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114-461: Webster Hall is a nightclub and concert venue located at 125 East 11th Street , between Third and Fourth Avenues, near Astor Place , in the East Village of Manhattan , New York City . It is one of New York City's most historically significant theater and event halls, having hosted social events of all types since the club's construction in 1886 as a "hall for hire". Its current incarnation

228-547: A $ 10 million renovation and makeover, Webster Hall re-opened on April 26, 2019, with a concert by Jay Z . Notes Citations Nightclub Nightclubs generally restrict access to people in terms of age, attire , personal belongings , and behaviors. Nightclubs typically have dress codes to prohibit people wearing informal, indecent, offensive, or gang-related attire from entering. Unlike other entertainment venues, nightclubs are more likely to use bouncers to screen prospective patrons for entry. The busiest nights for

342-402: A club culture with many Italian American, African American, gay, and Hispanic people. In addition to the dance and fashion aspects of the disco club scene, there was also a thriving drug subculture , particularly for recreational drugs that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud music and the flashing lights, such as cocaine (nicknamed "blow"), amyl nitrite " poppers ", and

456-427: A concert and sports facility. In July 2017, Gerard McNamee, the club's director, officially announced that the venue would close after the final show on August 9, 2017, and that it had been purchased by Brooklyn Sports Entertainment. The closing, to update the building's infrastructure for modern use, was planned to be for a period of three years. After that, AEG will present fewer dance nights and more concerts. After

570-414: A law where for every three men, there was one woman. The women often sought these experiences to seek safety in a venue that embraced the independent woman – with an eye to one or more of the same or opposite sex or none. Although the culture that surrounded disco was progressive in dance couples, cross-genre music, and a push to put the physical over the rational, the role of women looked to be placed in

684-465: A live audience, and in 1966, the recording of Handel's Giulio Cesare starring Norman Treigle and Beverly Sills was recorded at the Hall for RCA . In October of 1968, Bill Evans recorded his Grammy Award-winning album Alone for Verve Records . In 1970, Unity Gallega, also known as Casa Galicia of New York, purchased the site and remains the current owner of the property. Unity Gallega (Casa Galicia)

798-582: A march that brought the children of striking Lawrence, Massachusetts millworkers to the hall for a meal in order to dramatize the struggles of the working class. In 1916, it was used as the strike headquarters for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union ; in 1920 meetings of the Sacco and Vanzetti Defense Committee were also held at Webster Hall. In the 1910s and 1920s, Webster Hall became known for its masquerade balls and other soirees reflecting

912-417: A mass phenomenon. In Germany, the first discothèque on record that involved a disc jockey was Scotch-Club , which opened in 1959. Its, and therefore the world's first DJ was 19-year-old local cub reporter Klaus Quirini who had been sent to write a story about the strange new phenomenon of public record-playing; fueled by whisky , he jumped on stage and started announcing records as he played them and took

1026-635: A nightclub are Friday and Saturday nights. Most nightclubs cater to a particular music genre or sound for branding effects. Some nightclubs may offer food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages). In some countries, nightclubs are also referred to as "discos" or "discothèques" ( German : Disko or Diskothek (outdated; nowadays: Club ); French : discothèque ; Italian , Portuguese , and Spanish : discoteca, antro (common in Mexico), and boliche (common in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay), discos

1140-521: A piano or a jukebox. With the repeal of Prohibition in February 1933, nightclubs were revived, such as New York's 21 Club , Copacabana , El Morocco , and the Stork Club . These nightclubs featured big bands . During America's Prohibition, new speakeasies and nightclubs appeared on a weekly basis. Texas Guinan opened and ran many, and had many padlocked by the police. Harlem had its own clubs including

1254-480: A police officer. In this era, nightclubbing was generally the preserve of those with money. In Paris, Josephine Baker ran several nightclubs during the 1920s including Chez Josephine, as did her friend Bricktop who ran Bricktops. Jazz singer and Broadway star Adelaide Hall and her husband Bert Hicks opened the nightclub La Grosse Pomme on Rue Pigalle in Montmartre on December 9, 1937. Hall and Hicks also owned

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1368-478: A prior exemption but even then they are only allowed to serve alcohol to non-Filipino citizens. Private consumption of alcohol hoarded prior to the ban period is tolerated. The Philippine Commission on Elections may opt to extend the liquor ban. In the 2013 elections , there was a proposal that it be extended to five days. This was overturned by the Supreme Court. Other than election-related prohibition, alcohol

1482-452: A repeal of the law, prohibition was abolished in early 1932. Today, all Nordic countries except Denmark continue to have strict controls on the sale of alcohol, which is highly taxed (dutied) to the public. There are government monopolies in place for selling spirits, wine, and stronger beers in Norway ( Vinmonopolet ), Finland ( Alko ), Sweden ( Systembolaget ), Iceland ( Vínbúðin ), and

1596-526: A significant role in the evolution of clubbing , DJ culture, and nightlife. Significant New York nightclubs of the period were Area , Danceteria , and The Limelight . However, the seismic shift in nightlife was the emergence of rave culture in the UK. A mixture of free and commercial outdoor parties were held in fields, warehouses, and abandoned buildings, by various groups such as Biology, Sunrise, Confusion, Hedonism, Rage & Energy, and many others. This laid

1710-422: A single turntable when a jukebox was not available. These discothèques were also patronized by anti- Vichy youth called zazous . In Nazi Germany , there were underground discothèques patronized by anti-Nazi youth called the " Swing Kids ". The end of World War II saw the beginning of a transformation in the nightclub: no longer the preserve of a moneyed elite, over several decades, the nightclub steadily became

