Dance Hall Days

Back in '79 I was fourteen years old and having arguments with my friends over who was better, Kiss or The Beatles. You can guess which side I was on. However, we all agreed that disco sucked, and we weren't the only ones.

Tonight at the bar a query was posed as we watched an old David Bowie vid, with a cameo by the dude who used to own Studio 54 back in its heyday. What was the name of the dude who used to own Studio 54?

This was tormenting me, so when I got home I googled it. Turns out it was Stephen Rubell

I  read the history of the building and watched a few videos from the time and remembered wistfully my misspent youth, yet alone my misspent adulthood. At one point a thought flashed through my head that there is no way in hell that myself or anyone I have ever known would have been allowed in to Studio 54 during its heyday.

"Elitist Bastards", I thought to myself.

And then I thought about a guy who has been coming in regularly of late. He is a street person who relentlessly scavenges up and down the avenue. If you live in the area, he is almost impossible not to know, he is that prevalent.

He is suspected of all petty crimes that occur within the hood, but no one has proof that he has ever done anything. He comes in to the bar, pays up front and has never bothered anyone. He tips about half the time.

The house could easily say  "get out, we don't want you in here!". I suspect many bars on the street have already done so.

But we have a more egalitarian sensibility, as we follow the example of the boss. Utter a slur of any kind and you're gone, but if you conduct yourself with respect for our customers, the staff, and the business we don't judge.

Nonetheless, I would prefer that this dude not come in, so maybe in my own way, I'm an elitist bastard. I guess its all relative.

As I watched the Studio 54 videos, I wondered about what it would have been like to work there. Then I felt grateful that I work in a place that values the right to dignity of all human beings, until proven otherwise.

And by the way, The Beatles rock, Kiss is overrated, and disco still sucks ass, no matter what  Eric Cartman
says.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com