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.
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