Skip to main content

Two things happened in the last 24 hours to make me start this topic. First, yesterday morning I had a dream about Rudolf for the first time in maybe fifteen years. I asked Johnny why he thought I had dreamed of Rudolf and he said "It must be the boards, they are obviously dredging something up"

Then today a certain "original" friend of mine found his way to the motherboards and posted a rather lovely post that I wish I had written myself. As he and I first became acquainted at the seminal bar where he, David Ilku, Clark, Cathy Underhill, Fetisch, Deb Parker and I all worked at various times on the third floor of Danceteria, I thought I would get things rolling here.

Though at the time we certainly were inconvenienced by Rudolf's genius, I have to pay homage here to his invention of so many things that became modern in clubs.

In this Year of Eighties Retro, the legacy of this club should be noted, and the fact that some of America's Most Wanted and most Haunted worked here at one time, including original elevator child Michael Alig and doormaestro Haoui Montaug. I believe the first Batcave in NY was here circa 1984 or 5. And so on..
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Yes! I was waiting for this one too! Let me contribute; I can already hear Francine 59's earth-moving equipment rumbling in the distance...
I must begin by mentioning that there were at least three incarnations of Danceteria, not to mention the unbelievable Danceteria Hamptons.
The first manifestation was on 37th Street, just east of Eighth Avenue in the summer of 1980, where the busboys included myself, David Wojnarowicz, Jesse Hultberg and Keith Haring, and among the bartenders were Max Blagg and Alexa Hunter. Kathy Underhill and Zoe Leonard worked coatcheck, and Haoui was at the door along with Aleph Ashline and David Russell. The club featured New York's very first video lounge, created by Pat and Emily of Advanced Television (remember, music videos were very rare back then!) The New York Times did a big spread on the concept of video in nightclubs, with pictures showing the club's boozy patrons passed out on the lounge's sofas. The next day, Rudolf called a meeting of the entire staff and angrily directed us to wake up and remove anyone from the lounge who even looked like they might close their eyes. Needless to say, that alone kept us very busy each night.
The most incredible thing was that Danceteria advertised blatantly that a full bar was open until 8 AM, with ads in the Voice and Times. New York State liquor law has, since the end of Prohibition, stipulated that bars must stop serving at 4 AM, but back then, with a plethora of after-hours clubs going full-tilt in Manhattan, who knew? The club even instituted a system where you had to buy a ticket from a booth (Peter McGough was one of the ticket-sellers, by the way) in order to get your drink, so no money would actually pass over the bar, but to no avail.
After being in operation for only a few months, Danceteria was raided one night and a large number of its employees spent the rest of the day in Central Booking (though Jim Fouratt and Rudolf were not among them.)
The club tried re-opening without liquor (or customers) for a few weeks and then closed for a few months. To open again, a little further downtown...
Hope this jogs some memories!

[This message was edited by hatches on 04-01-01 at 12:56 PM.]
I had a dream last night that I was hanging out with Fran Leibowitz at Danceteria. Kinda odd, being that A) the only time I'd ever gone to Danceteria was on a night that she had performed some spoken word that I don't quite recall, and B) I'm not entirely sure who Fran is (was) anymore.

The music was great tho...
Back when ANDY WARHOL'S INTERVIEW still had the painted covers(mid-to-late 70s) Fran had a column on the last page. I was subletting my York Avenue apartment to Beardsleyesque porn cartoonist Little Moon in the early 80s and she sold my INTERVIEW collection TO the artist who'd painted the covers!! Charming. She had allergies so she painted all my two-tone wood Art Deco furniture white... cut up my black leather vest and collaged it into a garment of some sort. But we're still buds. She now designs Bowie's website.
Ned, Gia IS online, or her first step anyway - she emailed me recently. Gia has been part of the whole Jackie/Mother/Click family for close to a decade - we first became aware of her fabulous zine Juicy (I think that was the name) around early Verbal Abuse days - 1992 or so.
She also has done tarot readings on and off at our events for years - she's a good reader and I've always enjoyed her insights. Interestingly, they always request her at the big NY Public Library benefit we produce every year at the 42nd Street library - people there really love her readings!