1824-517: A strong temperance movement since the late-1800s, closely linked to the Christian revival movement of the late-nineteenth century, but also to several worker organisations. As an example, in 1910 the temperance organisations in Sweden had some 330,000 members, which was about 6% of a population of 5.5 million. This heavily influenced the decisions of Nordic politicians in the early 20th century. In 1907,

1938-490: Is a cultural organization representing people from Galicia, Spain , in promoting and preserving their cultural ties. On May 1, 1980, The Ritz opened by Jerry Brandt in the Webster Hall building as a showcase venue for emerging rock acts. Tina Turner , Eric Clapton , The Pretenders , Prince , Sting , Aerosmith , U2 , Book of Love , Cro-Mags , KISS , B.B. King , and Guns N' Roses all performed routinely. The Ritz

2052-506: Is allowed. Some Indian states observe dry days on major religious festivals/occasions depending on the popularity of the festival in that region. The Maldives ban the import of alcohol, x-raying all baggage on arrival. Alcoholic beverages are available only to foreign tourists on resort islands and may not be taken off the resort. Pakistan allowed the free sale and consumption of alcohol for three decades from 1947, but restrictions were introduced by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto just weeks before he

2166-575: Is banned in Afghanistan. In Bangladesh, alcohol is somewhat prohibited due to its proscription in the Islamic faith . The purchase and consumption is still allowed in the country. The Garo tribe consume a type of rice beer, and Christians in this country drink and purchase wine for their holy communion . In India alcohol is a state subject and individual states can legislate prohibition, but currently most states do not have prohibition and sale/consumption

2280-572: Is banned only for Muslims in Malaysia due to its Islamic faith and sharia law. Nevertheless, alcoholic products can easily be found in supermarkets, specialty shops, and convenience stores all over the country. Non- halal restaurants also typically sell alcohol. There are only restrictions during elections in the Philippines. Alcohol is prohibited to be sold, furnished, offered, bought, or took two days prior to an election. Hotels and restaurants may secure

2394-609: Is being consumed by the driver or passenger. At certain times of the year—Thai New Year ( Songkran ) is an example—the government may also enforce arbitrary bans on the sale and consumption of alcohol in specific public areas where large scale festivities are due to take place and large crowds are expected. Thailand strictly regulates alcohol advertising, as specified in the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, B.E. 2551 (2008) (ABCA). Sales of alcohol via "electronic channels" (internet) are prohibited. On 14 September 2012,

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2508-475: Is commonly used in all others in Latin America). In Japanese ディスコ, disuko refers to an older, smaller, less fashionable venue; while クラブ, kurabu refers to a more recent, larger, more popular venue. The term night is used to refer to an evening focusing on a specific genre, such as " retro music night" or a "singles night". In Hong Kong and China, nightclub is used as a euphemism for a hostess club , and

2622-507: Is credited as the first modern nightclub, being built in 1886 and starting off as a "social hall", originally functioning as a home for dance and political activism events. Reisenweber's Cafe is credited for introducing jazz and cabaret to New Yorkers. The jukebox (a coin-operated record-player) was invented by the Pacific Phonograph Company in 1889 by its managers Louis Glass and his partner William S. Arnold. The first

2736-420: Is enforced by all major retailers (most notably 7-Eleven) and restaurants, but is frequently ignored by the smaller "mom and pop" stores. Hotels and resorts are exempt from the rules. The consumption of alcohol is also banned at any time within 200 meters of a filling station (where sale of alcohol is also illegal), schools, temples or hospitals as well as on board any type of road vehicle regardless of whether it

2850-425: Is freely available in 24 out of 29 states . Prohibition is in force in the states of Mizoram, Gujarat , Bihar and Nagaland , parts of Manipur , and the union territory of Lakshadweep . All other States and union territories of India permit the sale of alcohol. Election days and certain national holidays such as Independence Day are meant to be dry days when liquor sale is not permitted but consumption

2964-489: Is freely sold to anyone above the legal drinking age . Alcohol sales are prohibited during elections from 18:00 the day prior to voting, until the end of the day of voting itself. Alcohol is also prohibited on major Buddhist holy days , and sometimes on royal commemoration days, such as birthdays. Thailand also enforces time-limited bans on alcohol on a daily basis. Alcohol can only be legally purchased in stores or restaurants between 11:00–14:00 and 17:00–midnight. The law

3078-460: Is involved in, or responsible for, at least 40% of all emergency hospital admissions. By reducing the number of people within hospitals, and of course within social gatherings, the goal of prohibition was to reduce the rate of transmission, and thus slow the spread of the virus. A 2022 study found that the alcohol prohibition reduced injury-induced mortality by at least 14% (a conservative estimate) and sharply reduced violent crime. Sale of alcohol

3192-539: Is legal. The consumption, importation and brewing of, and trafficking in liquor is strictly against the law. The sale, consumption, importation and brewing of, and trafficking in liquor is strictly against the law. Alcohol is banned in Yemen. In Brunei , alcohol consumption and sale is banned in public. Non-Muslims are allowed to purchase a limited amount of alcohol from their point of embarcation overseas for their own private consumption, and non-Muslims who are at least

3306-453: Is not completely effective, and tends to drive the market underground instead. Most countries which have maintained long-standing alcohol bans have predominantly Muslim populations whose religious beliefs forbid them from drinking, but the broad popularity of alcohol has meant prohibition is extremely difficult to enforce in most nations. The vast majority of countries which have at one point fully prohibited alcohol have since reversed it. Both

3420-543: Is one of the city's premiere live music venues. It is the exclusive live music venue for AOL ’s New York Broadband Rocks series. On May 11, 2007, Linkin Park filmed their Minutes to Midnight Promo Concert, which was then released into theatres. The club entered into a partnership to present The Bowery Ballroom Presents at Webster Hall concert series, which has already brought such acts as Sonic Youth , Infected Mushroom , The Hives , John Mayer , John Butler and Modest Mouse to

