What a club, what a DJ. Problems were left at the door and for hours you would get lost in what Larry was doing with the sound, lights and the whole trip. He truly was and continues to be a legend. He inspired so many up and coming djs of that time; I was one of them and 30 years later, I still love to spin.

Thanks to all who made it great, especially Larry and Mel.

This was the best club ever! The Garage was like a time machine/alternate universe/acid trip/experience. The environment, the people and Larry's unique mixing created a different world.

It's been 20 some odd years since the last time I set foot in the Paradise Garage and I'm still hearing the music. Thank you Larry (RIP).

I am going to go out on the wild and make a comment that will piss off many people but make it I shall...........

Larry Levan was fabulous in the fabulous Paradise Garage.......No where else was he fabulous.......He was fabulous at the Garage.......

Many great DJs would have been fired instantly for DJing the way Larry DJed......He had is style and it worked fabulously for him, however, ??????Well let's just leave it however........

He was great with the equation Larry + PGarage = Fabuloso............

Lary Levan was innovating, the sound system was the greatest in the universe thanks to the late Richard Long, folded horns were the best , I don't think a club could ever step in those shoes, if you did not go you missed the ultimate experiance in club magic ....

MIKE BRODY + LARRY LEVAN + RICHARD LONG- WHAT A COMBINATION. THE SOUND SYSTEM IN THAT ROOM WAS NOTHING LESS THAN THUNDEROUS. THORENS TURN TABLES WERE NOT THE EASIEST TO PLAY (THEY FLOATED AROUND) HOWEVER THE OTHER GUEST DJ'S SEEM TO DO WELL THERE. TEE SCOTT, LARRY PATTERSON, FRANCIOUS K. & SHEP PETTIBONE ? ETC. THE MUSIC IS STILL UNFORGETTABLE.

Many DJs at other clubs, like Studio 54 would replace the Thorens w/1200's so they could play at full ability and talent....
I agree with the Mike Brody, Larry Levan, Richard Long combination as being magical....I am just saying that Larry was fabulous at the GARAGE because of the ViBe that was created.....His live technical mixing ability as far as blending flawlessly was NOT his fortay..........He was not a technically fabulous mixer and he did things that worked at the GARAGE however, had Larry played at the SAINT he would not have had the response he got at the GARAGE.............

He was great at the GARAGE........It is only my opinion based on my comparison to other DJs of the time....

I FULLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE. NO KNOCK ON LARRY, I HEARD HIM PLAY A FEW TIMES AT ZANZIBAR IN JER Z AND HE WAS NOT THE SAME NOR DID HE GET THAT GARAGE RESPONSE.

Larry's mystique is as much about the PG itself as it was about him. The two went hand in hand. Does it matter to me if he didn't have the same effect somewhere else? Not really. All I know is that when I was in THAT club and Larry Levan was spinning the tunes it was like no other place I had ever been. No harm in that.

NO harm at ALL in that..........Some DJs are consistently good in many arenas, some raise the bar in one particular venue and lower it in others, he had magic during his PG tenure............

a song is worth..a ..a picture is worth a thousand songs..now a thouseand pirtures..a thou.. a..a thou..a..a song is worth athousand pictures..but - a..a song
is. must be worth a thousand pictures also. because we got the song here, and it's worth a thousand pictures. a-and i wrote this song and if you listen to it you can just picture the thousand pictures that we have..here to..it's a song, it's got more than athousand words in it so...uh..listen to this.

LARRY LEVAN was a genius...RICHARD LONG was a genius...Micheal Brody was a genius...UNCLE MEL..and DANNY KRIVIT...VICTOR ROSADO..JOEY LLANOS...so forth and so on...may they forever carry the torch that one lit..and so may we all..

well if you want to carry a tourch then one must carry it all pirahna. if it was the oilylimpics one could run, however when you playback some of the songs now and you do not have that kind of sound system behind you, what was all the fuss about anyway. you see a memory is worth a 1000 pics. but a pic. is worth a thousand tears.

dont get bitter, spread love, i can honestly say no other dj mixed records with the larry touch,just as no other mixer mixed like tom moulton, just like no other singer sung like arthur russell, they are all individuals, dont strip them of this.. and their art, god bless his soul, one day we will all be in paradise.

I have only been in the garage twice with friends but I also heard Larry mix. I agree with a lot of others when they say he was very rough around the edges in that department. But the response of a crowd is what always makes a dj and the club. The way he did it just was pleasing to the ear for a lot of people back then who otherwise probably didn't know that there was a certain art to mixing records. Once a person gets drunk or high at a club along with pulsating sound all mixing sounds good. they just want to dance. I've dee jayed for years and I know I could mix better than larry. But I probably couldn't put it together the way he did. Like others I was surprised after hearing larry mix for the first time. thought he could do much better but the response was very impressive and that will get you over every time. That system he had by Richard Long was the key. When one has that system all you need to know is that urei and the turntables. The "on the beat" mixing know how becomes secondary.

For those of you who are judging Larry on his technical expertise as a mixer, I think you're missing the point. Larry's greatness came from the songs he played and the combinations he played them in. Many of the tunes he played I never heard anywhere else until I found them on a CD, years later. And that was typically on some obscure CD that's not readily available.

The man had a STYLE that could not be duplicated.

I agree Tehuti. It was about the MUSIC that Larry played. He really had the dancers in the palm of his hand and could gauge the feeling and the energy in the room ...

thatjgirl,

You're absolutely right. I remember nights when he'd get the crowd going as fast and furious as possible, then throw on something so off the wall that the floor would clear out. Then just when you were sitting down to catch a breather he'd blast some gem, and everyone would come rushing back onto the dancefloor. It was an ebb and flow kind of thing he liked to do with the crowd.

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, THE HOLY SPRIT AND LARRY LEVAN...YOU TOO WERE A GOD.. R.I.P.. YOUR BOY NOW AND ALWAYS DJ STEVE THE SAGA PEREZ

IM NEW TO THIS BOARD. I ONLY WANTED TO SAY THAT I,VE BEEN TO THE GARAGE A FEW TIMES. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT I LOVED THE CLUB AND LARRY. I LOVE THE ATMOSPHERE THE SOUND AND THE ENERGY. NO OTHER CLUB HAS COME CLOSE OF MY EXPERIENCE FOR DANCING, EXCEPT ONE OCASSION AND THE WAS THE DJ TRACY YOUNG DOING THE FIRST STARS PARTY AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ORLANDO FOR GAY DAYS A FEW YEARS AGO.

