IMAGE: PYMCA
For one night only Sub Rosa pay homage to one of the most legendary clubs to ever grace this beautiful planet…Paradise Garage. For 10 years the famed New York nightclub set itself apart from all others and made a true name for itself as a place of culture and unforgettable dance music. A place where all inhibitions were let loose and free roam was given to enjoy yourself. Sub Rosa are setting out to replicate this as best as possible, so only bring your best self and your best moves as they invite top disco deviants Melting Pot with support from Nowicki to join them in re-living the good times. Ahead of this disco bonanza taking place on Wednesday Sub Rosa decided to inform and educate for those who might not be in the know…
THE PLACE…
For 10 years between 1977 and 1987 in the Hudson Square area of New York (84 King Street to be exact) people flocked from all over, from all different walks of life and backgrounds to unite and truly let all inhibitions go until the early mornings when the lights came up. One of the first clubs to put the DJ at the forefront of what a club should be about, it paved the way for modern club culture as we know it, shaping the landscape for the modern DJ who is more keen to tell a story than to play party bangers for a 2 hour set. This club was unlike any other, and still to this day holds a legacy like no other. This club was Paradise Garage!
IMAGE: TANIA FUENTEZ
THE DJ’s…
All outstanding clubs have one familiar thing in common – an incredible resident DJ, and Paradise Garage was no different. Meet Larry Levan. From the moment the club opened to the day it closed it’s doors, Larry was the centre of attention, and rightly so. His DJ sensibilities helped make hits out of more tracks than we’re probably even aware of. Sometimes he would even play a song multiple times in one night, until any and all resistance was overcome. But he was also a storyteller, never afraid to take the long path and diverge into a totally different direction, cleansing the dancefloor if need be to start afresh, taking all dancers on a journey, never quite sure where they were heading, but always with 100% trust in their leader.
The term ‘legend’ is all too loosely flung around these days when talking about DJ’s, but there is no doubt that Larry Levan is a legend.
THE CULTURE …
With a name like Paradise Garage, and the term that was coined shortly after – heaven in a car park – it’s no surprise that the club was recognized all over for it’s welcoming attitude to any and all of it’s guests, a place to escape if you will. Setting the path for people of the ethnic and LGBT community to be welcomed with open arms wherever they went, this was very out of the norm in 70/80’s NY, which was still incredibly racist and homophobic around that time. To have a policy like that back then was more than just trend-setting, it was pioneering, and something to be admired considering the nature of many clubs door policies back then.
THE MUSIC …
Predominantly disco-orientated, Larry Levan managed to reignite the flame when many people in New York said disco had died a death. But for a DJ of his caliber he was also famed for his ability to seamlessly mix all genres of music together, creating something special all night, every night. Below you’ll find a few tracks that were either made famous by the club, or just heard on a regular basis, becoming anthems and forever associated with it.
Loose Joints – Is It All Over My Face (Original Male Version)
Sylvester – Over & Over
Two Tons O’Fun – Just Us
Change – Paradise
Lisa-Lisa & The Cult Jam – I Wonder If I Take You Home
https://youtu.be/UE4WokN5Z6s
3 bucks for an adv. ticket on sale HERE, then more on the door from 11pm…