3534-404: Is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture , storage (whether in barrels or in bottles ), transportation , sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages . The word is also used to refer to a period of time during which such bans are enforced. Some kind of limitation on the trade in alcohol can be seen in

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3648-586: The Indian Act of 1876. Sections of the Indian Act regarding liquor were not repealed for over a hundred years, until 1985. An official, but non-binding, federal referendum on prohibition was held in 1898. Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier's government chose not to introduce a federal bill on prohibition, mindful of the strong antipathy in Quebec . As a result, Canadian prohibition was instead enacted through laws passed by

3762-468: The Code of Hammurabi ( c.  1772 BCE ) specifically banning the selling of beer for money. It could only be bartered for barley: "If a beer seller do not receive barley as the price for beer, but if she receive money or make the beer a measure smaller than the barley measure received, they shall throw her into the water." In the early twentieth century, much of the impetus for the prohibition movement in

3876-744: The Cotton Club . Midtown New York had a string of nightclubs, many named after bandleaders such as Paul Whiteman , Vincent Lopez , and Roger Wolfe Kahn who opened Le Perroquet de Paris at a cost of $ 250,000. It was billed as America's most beautiful and sophisticated nightclub and featured the young Kahn and his band most evenings. Pre-World War II Soho in London offered café society , cabaret , burlesque jazz, and bohemian clubs similar to those in New York, Paris , and Berlin . Nightclubs in London were tied much to

3990-692: The Delphi Filmpalast ), Kakadu , Femina-Palast , Palais am Zoo , Gourmenia-Palast , Uhlandeck , and the Haus Vaterland . In the 1920s, the nightlife of the city was dominated by party drugs such as cocaine . Hundreds of venues in the city, which at the time had a sinful reputation, offered in addition to bars, stages, and dance floors an erotic nightlife, such as small booths where lovers could withdraw to for intimate moments. These venues were aimed at rich and poor people, gays , lesbians , nudists , and gangsters alike. In 1930s Shanghai ,

4104-587: The Electric Circus , and Dom. While the discothèque swept Europe throughout the 1960s, it did not become widely popular in the United States until the 1970s, where the first rock and roll generation preferred rough and tumble bars and taverns to nightclubs until the disco era. In the early 1960s, Mark Birley opened a members-only discothèque nightclub, Annabel's , in Berkeley Square , London. In 1962,

4218-518: The Faroe Islands passed a law prohibiting all sale of alcohol, which was in force until 1992. Very restricted private importation from Denmark was allowed from 1928 onwards. In 1914, Sweden put in place a rationing system, the Bratt System , in force until 1955. A referendum in 1922 rejected an attempt to enforce total prohibition. In 1915, Iceland instituted total prohibition . The ban for wine

4332-557: The Middle Earth club (at 43 King Street) and eventually the Roundhouse in 1968. Both the UFO Club and Middle Earth were short-lived but saw performances by artists such as house-band Pink Floyd , Soft Machine , Procol Harum , Fairport Convention , Arthur Brown , and Jimi Hendrix ; DJ John Peel was a regular. These clubs germinated what would later become the underground gig scene of

4446-658: The Peppermint Lounge in New York City became popular and is the place where go-go dancing originated. Sybil Burton opened the "Arthur" discothèque in 1965 on East 54th Street in Manhattan on the site of the old El Morocco nightclub and it became the first, foremost, and hottest disco in New York City through 1969. In Germany in the 1960s, when Berlin was divided by the Wall , Munich became Germany's epicenter of nightlife for

4560-688: The Russian Empire , a limited version of a Dry Law was introduced in 1914. It continued through the turmoil of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Russian Civil War into the period of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union until 1925. Although the sale or consumption of commercial alcohol has never been prohibited by law in the United Kingdom, various groups in the UK have campaigned for

4674-522: The Wigan Casino , known for the acrobatic dancing of its clubgoers; each of these clubs was known for all-nighters. Disco has its roots in the underground club scene. During the early 1970s in New York City, disco clubs were places where oppressed or marginalized groups such as gay people, African Americans , Latinos , Italian Americans , and Jews could party without following male to female dance protocol or exclusive club policies. Discothèques had

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4788-491: The communist victory in 1949 as The Red Capitol Cinema , dedicated to Maoist propaganda films, before fading into obscurity. It reopened as The Paramount in 2008. In occupied France , jazz and bebop music, and the jitterbug dance were banned by the Nazis as "decadent American influences", so as an act of resistance, people met at hidden basements called discothèques where they danced to jazz and swing music , played on

4902-566: The glam rock ( T. Rex , David Bowie, Roxy Music ) and punk rock cultures in London produced their own set of nightclubs, starting with Billy's at 69 Dean Street (known for its David Bowie nights), Louise's on Poland Street (the first true punk club and hangout of the Sex Pistols , Siouxsie Sioux plus the Bromley Contingent , and then Blitz (the home of the Blitz Kids ). Crackers

5016-464: The hedonism of the city's Bohemians . Nicknamed the "Devil's Playhouse" by the socialist magazine The Masses, Webster Hall became particularly known for the wilder and more risque events of the time; Marcel Duchamp , Joseph Stella , Man Ray , Francis Picabia , Charles Demuth , F. Scott Fitzgerald , Langston Hughes , Bob Brown , and many other notables regularly attended events there during this time. The coming of Prohibition did not restrict

5130-421: The " methanol affair " the total number of deaths has increased to 25. The ban was to be valid until further notice, though restrictions were eased towards the end of September. The last bans on Czech alcohol with regard to the poisoning cases were lifted on 10 October 2012, when neighbouring Slovakia and Poland allowed its import once again. The Nordic countries , with the exception of Denmark , have had