The early,and mid 80's,for me were strictly all about the,The PARADISE GARAGE..and now wish to paraphrase three songs that expressed what the GARAGE meant to me...it was "THE MAGIC,THE MOMENT".,"LOVE IS(and was)THE MESSAGE".,And"IT'S NOT OVER,BETWEEN YOU AND ME,WHAT WAS JOINED BY GOD,LET NO MAN PUT USUNDER".

I am researching into the Paradise Garage for my masters degree paper - can anyone who was there at the time please let me know what the surrounding area was like at the time... was it residential, businesses, what kind of people did you fnd there? Was it very different at night from the day time? What kind of reputation did it have at the time? Did it change over the life of the club ie between 1977 (?) and 1987?
Any help and comments are much appreciated.

Hi Tabs,

I hit the Garage big time during 1977-1978 when it was the greatest. The area around the garage was very desolate - I believe a place to take the post office exam was right across the street. On Friday nights there was a mix crowd, though mostly straight. Saturdays had the hard-core gay crowd. The reputation of the club was so great that Mike and Dennis allowed me to bring my parents there (they thought I was on drugs because I slept all day Saturday). Peace

What people sometimes fail to realize (though it has been said many times) is that this master, Larry Levan, told stories. Stay with me! See, there was a maturity to it; not forced but…organic and absolutely spontaneous. You never felt like he’d been at home practicing, or even thinking about the club. His work revolved around sets, groups of songs whose beats didn't always match, but moved you emotionally. And it was so much more esoteric than I can explain. It wasn't easy like - 4 songs with "love" in the title. You never knew what the next song would be, but because it was such a personal experience, you "prayed" for the next song to be yours. And sometimes he obliged you, if you asked (screamed for it) loud enough, and then, he'd be pleased watching as you went completely insane. Larry, this master, knew what I liked but he honestly knew what each and every one of us liked, what your favorite, favorite record was, and HE decided when YOU were ready to hear it. He’d go from playing some nice lovely song, then cut in “Weekend”! Just cut it right in. So damn brazen! It wasn’t about beats.

Later on, when house was starting to kick, one Saturday, Larry mixed "Godfather of House" and "The House Music Anthem". Now, these two records are completely different, one funky and deep, the other up and jumpy, but he just kept going back and fourth, a minute or so of one, then the other, then back. What he was doing was calling us out, calling us from the lounges, from the roofdeck, the theatre. And the floor got gradually more crowded. Very calmly (and quietly), we came to the floor and danced for him.

The other places that he played, (and I've followed him around), they had a different vibe than the Garage. They served alcohol, weren't "marathon" clubs, had young heads runnin' around, lousy lighting, and a group of people who had come together by chance to hear some music or look for sex and a whole host of other things, but would never see each other again. They didn't know that if they allowed themselves to, (as a group), be seduced by his genius, he'd eventually get around to what you'd hoped to hear. Or not. But, you would probably learn something new and days or months, and yes, years later, you think about just how good that goddamn "set" was. That you’d spend all too much time and money trying to find some record he played, only to spend more money and time to get the records that surrounded it.

And one thing more, the other fine DJ's at the club were proof that mixing beats is easy...and great. Playing the true crowd pleasers, all in a row, is great....and easy. But to really make the crowd bark like dogs, bang on the walls, scream ‘til you’re hoarse, faint, or leave the floor because it was just all too emotional, they left that to Larry Levan. Folks, I've honestly seen grown, straight, men cry at the Garage. This man and his excellent crew created a place that had SOUL… along with “A SOUL”, if you can feel me on that. What I've written here are my honest feelings, deeply personal. But if you really, really went to this club, you would have memories like this also. And I'm no one special, didn't hang out in the booth or anything, saw Larry on the street only once in my life. But this man knew me, I'm sure of it. He knew you too.

Paul,

That was the best description of what a night at the Garage was like that I have ever read. As you said it was esoteric. A spiritual, emotional thing that I've not experienced anywhere else. I'm also one of those people still searching for those songs that I've only heard there. And I last set foot in the club back in 1982.

Well said. Thank you.

Paul, your words, are my thoughts.

The Garage was a special place in a special time. I found the Garage in 78, and was blown away. I remember going on Friday nights and hanging out on King Street with Friends, begging members to take us in with them. I remember feeling privileged when I got my first membership card, and like lots of members I still have my last member card. It's a cherished keepsake. It was like being part of a secret society, it made us smug, because we were the only ones who really knew how to party.

What was so special about the Garage is that it was all about the music and the dancing. It was the one club where you would see blacks, whites, hispanics, straights, gays all partying together without any issues.

I remember women who I danced with week after week whose name I never knew or never asked, because it was all about dancing. one of my best friends is someone I met on a dancefloor in Antigua, because we saw each other doing the "Garage Dance" and instantly recognized a kinship. I regained an old friend because my name on Napster was "LarryLevan" and someone IMed asking if I had the music to back that name up. When I opened my full collection, he was amazed and we started chatting, and it turned out to be one of boys from back in the day.

The early days for me were especially special, because the music you heard at the Garage was never heard on the radio or at other clubs. Remember "Body Work" Larry played it for at least a year before it ever made it outside the Garage. I remember going to college parties where an in the know DJ would play a Garage Gem and the dance floor would empty. Then all us Garage heads would take over the floor and go crazy.

Those days at the Garage epitomize the best times of my life. When my friends and I reminisce about those days we all feel truly blessed that we were a part of it. It's hard to explain to someone who never experienced it, how spiritual it was.

Garage music will always be the soundtrack to my life. Oh, and for the record. Larry Levan is God.

Before there was Paradise Garage, there was Reade Street. Michael and larry's first.

i liked the paradise garage. It was okay but i think they e-were more focused on making money.Reade street was the place thats were larry played before the garage .It was wild,the garage for me especially towards the end 85 86 87 had gotten very commercial.Alot of industry people and not people focused on the music. By 86 i started going back to david mancuso loft.

