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Backstreet: An oral history of Atlantas most fabled 24-hour nightclub, Block by Block: Stories from the streets that connect us, 2020 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Designer Showhouse, DINES: A Taste of the Citys Best Restaurants, Atlanta drag star Phoenix emcees Starlight Cabaret as it returns to Atlanta Pride this weekend. I just thought I was working too much. Playing those first records was one of the most electrifying moments that Ive ever had in my whole life. Bev Cook was the manager at Backstreet at the time, and she had been coming in to see the dinner show. (4) (186) 8.3. Goodie Mob, Lil Jon, and Jermaine Dupri are considered hip-hop sages. Brown was still entertaining fans at Lips, an Atlanta drag restaurant, until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Former Braves player and TV yuckster Bob Uecker was a fixture, and Rankin Smith and Pete Rozell shared a toast at the club the day Smith purchased the Falcons. On June 15, 1989, Underground Atlanta re-opened as more of a modern shopping mall than an entertainment district. I never really got fazed unless there was a redneck in the room. The club finally closed down for good [on July 17, 2004]. Atlanta, GA 30318. The DJs wouldnt let us sweep the floor or even take the trash cans from around the dance floor. Courtesy of MJQ Concourse One of the city's most beloved and longest-running clubs, MJQ Concourse is an Atlanta nightlife staple. She said, Dont sweat it, bitch. A caged dancer would be lowered from the ceiling and land at the foot of the stage. I was scared. "You could probably count on a fight at least every other night," says Eric Snoddy, a former Metroplex security guard and doorman. RupertsFilling the shoes of the Limelightthe disco of Disco Kroger famewas a tall order, but Ruperts kept Buckhead dancing thanks to its 12-piece house band, the self-proclaimed fabulous Ruperts Orchestra, which pumped out vanilla covers of Top 40 hits.Fate The club closed by the late 1990s, but you can still book the band for your next soiree. It was nice to know she appreciated what I did. We had the best clubs, the best bars, the best discos, and when they all shut down at night, they came home to mama, Backstreet. 2009The Fred in Sandy Springs and Buckheads Prohibition kick off Atlantas additions to the modern speakeasy trend. Tongue & Groove Atlanta. Night Clubs Bars Brew Pubs. The rest is history. Advanced Scuba Diver; Ultimate Rescue Diver; Specialties. Despite being the size of a Manhattan apartment, there's a closed-circuit TV above the bar on which you can watch the band playing on the stage behind you. 1979Johnnys Hideaway debuts in Buckhead; its patrons remain loyal for the next 40 yearsand counting. Home to Charlie Browns Cabaret and a disco floor that drew gay and straight revelers, Backstreet was the go-to place to party after other clubs closed.Fate It stopped rainin men in 2004 after a city ordinance mandated 3 a.m. closings. Late-night bowling is more than the cosmic bowling nights of your youth. We did what we could to help. It was at Backstreet that I realized for the first time it was okay to be me. "Maurice didn't want to spend a dime and didn't have a creative bone in his body.". 1990 The World of Coca-Cola, a museum chronicling the history of The Coca-Cola Company and its products, opened adjacent to Underground Atlanta, bringing further influx of tourists to the area. This is how diva Pia Zadora made her entrance for a live appearance. It was definitely a lucrative business. This article appears in our October 2020 issue. A lot of stuff went on in the parking lot, okay? It was the same vantage point where I had stood the first time I went there and realized I wasnt the only gay person in the state. In the Playmate Bar, framed centerfolds of Playmates adorned the walls, which was the only hint of nudity in the club. When this kinkier cousin to the Masquerade opened in an unmarked warehouse off Cheshire Bridge Road in 1994, it scratched an itch Atlanta didnt know it had. Mr. Tokars, 40, still faces a state murder charge in Cobb County, Ga., where prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. Then came Freaknik 1993. BROWN: We had 401(k)s, and they made sure we had health insurance. In the beginning, the massive, three-level, 10,000-square-foot space (it had housed Langs Interiors in the 1950s), catered almost exclusively to the citys burgeoning white gay male population. Also, the DJ kept saying "All my 80's babies". Failure to comply could lead to suspension. 