5244-406: The "other quintessential 1970s club drug Quaalude , which suspended motor coordination and turned one's arms and legs to Jell-O ". The "massive quantities of drugs ingested in discotheques by newly liberated gay men produced the next cultural phenomenon of the disco era: rampant promiscuity and public sex . While the dance floor was the central arena of seduction, actual sex usually took place in

5358-716: The 1950s, Webster Hall began featuring concerts from a diverse group of artists. Latin performers, such as Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez , played at the club. So, too, did folk artists Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie . From 1953 to 1968, RCA Records , recognizing the acoustical integrity of the Grand Ballroom, purchased the building and began operating Webster Hall as their East Coast recording venue, Webster Hall Studios. Carol Channing recorded " Hello, Dolly! " there, Venezuelan conductor Aldemaro Romero recorded his debut album Dinner in Caracas , Harold Prince recorded Fiddler on

5472-698: The 1960s, along with musicians such as the Beatles . Discothèques began to appear in New York City in 1964: the Village Vanguard offered dancing between jazz sets; Shepheard's, located in the basement of the Drake Hotel , was small but popular; L'Interdit and Il Mio (at Delmonico's ) were private; the El Morocco had an on-premises disco called Garrison; and the Stork Club had one in its Shermaine suite. Larger discos opened in 1966: Cheetah, with room for 2000 dancers,

5586-891: The 1960s, but especially with the rise of electronic dance music since the late 1980s. VJing gained more and more importance. VJs ("video jockeys") mix video content in a similar manner that DJs mix audio content, creating a visual experience that is intended to complement the music. The 2020s started with the global COVID-19 pandemic , which closed nightclubs worldwide – the first ever synchronized, global shutdown of nightlife. In response, online "virtual nightclubs" developed, hosted on video-conferencing platforms such as Zoom . As countries relaxed lockdown rules following drops in case numbers, some nightclubs reopened in repurposed form as sat-down pubs. As vaccine rollouts reached advanced stages, nightclubs were able to reopen with looser restrictions, such as producing certification of full vaccination upon entry. Prohibition Prohibition

5700-565: The 1970s and 1980s, at venues such as the 100 Club and The Clarendon in Hammersmith . During the 1960s, the Clarendon was a country & western club, having earlier been an upmarket jazz, dining , and dancing club in the pre-War era. In the north of England, the distinct northern soul movement spanned Manchester 's Twisted Wheel Club , the Blackpool Mecca , Cleethorpes Pier , and

5814-931: The 1980s, during the New Romantic movement, London had a vibrant nightclub scene, which included clubs like The Blitz, the Batcave , the Camden Palace , and Club for Heroes . These clubs grew out of the earlier Mandrake and Billy's (later Gossip's) at 69 Dean Street, in the basement below the ground floor Gargoyle Club . Both music and fashion embraced the aesthetics of the movement. Bands included Depeche Mode , Yazoo , The Human League , Duran Duran , Eurythmics , and Ultravox . Reggae -influenced bands included Boy George and Culture Club , and electronic vibe bands included Visage . At London nightclubs, young men would often wear make-up and young women would wear men's suits. Leigh Bowery 's Taboo (which opened in 1985) bridged

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5928-674: The East Village during the 2000s, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation saw the need to protect the scale and character of many of the East Village's unique historic structures. In the summer of 2007, GVSHP supplied the Landmarks Preservation Commission with extensive research on the history of Webster Hall, and urged the LPC to landmark the site. Shortly thereafter the LPC commissioners voted to consider

6042-534: The Faroe Islands ( Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins ). Bars and restaurants may, however, import alcoholic beverages directly or through other companies. Greenland , which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark , does not share its easier controls on the sale of alcohol. Greenland has (like Denmark) sales in food shops, but prices are typically high. Private import when travelling from Denmark is only allowed in small quantities. In

6156-571: The Government of the Czech Republic banned all sales of alcoholic drinks with more than 20% alcohol. From this date, it was illegal to sell such alcoholic beverages in shops, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, filling stations, e-shops , etc. This measure was taken in response to the wave of methanol poisoning cases resulting in the deaths of 18 people in the Czech Republic. Since the beginning of

6270-690: The New Romantic and acid house scenes. With the birth of house music in the mid-1980s and then acid house, kickstarted by Chris Sullivan's The Wag Club (on the site of the earlier The Flamingo Club ), a cultural revolution swept around the world; first in Chicago at the Warehouse and then London and New York City. London clubs such as Clink Street , Revolution in Progress (RiP), Philip Sallon's The Mudd Club , Danny Rampling 's Shoom (starting in December 1987 in

6384-727: The Nordic countries and North America came from moralistic convictions of pietistic Protestants. Prohibition movements in the West coincided with the advent of women's suffrage , with newly empowered women as part of the political process strongly supporting policies that curbed alcohol consumption. The first half of the 20th century saw periods of prohibition of alcoholic beverages in several countries: After several years, prohibition failed in North America and elsewhere. Rum-running or bootlegging became widespread, and organized crime took control of

6498-701: The Roof , and artists such as Julie Andrews , Harry Belafonte , Tony Bennett , the Guarneri Quartet , Liza Minnelli , Ray Charles , Perry Como , Sergio Franchi , Peter Nero , Elvis Presley , Arthur Rubinstein , Frank Sinatra , and Hugo Winterhalter all recorded in the studio. On February 2, 1962, Bob Dylan was recorded playing harmonica on the title track of Harry Belafonte's Midnight Special album, marking Dylan's recording debut. The Music Theatre of Lincoln Center albums of Broadway shows recorded between 1964 and 1969 were all made at Webster Hall, but without

