NEW YORK, NY-The brainchild of Ryan Bozsan, Sunset Thursdays is a series of summer gatherings held on the patio at P.D. O'Hurley's, a bar and grill overlooking the Hudson River from Pier 84 at West 44th Street and 12th Avenue. A sundown celebration featuring soothing sounds designed to help bring the week to a close on a more serene note, the events enlist the talents of DJs who spread their aural ambience over the crowd using a sound system featuring 10 of QSC's powered HPR122i loudspeakers.
In the business of producing DJ and music-related events since 1999, Bozsan was inspired to create Sunset Thursdays following a visit to Cafe Mambo in Ibiza, Spain, where hundreds of people gather along the coast near the seaside bar to watch the sun go down as DJs like Pete Tong draw those assembled into a web of mystical electronica.
"When the sun disappears into the Mediterranean, the beat drops and the crowd applauds and cheers," Bozsan says, describing the Cafe Mambo ritual. "It's an amazing experience, and it was my dream to bring a taste of that to New York City with Sunset Thursdays."
Approximately 500-700 people now attend Sunset Thursdays each week. QSC's HPR122i loudspeakers were chosen to bring sound reinforcement to the gatherings based upon a need for portable, high quality audio.
"The Parks Commission of New York City oversees all activities at the pier, and they don't allow installed speakers on the premises," Bozsan explains, citing the determining factor influencing his decision to keep things portable for Sunset Thursdays. "The HPR122i loudspeakers provide us with everything we need in terms of coverage and audio quality. I couldn't think of a better way to obtain the sound this application demands."
A truly multipurpose, two-way device outfitted with a 12-inch low frequency driver and high frequency transducer with a 1.4-inch diaphragm, the HPR122i offers the power and reliability of QSC amplification in a versatile loudspeaker package that can be suspended-or, as they are for Sunset Thursdays-pole mounted. With 500 watts of total amplifier power onboard, the enclosures additionally feature a 75-degree conical horn section that provides predictable coverage regardless of cabinet orientation.
Resident DJs seen and heard at Sunset Thursdays include Ray Velasquez and Bruce Tantum. Named a Billboard magazine "tastemaker", Velasquez has performed or established residencies at NYC establishments such as Cielo, the Hiro Ballroom, Hudson Hotel, Shelter, and Bungalow 8. Active on Gotham's club scene since the late '70s, Tantum spins everything from minimal techno and space disco to down-tempo tunes and deep house all across NYC and the world.
