Disco legends to play The Emporium in Patchogue
Gloria Gaynor, who performs at Westbury Theater in 2011, will be performing at The Emporium in Patchogue on March 8, 2013. (June 25, 2011) Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa
If you love going to clubs, dancing to the handiwork of DJs and dressing in trendy, classy clothing – be sure to thank those who made disco king back in the 1970s for creating that brand of nightlife.
While the current evening scene is somewhat more casual, and much of the music played is created electronically, a major reason the club scene and the sound we know today exists is because of disco – a style of music played by bands and born from funk, soul and R&B, but foremost geared toward presenting a dance-worthy beat.
It was embraced by a crowd that loved to dress with fashion-minded purpose and move to the music -- then spend late nights out doing so. When Manhattan’s legendary Studio 54 nightclub became an international disco destination during the late 1970s, spots around the globe were inspired to attempt to offer a similar experience – including venues in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Although today’s LI club scene may be completely different in personality than how it was during the heyday of ’54, that club and the music played there sees its legacy survive in the clubby nightlife we enjoy today.
However, disco remains cherished, and those craving a taste of that boogie era have been arriving at The Emporium in Patchogue on Fridays since last year for its happy hour where the group That 70s Band plays plenty of familiar disco hits every week .?.?. but anyone seeking an authentic moment should be aware of two particular upcoming Emporium Fridays, as performers who actually were integral parts of the disco age at its height will be following That 70s Band with sets of their own.
The first show will take place on Friday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m., as the funk and soul group Tavares will take the stage. Although not strictly a disco act, the band (centered on five brothers with the last name “Tavares”) had some of its biggest hits turn into genre classics (“Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel,” More Than A Woman,” "Don't Take Away the Music”) and whose music is almost always included in any sort of disco compilation, party or tribute.
Fast-forward to Friday, March 8, and another legend will be hitting the Emporium stage at 8 p.m.: Gloria Gaynor. Although both a successful recording artist and dance music star, her hit 1978 song “I Will Survive” has not only become a disco classic, but one of those tracks that surpasses its genre – becoming a standard song played at weddings, birthdays, special occasions, block parties, selected out of jukeboxes and sang for karaoke throughout the year.
Tickets are available in advance at ticketfly.com (and will also be for sale at the door, for a likely slightly higher price). Age of admission is 21 and over, dress to impress; for more information check out The Emporium online at theemporiumny.com. (For VIP table reservations, call 631-275-6200).
The Emporium: 9 Railroad Ave., Patchogue, 631-627-8787
