Larry Levan Street Party

It’s a very rare occasion that you can gather people of all different ages, cultures, ethnicities, and interests to unite under one creative common ground. Yet, music has such a power effect on us humans, that it can bring together the most unlikely of bunches all in the spirit of free love and good music to dance to. Red Bull Music Academy put on one of the best events I’m confident to say I’ve ever been to. In tribute to the legendary disco and dance music deejay Larry Levan, RBMA organized the Larry Levan Street Party that took place on the same street of the nightclub where he had luminaries like Grace Jones and Keith Haring dancing the night away to early disco beats, the Paradise Garage on King Street. The whole block was shut down for disco divas and newbies to the impactful genre of music that bubbled during my father’s era in New York City. The street was flooded with folks who loved and partied to Larry’s music in the 70s and kids like me who grew up with parents who partied at The Garage and was passed down the treasure of what Larry Levan cultivated in disco and house music.

It was only appropriate that I bring my dad along to this momentous event of pure disco. It was one of the first days of the season that the sun beat down strongly as we danced our asses off with strangers that feed off of the vibration and love that spewed from the speakers. As sweat dripped down our backs, people of all ages and walks of life danced with each other in the spirit of the late nightlife legend, while Larry’s protégés spun the best in early house and disco music, including the incomparable Joey Llanos. I haven’t danced that much or felt so limitless in the moment as I did at the Larry Levan RBMA block party. Long Live Disco Music.