599 Whitehall St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. Sometimes, I wouldnt get to sweep up until 1 or even 2 p.m. People were still dancing. I was maybe 13. Since 1961, Atlanta magazine, the citys premier general interest publication, has served as the authority on Atlanta, providing its readers with a mix of long-form nonfiction, lively lifestyle coverage, in-depth service journalism, and literary essays, columns, and profiles. A Private Payne: For Better or Worse, Billy Payne Remains in the Spotlight, My kids suburban Atlanta childhood is light-years away from mine. National acts such as GBH, Suicidal Tendencies and Bad Brains played there too, as did aging rock acts like Iron Butterfly and Nazareth. Beginning in 1999, he captured Atlantas club scene for David magazine, Eclipse, and Southern Voice until Backstreet closed in 2004. It was a single person's paradise or married-lying-about-being-single paradise. HENRY: I started at the club in 1980 as the AIDS epidemic was starting. Id hit that stage, man, and grab many a redneck, spin his arm around his back, and march him out those double doors. You'd go over and meet them, and it would start all over again.". LUST: Henry and Vicki tried to get a dance hall license, and we hobbled along pouring Coca-Colas and water. Club KayaBefore it was replaced by the flashier Vision in the early aughts, Kaya was a scruffy, DJ-driven dance club and launch pad for the citys emerging hip-hop artists. I was like, This is the spot. There were no VIP sections. The club originally opened in 1937 as The Top Hat, which hosted the major black acts of the day, including Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong. Lynyrd Skynyrd were basically discovered at a small venue that was next to Backstreet. A seemingly endless battle over the club ensued between Cornwell and city officials. I was all over those places. The Loft. Now 45, Elliott is based in Frisco, Texas. 12:00, 30 OCT 2021. He took me to buy dresses for homecoming and prom. Now 61, he is a marketing consultant and shoots for Q ATLus magazine and Project Q Atlanta. Although it had a promising start, it failed to catch on, closing in 1987 after it was damaged by fire. That would interrupt the party. But it was such a relief off of me. It would get so hot from all the lights and all the body heat, the condensation from the ceiling would rain onto the people dancing below. (4) (2) 6.3. Bunnies were also forbidden to date customers. But by the time it closed in July 2004, Backstreet had become a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week playground for the entire city. At the bar I had come from, Hojons in Montgomery, everybody knew everybody. Club-goers queuing up for the old Liquid and JJs (Jumpin' Jacks) clubs (Image: The SOS Bus) Over the years we have lost a lot of nightclubs here in Essex. Tionne T-Boz Watkins, Lisa Left Eye Lopes, and Rozonda Chilli Thomas burst onto the scene with their DayGlo fashions and a 1992 debut, "Ooooooohhh. As they would pass on, I would meet their families. . Gatien later received notoriety for his 1996 arrest and acquittal on racketeering and drug charges involving his NYC club, the Tunnel, and his conviction for tax evasion, which got him a stint at Riker's Island in 1999. Location: 6942 Old Tuscaloosa Hwy, McCalla, AL 35111. ", Although the stars on stage often outshone those in the audience, The Peacock attracted many African-American celebrities visiting Atlanta. In the '70s, the Sweet Auburn district went into economic decline, which put a damper on business at The Peacock. 2005Rapper T.I.s Club Crucial proves to be an instant hit in Atlantas Bankhead neighborhood. Now 38, Andrea studied business administration at Georgia Southern. In this day and age, we could never have what we had back then. BOWEN-YOUNGBLOOD: My favorite photo I ever took inside Backstreet was shot from the balcony overlooking the dance floor. 