The Paradise Garage was my, second home from 1981-1987. I've met some beautiful people and had some, great times! I danced my @$$ off for six years and heard many genres of music.

I've heard Francois K, Joey Llanos, David Depino and Larry Levan spin at the Paradise Garage. I've seen many performances from Grace Jones to Strafe and far more in between.

The best dancers and partygoers entered and left this, beautiful club!

All in all, it was the best, six years that I've ever had and may the club, Larry, Michael and others who passed on R.I.P.

Paradise Garage was "THE BEST OF THE BEST" Numero #1, in the world or the galaxy, from my expierence the sound system was just like EARTHQUAKE MUSIC pounding and pounding on your head, your body, you know something i get emotionall just talking about it. GOD BLESS YO ALL

hey there boys,

obviously the Garage (and the Saint and the old SF before Jr.) is alive and well in our memories (worth at least 1200 pix... hmm turntable ref). I had no idea!! But even if i could have the pleasure of holding actual photos in my hand they'd pale in comparison to my memories and feelings of community and support and total unconditional LOVE that i received during this time. I am so proud and thankful to all of you for accepting me as one of the few (very few) girls to be so lucky to experience this most special time in our lives. We DANCED. We SOARED, we REVELED we SAW-not just looked we LOVED we TRANSCENDED (didn't we??). what in the world is better than that?

After the scene ended (for me early 90s at SF before it became "trendy") I looked half-heartedly for another venue that could bring not only the music and the magic but most importantly-- the LOVE that mattered to us so much.
Nothing even came close. I still run into some people from my crowd from the old days, occsionally, and its so good! but that time was a capsule. When i'm feeling blue I search for Saint sites and salsoul sites and i feel better. Tonight I found all y'all. Personal thanks to my friend and life-changing force Thomas S. who brought me into this world. I'll never forget.

Reading this page tonight (morning?) made me feel SO good.

love to you all. and i KNOW about that Garage dance. A few of us know...
xx

I am glad I found this website. I just want to share my experience with those that have been there. Most people don't understand.

I had my first awakening in 79'. I was only 16 years old at the time. I went to the Garage with the resident DJ of one our clubs in Boston. We didn't have much of club scene at the time, but he would spin a taste of the Garage for us in Boston, this cat knew what was up.

Anyway, this is what I remember. It was the dead of winter and it was freezing outside, we drove from Boston out to Long Island to pick up his cousin. We arrived at the Garage at about 3:00 am. When we entered the club my plan was to change into much lighter attire to dance in, for me that was my "broke down" penny loafers (by the way the floors in the Garage where fabulous for dancing, my loafers would glide across the floor especially when they dropped the confetti), or my sneakers, a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, but I never changed out of the heavy garments I arrived in. From the time I walked into the club I was swept up in the vibe. Everyone who was on the dance floor was in the zone. Some folks danced alone, while others were seemingly joined by their flesh, but regardless of the circumstance everyone was in the same place. That night I danced in my boots, jeans, and heavy cable knit sweater all night long. I was in such a state of euphoria that it did not matter what I was wearing. We stayed until the club closed at 12:00 pm. When I left the club I was totally soaked, and white from the sweat that had accumulated on my face. I'm telling you I never left the dance floor that night. If I wasn't dancing I was watching in awe, at some of the most incredible dancers I had ever seen. My soul was lifted. I didn't even see the theatre or the rooftop deck until my second visit.

When we arrived at the hotel that afternoon I showered, ate a little something, go into the bed, and slept until the following morning. My friends went back to the Garage that night, but I remained in my blissful slumber until the following morning. Everytime I walked into that club between 79' and 84' I knew what it really meant to feel free. I partied on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, and it was never an issue. I went for there for the music, and Larry served it up. The garage put you in a pure and uninhibited state of mind. This was my altered state.

When I hear people talk about clubs now I tell them they have absolutely no idea what it means to truly party. They just don't know. I'm 42 years old now, but when I stop and think about the many nights (into day) I spent at the Garage, I can only smile and remember how I felt my first night there, and the subsequent nights I spent during the five years I frequented the club. This was a wonderous experience that can never be duplicated. For those that missed it, I'm sorry...For those that were there but feel compelled to critique Larry's technique, guess what, you missed it too................

Well i was too young to venture to the Paradise Garage and it is the one regret of my life. Larry Levan's legend will never diminish in Club Land he was THE DJ and PG was THE club. It says much that 19 years since its closure it is still revered as a Temple and Larry Levan as a disciple. I for one would give plenty to have tasted that experience

Hi...It is such a treat to read these remembrances of the Garage! I was taken there in 1978 I believe by my friend Tony...We lived in Albany..but spent many many weekends in NYC. I'm a Native NY-er..but my career brought me upstate.

Anyway...there were many weekends when I would leave Albany at midnight...and drive straight to King Street...arriving around 3am.. I would buy some mescaline for two bucks on the line...bat my eyelashes until a member took me in with him...and I was OFF. The pounding sound at the door...the runway lights on the ramp to the box office...It was almost like a dream...but still to this day I can see hear and smell ..all of it. The music was like no where else. The dancers were like nowhere else. I would return to Albany and tell my buddies ..you folks have no idea of what partying really is..! They thought I was being snobbish..but I knew what I was talking about.

I was there one night high on my little blue pill...standing against the wall that enters into the movie room...when suddenly the crowd started running toward me...like a stampede into the doors...and outside. I ran also..got outside and asked what had happened. Someone said it was a holdupat the box office with a gun! I didn't believe it because the music never stopped. So after a few minutes I went back in to continue dancing. but the crowd was much smaller..but the music never stopped. two days later in the Daily News...a little report about a gun hold up at the Garage! In the passing years as I meet more and more Garage Alumni...I have not found anyone who was there that night.

