim Laughton
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