The Best Outdoor Party in Rye

At the Tiki Bar on the Boardwalk at Playland last Sunday night, Brazilian revelers arrived in steady strems as the night wore on, filtering in from a Skol Brazilian beer party at the Copacabana in Port Chester until closing time at 2:00 a.m..

They mingled easily with a crowd of regulars who were likely unaware that the evening had been organized by nightclub impresario Frank D’Agostino, whose Greenwich-based company Rio100 specializes in bringing Americans and Brazilians together.

Though D’Agostino holds more overtly Brazilian themed events at the Sky Room in midtown Manhattan every Wednesday and 84 Park in Stamford one Friday a month–which sometimes feature costumed samba dancers– the party at the Tiki Bar is more subtle, partially reflecting the assimilation of Brazilians in the area since they started arriving in large numbers during the 1980’s and 1990’s.

In the last few years, during a time of economic downturn, many Brazilians in the area who didn’t feel comfortable with American culture have gone home, said D’Agostino, who started promoting parties in 2005.

The major centers for Brazilians in the tri-state area include Mount Vernon, Port Chester, Stamford and Bridgeport in Connecticut, Astoria, Queens and Newark.

Video DJ Vincent Campisi played just a handful of Brazilian tunes compared to the steady stream of Top 40 hits he presented from the 1990’s to today, including Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas and Bruno Mars. And reggae.

“Everyone loves reggae,” he said.

People speaking Portuguese would have been easy to overlook as the hidden bass speakers began to fill the expansive outdoor space. The most interesting video Campisi played, by Brazilian house DJ Tiko’s Groove, featured a drum-heavy track and some instantly recognizable Brazilian images, including light capoeira martial arts moves, Carnaval costumes and close ups of gyrating pelvises.

Yet even in Brazil, the music on the radio mirrors the playlists of stations in the United States. “You have rock and hip hop stations in the major cities and they have satellites in the smaller areas,” said DJ RogerVibe, who lives in Port Chester and sometimes spins for D’Agostino at the Sky Room. “There’s some Brazilian music on AM radio, but down there, we like American music.”

Thus, D’Agostino’s party at the Tiki Bar lacked a distinct Brazilian edge until larger numbers of partiers wearing gold and green soccer shirts showed up.

“Brazilians don’t make trouble,” said partygoer Renata Mardela, who came to the United States 12 years ago and lives in Port Chester. “We like having a good time with friends. Brazil nights are great because they’re high energy for the people.”

Though she has an American boyfriend, she still keeps one foot firmly planted in her home culture. Brazilians enjoy barbecues, for example, but she and her friends never eat hamburgers and hot dogs, they stick to cuts of meat, like steak and pork, balanced with some rice and beans.

Campisi projects his videos on the giant Tiki-Tron screen. Instead of playing DVD’s with bizarre images or scenes from art-house and silent movies that some DJ’s will mix with funky beats, Campisi spins two vinyl records on turntables that convert to USB signals, mixing eight straight hours of music videos with house-style embellishments and smooth segues.

“It sounds like it’s an old thing to do – spin music videos – but this is completely new,” he said. “I am the only one in Manhattan and around here who is doing this.”

As the family crowd melted away and the party crew took over, good-looking young couples bopped their heads and craned their necks to watch the big screen. One couple groped each other at the bar and even guys sipped ruby red, rum punch from large fishbowls.

“There’s a lot of competition for outdoor locations, but this is the best spot,” said D’Agostino, gazing across the Long Island Sound. “We’re looking for a hipper crowd and will keep pushing to make this the best place to be on a Sunday night.”