XL Nightclub's New Collegiate Party, Play Hard, Offers Push-Up Contests and Possibly Columbia Students

(Brad Gard, Go-Go Harder and Austin Helms at XL Nightclub)
 

By now you’ve undoubtedly read our coverage of XL Nightclub. The circular bar in the lounge. The two-floor bathroom. The epic dance floor. So we won’t dwell on the detail of this newly christened gay mega-club. At this point you just want to know about the various parties going down on 42nd Street. Our latest outing: Tuesday nights’ Play Hard.
 

The Nathan Kelly produced party seems to have a sort of collegiate athletic theme, attracting a 21+ college aged crowd. For his second week at XL, Kelly brought on boylesque super star Go-Go Harder to emcee the planned fitness contest. We weren’t the only ones surprised to hear Harder wouldn’t be performing one of his outrageous strip teases. “I’m hosting the contest,” we heard him tell more than one fan. “I think we’re gonna have guys up on stage doing push-ups or something.” But there ended up being some sort of snafu with the mics, so sadly the contest never happened.
 

As we chatted with host Austin Helms—in a fetching leopard print wrap—and his boyfriend, hairstylist Brad Gard before spotting Susanne Bartsch up in the DJ booth with Johnny Dynell.
 

“What do you think they’re talking about?” we overheard some queen ask before improvising dialogue for her. “‘I dohn know abahwt zis pahty, Johnny!’” his friend replied in an exaggerated Bartsch accent.
 

Later we ran into host Chris Ryan, who seemed to be in an intense discussion about Madonna whenever our paths crossed. We caught up with Jason Bellini and chatted with recently departed Next Magazine photographer Jeff Eason about his new gig as XL’s staff photographer.
 

One of our pals wondered out loud whether Play Hard will be able to sustain its college age crowd with Splash’s Twink Tuesdays vying for a similar demographic. “Splash is closer to NYU,” our friend pointed out. Sure, we told him, but maybe Play Hard will get the Columbia crowd.