David Mancuso is now a dance music legend but when he first moved to NYC in the 1960s he was simply a music and electronics enthusiast who happened to have a large loft in an industrial section of Manhattan. At first "The Loft" was used to play records for a small group of friends but by 1971 David was playing host to regular parties. What made his parties unique then was that he kept them "invitation only" and spent a lot of time thinking about "the vibe" and how to avoid using a traditional nightclub business model. For him, it was all about the music and never about money. His success at keeping his parties both underground and legal for so long is quite amazing. Beyond creating his own incredible events in the 70s, David Mancuso can also take much of the credit for many of the most famous venues of the disco era (e.g. Paradise Garage, The Gallery and The Saint) as they were modeled after The Loft. In addition, his parties and music served as a huge inspiration for an entire generation of DJs such as Francois K, Frankie Knuckles, Larry Levan, Danny Krivit, David Morales and Nicky Siano who cut their teeth as party-goers at The Loft.
Believe it or not, the 64-year old is STILL throwing parties a few times a year. I was lucky enough to score an invite to his latest party which was held at a Ukrainian community center in the East Village from 6pm-12am on a Sunday. From the minute we walked in, I knew it was not going to be like any party I had ever attended and I mean that in the best possible way. True to original form, David didn't mix any records and while he was switching from one to the next, the crowd stopped dancing to applaud. He also still uses vintage equipment including Klipschorn speakers which were sprinkled in a circular pattern around the room. The volume was kept quite low (compared to what I'm used to!) but the smooth and crisp analog sound was more than enough to tickle our ears. The track selection is exactly what you'd expect if know anything about David Mancuso - lots of 70s disco and house jams - all happy and groovy. A few track IDs from the night: Afro Medusa - Pasilda, The Police (Unknown Remix) - Voices Inside My Head, Musique - Push Push in the Bush, Damon Harris - It's Music. The vibe was great - with people of all shades, shapes and sizes grooving around the room - dancing in the middle and talking on the sides. A BYOB policy was in full effect and its such a respectful environment that people leave their drinks at side banquet tables all night without incident. Later in the night they even had a sizable buffet dinner. I had an absolute blast. It was so great to get "back to basics" and dance dance dance and smile smile smile for an entire night out. The way it should be.
If you're interested in reading more about David Mancuso and The Loft, I highly recommend Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979.
Push Push in the Bush
Photo Credit: John Dill
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