I bought Mel Cherren's book. I buy Garage compilations when I can...and I still cherish all of those sounds form those days. That is still the music of my life. Nothing is any better. I remember hearing 'Clouds' by Chaka and the sound of rain and thunder pounding in the darkness. Sometimes I could cry from my memories of this special place..and knowing that I was part of it..continues to enthrall me.

if you worked at the club and can remember the lighting design, hit me up

One poster recalls the smell. You may not remember the garage had a distict smell, not from the incense but something in the paint or that it used to be a garage. You would be on that rap and the smell told me Yeah I'm at the Garage, it was a sort of critricy smell.

Everyone talks about the sound but also important to the garage were the lights. When I first went to the garage in 1980 it had some track light grid design, but when they redid they lights into the five or seven circles in 1981 it was one of the best light shows in the city. That light show, the thunderous sound, the people, the music, the movie room, the snacks and the drugs (my pref; mesculine), all contributed to the making the garage to place it was and that i will never forget.

As for Larry, during the years that I was going he was not a great mixer, but he knew the records to play and many Fridays and Saturdays I danced my a** off. I remember one time Francois K. played, i didn't get any mesc that night (i got there late and no mesc sellers were out side) but he tore sh*t up. For me he played better than Larry, he had the right records and he mixed them. But i remember someone yelling at the end of the party "This is Larry's House"

I loved the Garage for my time period there (1981-1984). I had stopped going for a couple of years and when I returned, the people had changed, that was on a friday nite, i didn't like the crowd, i didn't like the music, I did not have a good time, I wish I would have tried a Saturday nite but i didn't and I never went back, i even missed the closing nite party to my regret.

If anyone knows who designed or has a copy of the lighting design for the garage I would be greatly interested

I want to share some insight..
Paradise Garage was not only a club... It was a lifestyle of peace with one's self and others, something you do not and will not ever see again!

Larry Levan was loaned to us all to gather strength and spirituality for a very cruel and ugly world we faced everyday. In his honor maybe he should'nt be judged on technical merit, but on how we felt when we left the PG on Saturday or Sunday mornings. Did we try to spread the message of love? Did we try to let people know that music was "Always" the answer? maybe... Maybe not, but, i know this much... The PG was an institution of hope for all to go out be great in whatever they chose to do.

In the grand scheme of things i learned from going to the PG that; You don't have to be great start anything, but you have to start in order to be great!
PS... Anyone know what happened to the Indian chief who dance with bells and stuff?
peace
JR

I HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH INVESTORS IN MY AREA AND WE ARE IN THE DISCUSSION STAGES OF CREATING A DANCE CLUB HERE IN PHILADELPHIA, PA. I HAVE A LIST OF 1000 PG CLASSICS IN WHICH I WILL ATTEMPT TO LOCATE. MY QUESTION IS, ARE THERE ANY SHOPS LIKE VYNOLMANIA ON CARMINE ST OR DANCE TRAXX ON 3RD ST? I HAD A VAST COLLECTION I DJ'D WITH WHICH WAS LOST TO FIRE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. IF ANY OF THE SHOPS I JUST MENTIONED AREN'T AROUND ANYMORE, CAN YOU TELL WHERE I CAN FIND THE PG CLASSICS IN NYC OR ON THE NET?
YOUR HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
THANKS SO MUCH,


In anything you do in life....You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start so you can be great in whatever you choose.

Thank you,
John Rosario

I don't know where you can find any of the classics in vinyl, but fortunately a lot of them can be found on CD. Check Amazon.com for anything related to Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, Danny Tenaglia, Junior Vasquez, the Loft etc. Also I know the UK is big on American dance music from that era. So you might be able to find some of those songs in the UK.

Keep us posted on the progress with your club. It sounds like an exciting project.

tehuti

Hi all,,,
YES I have to agree with Larry2..the Paradaise Garage was the Mother,and Father,of all F-----g clubs... and today I've yet to hear any club come even close to it.. lets start a garage forum on this web site,,but not on this page,,lets take this to the forum of this site.. in the name of Larry Levan, Richard Long, Michael Brody and the PARADISE GARAGE......p.s. if you want to see one of 3 studio systems that Richard Long did for me back in the days when I worked for the garage go to djsportal.com and look up the 100 best disco dj of the disco era.. I'm number 58 and go by the name of DJ STEVE THE SAGA PEREZ..I'M THERE WITH THE BEST OF THEM...PEACE

Good news! "Journey Into Paradise - The Larry Levan Story" is in stores. I just picked it up today at Virgin Megastore and am listening to it as I write this.

This is a 2 CD set of Larry classics. Some hard or impossible to find anymore. Others are available on one of the other Larry/PG compilations. These are not mixed but they are all long versions or Larry's remix versions. 11 songs on each disc.

Disc: 1
1. Paradise -- Change
2. Weekend -- Phreek
3. Clouds -- Chaka Khan
4. Haven't You Heard -- Patrice Rushen
5. We Got the Funk -- Positive Force
6. Smack Dab in the Middle -- Janice McClain
7. Bad For Me -- Dee Dee Bridgewater
8. Heartbeat -- Taana Gardner
9. You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me) -- David Joseph
10. Love Honey, Love Heartache -- Man Friday
11. Don't Make Me Wait -- Peech Boys

Disc: 2
1. Baby I'm Scared of You -- Womack & Womack
2. Lost in Music -- Sister Sledge
3. Why Leave Us Alone -- Five Special
4. Love Injection -- Trussel
5. Can't Play Around -- Lace
6. Ain't No Mountain High Enough -- Inner Life
7. It Should Have Been You -- Gwen Guthrie
8. Lover's Holiday -- Change
9. Situation -- Yaz
10. Once in a Lifetime -- Talking Heads
11. Love Has Come Around -- Donald Byrd & 125th Street, NYC.

I LOVE MUSIC. I LOVE DANCE MUSIC. AND I LOVE PARADISE GARAGE. I LOVE LARRY LEVAN.

John Rosario, try dustygrooves.com they have a lot of classics and sometimes E-bay has some vinyl from that era. Just surf the net there's thousands of options on the 'Net .

