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DJ Maryalice will make a stop at Gotham Citi in New Haven, Conn. on November 28.

DJ Maryalice will be gracing Connecticut’s own legendary Gotham Citi this month.  Maryalice has been spinning her signature upbeat and energetic sound for almost three decades. As the resident disc jockey at the Boatslip Resort in Provincetown since 1994, Maryalice has delighted throngs of dancers at the resort’s legendary afternoon Tea Dance. She is also a reporting DJ for the Billboard charts.

She began her career at the Governor Bradford in Provincetown where on a dare she filled in for a DJ who didn’t show up. What she lacked in skill, she more than made up for in song choice and as they say, the rest is history. “What a crazy and wonderful night,” reminisces Maryalice. “Not only did I get to play my favorite songs for 4 hours, but I also got paid twenty-five bucks AND was asked back! I felt like I had died and gone to heaven!”  

Metroline recently spoke with Maryalice about some of the changes she has noticed in the community. “Changes in Provincetown...yeah, I can’t rent a decent apartment for the season at a reasonable rate! Of course, that change did not happen overnight. Provincetown is beautiful and fun...who wouldn’t want to buy property there?”

She continued, “The change that has caused though is that the seasonal worker base has shrunk and young people just out of college don’t go there to work for the summer, never mind for vacation....and as fabulous as all of us baby boomers are, we need the vibrancy of the ‘youts’ (as Joe Pesci said in “My Cousin Vinny”) to be viable in the future. I mean, what happens when we stop going there? Does Provincetown turn into Nantucket? On the up side, the demographic is perfect for Tea Dance! All the best parts of the nightclub scene during the daylight hours...what fun! Party hearty and still get a full nights sleep!”

Maryalice’s resume reads like a who’s who of Boston nightclubs, lesbian and gay: Gertrude’s, Indigo, Bobbie’s and Campus. Avalon, the 1270, Chap’s and Buzz, just to name a few. She has also held spots on the rosters of national events in DC, Columbus, Detroit, Miami and Palm Springs. We touched on some of the more memorable things she has done with her career.

Maryalice said, “You zeroed in on the fact that I played at one of the Inaugural Balls...the Triangle Ball at the National Press Club...I believe that HRCF was the sponsor...although I am not one hundred percent sure. Those were early days....I used to do a lot of djing for the Aids Action Committee before fundraising went pro. Anyway, it was very exciting to go to Washington and mix and mingle with Katy Lange, Melissa Etheridge, Elvira and Mr. Hormel. I don’t think anyone thought that the Clintons would attend the ball, but it was great to be a part of history.”

When asked to comment on her long and storied career, Maryalice laughs and says, “I have been incredibly lucky, some might say blessed, to have encountered people and circumstances that encouraged me to succeed....sometimes in spite of myself! Seriously though, what drives me? I love the nightlife.”

I asked her if she ever gets nervous when playing a new venue. “Yes and no.  You always get a little anxious about a new crowd but it’s also very exciting to see new things and meet new people. I love that part of it.  I am very excited to play at Gotham Citi. Robb and I had talked about my doing a guest spot there for several years....and I am psyched to finally have it happen!