Legendary nightclub and, of late, gay dance scene The Roxy closed its doors for good this weekend. Today, the Times pays tribute:
The Roxy, on 18th Street near the West Side Highway, was about to open for its last night. Since 1991, this warhorse of a club, which operates during the week as a roller-skating rink, has made its name as a gay dance hall on Saturday nights. But last month, the word went out that the Roxy would be shutting its doors for good after a final bash on March 10. The building’s owner has plans to sell it to developers.Click through for more, including a run-down of the Roxy's 1-4 customer rating system: “A 3 is a cutie that pays,” [John Blair, a promoter] said.“The end of an era,” read the copy on a stack of promotional cards that sat on a column near the Roxy’s 6,000-square-foot dance floor. The card listed a few employment statistics — “53 disc jockeys”; “781 go-go boys” — in addition to the four “live music icons” (Madonna, Cher, Bette Midler and Beyoncé) who were known to turn up nominally unannounced every now and then and perform a short set.
· Lst Hurrah for Gay Playground [NYT]
· The Roxy [roxynyc.com]
