I was at dinner the other night with Eater’s Scott Solish and he asked me if I was tired of writing yet. My answer was no, though few realize what it takes to deliver something fresh five days a week. He writes three or four entries a day while I write six times a week, including the relationship advice column. What does get tiring is all the ruckus over seemingly innocuous statements or minor incidents in the nightlife world. Within a span of 20 minutes I got calls from Provocateur owner Mike Satsky and blogger/friend Brittany Mendenhall over little bits of gossip that seemed to be nothing. I was having a latte at a truck stop in upstate New York. Before your deviant little minds wander, I was at the truck stop with the gal pal. We had just visited Michael Alig. Yes, I did that again.

Michael had gotten into a little spat and was bruised, rocked and rolled--but surprisingly not shaken or stirred. We talked about his homecoming and how he was going to enter society again. He is obsessed with showing the world how rehabilitated he is and how he will use his creative energies to serve society. We talked about how close the light at the end of the tunnel seems. We talked about some of his old friends who have shunned him and how he hopes they will give him a chance to prove himself. Talk is cheap (you should see my paycheck for writing this) but it is a great first step. He has a job with a writer (not me, a real writer) and a choice of two nice places to live. The last time I visited him and wrote about the visit many commenters raised many questions. I addressed these with him. In remorse-filled answers he told me how events played out and how the drugs owned his mind. To some extent many will buy this explanation, but the dismemberment and cover up will always haunt him.

There were many times when anger and circumstances provoked me to act violently. I’ve driven cars too fast and, on a handful of circumstances, been out of my mind on alcohol or other substances. I have raised a hand with ill intent. Luck kept me from crossing that big line that Michael certainly crossed. Michael woke up unlucky that day 15 years ago and has been paying the price since. I’ll keep you posted.

Back to Mike Satsky and Brittany. So I’m in this truck stop and Mike is complaining to me that Brittany had written this story about how he and his partner Brian Gefter were opening a lobby bar and outdoor area despite the fact that they were incredibly behind on the rent. He explained to me about how that is impossible because they’re partnered with the Gansevoort Hotel. I heard the story too, but elected not to write on it even though I confirmed the rent issue with a source who is half-right some of the time. I remembered that when I interviewed Satsky way back when and he told me that they weren't partners with the hotel. I hadn’t told this to Brittany when she called me to check her story, I told her that getting a little behind on rent is natural when a place is opening past its predicted date, and Provocateur opened later in the year than they hoped. It is very common for a new venue to be in arrears in rent and most landlords give a grace period of maybe 5 or 6 months for the build out. Provocateur’s agreement with their landlord included a grace period, according to Mike, that was more like 2 years. I told her it was no big thing and the place was slamming and slammed.

She went through with publishing the article and later told me that the Provocateur camp at first discredited the entire article as false. But she pressed them and under her intense first-year law student cross-examination they admitted that part of her article (that they were opening a lobby bar) was indeed true. One small lie is enough to give credibility to the whole tamale, in her mind. Lies are like that, they are remembered.

I read her article and her tone was indeed a bit snarky. I told Mr Satsky that this sort of thing is going to happen when you don’t let her in to your joint. Although she usually attends Provocateur with no door problems she was denied the other evening. Mike says it was 3am and she didn’t call ahead. That whole call-ahead policy thing isn’t going to work as an excuse with me and many people scoff at that concept . It would be fine if that was the policy for everyone who stands at the ropes of Provocateur, but many are admitted without calling. The door, as I predicted after my first visit, is a problem. Since it has only been open for about a year, it may not be that big a deal for them yet—they’re still drawing a crowd—but let’s see how this plays out over time.

Here’s a great example on their half-baked door policy. A very well-known wife of a well-loved owner was throwing a birthday bash at Provocateur the other night. It was planned and arranged as important birthdays are, and went well until, well I’ll let the birthday girl do the talking. Here's some of the venting I got about the incident.

"I’m sure you have no interest in my new petty “Hate Campaign” against Provocateur but little Geffie cancelled my birthday there while I was standing at the door in front of him b/c he didn’t like the “short fat one in my group.” We’ve known each other for 10 years and I was very supportive of him and Romer back in the day. I then found out he has pissed off almost everyone in nightlife in NY, so much so that almost every industry person I invited to come by for a birthday cocktail declined saying they won’t go there b/c they’ve been disrespected by him or his staff at the door.

I guess I just miss the respect we used to have, even if we didn't like each other we never forbade staff to go other places, we let each other in, we showed some love, it made this industry unique I thought. I guess part of it just makes me wonder what will the next generation of the industry be like? Whose responsibility is it to remind them of the rules--old school or not. I will say this, it made me respect my husband for always extending hospitality and respect to those in the industry and it made me miss Gilbert for really knowing how to do it so well. Those two blond heads on sticks at that door were scurrying about in and out all flurry, no action, no panache. I guess I miss the idea that a night and a crowd could be curated out of more than models, investment bankers and promoters.

Anyway most of all I wanted to vent and vent big by venting to you, maybe hoping just a little that maybe more had done the same and that there would be a call to action and Geffie and Satsky would forever mend their little ways."

I’m sure I’ll get a call about this. I think Mike and Brian “Geffie” Gefter need to talk about this. They are bright people and must realize they need bright people at their door. I think Provocateur is a major player but it wasn't built for 1 year. The people they are turning away harshly now will not forget this when they are needed to fill the room or provide a needed service. All the great clubs turn most people away. How it is done and by whom is very important. In an age of Twitter and camera phones, Brittany and others like her don’t need to be in the club to know the dirt.

On a much lighter note, I could not attend the birthday bash for Justin Ross Lee the other night at 49 Grove. I was ultra busy rearranging my sock drawer that very night. Happy birthday Mr. Justin Ross Lee! Now grow up, my friend.