THE HISTORY OF
- A Legendary Cultural Icon -
Over the dance floor at Studio, tubes studded with lights steadily rose and descended Flash Gordon style in a dizzying frenzy, while an unearthly sound system pumped out the steady beat of sizzling dance mixes at sometimes numbing decibels. Higher yet, the infamous Spoon made its rhythmic journeys to the insatiable nose of the Man in the Moon. Discharging a fizz of light that rippled and sparkled through the heady air, mimicking cocaine, rollicking cheers would erupt from the most colorfully all-inclusive crowd ever to grace a dance floor. Welcome to the 1970's and what made it so much more than just the undeniably feel-good music, the off-the-wall styles, or anything else that could ever again be recreated. It was a mood, an atmosphere; a carefree, no-holds-barred, non-stop party of seemingly unaccountable indulgences and excesses before AIDS darkened our doorsteps that made it what it was. It was a magical moment in time...and it was truly unforgettable...truly wild and wonderful.
Opened April 26, 1977, "Studio" was the epitome of the wildly free, flambouyant, decadent party lifestyle of the '70s and, as many will confirm, "Darling, it was faaaabulous!" Jimmy Carter's late mother, Lillian, exclaimed after her one and only visit to Studio 54, "I don't know if I was in heaven or hell...but it was WONDERFUL!" Steve Rubell sought the perfect mix crowd and/or theme for any given evening, with no one group having precedence. He referred to it as "tossing the perfect salad."
