Let’s chat music and nightlife with a hot beatmaster who spins all over the City: Mannie Kumar, aka DJ Mannie Petty! [Cover photo: Anthony Leo]
Thotyssey: Hi Mannie, thanks for chatting today!
Mannie Petty: Thanks so much for having me! Thotyssey is the first thing I check whenever I feel like going out and has been for years, and I’m honored to be on it myself now.
The honor is all ours! Let’s get right into the universal topic of the moment. Have you gotten through the whole new Taylor Swift album yet?
As Shereé famously said, “I thought it was fun, I liked the beat, so, yeah.” I did listen to it twice though, out of solidarity for my Swifties Sisters! Cowboy Carter, on the other hand…
I have a feeling that Miss Beyoncé’s reign of the gay dance floor won’t be ending anytime soon. Dua Lipa’s new single seems promising though, right?
I love the three singles from Radical Optimism so far, but they don’t seem to be catching on it seems. I think they’re a little too European-sounding for the American audience, which is continuing the embrace the mid-tempo disco sounds of songs like “Espresso.” That, and she promised an album inspired by British rave culture and psychedelia– which so far, I’m not really getting. I still love them, though! And props to her for giving us extended versions of all of them.
You are also very much a Jessie Ware girl, like several other DJs in our scene.
Oh yes, her music is single-handedly responsible for kicking off my NYC DJing career!
We are definitely coming back to her! But first, can you tell us a bit about where you’re from originally, and if you had a longtime relationship with music?
I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA to Indian immigrant parents. I played the saxophone growing up and, like most little gay boys, was also in musical theater. I went to college in Chicago where I was in an a cappella group, and most importantly where I started DJing. I had my own show on college radio (WNUR FM!) for four years… you can still listen back to some of those episodes on my Mixcloud. So even though I’ve only been DJing around NYC for about two years, I’ve been on the turntables for over fifteen years. In short, music has always been a part of my life, and it’s the one thing that defines me the most.
What was the first music you were DJing?
Back in college it was all trance, progressive house, and techno. Surprisingly, I actually didn’t get into pop music until the pandemic. Prior to that, the only pop music I really listened to was Mariah Carey back in the 90s, and Lady Gaga (I will die for that woman). Once the pandemic hit, though, I started craving something feel-good that I could sing along to, since the world outside was so drab.
That, and pop music in 2020 took a turn towards the dance-oriented sounds that I was used to, thanks to albums like Chromatica, Future Nostalgia, What’s Your Pleasure?, DISCO and Magic Still Exists. Not only that, but these artists like Jessie, Dua, and Gaga were commissioning artists that I love to remix their songs: people like Honey Dijon, Purple Disco Machine, Paul Woolford, David Jackson, etc. Basically, pop music and I met in the middle in 2020, and that’s when the monster that is Mannie Petty was born!
Since then, you’ve been a regular in the booths at New York venues like Phoenix, VERS, C’mon Everybody and 3 Dollar Bill. Have you had a favorite gig or DJing moment yet?
I obviously can’t ignore my first Jessie Ware concert afterparty that she showed up to; that’s definitely up there! I think my favorite moment, though, was the Chromatica Ball afterparty at 3 Dollar Bill. I spent months preparing for that by making extended, mixable edits of every track in Gaga’s discography. By the end of the night I was really pushing the tempo, and it kinda turned into a Gaga rave. The energy was insane, and it’s still my favorite pop set I’ve done. The set has gotten a lot of love on SoundCloud, too.
I’m also particularly proud of that one since I did the entire thing on the fly. I had prepared a tracklist, but, Jan Sport showed up and asked to do a number last minute, to which we obviously couldn’t say no… and then the girls decided to end with “Applause” as a group number. “Applause” is 140 BPM, and I knew if I kicked off my set at 122 BPM which is what I was planning on doing, the energy would totally die. So I threw the whole thing out the window and winged it. It definitely paid off in the end.
What’s you’re view of the nightlife scene these days? Are folks showing up, dancing, having fun, being engaged, etc.? Some people worry that younger generations have become too introverted for nightlife post-pandemic. And that the ones who do come out don’t know how to “behave!”
Hmm… the TikTok and streaming era has definitely shortened everyone’s attention spans. People are coming out and dancing, yes, but if they don’t hear a song they want exactly when they want it, they stop dancing and / or leave. That’s why I much prefer playing in Brooklyn–the crowds are more willing to vibe, and maybe hear some tracks they don’t know.
Fair! You work with drag queen and producer Julie J a lot… isn’t it cool that she won basically every Glam Award this year?
It has been insane to watch her meteoric ascent to the top of NYC nightlife… and it is so, so well deserved. She’s one of my favorite drag artists I’ve ever seen, both on and off TV. We met because I stumbled into a show she was doing in Hell’s Kitchen one night, and she performed “Hot n’ Heavy” by Jessie Ware. I posted a video of it on my Instagram story, and Jessie reposted it on hers. I then reached out to Julie a few days later and said, “Hey by the way, I’m planning a Jessie Ware themed party… you want in?” Since then, I’ve done almost all my parties with her whenever her schedule allows. I think we complement each other so well.
On Friday, you and sexy DJ Rocket will be bringing back “100% Pure Love,” your 90s house tribute night, to C’mon Everybody! What can you tell us about this party, and your relationship to the era of music it’s celebrating?
Julie and I did a party in November at C’mon Everybody to celebrate the ten year anniversary of ARTPOP. It was a huge success, so [owner] Eric (who I absolutely adore) asked us to do parties more regularly.
I think the NYC queer nightlife scene has become oversaturated with artist tribute nights, so we wanted to do something centered more around a genre than an artist. Also, I want to start moving away from pop parties and more into house nights, since that’s more where my heart is. We decided on 90s house because it’s house, mostly POC artists, has those big diva vocals that people love to sing along to, and is enjoying a bit of a renaissance thanks to, well, Renaissance.
That being said, it’s not all 90s. I mix in some modern house tracks on labels like Defected and Fool’s Gold that still fit in well with the sound. Like I mentioned before, the C’mon crowd welcomes it, and I love doing it.
Rocket, who I consider my DJ brother, grew up listening to that genre, so he loves playing it too, and it gives him a break from the pop parties he usually does.
Super fun! What else is coming up for you?
This summer at VERS, we’ll be doing tea every Saturday and Sunday evening from 4 to 8pm. It’ll feature a rotating roster of DJs, including myself. Boppy house vibes, frozen cocktails, and warm weather–what’s not to love? That kind of daytime vibe is my favorite setting to play, so I’m really excited about it.
Otherwise, I’m talking with some other DJs about getting our own monthly party started, but it’s way too early to announce anything about that… yet !
Exciting! Okay, lastly… what’s the worst song request you e ever gotten in the DJ booth?
Oh my gosh. VERS asked me to play a Eurodance themed party last week–you know, Alice Deejay, Vengaboys, etc. Someone came up to the DJ booth and requested… Weezer!
Eeek! That was me, lol JK)! Thanks, Mannie!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for DJ Mannie Petty’s upcoming appearances, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and SoundCloud.
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