On Jan. 23, people at the Daily Grind learned the difference between Partyy. and a “party” goes far beyond the spelling.
Guillaume Lemieux said he founded the extravaganza of “arts and crafts, dance jams, and friends” that makes up the event as a solution to the lack of options the city offers for younger people to mingle and, well, party.
While Partyy. has taken place at a few different venues, it tends to set itself comfortably at the Daily Grind on Somerset Street, Lemieux said.
“The concept of Partyy. crystallized when I was sitting upstairs at the Daily Grind after a great day along the Rideau River with friends. DG’s got such a good vibe. It’s cozy. You feel like you’re at a friends’ place,” Lemieux said.
With the attention Partyy. is receiving, however, the cozy café may be becoming too small, Lemieux said.
“We’d love to go back to the Grind, but we also have to be realistic and provide a space that is big enough for our friends,” he said.
“[Lemieux] is in management and he’s a very creative person,” said John McClelland, now a co-presenter of Partyy. “I do design work. It’s very cohesive to have our respective skills and then meet in the middle.”
McClelland moved in with Lemieux at the beginning of the summer of 2012.
“I had helped a bit with parties and projects before,” McClelland said. “Then [Partyy.] just took off.”
The events are open to the public, but there tends to be a similar wave of attendees revelling in the late-night escapades each month.
“Because of the way we choose not to advertise, we have built a relatively small but tight group,” Lemieux said.
“Partyy. spreads through word of mouth, and most of our friends and new friends really dig the vibe and the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.”
One of these like-minded individuals is Paige Postma. While she attends as a close friend of some of the Partyy. personnel, she said there is not a distinct boundary between the organizers and the partiers. Postma said it’s more an intermingling of friends, good music, and good vibes.
“They had a Glam Rock theme one time,” Postma said. “Really fun.”
Past Partyy. themes include a Polaroid Partyy., Hats & Moustaches Partyy., Communist Puzzle Partyy., and Kaleidoscope Partyy. A unique art installation is made for each month’s event, pertaining to its theme.
For the Pixel Partyy., the installation was a tall grid of cubes that lit up electronically in all colours of the rainbow.
“The pixel grid was a joint effort,” said Lemieux. “Mainly between Andrew Parks, John McClelland, and I. We also had a crew of friends pitching in . . . We probably spent over 100 hours on it.”
Lemieux said they cut each piece of wood and their notches, then covered it with reflective Mylar, soldered over 500 connections for the LED lights, programmed a computer, and put it all together.
“Each night is a unique experience that is designed to create lasting memories,” Lemieux said. “If you’re down with that and if you get ‘All My Friends’ by LCD Soundsystem then you should join us. Friends are important. You should cherish them and cherish the special moments you share with them. Partyy. is a canvas that enables that.”
