APRIL | 2020 | BLACK, GAY & GIFTED

SUNDAY FUNDAY

FEATURING

JEREMY TAYLOR

Many of us know Philadelphia for the Liberty Bell, Center City, and some of the best architecture this side of the Mississippi. The city is the authentic birthplace of the cheesesteak sandwich that bears its name, home of the nation’s first zoo, and served as America’s first capital city. The country’s sixth largest city is known for a list of other firsts as well, but none of them are more relevant than the secret its been keeping from us all, a secret that that might make it one of the first places you visit after Rona removes her oppressive heel from the crook of our collective necks. 

Forget about the 2,000 plus outdoor murals, Wing Bowl, and Moon Tree, because these things all pale in comparison to what Philly really has to offer. What is this offering, you ask? Here’s a hint: It’s the one thing we’re all in need of right now, it doesn’t involve social distancing, and no, it’s not sex.

Philly’s mysterious offering is a party, and Reignbeaux Lux is excited to introduce you to the organizer of one of Philadelphia’s most progressive parties ever!

Jeremy Taylor has established himself as one of Philadelphia’s most premiere event planners. The St. Louis native was raised alongside his two sisters and three brothers, was educated within the city’s public school system, and was very connected to the church. “ I was very connected to that at one point in my life, but I was even more connected to the music aspect.” he says. “I loved the music. It was so amazing, and I carry that [love of music] on with my parties. Curating the music, curating the DJs, all of those things are always really important” Music has always been “a thing” for Jeremy, who enjoys karaoke, is an avid singer, and a frequent concert attendee. 

Jeremy describes life in his hometown as a great experience, but after outgrowing the city he decided that it was time for him to move on. Any of us who’ve ever made the decision to relocate know the weight that comes with making such a decision. Jeremy’s experience was no different. “Texas was a big contender. I was really interested in moving to Houston.” he says. “ I met this guy who lived in Philadelphia. He was from New York, and really cool. We kind of hit it off and dated for about ten months or so, and he really encouraged me to apply for licensure in Philadelphia”. Philly wasn’t really on Jeremy’s radar at the time, but…”Things were kind of getting nice with us.” 

However swift his move from St. Louis to Philadelphia may seem, the decision was more than carnal, as he allowed a higher power to guide his choice. “I was deep Christian at that point. So I was like, ‘God, whichever license comes first, Jesus, that’s the place I’m gonna move.’ Of course I got the Pennsylvania license lickity split. So here I am, and it’s been good, it’s been very good to me. My career has launched my business [and] to stockpile some money to do some other things I’ve wanted to do in my life, and I’m glad I moved here.” Jeremy says that the Beaux he was moving to Philadelphia was excited to hear about his decision--so excited, that he chose that moment to inform Jeremy that he was dating other people. “I was heartbroken.” But as the saying goes, “one monkey don’t stop no show”, and Jeremy, after resigning from his post in St. Louis, decided to move like time. Forward.

When asked about what it is that he loves most about the City of Brotherly Love, Jeremy says it's all about the grit. “It has this thing that kind of makes it rough around its edges, but so smooth as well. Most of the people here that I know are migrants and haven’t been in the city for very long, or have been here for a long time but moved here from somewhere else. I certainly will never regret moving here.” According to Jeremy, Philadelphia's edge makes it a tough city to navigate, but he says that once you get through to the edge, “you’re in, and the people I’ve met here are some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.” 

One might find themselves wondering how a respiratory therapist with twenty years of service under his belt makes the transition from that to planning, promoting, and hosting some of the most talked about parties in Philly. First of all, anyone who personally knows Jeremy knows that he can, if nothing else, throw a party. He may have started out as a novice, but the idea of party planning and hosting was far from novel.  He decided to apply what he’d learned from hosting his own house parties to hosting even larger events.

This decision came after he noticed a lack of such events within the city. “I was not a party promoter and hadn’t thought about it too much.” he says, but the multitude of thoughts about what Jeremy wasn’t , hadn’t done, or hadn’t thought of doing were silenced by the single question of “can I create something?”

The answer to that question came while Jeremy was on his way to meet up with a couple of friends. “I found this spot that I hadn’t seen before that was either just opening or hadn’t opened yet..”

Jeremy says that he felt the urge to reach out to the owners of this establishment. “Mind you, I’d never done this before in this way, in a business way. I didn’t know what I was supposed to say or what I was supposed to be doing.”

