The Saint (club)
|
|
The Saint opened in the old premises of the Fillmore East, a former theater turned classic rock-and-roll venue of the 1970s, on 2nd Avenue in New York City's East Village. The Saint opened the weekend after Labor Day, 1980, as a gay nightclub with a membership (returning the idea of a club to "club") and set the standard for disco presentation, lighting, sound system, amazing hydraulics and mechanical support, until it finally closed in 1986.
The Saturday night DJ at The Saint was at the top of his career: Jim Burgess, Roy Thode, Alan Dodd, Robbie Leslie, all had their time in the booth.
The Saint may have been one of the technically and creatively best dance clubs of its era. Three floors surrounded the circular dancefloor which was topped by a planetarium dome. Underneath the dance area was a large lounge with several bars. Above the dancefloor were tiered platforms which looked down onto dancers visible through the scrim of the dome and where men relaxed and indulged in the sexual mores of the time. Several times during the year themed parties such as the "Black Party" and the "White Party" attracted celebrities from around the world.
The final closing party of The Saint lasted three days from Friday night through Monday. There was a live performance every hour culminating in Marlena Shaw singing "Touch Me In The Morning".