In other news, someone told JD recently that Rudolf was now living in South Beach and had some affiliation with Billboard online. Any sightings or news on this would be helpful as we do go down there at least twice a decade and would love to see him there.
gosh, these were the times at this famous/infamous all-nighter. i can remember closly how i met nina hagen there all dressed up in bondage gear - oh dear, this was very - and i repeat - very stimulating. anyway, clubs come and go, you know the game. pyramid is not what it used to be anymore, but then again, what is. to chi chi: you are such a sweetie!
I ran into him here in NYC a few months ago after not having seen him in ages and caught up a bit. He recently consulted on and opened a massive, multi-floor club in South Beach named Billboard Live and is now opening his own smaller club in a space that used to be called Lola. I don't want to give the name away before it opens but I think he's leaning towards the one that's part of the human anatomy.I called him last month when I was in S.Beach and
we hung out a little bit and he made sure that I knew what was going on there every night of the week that was worth checking out.
This might sound silly but that meant alot to me.When I returned home to NYC after going upstate to college I was lucky enough to catch the last couple of years of AM/PM, The Mudd and Danceteria.The personalities in the Downtown Scene that I admired most and learned alot from were; Rudolph,Vito Bruno,Fred Rothbell Mista,Steven Lewis, Frank Rocchio,Scotty Taylor,Arthur Weinstein (poor Arthur) ChiChi and Johnny,Haoui and Anita(how many people are aware that it was their fault that Karaeoke arrived in the West in the mid 80's) and Saban, Musto and Patric M for documenting this incredible time.
What's truly wonderful is that most of them are still being creative and inspiring and as always are a few beats ahead of the rest of us. Bless all of them.e
AHHHHHHHHHHH Yes, I think I found you Chi Chi. Its AliceVS and the reunion was wonderful. I am so glad to have seen you again. I am in ATL doin what I do but my mind is still in NYC thinking about the good old days.
To all that missed this reunion I'm sorry .To all that came Hello!
I hope I figure out these boards soon ......
No techno joy.........
Love,Alice
Alice-

TWAS fabulous to see you - once a ruler, always a ruler, but really, honey...you looked MARVY!

The Danceteria reunion had such a great energy and I had to drag Mr. Dynell out of there after 3 hours. There are some gorgey pics up on the new site thats grown up since the reunion,

http://www.danceterianyc.com

You have to register to enter, but if you are a veteran or fan of the High Eighties, its worth the bit of bother..
9-27-04 ..... oh boy ...a popular topic !

What i hate when people mention "Danceteria" ???? Everybody...i meet when there suddenly ! oh.....yea....sure....danceteria.... what a club...bla bla.....well no...i didn't ACTUALLY go....my boyfriend's jock strap went and told me all about it ! ect ,bla & hoe...hum !

The stupi candi cane poles ....the high stage (could see snatch).... the "uptown DOWNTOWNERS" AND "jIM F" IN HIS stylish "suits" (right...the jim f. of the meatmarket eatery establishment on little w 12th (or) thereabouts. saw the dead boys / cheeta .....some "lude" party that never got OFF the ground ect. how some of you can remember DETAILS after the experiments with acid...i'll never guess.
oh...ps......The 1st "video lounge" !!!!! or was it???? i was in that club on w 63 (or close) btw b'way and 8th ...something like "hoorah's or hooray's" They had Music Video's too and that was 1980/79 ! it was another "new wave/punk club" / mtv advertiser... i never went for "MTV" and all those LAME ASS commercial's (a la to music)....still...it was..............a new trend..... and i guess worth the mention (sorry,cleared my throat)..... Human Sexual response played "dance" and i worked as "stage manager" on the road for them a yr. later. bla bla HOE HUM

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×