Jeremy shared his idea with a couple of his promoter friends who were more than happy to offer him the guidance he needed. After a few crash courses in party planning, marketing and promoting came Bi Sunday.

The title ‘Bi Sunday’ has almost nothing to do with sexuality. The event’s focus is to create a grown and sexy environment for attendees, and not on the ability of one to reach down the front of anyone’s pants and being satisfied with whatever it is they find. “I called it Bi Sunday because I was having it every other Sunday” However there were those who thought that the event was exclusively for those within the bisexual community. This confusion worked in Jeremy’s favor because it got people interested after they discovered that the event was nondiscriminatory, and helped to bolster his numbers. 

Jeremy says the thing that sets Bi Sundays apart from events similar to it in nature is that Bi Sundays are exclusively day events is the music. “We play a very wide range of music”,  he says before listing 90’s R&B, dancehall, Soca, Calypso, Hip Hop, House and Afro House, and Afro Hip hop a few of the genres party goers can expect to hear. “We play a large array of music which I think was really the driving factor to why people enjoy the event. I think that if you have a party where all pallets are hit then people will enjoy the music on a different level. I’ve prided myself on my events having really diverse music.” The only other thing that’s as diverse as the music is the crowd. “The crowds are usually mixed. There’s black, there’s white, Asian and Latino. Lots of groups come to our events and it's been a really nice ride.” 

Pulling his events off is almost always easier said than done. Jeremy cites one of the biggest challenges he encounters is securing a venue.

“Locally it’s been very difficult to get a venue for a regular event. That can deter you from doing a lot of things, which is a little sad because it’s almost like you’re pushing people out. You tell venues, ‘look, these are my numbers, this is what I do, and this is what I bring, and how can we create something really cool at your spot?’ Many go for it and some don’t. You can only balance it as good as you can- because [the event is] only as good as the number of people who come.”

Jeremy cites the weather as being an unforeseeable challenge as well. “The weather can be a blessing or a curse. If it's raining it's going to be a tough day. You can’t really judge it, so you just have to keep pushing. One of the things is not giving up.”

The uncertainty that comes with his work can sometimes weigh Jeremy down, but it doesn’t keep him out. “I don’t enjoy the uncertainty of events. You can have two hundred people sign up on the guest list and only sixty of them show up.It’s tough, and it can really suck, but it can also be extremely rewarding.” Despite the challenges, Jeremy still enjoys planning, promoting and hosting his events. “I just like to stand back and watch people laugh,” he says. “Their laughter isn’t just medicine for them but for people like me, who create. That, to me, makes it all worth it.”

Jeremy gives credit where credit is due with regards to those who helped him to streamline his ideas, and to the happiness he finds in watching as his patrons thrive in the atmosphere he’s created with their enjoyment in mind. And because he’s consistent, he also gives credit to those he’s learned from as a result of attending their poorly constructed events. He recalls one such instance where he, his partner and a group of friends attended an event in New York. Jeremy says that his group arrived at the venue and were made to wait outside in the rain as the doorman verified that their names were on the list. 

“There was supposed to be a ‘celebrity’ coming, possibly,” he says. “It wasn't definite, I don’t think. The wording on the flier indicated that they would ‘possibly’ show up. Of course they didn’t” The attendance of this unnamed celebrity wasn’t the only thing up in the air, as Jeremy and his group soon discovered that the legs of another group of people were also up in the air, at the table that he paid for.

“Their feet were up all on the seats...and on the table. I had to kick them out. They eventually brought the bottles out. It took a while.” Jeremy can laugh at this now, but it wasn’t a laughing matter as it happened in real time. As annoying as this unfortunate series of events was, Jeremy learned something that he would apply to his own events in the future. “If you are having people pay extra for VIP, they should literally get that. If I’m going to do it then it has to be A plus.” 

Pennsylvania’s stay at home orders went into effect on March 23rd, and that more than impacted Jeremy’s plan for Bi Sundays. The party is still what it was, it’s just on Facebook for the time being. You’ll find the same type of vibe, but with your safety in mind as he and DJs, promoters and club owners the world over are adjusting to the reality of this pandemic. However, be sure to keep an eye out for the return of Bi Sundays, because THE moment after this situation resolves itself, rest assured that the event will be back in full effect.