On The Floor at `54

I can actually claim to have fleetingly set foot in the original, believe it or not, although it was sorely ensconced in its own season of wither at the time. According to Gothamist, Studio 54 opened 33 years ago tonight, remaining fully fabulous and operational from 1977 until 1986. I darkened its doorway on a late Spring evening in 1985; the evening of my senior prom. After a somewhat yawnsome dinner at The Water Club, our merry little class split into splinter groups to go out on the town. With a small gaggle of friends, I somehow ended up at Studio. Suffice to say, the bloom was well off the rose by this point. NYC's cool cognoscenti had long since largely abandoned the storied club for newer, bolder brands of niteclubbery. The sheer fact that a quintet of mangy high schoolers in dubious tuxedoes were allowed entrance is evidence of same.

Walking into the club, we were greeted by the pulsing strains of "You Spin Me 'Round" (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. The club itself, however, was sparsely populated. On the fabled dancefloor, a pair of balding, portly business suits danced in a hapless display of abject funklessness with a trio of clearly over-refreshed girls. We sat around for a bit, before my credibly hip classmate Liz suggested repairing to the significantly cooler Danceteria downtown, which is precisely what we did (you can read more about that right here).

Some short years later, Studio 54 re-opened its doors as the new incarnation of the Ritz (which, in turn, had morphed into Webster Hall). In its tenure as the New Ritz, I went countless times, seeing bands like The Mission, The Sisters of Mercy, Danzig, Fear, Big Audio Dynamite, Buzzcocks, Cop Shoot Cop, Ministry, KMFDM, Revolting Cocks, Skinny Puppy, Public Image Ltd., GBH, the Dwarves, Public Enemy, Motorhead and even a one-off by Guns N' Roses (which ended up being filmed, resulting in the video for "You Could Be Mine"). The New Ritz closed its doors sometime in the mid-90s, if memory serves. Not sure what happens in the space now. Still, I doubt any occupancy of the address will ever match the cultural resonance its achieved as Studio 54.Happy birthday.