Most likely the first web-based company to go to print, at least in Silicon
Alley, Nerve launched its magazine at an appropriately nervy loft in the
West 30th on Thursday, April 6th. Sparsely decorated save the avant-guard
nude photos flashed on the walls, the crowd was not lacking for
conversation. Genevieve Field introduced me to her boyfriend, Ted McCann, a
sculptor. Chris Allbritton of the Daily News was there with Joelle Klein of
iVillage; Michael Diamante of iClips introduced me to Steve Goldstein of
TradeWeather.com. Melissa Blau of Constellation Ventures and Steve Krupa of
Psilos.com came out for the festivities. Bernard Warner of the Industry
Standard and Bernardo Joselevich of DutyFreeGuide were a matching set in
French blue shirts, white t-shirts and dark suit jackets -- hey! It's a
look! Anne Kornhauser told me of her PhD project at Columbia and Lisa
Rosevear of Hill & Knowlton (in a classic astro-turf cocktail dress) and I
spoke in horrified concern to a very old gentleman who had NERVE scrawled
across his balding head in red lipstick. Would he get home okay? We hoped
so. I couldn't imagine what kind of freak would do something like that to
this man.
Out in the larger room, Rufus Griscom chatted with friends, and I said
hello to Lisa Shotland of William Morris Agency, a Kozmo.com executive
(shhhh!) and spied Alex Santic conversing with a group of friends. My
funniest encounter was with two media-types: Shaggy Dog, a segment producer
with entertainment and sports news on television, and Giuseppe Ballaris,
critic at large, who also had come to my cocktail party. Mr. Dog--aka Steve
Kaye--promised he'd set me up in LA for the Blockbuster Awards party. Well,
we shall see…..
Other than a tall, skinny boy running around with no shirt, there wasn’t as
much sex going on at this Nerve party. Maybe print calmed them down a bit?
I doubt it!
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KORRECSIONS
Our piece on Nerve - "Most likely the first web-based company to go to print, at least in Silicon Alley," was a little off base. Wall Street Reporter Magazine was the first online content provider (alley or valley) to go to print in February 1998. Thanks to CEO Jack Marks for pointing out our error.