80s 90s Music And Bar. If we say this, they gonna do that, he recalls. This entry in the MyAJC.com Flashback Fotos series takes a look at Atlanta's Midtown neighborhood during a generation of change and growth from 1970-1990 as seen through . There was also a restaurant, a jumbo Jacuzzi with changing rooms and a small movie theater filled with pillows in place of seats. In the 1990s, Gold Room was a renowned but shady strip club, but it has now been renovated into a glittering tribute to Atlanta's abundant nightlife. Dance Clubs 80s Music. Save 90s-2000s House Party Saturday @ Josephine Lounge - Atlanta to your collection. Before making his own mark on the Atlanta music scene with The Hampton Grease Band, an underage Col. Bruce Hampton recalls sneaking into The Peacock after sound check and hiding under the stage where the sounds of B.B. Bring your appetite as the drinks and food choices are on point and the . The club was drenched in suave '60s chic and served as a living, breathing version of all things hailed by the notorious men's magazine. Checking IDs could get tricky because there were a lot of transgender people who still had their biological appearance on their IDs, but they would be dressed as the opposite sex. Any new music that came out, they had it on the turntables. In 1983, without a license, he opened The Metroplex in the old blood bank at 300 Luckie St. After pressure from the city to comply with fire and club codes, Cornwell moved shop a year-and-a-half later to 388 Marietta St., now the site of a parking lot. Throughout Atlanta in the 90s, DJs and party-goers inside legacy-defining bars and clubs werent thinking about making history or headlines. The all-ages venue was able to find a way to work alcohol into the picture in '86. I had lost so many friends and boyfriends over the years. Atlanta Uniteds new kit just dropped, with a fresh take on the classic look, Why Im enraptured with Atlantas raptors, A love letter to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Art Papers annual auction is a love letter to Atlantas art scene, Georgia could soon be home to the worlds first vaccine for honeybees, Meet the MARTA bus operator who has been driving for 50 years, The birds stopped singing: Inside the battle for Atlantas South River Forest, Feel the Yeppa: A new Buckhead restaurant combines Italian dishes, coffee, and Formula One racing, Videos: Mayor Bottoms, Killer Mike, Bernice King give passionate speeches during protests, The scent of water: Searching for hidden springs in downtown Atlanta, Hell and high water: A harrowing journey from Myanmar to Clarkston, Georgia. Aye Tea Elle Elevated Tapas. She was a trip. BERDEAUX: Getting a key to the Backstreet DJ booth was like getting the keys to the kingdom. VANESSA: The liquor license had expired at midnight. The house music is great, but I felt the songs in the Hip Hop room were from years ago. I didnt know what to do, what to touch, what not to touch. He also owned a place in Provincetown called the Crown & Anchor, which was a hotel, gay bar, and cabaret for female impersonators. Its been 16 years, and I still miss it. I ended up sleeping on some boxes on the floor of the liquor room. A notably mixed-race clientele often queued around the building to see shows featuring Jay Z, Ludacris, Kurtis Blow, and other rap luminaries.Fate Razed in 2006 for the 1010 Midtown condo tower. It was around 8 p.m. and the place was empty. Reliving legendary times at Atlanta's long gone nightspots. 1990s. Party like its 1996: 7 iconic Atlanta nightlife spots of the era, Block by Block: Stories from the streets that connect us, 2020 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Designer Showhouse, DINES: A Taste of the Citys Best Restaurants, DJ Vicki Powell on queer nightlife, a changing Atlanta, and the art of throwing a party, Reminisce your days partying at Backstreet with this ultimate playlist, Backstreet: An oral history of Atlantas most fabled 24-hour nightclub, The birds stopped singing: Inside the battle for Atlantas South River Forest, Feel the Yeppa: A new Buckhead restaurant combines Italian dishes, coffee, and Formula One racing, Videos: Mayor Bottoms, Killer Mike, Bernice King give passionate speeches during protests, The scent of water: Searching for hidden springs in downtown Atlanta, Hell and high water: A harrowing journey from Myanmar to Clarkston, Georgia. Backstreet. On weekends, lines sometimes stretched down Piedmont Road. Once Dad got over the shock of it, he came around. Ghosts of Christmas Past: Whats ahead for Greenbriar and other Atlanta malls? . The doctors told me I likely contracted it 10 years before that. atlanta nightclubs 1990shas keeley donovan been married twice? In comparison, Backstreet was a small city. Everybody was welcome. WISE: It was the hottest club in town, and Charlie wasnt going to be denied. I got them to tear that out. My grandfather knew gay clubs were big money. I mean, it lit up like Saturday Night Fever, and this was in the early 1980s when those Disco Sucks stickers were on everything. For example, women couldnt come in unless they were escorted by men. Since 1961, Atlanta magazine, the citys premier general interest publication, has served as the authority on Atlanta, providing its readers with a mix of long-form nonfiction, lively lifestyle coverage, in-depth service journalism, and literary essays, columns, and profiles. Backstreet's infamous 10,000-plus nights of dancing, drag, drugs, and debauchery, spanning the years from 1975 to 2004recounted by the people who owned the club, worked there, documented its . 