famous nyc nightclubs 1990s

All photos are by Steve Eichner and can be seen featured in his new book called "In The Limelight - The Visual Ecstasy of NYC Nightlife in the 90s". Even Emmy-award winning actor Peter Dinklage has a scar to remember (from his neck to his eye-brow to be exact) after getting kneed in the temple while rocking a bit too hard on stage with his former band, Whizzy, which ironically became good practice for his future on Game of Thrones. A stark contrast to the clubs Victorian grandeur decor. Southpaw was a Park Slope, Brooklyn, venue that hosted a wide range of bands from Cat Power and TV on the Radio to Electric Six and Sharon Jones through much of the 2000s. Walt Cassidy is still . In time, I became a partner in Milky Way. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! Pictured: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz at the legendary nightclub. Each night was an out-and-out Bacchanal, with Cab Calloway, Ellington, Louis Armstrong and others soundtracking the vice emporium with songs like "Reefer Blues," "Kicking the Gong Around" (20's slang for using opium), and "Kokey Joe.. As time went on, I was going out to find new spaces for these parties. Lotus A certain level of foresight was in play when David Rabin, Will Regan, Mark Baker and Jeffrey Jah opened Lotus on the corner of 14th Street and 9th Avenue in what would become the center of nightlife in New York City. In 2014, Mr. Lagerfeld unveiled "Bag Boy Karlito," a limited-edition bag charm made in his image from mink, fox and goat. It was a whole experience, making those early flyers. Download the STARZ app to catch up on Power now, and dont miss the Season 3 premiere on Sunday, July 17 at 9pm on STARZ. Clowns, burlesque artists, acrobats, punks and strippers ran wild in the club, which was never located in the same place twice, moving from space to space in Manhattan and using any suitably large venue. He studied a doctorate in English literature at Columbia University by day, and clubs by night. Sad to say, but it was one of the last true melting pot nightclubs in NYC in terms of music, racial diversity, sexual orientation, where people came from and how much money they had. I may have fantasized about DJing at these clubs from time to time but I harbored no grand illusions that Id be playing these places any time soon. Serious house music fans will get their fix of trance, post-disco, and more at this smoky . Nells was the epitome of the exclusivity-obsessed 1980s, that not even the rich and famous could get into. This is a list of notable current and former nightclubs in New York City. Visual artist Walt Cassidy, who partied with the Club Kids, documented the uniquely self-indulgent era of nightlife through provocative images in his book New York: Club Kids. The wiry 49-year-old may have grown up in the London exurb of Winnersh and teaches cultural studies at the University of East London, but there's little question that New York's late 20th . Like The Get Down, Life and Death unearths a golden moment when living was cheap, the crowds diverse, the community strengthened, creativity mutating and freedoms flourishing. Yet, what changes when you leave a longtime residence? Its a simple royal blue, glossy card adorned with an image of a 70s era Barry White. The DJ would be in command, and when the music reached a crescendo, the entire room seemed to climax together in unison. Stephanie Chernikowski/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty, Yale Joel/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty, Mario Ruiz/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. One of the oldest and most historic nightclubs in NYC, the Latin themed night club oozed with Old Hollywood glamour and sophistication.With performances from some of the largest acts in show business this establishment has stood the test of time. With a great mix of classic rock and Motown and an a relative hands off attitude, Paul Sevigny and crew attracted an A list crowd with what seemed to be little to no effort, and the bar seemed to be more of a local than an internationally known den of debauchery. With the club opening hosted by Andy Warhol, this nightlife attraction was destined for greatness. I cant overstate the importance of this; there, on a glossy piece of card was my name Mark Ronson printed right under Stretch Armstrong, maybe a few font sizes smaller but I didnt care. Fabulous was the word of the era, and it came in all forms. Truly, the most amazing collection of people came to Milky Way whether it was Keith Haring, or John Kennedy Jr. & Darryl Hannah slumming it or whether it was the Jungle Brothers or Russell