I’ll admit it–this premiere tour has had no shortage of doubters. "Encinitas? Really?" Show sells out. "New York City? Are you sure?" Show sells out. Heading to NYC for the weekend? A no-brainer once we realized Dustbox and Sensesse were also plotting something. Add in the fact that everyone loves a solid excuse to hit New York, and before you knew it, tickets were booked, and we somehow scored shockingly nice hotels. Off to the Big Apple.
The venue was the Cobble Street Theater in Brooklyn, a charming little three-room spot with a marquee straight out of a cinema lover’s daydream. Seeing “Search Party” up in those blocky, changeable letters gave us that extra spark of excitement—the kind you only get when you're about to show off your work in the capital of content and culture. It feels like if people care about what you’re doing in NYC, then hey, it’s worth caring about.
The night went off without a hitch. Well, except for one lady kicking Tommy Gesme out of her seat. I tried to explain we were winging it with seating and, you know, he’s in the movie, but she didn’t seem to care for my plea.
We gave away some Skullcandy headphones, an IOU for a Ride snowboard, and got things rolling. Jacob Krugmire had claimed over dinner that New York premieres tend to fall flat in the "cheer" department—everyone's too cool to care, or so they say. But I’ll be honest, the crowd brought the energy. They hooted, hollered, and got loud for the homies: Jed, Jill, Robby, Reid, Tommy, and Danimals, all in the room, plus some solid shout-outs for the cameo appearances that glue the whole film together.
And speaking of celebrity status—one could argue that after the premiere, Lucas Magoon stole the show. One fan rolled in with two Technine boards for him to sign, and I’m willing to bet he took more selfies than anyone else combined.
The unofficial afterparty kicked off at Home Sweet Home in Manhattan, and that’s when I got the text. Pat Bridges hit me up, saying apparently, someone tagged the theater, and now management was livid. Of course, I was like, “That’s not our fault, right?” But they didn’t care and kept the entire revenue from the premiere. So, yeah. That’s showbiz, baby. But seriously, if you’re the one who tagged the building, you just torched a huge chunk of SLUSH’s cash. And contrary to what some might think, we’re not exactly swimming in extra funds.
The night wrapped up in true NYC fashion—our crew and some riders sipping drinks from paper bags and laughing in a park across the street. A fitting end, knowing another wild New York night was just around the corner.
Now, if the first night was a warm-up, the second night raised the stakes. Enter: Sensesse, the Norwegian crew of girls you’ve probably heard of—Maria Hilde, Venla Mustonen, and Stine Tønnessen. They premiered their new project, STREETSTYLE_24, kicking off with a fashion show. We’re talking capes made from outerwear, a snowboard made of denim, and a Skullcandy headphone bra. It was a blend of chaos and creativity, not pretentious, but soaked in genuine love for the craft.
Then, the Dustbox squad took the stage for SPIRIT, the latest addition to their collection. No screaming music this time, just a refined, refreshing soundtrack only this crew seems to nail. I won’t spoil it—it drops on Halloween—but trust me, it delivers.
The afterparty landed us at a spot called RASH, a place so New York it hurts. The fog machines were cranked up so high it was impossible to tell how big the place was or how many people were actually there. At some point, as the crew started peeling off into the night, I found myself in a 4 AM Uber, reflecting on how special it is to weave New York into a premiere tour. There’s just something about it, something that makes it feel like we’re doing something right.