Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980-1983
Tim Lawrence is Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of East London and the author of Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970–1979 and Hold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 1973–1992, both also published by Duke University Press.
Lighting the Fuse
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Published:September 2016
Studio 54 owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager went to jail in early 1980 for tax evasion. Because they also lost their liquor license, they agreed for black promoter and onetime Loft regular Mike Stone to start to stage Saturday-night parties at their venue because of his experience in organizing parties where alcohol wasn’t served. Stone accordingly became the first promoter to usher a predominantly black and Latin crowd into a venue once renowned for its celebrity crowd. The transformation indicated how the denizens of high disco were exploring more integrated ways of partying. Migrating to New York from all...
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