The Club Promoter: NYC Party Boys Part 2

The Promoter: Cody Pruitt; Photo courtesy of Kirill Was Here

Photo courtesy of Cody Pruitt

Almost any given night out you can spot Codys long blond hair from across an array of rooms. His enthusiasm is contagious, and if youre not in the mood to party, then he will be the one to get you there. For this self-proclaimed closet metal-head, partying isnt just partying – its a sport.

How did you get started?

I initially worked in the music industry for several years before and during my time at NYU, but shifted to the hospitality industry while I was in school, working in restaurants and hotels. Soon, I met my current business partner, Doug Rand, and started going out to some of his parties. Id been around the club scene for a while, promoting small parties here and there, but only a few months after we started hanging out, Doug and I teamed up and formed what is now known as The Bespoke Group our nightlife and hospitality company specializing in branding, event planning and coordination, DJ management and obviously, promotion.

What are your favorite places in the city to party?

Obviously, anywhere we host parties! My current favorites in the mainstream club world (bottle service) are Avenue and Juliet. I rely on each of them for very different crowds, vibes, music, etc. But both provide consistently enjoyable parties in a traditional modern club setting. To be honest, however, these days I find myself going to the bottle service clubs less and less. I love the club world, and bottle service is still an essential part of the nightlife industry, but these days you can usually find me at Le Bain a few nights a week, Don Hills quite often, and Kenmare nearly every night that I leave my apartment. No joke, I spend more time there than I do at home.

Brunch?

For a brunch party, the only option for me is Day & Night. Derek and Daniel Koch are very close friends of mine, and theyre some of the rare geniuses in this industry. Day & Night is able to be hugely profitable, while maintaining a reckless, truly party vibe, and is now a brand that people directly associate with brunch. Definitely an experience unto itself.

For actually eating and chilling at brunch, you can usually find me at Cafe Cluny or Balthazar. No matter how many tourists or Carrie Bradshaw-wannabes you find there, Balthazar still feels like the epitome of a New York Brunch’ Keith McNally at his finest!

If you could invite anyone from any period of time out to party with you, who would be your top three picks?

Ozzy Osbourne in the early 80s the guy snorted a line of ants. That sums it up for me.

Hugh Hefner obvious, I know, but theres no one who did it better. Still does, to some extent!

Brigitte Bardot the epitome of a perfect woman, in my book.

Photo courtesy of Kirill Was Here

Lets talk chicks. What sets a girl apart from the rest stylistically?

I prefer girls who know that they dont need to dress up. The self-knowledge and confidence that allows a girl to be able to look as sexy in jeans, Converse and a t-shirt as she would in couture. Usually, Id actually prefer the more casual outfit, anyhow. Working in clubs, its really interesting to see which girls seem to be trying hard to look good. I love it when a girl comes out with me looking comfortable. Looking like your feet are gonna fall off or your dress is painted onto you isnt a turn-on Id be more apt to ask if you want to sit down than ask for your number.

What was the last outfit you saw on a girl that turned your head?

Tough question. Honestly, being around girls most of the time makes it difficult to pick one outfit out. The other day, I was floored by a girl wearing a perfectly fitting leather jacket, short shorts (the classy kind, not of the booty-popping variety), a slightly baggy wide-neck t-shirt and ankle boots. In description it doesnt seem like anything special, but the way everything fit and the attention to detail was drool-worthy. Ill probably spend the rest of today fantasizing about her now, so thanks a lot.

How about an outfit that made you cringe?

Any top or dress with an empire waist or any high rise pants. Not sexy at all. One makes the girl look pregnant and the other makes her lookjust weird.

What is the most played song on your iPod right now?

Its a tie between my guilty pleasure song of the moment, which is the ultra-cheesy but catchy King of Wishful Thinking by Go West, and my favorite song of all time, The Beach Boys Wouldnt it Be Nice.

What would we be surprised to learn about you?

I grew up a HUGE metal head. Like, death metal! I’m still a closet metal head and find myself listening to old Slayer and Morbid Angel records, but its definitely more subdued.

If you werent promoting, what would you want to be doing?

Id probably still be in music as a songwriter, producer and mix engineer. The music industry was my LIFE for years, and Im actually getting back into the creative side of it more and more recently. If I didn’t end up back in music, I’d aim to be a trophy husband.