6612-742: The Starship Discovery One. In San Francisco, there was the Trocadero Transfer , the I-Beam , and the End Up . In Spain during the 1970s, the first clubs and discos opened in Ibiza , an island which had been a popular destination for hippie travelers since the 1960s and now was experiencing a tourist boom. The first ever " Superclub " in Ibiza was the now-abandoned "Festival Club" at Sant Josep de sa Talaia , which

6726-454: The UK government's Criminal Justice Act , which largely ended the rave movement by criminalizing any gathering of 20 or more people where music ("sounds wholly or predominantly characterized by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats") was played. Commercial clubs immediately capitalized on the situation causing a boom in "Superclubs" in the UK, such as Ministry of Sound (London), Renaissance , and Cream ( Liverpool ). These developed

6840-470: The United States and Soviet Union implemented total bans on alcohol only to repeal them after less than 15 years. In the British colony of Nigeria , missionary forces demanded prohibition of liquor, which proved highly unpopular. Both Africans and British found illegal supplies such as secret stills, obtaining colonial liquor permits, and smuggling. The experiment began in 1890 and was repealed in 1939. During

6954-447: The age of 18 are allowed to bring in not more than two bottles of liquor (about two litres ) and twelve cans of beer per person into the country. Alcohol sales are banned in small shops and convenience stores. During the Joseon period , laws prohibiting the drinking of alcohol were frequently promulgated when there were major droughts, crop failures, or famines. The purpose of such bans

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7068-498: The association of the term with the sex trade has driven out the regular usage of the term. In the United States , New York increasingly became the national capital for tourism and entertainment. Grand hotels were built for upscale visitors. New York's theater district gradually moved northward during this half century, from The Bowery up Broadway through Union Square and Madison Square , settling around Times Square at

7182-590: The availability of alcohol at these events. Local politicians and police were said to turn a blind eye to the activities; at one time it was rumored that the venue was owned by the mobster Al Capone . The repeal of Prohibition was the reason for one of Webster Hall's biggest celebrations, "The Return of John Barleycorn ". In 1938, reporting on a fire in the building, The New York Times wrote: "Webster Hall ... began by seeing redcheeked debutantes introduced to society and ended – if ended it has – by seeing red-nosed bohemians thumbing defiance at society." In

7296-510: The basement of Southwark's Fitness Centre), Paul Oakenfold 's Spectrum , and Nicky Holloway 's The Trip fused the eclecticism and ethos of [Ibiza with the new electronic music from the US. The largest UK cities like Birmingham , Leeds (The Orbit), Liverpool ( Quadrant Park and 051), Manchester ( The Haçienda ), Newcastle , and Swansea , and several key European places like Paris ( Les Bains-Douches ), Ibiza ( Pacha ), and Rimini , also played

7410-614: The big clubs were The Paramount Club (opened in 1933) and Ciro's (opened in 1936). Other clubs of the era were the Metropole and the Canidrome . Jazz bands , big bands, and singers performed for a bowtied clientele. The Paramount and Ciro's in particular were fiercely rivalrous and attracted many customers from the underworld. Shanghai's clubs fell into decline after the Japanese invasion of 1937 and eventually closed. The Paramount reopened after

7524-514: The building for landmark designation and in spring 2008 the building was officially designated a New York City landmark, recognizing its significant role in the cultural development of the Village. From 1993-1997, and starting again in 2008 through today, Gerard McNamee has been the director of Webster Hall, hiring all of the current staff members and guiding the club through its most prestigious period. In addition to its weekly club nights, Webster Hall

7638-583: The building was plagued by fires, which occurred in 1902, 1911, 1930, 1938, and 1949. The original mansard roof was likely lost in one of these fires. Originally commissioned by Charles Goldstein – who operated the hall and also lived in the Annex with his family until his death in 1898 – the building was a "hall for hire" from its inception. The first decade or so of Webster Hall's existence saw it host countless labor union rallies, weddings, meetings, lectures, dances, military functions, concerts, fundraisers and other events, particularly those focused on

7752-406: The chic Florida Club in London's Mayfair. In Germany during the Golden Twenties , there was a need to dance away the memories of the First World War . In Berlin, where a " tango fever" had already swept dancing establishments in the early 1910s, 899 venues with a dancing licence were registered by 1930, including the Moka Efti , Casanova , Scala , Delphi-Palast (destroyed in WW2, replaced by

7866-407: The city. In 1967, Germany's first large-scale discothèque opened in Munich as the club Blow Up , which because of its extravagance and excesses quickly gained international reputation. In parallel, the hippie movement spawned Britain's first club for psychedelic music , the UFO Club (at the Blarney Club, 31 Tottenham Court Road , London from 23 Dec 1966 to Oct 1967) which then became

7980-411: The club-as-spectacle theme pioneered in the 1970s and 1980s by Pacha (Ibiza) and Juliana's Tokyo (Japan), creating a global phenomenon; however, many clubs such as The Cross in London, preserved the more underground feel of the former era. Since the late 2000s, venues that received high media attention include Berghain in Berlin and Fabric in London. Video art has been used in nightclubs since

8094-457: The coronavirus outbreak of 2020, alcohol sales, and even the transportation of alcohol outside of one's home, was made illegal. This order came into effect during the nationwide lockdown on 27 March 2020. The purpose of the ban was intended to prevent drunken fights, reduce domestic violence, stop drunk driving, and eliminate the weekend binge-drinking so prevalent across South Africa. Police, medics, and analysts estimate—conservatively—that alcohol

