Newspaper Page Text
February 24. 1993
Flagpole
Disco Storms the Athens Club Scene
‘DqsCO c I c N£F < E c R5©. Disco Well
If my memory serves me correctly the history of disco
nights in Athens is fairly brief — the old “hole-in-foe-walt* 40
Watt had disco on Monday and Saturday night and packed
the house until patrons were brimming over the picnic tables
that sat in front If you decided that the place was too small
tor your taste and you didn't want to venture far from campus,
there was always dancing at O’Malleys.
But somewhere along the way something happened. A
few obvious things occurred with the 40 Watt's move to
Washington Street in 1901 to become the biggest club in the
city at the time. More people immediately turned out to
shake it But whether it was by word of mouth or because
winter leaves most people without a damn thing to do,
disco nights have become the rage in Athens
almost like the phenomenon seized our con
sciousness in the 70‘s and 80’s. But a storm
now brews over the bragging rights for its
revitalization.
For the diehard fans of disco, the
rapid popularity increase of their
pastime has brought about a
not-so-plaatant fact tor many:
the masses are coming
out to enjoy what was
once a sacred activ
ity. As a result, the
lines to get in have
gotten longer, the
crowds are more diverse
and, lately, violence has
erupted Violence that many of
the “regulars' of disco credit to
the crowds An anonymous letter
that appeared in the February 8 issue
of The Red and Black ceded attention to
the mixed crowds, stating that recent vio
lence was a result of “Greeks who have sud
denly decided they would become eclectic,'and
telling them to stay away from the 40 Watt. And do
most of the regulars agree with that writer?
University sophomore Brett HJst said he’s been a fan
of the disco scene since the first day he arrived here as 4
freshman, hitting both the Wan and the now-defunct Coiorbox
regularly “It’s annoying. Not that everyone should not go to
disco, but it's unfair that I should have to wait in line," he said
Chris Kirijan agrees—he just doesn't like the fact that the
unusual crowds have drawn trouble to the club, but admits
"I cant say that they (non-regulars of disco) shouldnl be
allowed to go *
But Alpha Epsilon Pi member Michael Jacobs says the
letter has helped to encourage a stereotype that exists
among non-Greeks, “It's an individual thing. Yes. there are
obnoxious rednecks that do push people around, but frat
brothers just go to have a good time."
The 40 Watt has always been a center of diversity, but with
mixed crowds also comes intolerance . On February 9, a man
was the victim of gay bashing outside the club. Kirijan said
he has noted some aggressive actions by some of the
patrons and thinks that the letter wont deter anyone away
from the club, but will instead bring out more who may just
want to prove a point. *lt1t just cause more violence, “he said.
Is there a solution to what many Athenians consider a
problem? 40 Watt owner Jared Bailey said he hasno problem
with the diverse crowd that the dub has experienced lately,
but that the management has discussed distributing VIP
cards to dub regulars, with membership going on a first-
come, first-serve basis. Nothing has been implemented, yet.
Bailey said he thinks that with other dubs providing
dance music around town like O’Malleys and the new disco
night at Lowery's Tavern, things wiM get back to normal.
And there should be enough disco in town to go around.
Besides the DJs normally heard at the Watt (Marc Wallace
spinning disco, Michael Lachowski’s dance party and Curtis
Whaley laying out techno rhythms), Hoyt Street North, one of
the city's newest and most exciting live venues, has added
a mainstay to the weekly lineup in its “Absolute 80 s’
disco on Thursdays. Hoyt's DJ Richie D says he’s not
surprised that disco has gotten bigger in Athens.
“People may prefer it over going to see bands
because its more interactive; they're partici
pating and not just watching,” he said.
Hoyt and Richie introduced the 80's
format just a month ago and have
seen the crowds increase steadily
Some disco patrons think
that Atlanta holds the better
scenario tor disco Ryan
Finch said he goes to
Atlanta at least two
weekends a month
for discoing and
rave parties and feels
that Athens has only be
gun to grasp a tittle piece of
what makes up today's disco
scene. “Atlanta clubs know what
they're doing, people in Athens aren’t
ready tor raves," he said. Richie, who
also spins at Velvet in Atlanta, says he
doesn't see it as any bigger or better be-
w cause dancing has been such a mainstay in
Atlanta for years.
A serious expert Mark Walker, has DJed in Los
Angeles, Paris and San Francisco, said he saw disco
when it first hit the scene in the 70's, and can only describe
what unfolded as “fabulous*. He wil be DJing at the soon-to-
open Boneshakers, a dub that will feature disco Monday
through Saturday nights in the location of the former Rockfish
Palace Boneshakers will open its doors to the public this
Friday, February 26 with one of toe biggest disco dancing
rooms in town.
Walker, a self-declared disco music fanatic, says there
will be not only the popular disco we came to know and love
ala Saturday Night Fever, but some that people might not
expect. “We’re excited about playing some music that hasn't
been heard in years.” he said.
Walker was located in Los Angeles at the height of the
disco craze and in the city’s hottest dubs such as Studio One
and Probe, where music from the 70‘s and 80 s were played
from such labels as Unidisc, Net and Zanza (remember
Grace Jones and KC and the Sunshine Band?). Walker even
promises some European imports to tickle that foreign fancy.
So the big question of the moment is: Will this thing we call
disco last? “Its a magical thing. Dancing is really a feeling;
it's better than a drug, better than getting high,” Walker said.
Let's hope so—the man came out of retirement and resigned
from a good job at AT&T for this
a^^Lynn Barfield
RECOLLECTIONS \
Great Clothes
Fantastic Prices
255 East Clayton Street
549-9680
^—
Former db Chris Stamey will be back in town Wednesday
the 24th to play a gig at the Shoe Box with a band called the
Sundowners. Hindsight has treated Stamey wen. as apprecia
tion of his pop genius has grown incrementally over the past
couple of years following reissues of much of his material of the
80’s, induding the single "The Summer Sun* on the Rhino DIY
sampler released earlier this year. His new SOL single “Alive'
is scheduled for release on Thursday the 25th, and he's
currently working on a new CD 50. If you haven’t had a chance
to hear his Sneakers release with Mitch Easter on ESO, you're
missing a gem of the songcrafting genre. The Sundowners
indude John Chumtons and Lynn Blakey, best knovn around
here tor her previous work with Magnapop (TS)
J3>
c\
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