Hot Hosts: How to Move Like AJ
AJ, host of East Coast party series No Type, gives us a point-by-point breakdown for the perfect function, for beginner party hosts and experts alike.
Trade a keg for cocktails and a backyard for Bogart House and Silo. No small-talk standing around, except for the line outside. Rema and Rihanna push speakers and dancers to the limits.
Welcome to No Type, a national high-energy music experience. House party connection cozies up to warehouse platforms. Do you want to throw parties stretching from BK to LA? Keep reading.
In 2023, AJ (aka Alusine AJ Talloh), threw a weekly dancing pregame in Little Italy. He had plenty of friends who loved to party hop till dawn, and, like a good Brooklynite, he knew fantastic DJs too.
At first, each night was BYOB. He cut costs, inviting just the group chat. Shoes lined up outside. House party energy in a club-size space. The best of nightlife’s familiarity and novelty.
AJ was intentional, developing a core fanbase who brought the energy and consistent artist lineups that kept them hyped. In the span of one season, he pushed capacity: ravers and regulars were staying all night, sacrificing their entire weekend to No Type functions. Watching New Yorkers cancel their next stop, AJ knew he’d struck gold.
Today, he’s been crowned the god of the East Coast house party (as Austin Millz says). How does a host go from pulling up with a few friends to promoting dates from Brooklyn to Miami? Between ragers and running the NYC marathon, AJ spared some time at Nyla House cafe to tell us how it’s done.
AJ is amped arriving at Nyla. He’s just ran the Brooklyn Bridge. Yesterday, he hosted a six-hour day party in DC and travelled overnight back to NYC, during which he squeezed in his day job, interspersed with party prep. Tonight, he’s hosting a multi-genre music experience at Elsewhere.
He shows me some promo footage from the last time he hosted there. He’s not filming in the background: he’s front and center with a mic, helming a pyramid of dancers like a Christmas tree topper, ornamented by strobe lights and bubbles.
Today, he doesn’t even seem drowsy. I walked for a bus transfer and called it exercise. He manages all of this, on top of his full personal life: how?
*AJ’s Party’ Proficency, Point by Point*
I. Everyone carries weight, from attendees to entertainment.
First question to consider: what is the nightlife experience you dream about? Your choice will determine every decision to follow. AJ’s dream was “no R&B and nothing slow,” which lead him to features like DJ Mohogany, Moochie, El Fennec, kenDollaz, and Classic New Wave: all great friends of his and and even better DJs. At first, talent and professionalism are all the host expects from their artists. But growth is a game. To expand his reach, they need to carry their own crowd weight. His DJs bring their own following.
AJ leveraged multiple communities to build a growing party series without an initial crowd. People come to see DJs they know, along with a few new faces to discover. Apply the same logic to designing the crowd: familiar and new faces, every time. Invite your circle consistently, and encourage them to bring along their own. Make your event a place to reconnect on the regular.
II. Help partiers convince the group chat.
Parties are propelled by friends. People go where they know someone, whether on the stage or in the crowd.
AJ tries to be that someone for as many attendees as he can. He checks Instagram to see how many mutuals someone has with him for potential invites and, after the function, thanks people individually to build connections that bring people back for the next event. At a higher level, the someone could be the name on people’s lips as they spread word of the function: a killer venue like Damballa can be that name, or a world-touring act like Miss Monroe.
When did AJ know he’d caught “lightning in a bottle” with No Type? Watching plus-ones cancel their next plans.
III. Stationary energy shouldn’t survive the dance floor.
Crowds make moments out of the space they’re given. There’s a time and place for standing around and talking, but the dance floor is not such a place. People have to move.
How do you create energy that people can move through? That will depend on your venue, but make sure you’ve attended events there before. Don’t be afraid to reach out to hosts who have thrown events at your potential venue and get their tips and tricks. Contrary to popular rhetoric, the nightlife family can be incredibly welcoming. Some ideas below:
Immerse the DJ in the crowd, rather than squeezing them and their friends up against a wall.
Offer plush spots to rest with friends.
Design lighting intentionally.
Interactive elements make a space memorable.
How will people know they’ve arrived at a signature you party? Since attendees will, ideally, take and post photos, ensure every shot stands out as your event, not just any night out.
IV. Details are everything.
“I carry a bubble gun everywhere,” AJ tells me, dead serious. Emulate this with details you love.