8208-683: The distribution of alcohol. Distilleries and breweries in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean flourished as their products were either consumed by visiting Americans or illegally exported to the United States. Detroit and Chicago became notorious as havens for prohibition dodgers during the time known as the Roaring Twenties – 75% of all alcohol smuggled into the United States crossed the Detroit- Windsor border. Prohibition generally came to an end in

8322-611: The end of the 19th century. Stars such as Edwin Booth and Lillian Russell were among the early Broadway performers. Prostitutes served a wide variety of clientele, from sailors on leave to playboys. The first nightclubs appeared in New York City in the 1840s and 1850s, including McGlory's, and the Haymarket. They enjoyed a national reputation for vaudeville , live music, and dance. They tolerated unlicensed liquor, commercial sex, and gambling cards, chiefly Faro . Practically all gambling

8436-440: The first acts after independence from the Russian Empire . Four previous attempts to institute prohibition in the early twentieth century had failed due to opposition from the tsar . After a development similar to the one in the United States during its prohibition, with large-scale smuggling and increasing violence and crime rates, public opinion turned against the prohibition, and after a national referendum where 70% voted for

8550-520: The ground for what was unfold in the 1990s, initially in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States and then worldwide from the 2000s onwards. In Europe and North America, nightclubs play disco-influenced dance music such as house music , techno , Eurodance and other dance music styles such as electronica , breakbeat , and trance . Most nightclubs in major cities in the U.S. that have an early adulthood clientele, play hip hop , dance-pop , house, and/or trance music. These clubs are generally

8664-569: The idea of " high society ", via organisations such as the Kit Kat Club (which took its name from the political Kit-Cat Club in Pall Mall, London ) and the Café de Paris . The 43 Club on Gerrard Street was run by Kate Meyrick the 'Night Club Queen'. Meyrick ran several London nightclubs in the 1920s and early 1930s, during which time she served prison sentences for breaching licensing laws and bribing

8778-511: The idea of dancing to records at her premises' basement in 1957. It stayed popular into the 1960s. It later became a 1940s-themed club called the Black Gardenia but has since closed. The Flamingo Club on Wardour Street in London ran between 1952 and 1967 and was known for its role in the growth of rhythm and blues and jazz in the UK. It earned a controversial reputation with gangsters and prostitutes said to have been frequent visitors in

8892-507: The jukebox with two turntables that she operated herself so there would be no breaks between the music. This was the world's first-ever "discothèque". The Whisky à Gogo set into place the standard elements of the modern post-World War II discothèque -style nightclub. In London, by the end of the 1950s, several of the coffee bars in London's Soho introduced afternoon dancing. These prototype discothèques were nothing like modern-day nightclubs, as they were unlicensed, daytime venues where coffee

9006-617: The largest and most frequented of all of the different types of clubs. Techno clubs are popular around the world since the early 1990s. Well known examples of the 1990s include Tresor , E-Werk , and Bunker in Berlin ; Omen and Dorian Gray in Frankfurt ; Ultraschall , KW – Das Heizkraftwerk , and Natraj Temple in Munich; and Stammheim in Kassel . The Castlemorton Common Festival in 1992 triggered

9120-551: The late 1920s or early 1930s in most of North America and Europe, although a few locations continued prohibition for many more years. In some countries where the dominant religion forbids the use of alcohol, the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited or restricted today. For example, in Saudi Arabia and Libya alcohol is banned; in Pakistan and Iran it is illegal with exceptions. Generally, prohibition

9234-410: The law would be amended, allowing women to legally consume alcohol and work in venues that sell alcohol. The legalization was overruled by President Maithripala Sirisena several days later. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution , Muslims are banned from selling and drinking alcohol but some people trade and sell it illegally. Home production by religious minorities (Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians)

9348-854: The mainstage. In October 2008, "The Studio at Webster Hall", a 300 to 400 scalable capacity performance room, opened. Bowery Presents' contract with Webster Hall expired in August 2014, and Webster Hall chose to take all their concert bookings "in-house", led by Heath Miller. Since taking their concert bookings in house for all events starting in August 2014, Webster Hall has gone on to present acts such as Charli XCX , Tove Lo , Buzzcocks , Clean Bandit , Wiz Khalifa , American Football , Bleachers , CocoRosie , James , MØ , Gus Dapperton , Chet Faker , Modern Baseball , Metallica , Green Day , Lenny Kravitz , Faith No More , LCD Soundsystem , JoJo , Good Charlotte , Capital Cities , and Yo La Tengo amongst others. In fall of 2016 trade publication, Pollstar nominated

9462-580: The meeting that "Every experienced officer knew that practically all unhappiness and crime in the Army is due to drink". At the meeting, Lord Channing said that it was a pity that the whole Cabinet did not follow the example of King George V and Lord Kitchener when in 1914 those two spoke calling for complete prohibition for the duration of the war. Edwin Scrymgeour served as Member of Parliament for Dundee between 15 November 1922 and 8 October 1931. He remains

9576-429: The most prestigious clubs had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music. The genre of disco has changed through the years. It is classified both as a musical genre and as a nightclub; and in the late seventies, disco began to act as a safe haven for social outcasts. This club culture that originated in downtown New York, was attended by a variety of different ethnicities and economic backgrounds. It

9690-450: The nether regions of the disco: bathroom stalls, exit stairwells, and so on. In other cases, the disco became a kind of "main course" in a hedonist 's menu for a night out." Well known 1970s discothèques included celebrity hangouts such as Manhattan's Studio 54 , which was operated by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager . Studio 54 was notorious for the hedonism that went on within; the balconies were known for sexual encounters, and drug use