and Lyor and Fab Five Freddy. These photos, from the early '80s into the late '90s, give . The venue was the epicenter of the no wave and new wave scenes, and was frequented by Nico, The B-52's, Black Flag, Jean-Michel Basquait, Keith Haring, Madonna, and David Byrne, who immortalized the club in the Talking Heads hit "Life During Wartime." In the mid-1970s, he helped perfect record-scratching as one of the cornerstones of the Bronx culture that came to be known as hip-hop. Lawrence first escaped to New York in the early 90s at a sensitive time in his life, following the sudden death of both parents and an early crisis of professional faith at BBC Newsnight. They replaced CBGB with a luxury menswear shop, and The Palladium was turned into an NYU dorm. It wasnt just about the law. It's been said that New . Today's gay nightlife experience feels sterile and conservative in comparison, and leads me to relive the past . The original club closed in 1981, and now it's kinda surprising that this building which has studio space for the Roundabout Theatre Company and a restaurant called 54 Below was once home to an impossibly glamorous dance club. Madonna didnt just party there, but the first time she performed live was at Danceteria in 1982, during her shock the world days. He was moving to Miami Beach, Fla., and he thought the humid weather would damage the photos. There was still a wild abandon in New York. Cree McCree talked with the photographer about his career and a handsome new book collection of his work for PKM. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Read about Eichner's memories in his own words and see his picks of his most joyful photos from the 90s nightlife in NYC: Photographing partiers at play was delightful for me and made entertaining pictures. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. May 27, 2020. Economics for one but also demographics. Unfortunately, the community was always against Studio B, and the clubs attempt to get a rooftop expansion somehow was the fuse to the clubs lengthy and sometimes confusing demise. The design would be on a big floppy disc! The last 30 years have seen the citys meaningful party scene on the brink of extinction during one of the panels, Krivit put the number of cabaret licenses issued during the early 80s at 4,000; in 2016 it is around 120. As the discussions of long-gone clubs gave way to movement on living, breathing dancefloors, the weight and spotlight of the citys history could be felt everywhere, in the crowd and in the DJ booth. A reaction to the giant, airplane hangar-esque discos that had permeated the city during the 1970s, Nells was a Jazz, Reggae and Hip-Hop dance club with a capacity of just 250. With places like these, is it any wonder the city never sleeps? The Bottom Line was a fixture of Greenwich Village nightlife from 1974 on through 2004, and featured performances by Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Hall & Oates, Laura Nyro, Neil Young, Dolly Parton, The Ramones, Miles Davis, Tom Waits, Patti Smith, The Violent Femmes, The Police, Linda Rondstadt, Todd Rundgren, and many others. The timing and location of the nights entertainment Grandmaster Flash at House of Yes was entirely coincidental. Located in Chelsea, the once warehouse terminal was transformed into an epic nightclub where a who's who of Hip-Hop came to party. The whole artistic world seemed to be descending upon downtown New York.. Looking through old flyers is to walk through a ghost town buried under high-rise condos, Starbucks and CVS stores, and remarkably anonymous 21st century architecture. As told by Steven Joseph Loza, in the book, Tito Puente and the Making of Latin Music, Sammy Davis Jr. and Jackson Pollack could regularly be found on the dance floor, while Marlon Brando could be seen on the bongos. As Lawrence writes, the Downtown communitys cross-cultural collaborative spirit was not limited to clubs. The last time we were there, we shared a table with a guy spending his last night on the town before heading to prison for a year. The exhilaration of having all eyes on you. Promoters would encourage that. Marquee New York. Those were the only places he took photos. Dynell still plays around town, but on this weekend, he and a coterie of other artists and gallery owners, DJs and musicians, writers and editors, club owners and scenesters, were detailing the circumstances of Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor to a rapt audience. Yet to a person every one Id speak to would say that far from uninhabitable, theyd never want to leave it. First we did Milky Way, then came PayDayanother hip-hop night and then Saturday night was our house night, $100,000 Bar, for which Keith Haring did the flyer. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. This is a list of notable current and former nightclubs in New York City. Crossing genres: a dancer at the Mudd Club in 1979. he timing and location of the nights entertainment . No Sleep is a visual history of the halcyon days of New York City club life as told through flyer artgathered in a new volume by myself and Evan Auerbach. That melting pot of madness is the stuff legends are made of. He also credits the citys house music scene for his initial focus on the meaning of the dancefloor. Golden Years: New York Nightlife In The '50s. Every single night something was going on that seemed essential.. One of the biggest turning points in my life was getting that job. Filled with foam bubbles, the kids all had good clean fun bopping around in there. When nightlife expert Tim Lawrence came to the city to promote his book about the early 80s, the clubs he went to revealed how much has (and hasnt) changed. All rights reserved. The research suggested that there were a lot more connections between these scenes than was supposed historically, he said. A new book looks back at the iconic 1990s nightclub scene when sex, drugs, and dance music created the perfect cocktail for iconic parties that catered to revelers every imaginable whim. Memories. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. There was nothing in the world I enjoyed more than spinning records. Spas business model was predicated on pricey entrance fees, a booming sound system, and a crowd mix that would let you know that you were partying at a nightclub in New York City. The Beatrice Inn The Bea was a reaction to and the antithesis of many of the clubs described within, going against the bigger and more expensive is better motto to create an intimate and often raging dance hall set in a former and tiny restaurant in the West Village. And if that wasnt enough of a draw, every Wednesday night, the club hosted a contest, from pie-eating and singing challenges, to best legs competitions between its famous dancers and attractive clubgoers. If our memory serves us correctly, they also served a delicious tuna entre all night. The bar was famous for having 61 flavors of martinis and a delicious cosmopolitan, which seem so horribly lame now but were actually headline grabbing at the time. Coney Island High (15 St. Mark's Place) Coney Island High, located on 15 St. Mark's Place in Manhattan, was the most popular punk venue in New York through much of the '90s. Ernie Glam (his club name) met Di Biasio in the late 1980s at a party, and as they struck up a friendship, he learned more about Di Biasios life. Bond's Casino was a nightclub and venue in Times Square that famously hosted a residency of 17 concerts by The Clash in 1981 that has been extensively bootlegged over the years. Understandably, the packed House of Yes crowd an impressive congregation of young and old, black and white, straight and gay went wild. Those flyers went everywhere. A glorious time when people went to clubs pretty much strictly to enjoy the music, and whether rap, soul, disco, dancehall, house, boogie, R&B, the music was incredible! Roxy had a swing high above the dancefloor where couples would relive those playground days of their youth while drinking an adult beverage. Its clear that there are people who are invested [in the scene], and want this to become even more re-energized., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. But still, it wasnt the ego-stroke of now the world will know my name! It was the fact that it made it real. Founded by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. As the aughts wind down, we took a look at a few of the memorable venues that we lost during the last decade. 1. One featured DJ Harvey, who spent a few years in New York learning his craft at the feet of Levan. Were seeing that difficult period shifting into something more engaged and hospitable. Rock stars and artists treated Maxs like their own personal living room. And while Sacco is hoping to drum up interest in a revamped Bungalow in 2010, it will end this decade as being closed. Popular with women's softball teams, it was the first official. Then the girls returned to their capes to finish the number. The Electric Circus was an experimental psychedelic nightclub that was open from 19671971, and featured performances by bands such as The Velvet Underground, Sly and the Family Stone, and The Grateful Dead, along with shows by jugglers, gymnasts, and performance artists. To celebrate "In the Limelight: The Visual Excess of NYC Night Life in