I used to think that throwing a party was a difficult task. Well, to some degree, I still believe that. But I also believe that when something is meant to be, it flows easily. That is probably why the Confessions of a Partyphile Anniversary Party last July 30, 2011, at Marco Polo Davao’s Eagles Bar only took a week to organize. All I had to do was contact a really good DJ, a very accommodating venue, look for sponsors (which was probably the greatest challenge), and advertise it. The result though was something unexpected.
The Confessions of a Partyphile Anniversary Party, was in ways, small-scale. I had a little over 90 guests, the venue was definitely intimate, and the vibe was very warm and homey (which is something that you would not expect from a dance party). But something happened that night. At some point during the night everybody started to let lose, let their hairs down, and through some partyland miracle, just get down with it. I don’t know what happened exactly. I don’t know why the party turned from “friendly” to “wild” in a matter of hours, but I bet the Partyphile Gods had something to do with it. Or, it was the bottomless cocktails, that Marco Polo Davao’s Eagles Bar offered so graciously at a measly 200 bucks.
Obviously, my guests were tipsy by the second hour of the party, thanks to the bottomless cocktails, but “tipsy” for a Confessions of a Partyphile party just does not cut it. So we played a drinking game called “Black Out or Get Out”, a game that simply involves taking a shot of Rhum whenever the Partyphile (me) rings the Bell or Xylophone (or shouts “shooooot!’). The game ends when all but one contestant have backed out. It is simple, oh, but it is lethal!
The game ended when Kakay Sevilla, having consumed 15 shots of Rhum, gave in to the call of Partyland and blacked out for a minute or two (thus the name of the game: Black Out or Get Out). This made the final contestant standing, Doy Bijis, the winner. He won a pass to experience parasailing courtesy of Wind and Wave Davao (first in Mindanao!), Gift Certificates from Green Coffee, EY’s Tuna, Cellos Donuts and Dips, Project-D Auto Innovations, TGI Fridays, Denkat E-Cigarettes (available at Detailworx 101), and Stay N Touch Massages.
The next game involved three ladies (whom I refuse to name on this column) and four dares. The game was simple. I dared them to do four things, which they had to do in the sexiest manner to please the crowd who would eventually choose the winner. I can’t tell you exactly what happened due to censorship issues and stuff, but someone took her bra off. That’s all I’m saying.
We also played the signature “Confessions” game, which I invented myself. It involves me giving out a confession and the contestants taking a shot of brandy for every confession they admit doing. After consuming an epic 10 shots of brandy (without chasers or breaks in between; add to that the fact that he had consumed an overflow of cocktails prior to the game), Adrian Hui reigned supreme and won the game. And then, naturally, passed out. But in Partyland, that does not matter much. It only matters that he drank and won.
The oldest game in the book went last as I asked everybody to “Bring Me” the oldest text message in the room. Michael Tan took home a brand new cellular phone as he presented a text message from November 14, 2007.
But of course, the games were not the only things that made the party really spectacular. One of the most important factors that made that night epic was the cocktails. Eagles Bar served three types of cocktails, the deadliest of which was called Rated- X; a cocktail made with Vodka, Brandy, Dark Rum, Light Rum, and Gin. This definitely made my partyphile guests let loose like never before. It was evident on my Twitter timeline and Facebook wall the next day. Everybody was ranting about hangovers, instant-amnesia, and passing out. But of course, we all know, those are the things that make an unforgettable party.
Another thing that added fun to the party was the fun and crazy photo booth from Davao’s Ultimate Party Booth: Photoqube (check them out at http://photoqube.multiply.com/). The booth had costumes, a personalized layout for each client (mine was naturally party-ish), and instant print-outs that seemed to capture my guests’ varying states of drunkenness.
Finally, the music is always responsible for setting the mood of the party; and this is probably why everybody got so crazy. DJ Gary was the resident beat-mixer for the night and he played some of the best hits from the early 2000s. Imagine Hed Kandi, Milky, Moony, Bonnie Bailey, Modjo, Chicane, and all the early house music greats played back-to-back-to-back! All in all, the music teased the crowd, brought them back to earlier party days, and finally, gave them the uncontrollable desire to dance the night away, or at least, until the liquor ban started.
Thank you for everybody who made the Confessions of a Partyphile Anniversary party possible! Thank you to Marco Polo Davao, all the sponsors, DJ Gary, Photoqube, 105.9 Mix FM, and all the partyphiles who still believe in partying like crazy! Until the next party, partyphiles!
Since we are celebrating National Watermelon Day, I decided to give out a recipe for the classic Watermelon Vodka. Now, this doesn't exactly follow a clean-cut recipe, but I'll give you a guide on the simplest way to go about it.