9804-451: The next two decades with numerous nightclubs and discothèques such as Big Apple , PN hit-house , Tiffany , Domicile , Hot Club , Piper Club , Why Not , Crash , Sugar Shack , the underwater discothèque Yellow Submarine , and Mrs. Henderson , where stars such as Mick Jagger , Keith Richards , Freddie Mercury , and David Bowie went in and out and which led to artists such as Giorgio Moroder , Donna Summer , and Mercury settling in

9918-606: The only person to have ever been elected to the House of Commons on a prohibitionist ticket. In 1922, he defeated incumbent Liberal member Winston Churchill ; winning the seat for the Scottish Prohibition Party , which he had founded in 1901, and for which he had stood for election successfully as a Dundee Burgh Councillor in 1905 and unsuccessfully as a parliamentary candidate between 1908 and 1922. Indigenous peoples in Canada were subject to prohibitory alcohol laws under

10032-539: The original batch, and being London's longest running one-nighter club, Gaz's Rockin' Blues , is still going as of 2020. The new wave music scene grew out of Blitz and the Cha Cha Club in Charing Cross . Whilst overall, the club scene was fairly small and hidden away in basements, cellars, and warehouses, London's complicated mix of punk, New Romantic , New Wave, and gay clubs in the late 1970s and early 1980s paved

10146-463: The prohibition of alcohol; including the Society of Friends (Quakers), The Methodist Church and other non-conformists , as well as temperance movements such as Band of Hope and temperance Chartist movements of the nineteenth century. The village of Bournville traditionally remains a dry town with no pubs due to the founder John Cadbury 's Quaker beliefs and wish for it to remain free of alcohol for

10260-471: The provinces during the first twenty years of the 20th century, especially during the 1910s. Canada did, however, enact a national prohibition from 1918 to 1920 as a temporary wartime measure. Much of the rum-running during prohibition took place in Windsor, Ontario . The provinces later repealed their prohibition laws, mostly during the 1920s, although some local municipalities remain dry. Some communities in

10374-536: The public on April 26, 2019. Webster Hall was built in 1886 by architect Charles Rentz in the Queen Anne style and topped with an elaborate mansard roof . Six years later in 1892, Rentz was hired to design an addition to the building, occupying the site of 125 East 11th Street and designed in the Renaissance Revival style using the same materials as the original building. Throughout the early twentieth century

10488-513: The role of safety net. It brought together people from different backgrounds. These clubs acted as safe havens for homosexual partygoers to dance in peace and away from public scrutiny. By the late 1970s, many major U.S. cities had thriving disco club scenes centered on discothèques, nightclubs, and private loft parties where DJs would play disco hits through powerful PA systems for the dancers. The DJs played "a smooth mix of long single records to keep people 'dancing all night long ' ". Some of

10602-417: The southern Mexican state of Chiapas of are under the control of the libertarian socialist Zapatista Army of National Liberation , and often ban alcohol as part of what was described as "a collective decision". This prohibition has been used by many villages as a way to decrease domestic violence and has generally been favored by women. This prohibition, however, is not recognized by federal Mexican law as

10716-482: The stage-name DJ Heinrich. In the US, Connie's Inn and the Cotton Club in Harlem , NY were popular venues for white audiences. Before 1953 and some years thereafter, most bars and nightclubs used a jukebox or mostly live bands. In Paris, at a club named Le Whisky à Gogo , founded in 1947 on the rue de Seine by Paul Pacine, Régine Zylberberg in 1953 laid down a dance floor, suspended coloured lights, and replaced

10830-773: The temperance movement as a whole. The impotence of legislation in this field was demonstrated when the Sale of Beer Act 1854 , which restricted Sunday opening hours, had to be repealed, following widespread rioting. In 1859, a prototype prohibition bill was overwhelmingly defeated in the House of Commons. On 22 March 1917, during the First World War at a crowded meeting in the Queen's Hall in London (chaired by Alfred Booth ) many influential people including Agnes Weston spoke, or letters from them were read out, against alcohol consumption, calling for prohibition; General Sir Reginald Hart wrote to

10944-520: The upstairs billiard area. This facility is capable of catering to groups of 100 to 2,000, Madonna , Mick Jagger and Bill Clinton have had events there, as has the World Wrestling Federation TNA Wrestling and the taping of Fuji Television Network 's Iron Chef "New York Special" between Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto . The venue offers five different rooms. As real estate development pressure grew exponentially in

11058-609: The venue for their Nightclub of the Year Award. The club won the award at Pollstar's annual award ceremony at Pollstar Live! the following February. It was announced on April 2, 2017, that Webster Hall had been sold to Brooklyn Sports Entertainment, a unit of Anschutz Entertainment Group – known as AEG. On May 4, all employees were served termination notices. On May 22, it was reported that Webster Hall would close in mid-August for approximately two years, and would reopen in late 2019 or early 2020 as Spectrum Hall, which would be strictly

11172-580: The way for acid house to flourish in the late 1980s, initially with Shoom and two acid house nights at Heaven : Spectrum and Rage. In the north of England, what later became the "alternative" scene was centred around the Roxy/Bowie room at Pips in Manchester, which opened in 1972; as small as this scene was, many notable figures attended the club, and Joy Division played their first gig there, billed as "Warsaw" before changing their name that night. During

11286-528: The workers at his Cadbury's chocolate factory. Formed in 1853 and inspired by the Maine law in the United States, the United Kingdom Alliance aimed at promoting a similar law prohibiting the sale of alcohol in the UK. This hard-line group of prohibitionists was opposed by other temperance organisations who preferred moral persuasion to a legal ban. This division in the ranks limited the effectiveness of

11400-415: The working-class and immigrant population of the surrounding Lower East Side neighborhood. Although it also hosted many high-society functions catering to the uppertens of the city, the hall earned a reputation as a gathering place for leftist, socialist , Anarchist and labor union activity very early on. In 1912, Emma Goldman , the outspoken exponent of Anarchism, free love and birth control , led