the '90s," Eichner's new book with Gabriel Sanchez, Patch takes you back to the jubilation of clubbing in '90s NYC. The club was basically ground zero for Madonna's career in the early '80s, and its regulars included Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, LL Cool J, Cyndi Lauper, Sonic Youth, Run-DMC, The B-52s, Billy Idol, Duran Duran, and New Order. Ive put my brain through some wear and tear over the years and honestly have a hard time remembering names of places I played last week, but I will never forget the name and address of that party: Nut n Honey at Tilt, 179 Varick Street (corner of King Street, for extra credit). Now he is one of the executive producers of The Get Down, Baz Luhrmanns colorful Netflix show that recasts the creation myth of rap and modern DJing as a fairytale musical. He is also a chameleon who moved seamlessly through the multiverse of colliding worlds that was New York City nightlife in the 1990s. Below weve excerpted some choice images, words and memories to recapture an essential cultural moment. The store integrated a lot of the site's original graffiti and posters, so it hasn't completely wiped out the space's history. Dancing up on a riser or on the stage was for those that felt like letting their inner exhibitionist loose, on display for the entire room to see showing off your best moves. Of all these places only SOBs has survived into this new era, a place where I met one my most beloved girlfriends and saw Kanye West for the first time, reasons enough I hope it can survive this new, more buttoned down NYC. Learn More. The building was remodeled in 2003, and is now home to a handful of stores including the St. Mark's Market, a Supercuts, and a Chipotle. New York City, 1994. The building is now a residential space but has a plaque outside commemorating the glory days of the club. Lotus was meant to be a place for everyone, dancing dining, conversation and wildness, and as the Meatpacking District developed, the space was a raging success. We went from Brothers, where we had like 50 people, to 1,500 people plus, with crowds lined down the street to get it. The streets were grimy and the neighborhoods segregated but in the club world, we were integrated and drugs were not necessarily part of the experience. (1983-1990s) The Loft (New York City) Nell's (1986-2004) Palladium (1976-1995) The Q; Riobamba; The Saint; Stork Club; Studio 54 (1977-1991) Therapy; If you enjoyed reading this, please click the below. The Tunnel had a ball pit where people could jump into thousands of yellow plastic balls and throw them around like an out of control kindergarten playroom. Though theres rarely a lack of nighttime activity in the city that supposedly never sleeps, on paper it seemed like an especially great match. Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Bianca Jagger and Brooke Shields and Diane von Furstenberg are only a few of the notable faces that graced the dance floor through the years. Im a pragmatist, however, and I armed myself with a strong supply of my own DJ demo tapes, on the off chance I was out and met a club owner who could potentially be a future employer. Unlike many New York clubs in the post-Rudy Giuliani era, House of Yes tries hard with its musical bookings, setting and entertainment acumen. A new, more luxurious model began to take over, as club owners began to build smaller places and focus on attracting a high end clientele who were interested in paying for bottle service. New York City nightlife was undergoing a major transition at the dawn of the 21st century. Also, he was always taking photos. Owner Madden opened the club in the heart of Harlem, establishing a boozy destination for downtown white folks who wanted to hear the new Jazz craze sweeping the streets above 100th. Image subject to copyright. 5. Id be on the streets for hours talking to people can I throw a party here? Can I load in sound equipment? Can I do this, can I do that? We faced a lot of challenges. We did the first shows for Rob Base, De La Soulwe brought in the West Coast with N.W.A and Schoolly D came up from Philadelphia. This famous club founded by Paul Sevigny, located in the West Village serving as the fashion sets go-to spot, had a short yet impactful tenure. Spanning the late 1980s through the . The years that followed still brought plenty of noteworthy nights and denim-drenched outfits. Emotionally, critically, intellectually, its hard to say that New York is the kind of mecca for dance music that it was in the 70s and 80s. I was a waitress in the day or worked in the clubs as a bathroom attendant or coat checker. The World, like many NYC clubs, was a place for the mafia to launder drug and prostitution money, so the clubs didnt need to make a profit, which is one reason the scene was so vibrant. I'm glad he took the pictures because there was a lot of free-flowing alcohol back then, Glam said. See more ideas about night club, new york night, copacabana. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The long shuttered 21st Street lounge was named after a long defunct store in Milan and had a mod design, offering both food and dancing to a house music loving crowd. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. L&L was the home of the infamous MisShapes, a weekly party that brought the hipster elite out from the shadows and into the southern West village to hear the amazing DJ work of Geordon Nicol, Leigh Lezark and Greg Krelenstein. Theyre so emblematic of that time no computers, totally DIY. Then, people came here from all over the world on pilgrimages, said Lawrence. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The Ritz on 125 East 11th St. was the premier rock club in New York in the '80s, and it hosted gigs by pretty much every hot act from the era, from Sonic Youth and Public Enemy to early shows by Soundgarden, Ministry, and Guns N' Roses. In the city that loves to boast about how little it sleeps, the nightclub has been the center of the universe since Jazz Age hipsters started desperately flocking to the Cotton Club in the 1920s. The wiry 49-year-old may have grown up in the London exurb of Winnersh and teaches cultural studies at the University of East London, but theres little question that New Yorks late 20th-century nightlife has served as his muse. This famous club founded by Paul Sevigny, located in the West Village serving as the fashion sets go-to spot, had a short yet impactful tenure. NEW YORK CITY New York City after dark in the '90s was an ecstatic fever dream fueled by club kids' outrageous fantasies, and as house photographer for Peter Gatien's four iconic clubs, Steve Eichner had a ringside seat for all the action. Di Biasio died suddenly last year before the book was released, making it a tribute to both the photographer and the era. The historic venue was eventually purchased by New York University, and is now an enormous dorm for NYU students. Club kids were known for their wild ensembles, which drew inspiration from punk, S&M, and clown styles. Address: 289 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10001. They were handed out by the hundreds on 14th Street and sat by the doors of Phat Farm, Supreme and Union. One of its most legendary parties, besting even the infamous pajama party and "Lovers and Other Strangers" theme, was "The Greatest Show on Earth," a Barnum-esque debauch featuring everything from ringleaders to trained animals to acrobatsall naked. I imagine its not only for the good looking design, but more importantly for the fact that my mother knew how happy I was to be on the wheels in that club; how proud I was to have my name on that invite, and what a big part of my life that was. They all hung out there and would regularly get on the mic. Both were DJ sets by older English men that lasted upwards of six hours. Walt Cassidy in his '90s "Club Kid" get-up and now. April 21, 2023. A NEW collection of photos reveal the outrageous antics of the so-called 'Club Kids' who dominated the New York City party scene in the 1990s. The Limelight was a nightclub that was an epicenter for "club kid" culture in the '90s, and a rock venue that hosted a lot of industrial and post-punk bands like Foetus, Gang of Four, Cop Shoot Cop, and New Model Army. Out of the capes that stood up like tee pees, a waltz with the boys and a Russian song by the production singer proceeded. But as word was spreading, New York had a difficult period.. All you had to do was throw some glitter on, Glam said. Those included panels at three institutions of higher learning (NYU, CUNY and Columbia), book-signings at three club nights (the Loft, 718 Sessions and Better Days), talks at two galleries (Howl and Steve Harvey) and two record stores (Rough Trade and Superior Elevation), as well as one museum presentation (at MoMA, which hosted a panel after a screening of writer Glenn OBriens majestic lo-fi film, Downtown 81, starring Basquiat). That was his niche. That was what enabled me to move to NYC. Thats how you knew where the party was. The venue closed in 1971, and the building on 105 Second Ave. is currently occupied by Apple Bank for Savings. It also had some serious DJs and parties complete with a state of the art sound system and light show.

City Of Eden, Nc Under Investigation, Death In Downtown Los Angeles Today, Articles F