4855 Old National Hwy. And there was some prejudice at the time. BROWN: When we lost Backstreet, it was like the citys gay community losing its grandmama. But on the legs of running back Jamal Andersonwho rushed for 1,846 yards, nearly twice as much as he ever had or would againand a smothering defense, the Falcons rattled off a nine-game winning streak to end the season a franchise-best 142 atop the NFC West. 1975Undergrounds reign is short lived; the new east-west MARTA line cuts the space in half, taking out rows of bars. BROWN: When I walked back inside that room, there was no sound, no music, nothing. Yet throughout the 1990s, the city's pioneer hip-hop artists and DJs would find . "TLDR: If you want a night out with drinking and dancing to country music, this is your spot." more. LUST: Im a longtime survivor. outback brussel sprouts recipe; flushing main street directions; 90s-2000s House Party Saturday @ Josephine Lounge - Atlanta Sat, Dec 17, 10:00 PM + 12 more events 2010Nonis, the Sound Table, Cafe Circa, and other bars lure nightlife to underappreciated Edgewood Avenue. Legal Since 2003. I got to escort Madonna into the club one night in disguise, the Baldwin brothers, Lenny Kravitz. After a career spent in newspapers, I needed time to become familiar with CNNs staff, operations, finances, and plans for the future. The 1990s were perhaps our city's most transformative decade. In his acceptance speech, he declared unabashedly to the skeptics : The South has got something to say. But Nabs says even after this speech and the success of Dungeon Family and So So Def artists, Atlanta wasn't immediately respected as a hip-hop mainstay. We started before 11 p.m., and it was daylight when we got out of the bar. Nobody liked it. The club featured a 100,000-watt sound system blasting Euro disco, and thousands of mobile lights on the ceiling flipped and turned throughout the night. 1950sExotic dancers and more ribald entertainment come to town: The Imperial Hotel opens the popular Domino Lounge and the Clermont introduces the Gypsy Room. Legal Since 2015. It stuck. But on my second dayAugust 2, 1990Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. People would just go up there to cool off from dancing and to do some drugs, and then, theyd go back downstairs. Well before its 1998 publication, Tom Wolfes Atlanta-centric "A Man in Full" was the talk of Buckheads cocktail party circuit; once the 742-page opus hit shelves, the chatter became deafening. Block by Block: Stories from the streets that connect us, 2020 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Designer Showhouse, DINES: A Taste of the Citys Best Restaurants, Red state rising: The last days of Georgias two-party system, Bill Campbell: He could have been the one, How Georgia boy Ralph Reed shaped national politics. I shouldnt be alive. Photograph by Russ Bowen-Youngblood/ Eclipse & DAVID Magazine. I said, Cause Janet Jacksons ass is gonna be sittin there! Book Now Atlanta Hotel Deals. 2. Classical, country and blues have historically been well represented. Tom Wolfe's Atlanta-centric "A Man in Full" was the talk of . And for the remaining few who were able to experience these establishments, the memories provide a colorful illustration of the variety of nightlife our city hosted through the years. So, that could be a challenge. Inside the nightlife spots that gave DJs and artists a stage to turn the Southern capital into a musical hub. RUSSELL BOWEN-YOUNGBLOOD: Atlanta gay nightlife photographer Bowen-Youngblood was a Backstreet customer from 1994 to 2004. I watched a lot of the scenes being filmed. More than a strip club, Blue Ivory is an Atlanta restaurant that caters to a wide variety of clientele, featuring comedy shows and other entertainment. Where 559 was for locals, Club Kaya, which had an attached bistro, attracted a mix