New York's Legendary Nightclubs

On this week’s show we will explore New York City’s legendary nightclubs! New York is the city that never sleeps, and we will visit some of the famous spots that tripped the light fantastic on the City’s sidewalks.

My solo guest will be Rediscovering New York regular and the show’s Special Consultant, David Griffin of Landmark Branding.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

The show initially begins by Jeff summarizing all of the previous episodes. There have been a wide variety of guests and occupations. Tonight's show will feature the topic of nightclubs. The solo guest for tonight is David Griffin of Landmark Branding who has been on previous shows. He grew up mostly in Long Island but has spent time in the Hudson area. He knows The City very well. He got started due to his interest in the past that his siblings also shared. They would constantly go out to explore and examine. Nightclubs are directly tied to New York City and its culture. The city served as one of the largest urban hubs in North America. African American music was very popular in this area. Performers and entertainers were drawn to this city due to its large population and diversity. People also loved the architecture of New York City. It is very unique. The bright lights and lifestyle of the city match the nightlife perfectly. The Cotton Club is an older club in New York where several great entertainers performed. During the enforcement of Jim Crow laws, black people were not allowed to enter the club as guests which was ironic because they were profiting off black performers. Eventually, the law was lifted.

Segment 2

The Cotton Club helped break down barriers in the entertainment industry. The next club being discussed was opened in 1929. It was titled Stork Club and founded by Sherman Billingsley. The decor was described as elegant but not particularly eye-catching, Some of the famous guests were the Rooselvelt family and Evelyn Walsh Mclean. Later, many of the guests stopped visiting because of the protesting that took place. Billingsley was very hard headed when it came to the union. Soon after many of the prestigious guests no longer want to be associated with it. The Copacabana was opened up in 1940 and based off of Brazilian music and decor. It was also a segregated club like the Cotton Club. Sammy Davis Junior and The Supremes were two of the famous acts who performed there. In the 1950’s some of the Yankees went to the club and some racist was hurling slurs at one of the performers which led to the team getting into a brawl with the man. There were some lawsuits after the fact.

Segment 3

At Landmark Branding, David offers branding and marketing support for real estate, architecture and design professionals. He is currently pitching a book idea and is an active blogger. Also, he is the special consultant of the show. Next, the Peppermint Lounge was discussed. It was disco heavy that featured the technology to play records. The dance called the twist was born here. The club was geared towards a younger crowd. Also, many people of the gay community were drwan to it. Eventually, many celebrities started visiting to learn the dance. The Beatles visited while making their first trip to the United States. The Beach Boys were one of the famous bands who performed there. Cafe Society was up next. It was a fully integrated club from the start and treated everyone equally as long as you were dressed well and there to listen to the music. The place features some of the greatest African American musicians. Some of the music being played there was political. For example, Billie Holiday first sang Strange Fruit at this location. El Moraco was then talked about. It was originally a speakeasy which became extremely popular after prohibition. The place was very popular because they had a house photographer who would take people’s photos.

Segment 4

Studio 54 is another popular club.The club featured a lot of unique lighting. It had a cinematic quality to it. For the first time, the crowd could be lit up brightly. There was no color barrier at the club but there was a “cool” barrier. If you were not cool enough you did not get in. The owner only wanted people who were good enough on his dance floor. The Limelight opened in 1983. It is known as a post disco club. During this time period, the style is moving more towards punk and rock. It really earned the media’s attention in the 90’s after a scandal took place.