Happy Phil Collins Day, Greenpoint!

The new year is filled with all kinds of celebrated national holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, President’s Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and depending on how the dates line up, even Friday the 13th just to name a few. Well add one more to your calendar, folks; February 15th (if you were behind the times and not clued in like this gal) will now be known as Phil Collins Day.

Sure, there may be some haters out there but I think that most of us can agree Phil Collins, singer/songwriter/actor, is pretty darn awesome.  (Yes, I said ‘actor.’ Many fail to remember that he played a very small part at the beginning of the movie ‘Hook.’) Whether you love to belt out In the Air or cut a rug to Sussudio, Phil’s music has the versatility to touch every emotion.

Long time Phil Collins fan and Greenpointer, Heather Feather, formulated this idea with 2 friends Auburn, WA before she moved to Greenpoint. She describes it as a “reaction to the homogenized version of love that Valentines Day portrayed…shirts and cards were made, and as much enthusiasm for Phil Collins (and his exploration of love, heartbreak and obsession) was celebrated in response.” The significance of February 15th is that it is obviously the day after Valentine’s Day: the day that is most commonly associated with love. “Just when you thought you didn’t have to think about love anymore, now you REALLY have to think about it.”

The actual Phil Collins Day celebration, however, did not fully come to fruition until Heather moved to Greenpoint. The first  Phil Collins Day was celebrated as a party with his music, masks of laughing Phil Collins faces and good times at Heather’s apartment. Since then, there has been an outdoor movie, baldcaps and suit jackets, lots of Phil Collins faces and performances, a pinata and mostly recently in 2011 a parade (as seen from my apartment window):

Needless to say, it’s never a dull celebration with this bunch! For Phil Collins Day 2012 you can be sure that festivities will do justice for the man. Phil Collins Day 2012 will kickoff today at noon and continue through 10pm. Here is the starting location:

Allen Nederpelt Gallery
60 Freeman St.
Brooklyn, NY 11222

This year’s celebration will include a Phil Collins Confessional Booth for your deepest secrets of love, heartbreak, obsession and degradation. In an attempt to provide celebrants with a personal experience, they will sit in a luminous confessional booth with their personally constructed Phil Collins mask for anonymity, and confess their most personal experiences with love to Phil. These confessions are for his eyes and ears only!

The party will migrate to other Greenpoint locations as well: TBD Bar, Paulie Gee’s, Shayz Lounge and Veronica People’s Club. Visit the Phil Collins Day website: www.philcollinsday.com

Heather was able to sum up her hopes for this new and growing holiday:

“I hope this holiday finds a place in the hearts of all who need it. And I hope the celebration moves beyond my imaginings of it, and stands strong without my influence. That’s all I can ask, is that people enjoy themselves. And also think about love in a creative way, because that’s really what our society needs right now.”

Something tells me you’ll feel it in the air tonight.