A longtime beatmaster of the Boston area, DJ Brian Halligan is bringing the Brooklyn edition of his raunchy party “Daddy-O” back to C’mon Everybody this month.
Thotyssey: Brian, hello! Happy snow day! You’re Boston based — is it snowing there?
Brian Halligan: Not yet… but later today!
Fun! So when you are not DJing, preparing a setlist or doing something work related, what are you doing for fun in Boston?
I’m often going out to other DJs’ events to support and get inspired by all the talented local DJs — and the occasional big name. I also enjoy the occasional play or musicals, movies and concerts.
Would you describe the Boston queer nightlife scene today as “small but mighty?”
It’s definitely better and bigger than it was about a decade ago. There are so many established and new DIY parties and young DJs interested in sharing their love of the music and community — parties like Boudoir, Sheer Bliss, Liquid, Diva Down, Siren, Clowntown, Afroponk, Haus of Fag (which also throws NY parties), Houseboi, The Less You Know The Better, Genderfuckers, Dyke Night, SIP, THIQUE… my own new queer monthly Playland has been quite successful. And that’s just a partial list.
That’s a healthy list! There’s still a lot happening in New York as well, but we’re definitely in a period of transition… to what remains to be seen! What do you think makes a successful party in 2026?
Hmm. I think sometimes it’s like catching lightning in a bottle. But what many of them have in common is a respect for the attendees and artists, a sense of genuine play, a lack of pretensions, being musically adventurous — like, why leave the house if the DJ is indistinguishable from Spotify? Authenticity is key. Fewer cellphones on the dance floor is something that I think is happening organically, without excessive enforcement.
Could you share a little of your origin story with us: are you a Massachusetts native, and was music always a big part of your life?
I was born and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts and started going out in my early twenties, to all the big places here in Boston: Chaps, Buddies, Sporters, Club Cafe, Paradise. So many that have come and gone, but dance music was always a passion — from the early days of MTV and buying 12″ records, to playing in my bedroom, to the heyday of 90s house and techno that I heard in those clubs — the power of music truly felt spiritual on the right night in the right place. And although there was more drinking and drugs than I indulge in now, the experience is still very powerful for me even without chemicals.
Another thing you see today is that young people are drinking less. The drugs are still present, but at least here the hedonism is a little more tempered by changes in attitude — plus, our Puritanical roots have never truly gone away. So the music really has to do the work.
How did you start DJing professionally?
I started as a lighting tech, but was always interested in deejaying and was collecting vinyl. I was eventually asked by one of my DJ friends to work a summer in the small resort town of Ogunquit, Maine playing Friday and Saturday nights. It was really stressful, and the owner was kind of an asshole. Plus I was taking over from a beloved long time DJ there, and honestly I wasn’t ready for the pressure. I lasted one summer, and when they asked me back it was under the condition that someone else would play the big holiday weekends. And even with my own insecurities, I told them either I did the whole summer or not at all… and that was that. In hindsight, it was probably my inner saboteur doing some of the work. But I felt insulted, and you couldn’t tell me anything back then in my youthful arrogance.
I bounced around for another four years playing local gigs with little real success. Then I met my partner in 1999 and took about a decade off from deejaying, and went to school to get a BFA at MassArt in sculpture.
And now you’re back in the scene in a major way! Tell us about Playland, and any other upcoming or recurring Boston gig where folks might find you.
Playland is a new monthly happening every second Friday of the month at the iconic ManRay nightclub; it takes its name from an long closed queer dive in Boston’s Combat Zone, as a nod to our seedier history of places populated by sex workers, drag performers, drug dealers, and other outsiders — and although the clientele is decidedly less “underworld” today, ManRay’s reputation as a place for alternative expression has been a natural fit for the vibe. The music at Playland is an eclectic mix of house, disco, pop, techno, new wave and whatever else feels right. A local NY reference might be the old Pyramid Club!
The first two have been high energy, high capacity affairs that attract a broad range of experiences, ages and identities, with some of the older patrons saying it reminds them of what is what like when they first started going out (so we’re talking pre-internet). Which is high praise, in my opinion! And it’s definitely felt by the younger audience and my DJ peers who have been in attendance. Again, it very much feels like lightning in a bottle; the timing was just right. And as they say, luck favors the prepared.
I also do a classic disco night at ManRay every holiday weekend on Sundays that’s in its third year, and has been very successful. Plus, our “Daddy O” every fourth Thursday at ManRay.
I also founded the SIP tea dance prior to ManRay’s reopening, but have turned creative control over to my dear friend Mx. Demeanor who has been doing of great job of collaborating with other queer organizations and talent.
I also co-founded Diva Down with Mx Demeanor and Boudoir cofounder Math3ca, which happens periodically at the 54 Church (the Sinclair Lounge in Cambridge), as well as guest spots at Bears, Brews and Boys at Dorchester Brewing Company and Fascination’s Sunday Beer Bust at the same venue.
I love that! Your Brooklyn version of Daddy-O returns to C’mon Everybody on Saturday the 28th! What’s that scene and sound like?
The Brooklyn Daddy-O is much dirtier than the Cambridge edition, lol, and the sound is darker house. This month is provided by myself and Boudoir cofounder and New York transplant Bricklayer.
Any closing words?
I’m optimistic that nightlife can have a real community oriented resurgence — whether it’s via fundraisers, dissemination of activist material surrounding issues like ICE and immigration, racism, or any number of issues… nightlife has always had a role in our community as a place of healing, joy and information.
Thanks, Brian!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Brian Halligan’s upcoming area appearances, and follow him on Instagram and LinkTree.
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