Get ready to celebrate ten years of the magical and meaty Megawoof America
Burly bears night Megawoof America gears up to celebrate a decade of partying across the US.
Mark
Megawoof America is gearing up to celebrate a decade of partying. The celebrations kick off with a party at Kobalt in Phoenix tonight (10/4), followed by Precinct DTLA in Los Angeles next weekend (10/11). The latter is the venue where it all began for the team in the US.
The Megawoof brand dates back to the early 00s in London. That’s where an Italian DJ named Glovibes landed stints behind the decks and became the eventual co-promoter.
Glovibes started DJing at 14 in Italy, first at high school, and then throwing house parties for friends. At 16, he began working professionally at clubs in Naples and landed his own radio show. In the early 00s, after finishing his law studies, he moved to London.
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Megawoof is no longer running in the UK on a regular basis, but when Glovibes relocated to the US in 2011, he had the blessing of the UK co-promoter to launch the brand stateside.
Megawoof America was born.
“When we first launched in Los Angeles, it was only meant to be a one-off test event,” Glovibes told GayCities. “We expected around 200 people — instead, more than 600 showed up. The club immediately gave us three more months, and within that short time, we were already receiving requests from other cities and started touring right away.”
Megawoof now holds events in around 18 cities, including San Francisco, Palm Springs, Miami, Houston, and New York. Outside the US, it’s also a regular visitor to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Glovibes believes Megawoof’s European roots helped it succeed in the US.
“When I moved to Los Angeles, I wasn’t happy with the club music scene. Especially the bear community, there were no real bear parties — only small dive bars or bigger clubs that felt like copies of the same LGBTQ formula. But every time I met someone who traveled to Europe, people would tell me how unique and special the atmosphere of the parties was there. That inspired me, and hey, that’s where I’m from! So I wanted to bring that same energy, vibe, and authenticity to the U.S.
“From the very beginning, Megawoof was about inclusivity,” he continues. “Yes, we started as a ‘bear brand’, but the doors have always been open to everyone who loves genuine house music and wants to be part of a real community party.
“Another strength — and one of the things that set us apart — is how we reimagined the concept of go-go dancers. Coming from Europe, it always felt strange to me to see go-gos who looked like untouchable models from a magazine: beautiful, but distant and unrealistic. I wanted to do something different. I began scouting regular people — guys you could actually relate to. Over the years, our roster has included biologists, professors, actors, bartenders, Uber drivers, veterinarians, students, and even veterans.
“That’s what makes MEGAWOOF unique: the music, the inclusivity, and the sense that everyone can be part of the experience.”
As for the tenth anniversary, there will be more than one celebration.
“We’re hitting the road with a massive MEGAWOOF AMERICA Tour,” says Glovibes. “The journey kicks off this Saturday, October 4th, in Phoenix [at Kobalt], and will run through February, wrapping up in Palm Springs during IBC [International Bear Convergence] weekend.”
On the decks, Glovibes will be joined by a range of guests, including jocks from London’s Horse Meat Disco, Brazil’s Fabrizio Portino, Alex Ramos, DJ Irene and Moody.
“And it’s not just about the music, as always, Megawoof brings together an international lineup of go-go’s and hosts from Italy, Mexico, Venezuela, and — for the very first time — Japan!”
As for the future, Glovibes looks forward to expanding the brand even further.
“After 10 years, it feels like the right moment to think about a new evolution for Megawoof. We’re receiving new requests from cities all over. The next step is to grow the brand more globally. We’re already beginning to recruit new staff and collaborators who share our vision, so we can expand our presence and continue creating authentic, inclusive house-driven parties on a larger scale.
“The mission remains the same as day one: music first, inclusivity always. But now, with ten years behind us, it’s time to take Megawoof to the next level.”
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