Legendary New York Nights—Past, Present & Future

Step behind the velvet rope of New York’s most iconic club nights where celebrities, style icons, eccentrics and downtown artists danced side by side. From Studio 54’s monumental opening night to Paradise Garage’s last hurrah and everything in between—these are the nights to remember.

CBGB

Opened in December ’73 at the intersection of Bleecker and Bowery in Manhattan’s East Village, CBGB quickly became the crucible of New York’s 1970s rock scene. Night after night, history was made as new acts stepped onto the stage and altered the city’s musical DNA.

From the Ramones’ first public appearance on August 16, 1974, to Patti Smith joining Television on March 23, 1975—a performance that also marked Richard Hell’s final show as the band’s bassist—CBGB was the place to witness the future of music as it was being invented in real time.

Studio 54 Opening Night, 1977 

On April 26, 1977, a former CBS television studio on West 54th Street flung open its doors, and New York nightlife was never the same. Crowds swarmed the sidewalk, and even Hollywood royalty wasn’t guaranteed entry. Frank Sinatra and Warren Beatty were among those who reportedly gave up and went home. Inside, a teenage Brooke Shields moved through a room that included Diana Vreeland, Halston, Bianca Jagger, Margaux Hemingway and Cher, while Alvin Ailey dancers in Antonio Lopez costumes performed for the crowd.

It was hedonism at its most distilled: a fever dream of glitter, glamour and unrestrained indulgence. By the next morning, Cher was on the front page of the New York Post, and Studio 54 was the hottest ticket in town, a night destined to be talked about for decades.

Soul Night at The Mudd Club, 1980

Mudd Club’s former doorman and The Mudd Club author, Richard Boch, looks back on one of the club’s most unforgettable nights.

“The night was far-out and right-on, laced with a heavy dose of political incorrectness. Pimps and hookers—or anyone dressed like either—got in free. Blaxploitation black-light posters set the mood. The Ohio Players and Parliament-Funkadelic kept the dance floor in constant motion until Clarence Carter, and later Percy Sledge, took the stage. A round, king-size, fur-covered bed waited for the perfect photo op. Fried chicken from Sylvia’s in Harlem was served. That was the Mudd Club Soul Party.”

Paradise Garage Closing Party, 1987 

It was the end of an era. As disco faded and hip-hop and house surged forward, Paradise Garage, the legendary King Street discotheque that helped shape the sound of modern dance and pop music, threw one final blowout. It never served alcohol, which let the party run long after other clubs had closed. Even so, the Garage reigned as one of the world’s most influential dance floors, a sanctuary for music lovers and night-world misfits alike.

Over the years, the club had drawn icons like Diana Ross, Madonna and Keith Haring. Its farewell was a marathon worthy of that legacy, stretching across a September weekend and finally winding down at midday on Monday, September 28. Resident DJ Larry Levan, who had manned the decks since the club’s earliest days, delivered nonstop, soul-shaking sets that kept the floor alive until the very last beat.

The New York Night Train Soul Clap Anniversary Party, 2017 

Since 2007, when it began at Williamsburg’s Glasslands Gallery, Jonathan Toubin’s Soul Clap and Dance-Off has kept New York dancing to rare soul 45s from the 1950s and ’60s, with a dance contest midway through the night. What started as an underground gathering for those in the know soon became a fixture of the city’s nightlife.

For the party’s 10th anniversary in March 2017, Toubin swapped the records for the real thing. At Warsaw in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, he staged an all-live soul revue starring the singers behind his favorite tracks, including Irma Thomas, Archie Bell, Joe Bataan, Maxine Brown, Young Jessie, Baby Washington and Ural Thomas, backed by a 12-piece all-star band. Newer faces joined the bill too, among them King Khan, Jon Batiste, Nick Waterhouse and David Johansen of the New York Dolls, who teamed up with Archie Bell for a duet.

New York New York NYE at The Roxy, 2027

This New Year’s Eve, The Roxy channels the grit and glamour of mid-to-late ’70s New York for a night destined to become legend, capped off by the Annual Downtown Ball Drop. Champagne flows all night long, alongside a premium open bar from 9 pm to 1 am for all guests. Seated guests get the star treatment, with tiers of hors d’oeuvres plus tableside premium spirits and champagne.

Nina Tarr, Harkness Granger and Turbo Virgo keep the room moving from the first toast to the final countdown, with special guests still to be announced. What to wear? Dress to the nines. We’re going full old-school glam, and you should too.

Step into the spirit of ’70s New York. Secure your ticket—here. 

 

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PHOTOGRAPHY: (L-R) Editor Bob Colacello, model Jerry Hall, artist/publisher Andy Warhol, singer Debbie Harry, writer Truman Capote and jewelry designer Paloma Picasso at a Studio 54 party for INTERVIEW magazine and Harry’s appearance on the cover by Robin Platzer/Getty Images