partypages
All Yesterday’s Parties
A Life of Celebration and Music
Themes to Me
Rendered in chronological order, an early version of my magnum opus
Winter Solstice
All the famed MidWinter gatherings since 1981
[coming soon]
It all started on 11-11-77, when I hosted a unique event that incorporated many elements—music, food, beverages, decor, attire, and guests—around a central organizing idea. With that first “Cosmo Party,” never would I throw a “normal” function, and my long series of themed celebrations began. What followed has been an enormous outpouring of entertainments presented in public places and a succession of residences. These pages put forth names, dates, locations, capsule descriptions, and other details of the socialties. Most of the parties were one-offs, but several notables, such as the 60s, were repeated twice or more.
About the Tapes: Every gathering has an associated soundtrack created for the party’s specific theme. In the analog days, I recorded the collections onto reel-to-reel tapes from LPs, 45s, cassettes, or other reels. At slow speed, one tape played for three hours and 12 minutes at reduced but acceptable fidelity. Each mix required almost double the time to find, sequence, set up the sources, and dub. Playlists were hand-written onto yellow legal-pad paper trimmed to fit inside a 7” tape box. Most of the 50-some original reels are now digitized.
About the Invitations: Each gathering requires a notice that I either give or send to prospective guests. The early flyers were hand-drawn, then duplicated and distributed. More recently, I used computer graphics. Like posters from rock concerts of old, these summons have become collectible art themselves.
Events at 2306 Wickersham Drive #901
by Howie Richey