Entertainment News
2007-03-13
NYC bids farewell
to gay hot spot the Roxy
Legendary New
York City club the Roxy had its final hurrah Saturday night
after 16 long years as the mecca of Manhattan's
Legendary New
York City club the Roxy had its final hurrah Saturday night
after 16 long years as the mecca of Manhattan's gay club
land.
Saturday night's
14-hour farewell party, which lasted until noon Sunday,
saw a reported 4,000 people and ended with a set by resident
DJ Peter Rauhofer, who closed the party with Donna
Summer's "Last Dance."
The club, which
began as a roller-skating rink in the early 1980s, turned
to a predominantly gay clientele in 1990 when it opened Lee
Chappell and David Leigh's Locomotion party.
Since then, the
Roxy has featured DJs Dmitri from Deee-Lite, Sister
Dimension, Tennessee, Larry Tee, and Dynell. It has also
featured international DJs including Junior Vasquez,
Manny Lehman, Victor Calderone, and Peter Rauhofer.
The
6,000-square-foot venue hosted performances from Madonna,
Cher, Bette Midler, and Beyoncé and celebrity
guests Marc Jacobs, Elton John, Jean Paul Gaultier,
Kate Pierson, Boy George, and Grace Jones.
When it reopened
in 1990, the Roxy was described as a "gay lovefest" by
drag superstar Lady Bunny, who recalls that New York's
gay nightlife at the time had been devastated by AIDS.
"It became a
beacon of celebration amid despair. People were ready to
party again," she reminisced to The New York Times.
Clubgoer Terrence
Cairy said of the Roxy, "Oh, my God, I had my
coming-out party here 11 years ago. It's a safe place to
come out, and it has the best DJs in the city."
Despite the
glowing reviews, club promoter John Blair said he felt
content about the passing of the club. "It was a
phenomenon," Blair told Next Magazine. "It was
the right people, the right place, and the right time.
We can't just pluck it up and move it elsewhere. It's
an exciting time for something new."
Amid wavering
attendance in 2006, the Roxy closed for several weeks in
the autumn and resumed December 2. It will eventually be
demolished to pave way for a new apartment block.
(Hassan Mirza, Gay.com/U.K.)
Click here to follow The Advocate on Twitter.
Page 1 of 1