I was too young to experience the Transcendential Spirituality of The Garage the more music I hear from the PG the sadder it makes me feel that I could not experience this. Let's face the Reality neither House nor Garage Music would exist if it weren't for Larry Levan who not only IS the Greatest DJ ever he was also like a Prophetic Visionary if you heard Levan's production on The Peech Boy's album you can see where a lot of Musicians get their trademark "80's" sound that you hear in a lot of Movies from that era and Early House Music's stripped down style owes that to Levan. Levans stripped down productions gave birth to whole new styles of Music. HipHop benefitted ENORMOUSLY from Larry Levan's production style. Levan's Music choices are the backbone of Deep house and it's many other Sub-Genres. Anyone who is concerned about His abilities as a Mixer in terms of mixing beats? well you missed the point. SOUL is not ruled by the Physical Levan was on a Hgher Vibration. His insight was not of this world. He did for DJing what Hendrix did for the Guitar and like Hendrix you rarely realize that you are watching A spark of God put here to Illuminate His children with Higher Purpose like Love and Brotherhood. Things sadly absent in this day and time. Larry Levan showed and proved that this message can resonate just as clear on the Dance Floor as any place else. God's Divine Message reaches everywhere and Larry Levan was one of His many Messengers. Give Thanks if you were actually there to hear the Message now those of you who were there please share that message and teach those who were not able to hear ,love , and appreciate the message. so we can learn how to properly spread it.

I have been ruined for life because of The Loft , Paradise and Better Days-I have never enjoyed another club like those esp Larry at PG! I did go by Shelter around 2000-still compared it-are there any parties honoring Larry in LA? Anyone interested an giving one? Get at me.

I remember going to the Garage in the early 80's, there was nothing in this world close to it. Later I would return in the future there with Liz Torres/Master C&J ,and photographer Tina Paul, Arlene (fifibear.com) and experienced the closing of the Paradise Garage.
The 72 hour closing of the Paradise Garage is a memory I truly will treasure and Larry Levan truly worked it !!

Oh man!

The hours I have wasted trying to explain to people who have never heard what a really great dj sounds like. Paul is right, what LL did when he put together a set was weave lyrics, hooks, beats and themes with a throughline of emotion. So you'd start off slow and easy or light and breezy (sorry about that) and over the course of a set, things would get heavy, intense, stormy, and then maybe you'd just hit bottom, and then slowly, things would look up, the dawn would break, the light would return, the sky would open up, the joy would break in (and the sweat would be soaking your clothes) and everywhere you looked around you, people of all shapes, sizes, colors and incomes would have these beatific smiles on their face and everyone once in awhile, your eyes would meet someone else's and you'd both barely nod as if to say "I'm right there with you, I'm feeling it, I'm feeling myself, I'm feeling you and I'm feeling everyone else here with us tonight..."

Probably it was one of the first clubs I've ever been in where white people (such as myself) were in the minority and ever since, when I want to dance and feel the love, I gravitate toward clubs with more people of color; it sounds crazy to generalize this way, but in my experience, people are nicer, friendlier and have better manners in the urban clubs. The white gay clubs are too uptight, competitive and everyone is too status-obsessed and anxiety-riddent to have a good time.

So thank you, LL and Mel (and Kevin, who turned me onto the place) for sharing a piece of Heaven a big dumpy white boy from South Jersey would have never known existed.

It was the people, the music, the staff that made PG what it was. Ive been around. But never have I felt that way about a club again. We will miss you!!!!

Paradise Garage in and of itself is an icon for the dance music scene of today. Without Larry Levan and the Garage there would be no history and no benchmark for what we still enjoy on the dance music scene. Many can complain and many can compare, but Larry's dj style lives on forever. From the highs to the lows..., Larry new how to get us to feel his love for music. For, it was not just about dancing, but about feeling the music that he bestowed upon us from his booth. We rocked, rolled, thumped, and grooved to his sound. It was innovative and it was new every weekend - we didn't know what to expect.
However, we loved it. Many dj's today mimic his sound with strong highs and deep lows and creative mixing. Larry Levan opened up our mind to creativity and way of listening to dance music that was intoxicating.

From "Heart Beat" by Tany Gardner to "Macho City" by Steve Miller - Larry rocked the house. Hence the term House Music...

Peace and Love to all Paradise Garage friends and family.

I can't believe this. I stayed on till 4:30 in the morning to read all the opinions regarding the Paradise Garage. Let me tell you guys something. I was born and raised in NYC. I am 39 yrs old. For those who don't know the whole club scene from 70's to the 80's or who never experienced it, then you will never know what it is to experience a genre, a time and place like those days.

PG was the place period. The benchmark of what a club, a D.J. and a sound system was. As a straight guy, I found it hard at times to go, but the music and the mythological experience one had was transcending. I laugh at some of the people critiquing Larry Levan's ability. Everyone who is anyone, who really knows music, I mean really knows old school music, not even some sh*t that's played by so called D.J.'s today-know that Larry Levan was not known for mixing. He was know for cross over jams that no one would ever think of playing. The dude was a genius, and more importantly set the standard in the difference between a technical D.J. and a Palette driven D.J. which believe it or not makes the D.J. I know plenty of D.j's that are great mixers but don't know sh*t about music.

Remember, house music was born out of the PG and it's no mystery why his brand of music has the legendary following it has. It even has it's own title "Garage Music". I don't know what other d.j. can claim that degree of fame or achievement. If you really know music, then you understand, if you really grew up in the inner city's of NYC from Brooklyn to Manhattan, Bronx, Queens during that period of music and life, then you will understand what the whole Garage vibe was about. It was similar to the Inferno, Bonds, Zanzibar, etc.. era. You just had to live it, and live here in NYC to appreciate it and remember what an incredible time I had the pleasure to live in.

I only regret that I only went there about 5-6 times, but I knew and hung out with real New Yorkers who were hardcore music people, and club heads. It's just the whole vision of the times, just like the Grafitti era at the time as well. Where and when will you be able to witness credible artists create masterpieces on steel, mobil canvases, on a day to day basis as you start your mornings, and be able to engulf yourself on the weekends in music that would be someday considered the cornerstone of nightlife. Amazing. I just wish we can go back to that time in NYC, but look what it has become. Unbearable... So just remember, Larry Levan was the piper who carried it the sparked the torch and lit the fire high enough to be able to be seen through those who had the vision and the sense of music to have to see it end someday. RIP larry..