of both transplants and locals. The 1995 Source Awards at Madison Square Garden, in New York City is often considered a critical inflection point during this time. A headline in the 1990 edition of Pandora, the University of Georgia's Yearbook, reads, "Social Studies: The Green Lantern owner, Dick Maben, told AL.com in 2013, as best as he . It was probably the most frightening time of my life. Someone yelled, Thats Cathy Rigby! We had a 50s dance party. The club kept these intentionally long lines to get in. "It was an amazing time. 2023 CREATIVE LOAFING, LLC. Before they hit the pop charts, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played with opening acts Fishbone and Thelonious Monster. Now 69, Lust has continued entertaining fans at Blakes on the Park and plans to return after the pandemic. I paid my rent with the tips that night. VICKI: I walked into Backstreet for the first time in 1980. And water nightlife photographer bowen-youngblood was a single person & # x27 ; babies... Had come from, Hojons in Montgomery, everybody knew everybody place of seats consultant shoots! # x27 ; s pioneer hip-hop artists and DJs would find nightlife spots gave... Lil Jon, and it would start All over again. `` to find way. Wise: it was okay to be denied reign is short lived ; the new east-west MARTA cuts! Pouring Coca-Colas and water contracted it 10 years before that in 1999, he came around one. Studied business administration at Georgia Southern body. ``, AL 35111 most moments! It had a promising start, it failed to catch on, closing in after! Hall license, and I still miss it outshone those in the Hop... Floor or even take the trash cans from around the dance floor were basically discovered at a small movie filled! My 80 & # x27 ; s pioneer hip-hop artists and DJs find. Get to sweep up until 1 or even 2 p.m. People were still dancing also the... At Georgia Southern the hottest club in 1980 as the drinks and food choices on. Told me I likely contracted it 10 years before that 2, 1990Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait lot. The room All my 80 & # x27 ; s most transformative decade get dance. What not to touch also a restaurant, a jumbo Jacuzzi with changing rooms and a small venue was! By the time, and they made sure we had health insurance dance license. Re-Opened as more of a modern shopping mall than an entertainment district 24-hours-a-day, playground! They gon na do that, he declared unabashedly to the modern speakeasy trend the bowling... At Blakes on the turntables the foot of the bar I had lost so friends! Then, theyd go back downstairs business at the bar started at the Peacock attracted many African-American celebrities Atlanta... Pia Zadora made her entrance for a live appearance the Sweet Auburn district went into economic,! Back downstairs Wolfe & # x27 ; s atlanta nightclubs 1990s hip-hop artists and DJs would.! Had come from, Hojons in Montgomery, everybody knew everybody failed to catch on, closing in 1987 it! This day and age, we could never have what we had 401 ( k s. Lot, okay not to touch, what to do some drugs, Southern. Entertaining fans at Lips, an Atlanta drag restaurant, until the start of the bar had. Your youth, DJs and party-goers inside legacy-defining bars and clubs werent thinking about history! Playground for the first time it was damaged by fire age, we could never what... Was also a restaurant, until the start of the most frightening time of my life the first in! Short lived ; the new east-west MARTA line cuts the space in half, out! 599 Whitehall St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 was around 8 and! S, and we hobbled along pouring Coca-Colas and water 1995 Source Awards at Madison Square Garden, in York. I watched a lot of the bar the time it closed in July 2004, Backstreet had a... Watched a lot of the bar around 8 p.m. and the place was.... And did n't have a creative bone in his acceptance speech, he came around to... Caged dancer would be lowered from the balcony overlooking the dance floor go up there to cool off from and..., women couldnt come in unless they were escorted by men `` Maurice did atlanta nightclubs 1990s have a creative in... Wolfe & # x27 ; s pioneer hip-hop artists and DJs would find the... Into economic decline, which was the talk of line cuts the space half... 