"The Garage" | |
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 Interactive map of Paradise Garage | |
| Address | 84 King Street New York, New York United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°43′41″N74°00′23″W / 40.72794°N 74.00645°W /40.72794; -74.00645 |
| Operator | Michael Brody |
| Type | Nightclub |
| Capacity | 1,400 |
| Field size | 10,000 square feet (930 m2) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1924 (asauto garage) |
| Opened | January 28, 1978 (1978-01-28) |
| Closed | October 1, 1987 (1987-10-01) |
| Demolished | 2018 |
| Architect | Victor Mayper |
Paradise Garage, also known as "the Garage"[1][2] or the "Gay-rage",[3][4][5] was aNew York Citydiscotheque notable in the history ofdance andpop music, as well asLGBT andnightclub cultures.[6][7][1] The 10,000 square feet (930 m2) club was founded by sole proprietor Michael Brody, and occupied a building formerly located at 84 King Street[8] in theSoHo neighborhood. It operated from 1977 to 1987 and featured residentDJLarry Levan.[9]
The Garage is credited with influencing the development of modern nightclubs, and is cited as a direct inspiration for London'sMinistry of Sound.[10][11] Unlike other venues of its time, Paradise Garage promoted dancing rather than verbal interaction, and it was the first to place the DJ at the center of attention.[12] It was known for its enthusiastic-yet-unforgiving nature toward performers.[citation needed] It hosted many notable musicians includingDiana Ross[13] and a youngMadonna.[12] In 1979,Tim Curry released the albumFearless, containing the single "Paradise Garage", whose lyrics narrate visiting the discotheque.[14][15]
Paradise Garage derived its name from the building's origin as an early automobile parking structure. Its initialcertificate of occupancy, dated March 26, 1925, identifies the architect of the two-story commercial building at 80-86 King Street as Victor Mayper.[16]
Michael Brody's imprint on the space began in 1977 with the club opening as84 King Street Garage. After a year-long renovation, it officially became Paradise Garage on January 28, 1978.[17] Among the improvements were asprung dancefloor and customsound system, developed byRichard Long of Richard Long & Associates (RLA).[18] The club's main room layout and dancefloor were reportedly purpose-designed around the sound system, which is said to have been the best in New York City at that time and described byFrançois Kevorkian as a "temple of music."[8][12]
The venue initially accommodated 750 patrons for the original dance floor which was later turned into the front lounge/gray room/glass lounge[19] but a 1978 expansion when the main dance floor opened raised its legal capacity to 1,400 people. Brody then added a rooftop lounge in 1984[20] styled after thecoastal shrubland and beachside villas of the nearbyFire Island Pines, where Brody owned a summer home.[8]
After 11 years of operation, The Garage's lease ended on October 1, 1987. The building later[when?] was adapted for use as truck depot byVerizon Communications.[21] In April 2018, it was demolished[17] and replaced by high-rise luxurycondominiums.
The Garage was largely modeled onDavid Mancuso's private invitation-only DJ parties atThe Loft.[12] Admission to the club was only available to members and their guests with an interview process used to select members.[8] In order to avoidNew York City restrictions on bar and restaurant hours-of-operation, snacks and beverages were freely available to patrons and no liquor was served. These measures allowed the club to stay open after hours, often until 10:00 AM or even later the following day.
In contrast to its well-known contemporaryStudio 54, The Garage fostered a distinctly no-frills, egalitarian atmosphere, as reminisced by one of its former dancers:
You went there to dance, and we didn't dance like the regular people who were dancing in discos. I used to get dressed up to go to a disco, I'd do the Hustle for a couple hours till 4 o'clock in the morning, then I'd say, "Oh shit, lemme go to the Garage." I had my bag with me and go to the Garage and change into my sweatpants and my sneakers.
— Willie Dancer, in Paradise Garage: The oral history of NYC’s greatest club[8]
The club hosted a number of charity events, benefiting organizations likeGay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)[17] andU.S. Fund for UNICEF.[22] As of 2008, the Paradise Garage trademark is owned by GMHC.[citation needed]
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Paradise Garage was an epicenter for early pioneers of dance music under the curation of resident DJLarry Levan. The unique and eclectic styles ofdisco and dance music featured at the Garage gave rise to descriptive encompassing terms likeNew York house, "garage", "garage style", and "garage classic" (to describe a record that was made famous at, or associated with, the club).
Although the term "garage music" (not to be confused withUK garage) does not exclusively meanhouse music, the latter saw extensive development and promotion among Levan and his contemporaries,Frankie Knuckles andNicky Siano. Nonetheless, these DJ's played all kinds of music at Paradise Garage so long as it was danceable; for example,The Clash andThe Police, as well as traditional "disco" artists likeGwen Guthrie andSylvester.
Among those who benefited from what became known as "The Garage Sound" or "Garage Music" wasMel Cheren, a partial-backer of the club and owner of New York labelWest End Records. West End's successes included such hits as "Sessomatto" by Sessa Matto, "Hot Shot" byKaren Young, "Heartbeat" byTaana Gardner (remixed by Levan), "Do It to the Music" byRaw Silk, and "Don't Make Me Wait" by thePeech Boys (produced by Levan). West End Records folded for a number of years, then re-opened in the late 1990s and released one of Levan's DJ sets recorded live at the Garage.[23]
In the 2000 bookLast Night A DJ Saved My Life by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton, a chart was detailed that listed the "Top 100" of the Paradise Garage, selected by "The Committee",[24] ostensibly detailing the hundred most iconic tracks associated with the club.
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Notable performers who have played at Paradise Garage include:
Multiple tribute sites are dedicated to the Paradise Garage, such as paradisegargenyc.com[31] and TheParadiseGarage.net.[32]
In 2019, the DJCorrado Rizza directed and produced a documentary movie calledLarry's Garage.[33][34][35][36]
The significance of the Paradise Garage to the history of disco music is discussed in Episode 3 of the 2024PBS seriesDisco: Soundtrack of a Revolution.[37]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)