Julio (kay)
Corona back in the day

I am now 48 years young and still hang out in the nyc underground scene. Some kids never grow up. However, Nothing to date comes remotely close to my clubland experiances at the Paradise Garage!!! Holloween, Saturday night performances, Larry on the decks....
He showcased the most incredible acts, broke records like no one on this planet, and could create vibes like no other dj ever!!!! Dark, happy, funky, soulful, Gospel, uptempo downtempo, you name it... We all will acknowledge that he wasn't the most graceful mixer at times, however, his song selection, and penchant for the spectacular presentation is what makes him stand alone..... I once had the priveledge to sit in the booth and hang out for hours in amazement... It was like being taken on a musical journey. That sound system unparralled ever...RLA rest in peace... One moment that really stands out (and there were many), Larry was in a foul mood and he turned off the music and lights, with an occasional strobe going on in different sections of the dance floor like lightening... People were clappin, stompin their feet,and Hollering. After a while he began to bring in the sound of thunder, the place was going nuts.... Then he brought in Clouds by Chaka Kahn and that crescendo part before she sings exploded with confetti onto the dance floor. I F!@#$%^&*ing cried right there on the dance floor. A true master of emotion.... He took what David and Nicky had and brought it to the next level. Those experiances expanded my horizons. My depth of understanding for music, life, history and acceptance of others were born of these moments. We lived for those moments... More to come.
PS, almost 30 yrs later the original green muscle tee shirt hangs in a frame in my studio today!

Well if you really knew the beginning, the Garage, was started by the late Dennis Tommasetti, he was Michael Brody's partner and the true genius!!! Larry brought the crowd in.. messed with our heads with his abrupt changings and mood swings. My fav diva was Sylvester! I was one of the few straight women Noel let in. Believe it or not, I meet my spouse there in 1981! We moved to Fl in 1988 and still have a bunch of friends I meet there on that dance floor!

Someone posted a comment about house music being born out of the garage that is simply not true.House music as we know it started in chicago,by chicago djs and producers in chicago.I went to the garage several times and honestly i didnt enjoy myself like at reade street and especially the loft.The loft to me was the greatest of all time,david not only was instrumental in the development of ny nightlife people talk about atmosphere and the garage,but truly if you wanted atmosphere the loft was the place to go.Everytime i hear tracks like city country city and melting pot it brings me back to the loft.Paradise garage was to many things,I saw straight men s resentment towards the gays when i went there.It got so bad they had to create a second night for the straight men to go to.Women were always allowed on both nights.That to me was ridiculous,disco house whatever you want to call it is gay music,the gays first played it and most of the djs back then were gay (larry was gay) so to go on like it was this and that,it was heaven lets be real.Heaven is a place where all people can come together and dance straight,gay,whatever.Not a place where a straight night had to be added to protect straight male egos.Loft wasnt about that you went there to dance no one cared who was gay,who was straight or whatever.I think mike brody was so focused on making money he forgot about the true principles of what disco was about,togetherness.By 86 i just stopped going it had become what studio 54 was,commercial.

I don't know about that once you got drunk. I don't remember the Garage serving alcohol. I remember them having fruit and juice at the bar and that smoke that used to come out the walls. Helluva experience!

I got the chance back in the early 80's to go to PG. All the hype is true! It was truly a transcendant experience. The lights, the sounds the crowd was a completely surreal trip. I have been searching for the past 20 years for something to come close. Truly a magical time.

Hi - Just my two cents regarding PG - and the current state of "dance” music of which I think I can opine on. PG was one of my favorite spots along with the music of that era in general. (Remember Frankie Crocker on WBLS – Bobby Konders mixing it up on KISS) Don’t get me wrong some of the music being recorded today is phenomenal but you rarely find a club, its DJ and their “set” encompassing what people experienced at the “Garage” or even at the “Loft”. (Party for Loft still going somewhat but has lost its luster a bit) While at the Garage I had incredible thought-provoking emotional highs and lows. Most of them were Sober too!!! LOL

Anyway for the folks here still trying to re-connect to that era, the vibe and it’s music you need to check out several DJ’s and their venues in NYC. Francois K (who used to spin at the garage) , Louie Vega, Danny Krivit, Joe Claussell, Timmy Regisford and others who have carried the torch for the last 10 – 20 years. Albeit a different vibe / venue they have come close to the “feeling” I had at the Garage on more than one occasion. They will throw down on both new and “old” incredible music that will have you say damn…. This brings me back. I say it can happen again if you let it!!!

I’m turning 46 this year (Told I look 30-something-Great for the Ego) and been a DJ enthusiast (mostly private club venues overseas) ever since getting turned on in the 70’s to “dance” music at Inferno’s, Ones, Loft, FACES, Les Mouches, Gallery, Bonds, Loft and Garage. Thanfully the music, the DJ’s and the venue that can move you is still out there but the powers to be (namely greedy promoters / club owners, record companies and radio stations) no longer support it so it has gone totally underground here in the states. Only way I hear or know of the venue or music is because of friends in the know or the individual DJ’s named above. It’s truly a shame when you can only find “Garage” style music, that “Smile on face and I’m feeling good” vibe mainly outside of the U.S. – Frankly the only spot in NYC I felt that was at the Body and Soul weekly parties which now only reunites several times a year to throw a party in NYC. Last year on July 1st @ P.S. 1 (MOMA annex) was a throw back to the old school block party. Talk about a melting pot - from kids as young as 4-5 to folks as old as 70 grooving to “dance” music.

Nuff said. SYOTDF (See You On The Dance Floor )

Peace – Joe Rivera

Hey,

We are doing a film about New York City in 1977 to air on vh1 this
summer. I found you online and you seem like you have some great
stuff! We have a big hole in our paradise garage section of our film.
We interviewed Mel Cheren for our film. We are open to licensing
anything (footage, photos, invites, etc) that we can find that is
decent high resoultion quality.

Below is what we are looking for. I also included other inquiries just
for the heck of it! If you have any resources or leads, we would be
much appreciated!

Looking for the following...ALL around circa 1977-1980 unless
otherwise noted....

-Paradise Garage and its disco culture. Shots of outside and inside
Paradise Garage. Paradise Garage parties when the Garage was under
construction. Garage sign. Dancers. ANYTHING related.