11514-585: Was a key part of the jazz- funk scene and also the early punk scene via its Vortex nights. The underground warehouse party scene was kicked off by Toyah Willcox with her Mayhem Studios at Patcham Terrace in Battersea . The emergence of this highly experimental artistic scene in London can be credited almost entirely to Rusty Egan , Steve Strange , the Bromley Contingent's Philip Sallon , and Chris Sullivan. Dozens of clubs came and went, but one of

11628-652: Was an inexpensive activity to indulge in, and discos united a multitude of different minorities in a way never seen before; including those in the gay and psychedelic communities. The music ultimately was what brought people together. Some cities had disco dance instructors or dance schools that taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", the " hustle ", and the " cha-cha-cha ". There were also disco fashions that discotheque-goers wore for nights out at their local disco, such as sheer, flowing Halston dresses for women and shiny polyester Qiana shirts for men. Disco clubs and "hedonistic loft parties" had

11742-450: Was built between 1969 and 1972 and serviced tourists who were bused in until it closed in 1974. Responding to this influx of visitors, locals opened the first large clubs Pacha , Amnesia , and the Ku-club (renamed Privilege in 1995). By the early 1980s, the term "disco" had largely fallen out of favour in the United States . In parallel to the disco scene and quite separate from it,

11856-548: Was illegal in the city (except upscale horseracing tracks), and regular payoffs to political and police leadership was necessary. Prices were high and they were patronized by an upscale audience. Timothy Gilfoyle called them "the first nightclubs". By contrast, Owney Geoghegan ran the toughest nightclub in New York from 1880 to 1883. It catered to a downscale clientele and besides the usual illegal liquor, gambling, and prostitution, it featured nightly fistfights and occasional shootings, stabbings, and police raids. Webster Hall

11970-661: Was installed at the Palais Royale Saloon, San Francisco on November 23, 1889, becoming an overnight sensation. The advent of the jukebox fueled the Prohibition -era boom in underground illegal speakeasy bars, which needed music but could not afford a live band and needed precious space for paying customers. Webster Hall stayed open, with rumors circulating of Al Capone 's involvement and police bribery. From about 1900 to 1920, working class Americans would gather at honky tonks or juke joints to dance to music played on

12084-422: Was lifted in 1922 and spirits in 1935, but beer remained prohibited until 1989 (circumvented by mixing light beer and spirits). In 1916, Norway prohibited distilled beverages , and in 1917 the prohibition was extended to also include fortified wine and beer. The wine and beer ban was lifted in 1923, and in 1927 the ban of distilled beverages was also lifted . In 1919, Finland enacted prohibition, as one of

12198-455: Was once the only legal brewery, but today there are more. The ban officially is enforced by the country's Islamic Ideology Council, but it is not strictly policed. Members of religious minorities, however, often sell their liquor permits to Muslims as part of a continuing black market trade in alcohol. In 1955 Sri Lanka passed a law prohibiting adult women from buying alcohol. In January 2018, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera announced that

12312-512: Was opened in 1992 by the Ballinger brothers, with a capacity of 1,400, providing its traditional role as well as for corporate events, and for a recording studio. A scholarly account of Webster Hall and its place in the wider history of rock music in Lower Manhattan was published in 2020. Webster Hall has been recognized as the first modern nightclub. On March 18, 2008, after a landmarks proposal

12426-579: Was rampant. Its dance floor was decorated with an image of the " Man in the Moon " that included an animated cocaine spoon . Other 1970s discothèques in New York City were Manhattan's Starship Discovery One at 350 West 42nd Street , Roseland Ballroom , Xenon , The Loft , the Paradise Garage , a recently renovated Copacabana , and Aux Puces, one of the first gay disco bars. The album cover of Saturday Night Band's Come On and Dance, Dance featured two dancers in

12540-467: Was removed as prime minister in 1977. Since then, only members of non-Muslim minorities such as Hindus , Christians and Zoroastrians are allowed to apply for alcohol permits. The monthly quota is dependent upon one's income, but is actually about five bottles of liquor or 100 bottles of beer. In a country of 180 million, only about 60 outlets are allowed to sell alcohol. The Murree Brewery in Rawalpindi

12654-497: Was submitted by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation , the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Webster Hall and its Annex a New York City landmark . BSE Global and The Bowery Presents (and Bowery's parent company AEG) acquired the operating rights for and assets of Webster Hall in February 2017, and after a nearly two-year renovation, the venue re-opened to

12768-470: Was the drink of choice and that catered to a very young public – mostly made up of French and Italians working illegally, mostly in catering, to learn English, as well as au pair girls from most of western Europe. A well known venue was Les Enfants Terribles at 93 Dean St., in Soho , London. Initially opening as a coffee-bar, it was run by Betty Passes who claimed to be the inventor of disco after she pioneered

12882-576: Was the first prominent nightclub to feature a video component. When the Ritz relocated in 1989, it gave Webster Hall the opportunity to be reborn. In 1992, the Ballinger brothers (Lon, Stephen, Douglas, and Peter) from Toronto unveiled the restored Webster Hall, featuring state of the art audio, video, and lighting technology with the original color scheme recreated. The venue hosted two or three different genres of music at once on weekend evenings, providing rave / house music in their large dance room and rock in

12996-403: Was to appease the wrath of heaven, and to save food and money (since rice was used to make alcohol). A ban was issued almost every year during King Taejong 's reign and frequently during the reigns of King Seongjong and King Yeonsangun . It was banned again, in 1758 (the 34th year of King Yeongjo ). The bans usually occurred during spring and summer when the droughts were severe. Alcohol

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