Club night · 27 songs

A night at Danceteria sounded like this

From documented accounts of Danceteria (1980–1986): interviews with resident DJs Mark Kamins and Johnny Dynell, Tim Lawrence's history Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980–1983, and the bands who played its stages. Some songs were named as played or born there, some are by acts who performed there live, and some stand in for artists the DJs are known to have mixed. Not one exact night.

  1. 1
    Everybody · Madonna (1982)

    Mark Kamins played her demo at the club; she first performed it there on 18 Dec 1982

    Played thereWK
  2. 2
    Planet Rock · Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force (1982)

    Kamins names it among his Danceteria records; Bambaataa DJed there in March 1982

    Played thereKF
  3. 3
    Taj Mahal · Jorge Ben (1972)

    Kamins: "I'm famous for playing 'Taj Mahal'"

    Played thereK
  4. 4
    Ashes to Ashes · David Bowie (1980)

    Its video premiered at the club in summer 1980

    Played thereL
  5. 5
    Jam Hot · Johnny Dynell (1983)

    Dynell DJed there and says it was born at Danceteria

    Night Fever guest: Johnny Dynell →
    Played thereJ
  6. 6
    Smooth Operator · Sade (1984)

    Sade played their first US show there in 1983

    Performed there liveS
  7. 7
    This Charming Man · The Smiths (1983)

    Their US debut, New Year's Eve 1983

    Performed there liveT
  8. 8
    Cavern · Liquid Liquid (1983)
    Performed there liveK
  9. 9
    Konk Party · Konk (1981)
    Performed there liveK
  10. 10
    Cool as Ice · 52nd Street (1982)

    The band played two nights there to launch it

    Performed there liveN

In the episodes

57 mentions across all episodes - S1E1 10 · S1E2 4 · S1E3 2 · S1E7 34 · S2E3 1 · S4E10 3 · S6E1 2 · S6E3 1

  • S6E1 · James St. James · 2 mentions in this episode

    NYC club; site of an early meeting and Alig's first party

  • S1E1 · Dianne Brill · 10 mentions in this episode

    Where Dianne held a birthday party and first wowed Fenton; Rudolf's club

  • S1E2 · Michael Musto · 4 mentions in this episode

    Rudolf Piper's club; the great one was on 21st Street

  • S1E3 · Lisa Edelstein · 2 mentions in this episode

    Also on their nights out; one of Howie Montag's doors

  • S2E3 · Susanne Bartsch · 1 mention in this episode

    A club she remembers loving; heard as 'Dante', most likely Danceteria

  • S1E7 · Rudolf Piper · 34 mentions in this episode

    Rudolf's club: first an illegal after-hours club on 37th Street in the Garment District, busted once it got too famous; then the legal second Danceteria with bands on every floor. Rudolf says the name came from someone passing a cafeteria and wanting a 'dancing area'

    FashionLogo by David King (see Mood)

  • S6E3 · Chi Chi Valenti & Johnny Dynell · 1 mention in this episode

    Chi Chi counts it with the Mudd Club and Pyramid as where downtown clubs came from

  • S4E10 · Ann Magnuson · 3 mentions in this episode

    Heard as Dansotyria: James recalls Ann performing there with Joey; Ann says it was very important and ran alongside the Pyramid

On the scene timeline

  1. 1980 · 30 West 21st Street

    Danceteria stacks four floors of nightlife

    Rudolf Piper and Jim Fouratt's club gives a coat-check job to Madonna, a booth to Mark Kamins and a stage to the Beastie Boys.

  2. 1980 · Danceteria

    Rudolf Piper: Co-founds Danceteria in Manhattan

    Club owner behind Danceteria, the Tunnel and Palladium nights. (Night Fever guest, Season 1, Episode 7.)

  3. 1980s · Danceteria

    Rudolf Piper: Runs the Tunnel and Palladium

    Club owner behind Danceteria, the Tunnel and Palladium nights. (Night Fever guest, Season 1, Episode 7.)

  4. 2017 ·

    Time capsule buried in a bomb casing

    A Danceteria time capsule in a missile casing; dug up on West 21st Street in 2017, causing a bomb scare. Dianne's list of contributors isn't confirmed in press reports

  5. 1987 ·

    Filthy Mouth Contest (Danceteria)

    Michael Alig's first party; James was a judge. Source shows a 1987 contest card from the Palladium, not Danceteria

Also named on these cards

Pops up in the guests' stories

In the same rooms (aka the gang)