-David Mancuso and his Loft parties. The Loft. ANYTHING related to this.


-Shots of SOHO looking in decay

-any punk footage The Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads,
Richard Hell and cbgbs!

Thanks!
sarah

Hi

All this talk of Larry and the Paradise Garage gets me a) jealous because i never got the chance to go and b) emotional because it was the ultimate club and Larry the ultimate DJ and that is the thing for someone like me and the thousands of people who have never set foot in that club it carries a certain magical mystique that no club will ever capture. For all of you who went it must have been fantastic and just by reading all these comments on here it will never be forgotten by any of you who frequented the Garage.
It stands on it's own. RIP Larry.

I met someone years ago who said he worked at Paradise Garage for a couple years as security. He said they called him "Wolf". I think it was around 1980-81 or earlier. Does anyone remember him?

Show me one dj who can keep you on the floor like are LORD LARRY THE CHRIST LEVAN,and I'll show you a lier

I may be the youngest person on this site to post. I'm 40 going on 41 in january living in ny for 41 yrs. I feel very blessed to have experienced many
parts of New york's musical history.
i lived two blocks from the bronx club disco fever from opening to close. I
lived across the street from keith sweat's rehersal studio when he started with the group jamal {which memebers of that group now play with r&B singer angie stone} my cousin is a former member of SWV LEE LEE and DJ D-NICE was all in the same neighborhood. Then comes my experience at the garage {attn sarah sawyer i wish i could have helped you with your request, but i just caught the show on vh1classics 11/27} my cousin took me to the garage i got in at 18 or 19 yrs old on saturday june 86 and i'm here to tell you that feeling has not left me to this day the
bathrooms the people the music the stars you would see dancing next to you
diana ross, madonna, patti labelle {after hearing her live and up close words cannot express the experience } And grace jones oh my god!!! just typing this brings back the memories of such a place that was a true gift to
be a part of. I met people now a days and they go out to clubs and say they wish they could have been their. I requested a song by larry i could only sing it to him in his ear... aint no bodies bizness if i do i still donot know who sings that song ? But anyway i would dance and dance all the way till 11.00 am and arrived the night before at 11.00 pm. That music was way past what i have read on this site it was a gift for life. You met people of all walks of life you learned how to get along with anyone .That music and larry
made any problems you were facing, any person you were having difficulty with
seem obselet. I don't travel much but when i went to the paradise garage i felt like i went around the world. There was a Drag queen named MA-Renee and the close and costumes she would put on was a part of the aura of the club. The people even looked diffrent then less tense and uptight. Even though
sat was a gay night there was many people there that were straight couples coming to party on saturdays because word got around that saturday was a better night. No drugs, No alcohol No fights, No guns. So many succesful people came out of the garage whoa re now in the music business. 1 time i saw Ecstacy Passion & Pain and i tell you that lady sung so hard i almost fell out
in 2nd row. Larry also introduced a group that reminded you of two tons of fun called Hot Chocolate and between his talents and their singing you can only imagine that was the 2 nd time i saw people just passing out from the experience other that when patti labelle came and people had to be Hospitalized from shock. What a pleasure it was and still is to be a part of NY Dance History. Larry levan you taught many what it is to love true music. God put you on this earth to do what exactly you did..You will always be the Ghandi and Martin luther king of
Club music. Rest in peace

Hi Sarah,
I have some things for your paradise garage footage..please e-mail me AT staffparadisegarage@yahoo.com and maybe we can meet one day..take care

THE MAN LIKES MILK NOW HE OWNS A MILLION COWS, CAN YOU AMAGIN ALL THAT MILK. TELL ME THAT I'M DREAMING.

CAN YOU SHAKE TO THE RYTHUM OF THE LATIN GROOVE.

DON'T MAKE ME WAIT ALL NIGHT, TONIGHT I'M GOING TO LOVE YOU!

GET ON UP AND DO IT AGAIN, YOU CAN DO IT ONE MORE TIME!

SPANK, DO DO DO DO, SPANK DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, SPANK DO DO DO DO, SPANK, LET'S GET TO IT, TO IT

I CAN TELL BY THE WAY YOU LOOK AT ME , I CAN TELL BY THE WAY CARE FOR ME, I CAN TELL BY THE WAY WE ARGUE AND DO OUR THING , I CAN TELL WHEN WE DO OUR THING WE SWING WE SWING GIRL, CAN'T HIDE , YOUR LOVE FOR ME!

I LIKE TO FEEL THE SUN IN THE MORNING , I LIKE TO SEE THE MOON AT NIGHT. I LOVE YOU , I LOVE YOU!

OH MAMA MAMA YOU GOT ME LIVING ON THE FRONT LINE, OH MAMA MAMA YOU GOT ME BORN IN THE WRONG TIME!

MY POINT IS, HAVING BEEN BORN AND RAISED IN NYC AND BEING ONE WHO IS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE TRAVELED THE WORLD, I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE UP IN THE PERIOD THAT I DID, PARTICULARLY FROM A MUSIC STANDPOINT, AND TO HAVE EXPERIANCED THE INSTITUTION THAT WAS THE PARADISE GARAGE. I PUT LARRY LEVAN IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS FRANKY CROOKER, THE TOTAL BLACK EXPERIANCE IN SOUND.

I WANT TO THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER!

Agreed. No other sound system on the planet could touch the Paradise Garage. I remember Larry would spin a record. One record unmixed with another and the crowd would go nuts. It was'nt just the sound system. The way the system was set up with the room full seemed like the building itself was dancing along with the people with the floor seemingly bouncing up, & down in sync with the rhythem. I had the privelidge of being in the booth with Larry Levan. Dude was a mystical genius on the turntables in that room. I had the privelidge of getting to know Richard Long. Actually got a tour of the shop where they constructed parts of the systems he built. Crown PSA 2's, & all. Gauss, or Fostex 18"s in the system with JBL components. The club was a knockout.

OH MY GOD! The Paradise Garage was the place to go and let go! I lost touch with all of the people that went with me. The hardest thing to think about is the friends that passed away...I went there in the late 70's and early 80's. I went with Jackie, Mickey, Elisa, Diana. "Rest in peace Thomas D'Auria and Emilio Soto" I love you both and will miss you both always!