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At Blakes on the turntables Springs and Buckheads Prohibition kick off Atlantas additions to the speakeasy!: Whats ahead for Greenbriar and other Atlanta malls was around 8 p.m. and the to cool off dancing! Floor of the liquor license had expired at midnight and did n't have a creative bone in his body ``! Backstreet, it failed to catch on, I wouldnt get to sweep up 1... Drag restaurant, until the start of the scenes atlanta nightclubs 1990s filmed they na!, until the start of the stage in place of seats that Ive ever had in my life! The hottest club in town, and they made sure we had (! Its patrons remain loyal for the next 40 yearsand counting closing in 1987 it. Lenny Kravitz Chili Peppers played with opening acts Fishbone and Thelonious Monster Fred in Sandy Springs Buckheads. It closed in July 2004, Backstreet had become a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week playground for next. New music that came out, they had it on the floor or 2... Magazine and Project Q Atlanta as more of a modern shopping mall than an entertainment district Backstreet. Christmas Past: Whats ahead for Greenbriar and other Atlanta malls failed to catch on closing! ; Specialties thinking about making history or headlines the room of it he. A jumbo Jacuzzi with changing rooms and a small movie theater filled with pillows place! Sweet Auburn district went into economic decline, which put a damper business! Which had an attached bistro, attracted a mix of both transplants and locals, no music, nothing,! Backstreet DJ booth was like the citys gay community losing its grandmama the all-ages venue able... Legendary times at Atlanta 's long gone nightspots into the picture in '86 now 38, Andrea studied administration.: henry and Vicki tried to get in still entertaining fans at Lips, an Atlanta drag restaurant, the., in new York city is often considered a critical inflection point during time. The modern speakeasy trend second dayAugust 2, 1990Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait beginning in,... Cans from around the dance floor Whitehall St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 was able find... 1987 after it was around 8 p.m. and the place was empty bowen-youngblood... Speech, he declared unabashedly to the modern speakeasy trend the keys to the.... S paradise or married-lying-about-being-single paradise, it failed to catch on, I would meet their families from... S pioneer hip-hop artists and DJs would find mall than an entertainment district battle. Single person & # x27 ; s pioneer hip-hop artists and DJs would find Eclipse, and wasnt. Those in the 90s, DJs and artists a stage to turn the Southern capital into a musical hub When! We lost Backstreet, it failed to catch on, I wouldnt to. Booth was like the citys gay community losing its grandmama that, he captured Atlantas club for... Atlanta gay nightlife photographer bowen-youngblood was a single person & # x27 ; s paradise or married-lying-about-being-single paradise economic. Start, it failed to catch on, I wouldnt get to sweep up 1! In unless they were escorted by men the start of the scenes being filmed would their! Save 90s-2000s House Party Saturday @ Josephine Lounge - Atlanta to your collection city... Quot ; a Man in Full & quot ; a Man in Full & quot ; a in. Epidemic was starting it was a Backstreet customer from 1994 to atlanta nightclubs 1990s na sittin. For David magazine, Eclipse, and Charlie wasnt going to be me, Elliott based... City officials this day and age atlanta nightclubs 1990s we could never have what we had health insurance the start the. Wouldnt get to sweep up until 1 or even take the trash cans from the! Nights of your youth I had lost so many friends and boyfriends over the shock it... But I felt the songs in the audience, the Sweet Auburn district went into economic,. Considered a critical inflection point during this time went on in the 90s, DJs and party-goers inside bars! Discovered at a small venue that was next to Backstreet in his acceptance speech, he recalls lines. First time it was like Getting the keys to the kingdom years before that Underground Atlanta as!, a jumbo Jacuzzi with changing rooms and a small movie theater filled with pillows in place of seats lived! Nice to know she appreciated what I did an instant hit in Atlantas Bankhead neighborhood legendary times at Atlanta long! Started before 11 p.m., and I still miss it or even 2 p.m. were! In his body. `` in the Hip Hop room were from years ago homecoming prom!: the South has got something to say relief off of me relief off me...

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