One of my favorite examples of “cherry on top” venue details is the free infused water and incense at Paragon. They’re thoughtful, fun, something that shows they put in extra thought. Don’t lean too much on one schtick, though. Tariffs are hitting bubbles pretty hard.
AJ pushes the envelope, covering all his bases with a tailored touch: his NYC, DC and Miami parties are a marriage between his own vision and the unique vibe of a city he loves. Every spot has different stories that get incorporated.
Don’t settle for the classic club experience: your unique spin on the night out will keep the people coming back.
V. Never undervalue a talented videographer.
Visuals are everything. AJ posts many short videos, consistently over several months for a weekly party. Not one minute: think several clips, 2 to 20 seconds each. Visuals communicate confidence in the best “show, don’t tell” sort of way, and they solidify your vibe.
There’s always something to explore on his page, something cool to join. He has a consistent brand identity across platforms. If you’re posting footage from your latest function, be sure to capture a handful of live moments: no cuts, edits, or background music.
While Millennials are looking for a crafted vibe, Gen Z sees through flashy transitions and are drawn to raw, more authentic footage. Whichever generation or demographic you’re aiming for, define their taste. Feature a strong personality, an unforgettable moment, or simply someone stunning. A dance circle always does the trick.
VI. A party is a living thing: take care of it, or it won’t grow.
AJ’s watched many incredible hosts have their “lightning in a bottle” moment , only to let it stagnate as a commercial venture or get too comfy with the same recipe every night. Consistency is crucial, but it does not mean recreating the club.
Innovating is more than advancement: it’s survival. How can you build on what you have? New artists mixed in with repeat guests, new venues in neighborhoods gaining traction. Notice spaces and movements moving in and out of operation around you and what people might be missing. Find opportunities to engage people from their arrival to the afters the next day. Gather intel on what people are loving and looking for, on the hot new artists, on nightlife trends as you travel from city to city. NYC is the perfect place to incorporate elements you loved elsewhere. Crowds here appreciate experiences that surprise them, and draw on the kaleidoscope of culture that makes the city special.
At the same time, you can’t control it all. Accept that you can have an A-level lineup, but if fifty things and the Met Gala are in town, your event might be a wash. Having a wide array of strategies keeps you prepared for the unexpected. Have something else in the wings, make sure you’re ready to start fresh. Exercising that innovation muscle makes adapting on the fly that much easier.
VII. YOU are a living thing. Take care!
Don’t take “bottled lightning” too literally. Your perfect party’s secret ingredient isn’t the ABV.
AJ remembers the “Eureka” moment that settled his sobriety: in Brixton, DC, when he came out of a club after “the craziest night, just finishing three months of sober-curious,” and realizing he hadn’t even thought of drinking all night.
“A lot of people fear they’ll lose their social life, but in reality, it’s the opposite,” he explains. Health consciousness makes AJ better at what he does, gets him out twice as much as he did before. Find what that means for you. If your fear is that life will be boring, I recommend following AJ’s socials. I don’t know when he has time to sit down, much less be bored.
Peer pressure is dated and daily. “Always a beautiful woman offering me shrooms,” he shrugs. FOMO doesn’t really exist when you throw the best parties and attend even more.
If you’re thinking about locking in, he says: commit to your own plan 100%. Don’t wait for the world to tell you to commit.
VIII. Energy is currency.
AJ mastered time management, self-set deadlines, and observed party patterns from city to city. But on the day of the event, he sheds the micromanager and brings only positive energy. Trust all your hard work will meet you where you’re at.
Energy can turn a hobby to a profession. Always stay on the lookout for new faces and connections: networking’s not only for quarter-zips and 401ks. Instagram like it’s LinkedIn. Thank everyone for coming.
Attention is gold in the modern world, and energy is your most precious resource. Being great often means not working alone: create a circle you can lean on and don’t take on everything yourself. Find your nightlife family.
AJ knows exactly who he wants to party with. He got his start hosting for friends and never stopped, just expanded his circle. “Don’t force it! Do it for the community, and let it happen naturally.”
Partygoers in NYC can check out AJ’s upcoming events here:
April 18th - Southhouse Rodeo
May 1st - Dance and Go Home
May 16th - Southhouse Toronto
May 30th - The Yellow Party
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