In the late seventies, Paradise Garage was a very popular club. A sound system that was out of this world, and a crowd that reacted to every mix. Any capable deejay would have become famous there. the fact that Larry Levin became a house hold name is proof of that. Larry could be down-right bad at times, but the crowd loved whatever he did. Women everywhere!! On my scale of 1 to 10, an easy 10.

Wow the best club ever was the Paradise Garage nothing like and never will be like it that was home that was the very 1st club in NY that I ever went to and fell in love with the place you can wear whatever you wanted to wear no problems everyone came for one thing & that was to dance. The music was so vicious that you would hear it coming up thr ramp & hear ringing in your ears on the way home from Larry Levan playing that serious music 1 of my favorite songs was by visual the musics got me, when Larry played that people went crazy & when Grace Jones came to town the was a wrap! Thanks for the memories & Thanks to you Larry Levan the best DJ I ever heard Rest in peace Bro..........

PARADISE GARAGE was a very influential club, constantly packed. But I disagree with DJ AL, LARRY LEVAN was in no way THE BEST, you should have heard JIMMY BURGESS and JELLYBEAN when they first got started, they blew LARRY out of the club! Don't get me wrong, LARRY was awesome, but you had to hear many others before calling anyone THE BEST!! And your interpretation as to what makes a deejay GREAT might be different then others. PINKY was great, Bobby V, and BOBBY LOMBARDI were also in that category. Too many to mention them all, today, Scott Blackwell is better then almost all others, including all those "Superstars" that get paid mega dollars! There were hundreds of deejays that were better then TODAY'S big names. But AL, PARADISE GARAGE was everything you remember, and probably a lot more. DISCO ON!!

When I first went to this club back in 1985 on a Saturday night after leaving another at 4 a.m...I knew I was going to fall in LOVE instantly. I never experienced anything in any other dance club like i did that night. The floor was VIBRATING, PULSATING with INTENSITY as the MUSIC & LIGHTS TOOK YOUR SOUL!! Became a member of the PARADISE GARAGE a week later. LOL! JC - Bronx via Upstate, NY

went to the garage many a times in the early years
it was very much an attitude and lifestyle. Non judgemental, diverse, vibrant, a mass of human kind enjoying the rhythms. White, black, spanish, straight, gay , celebs , young and old.
You could dance with Grace Jones or Keith Haring and it was cool. Great folks there Larry Levan, Joey Madonia,Mel. I remember hanging out with some of the employees in an upstairs room, strange it had a sewing machine there also I remember.We'd have a few "whatevers" and then go down to the club.

I still treasure my PG 'pillbox" with the Garage Logo.

Made so many friends of so many different persuasions. What an example for the world, the garage was the UN of Disco !

I went to the Newport Beach Film Festival last night to see "The Universe of Keith Haring", a documentary about the great artist from the '80s. In the film there was some good footage of the Garage, including Grace Jones doing "Slave to the Rhythm". She was covered in painted symbols that Keith had done. Also Junior Vasquez and Fab 5 Freddie talked about the Garage experience and how much Haring and his crew liked to hang out there.

Going on 21 years since the closing and 30 years since I first started partying there. Trust me I still can't shake that place off me. God I miss Larry and the staff. Everyone was wounderful like family sometimes better than family. I'm housed forever.

I remain in awe of the awe of Larry Levan.........I just don't understand how someone w/such little talent (and yes, Jim Burgess and Jellybean could blow smoke rings around Larry) particularly Jimmy Burgess.......Jimmy was so flawless in front of both "straights" and "all others..." He was powerful, inspirational, incredibly technically talented w/Drama to bottle and sell to Larry.... LOL!

Bravo!

With all do respect to all those who have posted comments about PG, I have to say it's wonderful to hear both PROS and CONS. I couldn't stop reading as it just fills me up the joy to see so many people have not forgot what it was like; however, what I haven't read from any of you is how it was in the beginning, the night the light first came on in Paradise. Heres my experience.

I was fortunate to know Larry before PG opened. I remember when he was excited about the club and the plans both he and Mike had for it. I visited with Richard Long at his shop in SoHo and saw the speakers being designed. Remember SoHo? I was there the week before the first party when the main room had no floor and a sign was posted in front that said "UNDER CONSTRUCTION". Only a few of us about 200 was there that first night. No one knew what to expect. Standing online we all began to file in, bags of cloths on our backs and started up the long ramp. We entered after paying our dues to one of three windows, made a right turn and entered and checked our belongings. The floor was full of sawdust and bails of hay. The dance floor was the front lounge and Larry played from what would later be the kitchen for a while. There were risers that would later become speaker stands or part of the stage. We danced to many records that night but the two I remember most were "Got To Have Your Love" and both Lenny Williams tracks "Please Don't Tempt Me and Choosing You" which he played over and over again. By the time we all left that morning, we were full of the dust that permeated in the air from the floor. Dirty, sweaty, ten pound lost from dancing all night, we all (everybody) looked like we had just been in a dust storm. Ears buzzing, stoned out of our minds we could just smile because we knew we were apart of what would become one of the best partying experiences anyone could have; it was Saturday morning. At the Loft later that night we could only think of Larry and Mike and how their dream was now a reality, and that reality lives today. We, all of those who attended that night and all of you, have kept their dream alive, and to that end I say bravo.

God bless all of us for remembering.

Larry was a special guy wasn't he, a pioneer, a "different" type of character. I enjoyed hearing him, watching him perform. And you all KNOW he was performing!! He was a ham, whom enjoyed all the attention. God Bless him, the inspiration to many.

THE MAN LIKES MILK NOW HE OWNS A MILLION COWS, CAN YOU AMAGIN ALL THAT MILK. TELL ME THAT I'M DREAMING. CAN YOU SHAKE TO THE RYTHUM OF THE LATIN GROOVE. ...
Can you please tell me the name of this song.
Thanks
Joe DeVita

THE FIRST SONG IS TELL ME THAT I'M DREAMING..BY WAS NOT WAS..THE SECOND SONG IS CAN YOU MOVE..BY MODERN ROMANCE