Wednesday, May 23, 2024 / 7:00 PM / Free
“We Started a Nightclub”: The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It.
The Segal Theatre, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
Panel discussion with John Jesurun, Kestutis Nakas, Peter Littlefield, Samoa Moriki, Julie Hair, and John Kelly. Moderated by Frank Hentschker.
“We Started a Nightclub” is an insider’s look at the cultural history of the East Village in the early 1980s. The project, which began in 2006, represents the only in-depth exploration of the Pyramid’s origins. An oral history comprising more than 75 interviews, it covers the early years of the Pyramid from the time of its founding through its rise, near demise, and rebirth. The book includes previously unpublished photos, flyers, and other ephemera, as well as excerpts from more than 50 press releases written between 1983 and 1986. A mixture of cultures: from groundbreaking, irreverent theater and experimental music to “anti-drag” that challenged the norms of gender binaries, it began in 1981 when the East Village was considered a dangerous no-man’s-land, rents were cheap, and AIDS was still unknown.
“We Started a Nightclub”: The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It by Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, and Kestutis Nakas is published by Damiani Books in association with Some Serious Business. Designed by Jeff Streeper of Modern Identity, the book is available in bookstores, online, and for sale in Europe through Damiani Books.