The Club Kids were a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based artistic and fashion-conscious youth movement composed of nightlife personalities active from the late 1980s to 1996. Coined by a 1988 ''New York'' cover story, the Club Kids crossed over into the public consciousness through appearances on daytime talk shows, magazine editorials, fashion campaigns and music videos. Retrospectively, writers have commented that the Club Kids planted the seeds for popular cultural trends such as

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

, self-branding,

influencers A social media influencer, or simply influencer (also known as an online influencer), is a person who builds a grassroots online presence through engaging content such as photos, videos, and updates. This is done by using direct audience intera ...

and even the "gender revolution". Known for their outrageous looks, legendary parties and sometimes illicit antics, the Club Kids were seen as the embodiment of

Generation X Generation X (often shortened to Gen X) is the Demography, demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the Baby Boomers and preceding Millennials. Researchers and popular media often use the mid-1960s as its starting birth years and the ...

and would prove to be "the last definitive subculture group of the analog world".

Background

The group was first popularized by

club promoter A promoter works with event production and Entertainment industry, entertainment industries to promote their productions, including in music and Sport, sports. Promoters are individuals or organizations engaged in the business of Promotion (marke ...

Michael Alig Michael Alig (April 29, 1966 – December 24, 2020) was an American club promoter who was convicted of felony manslaughter. He was one of the ringleaders of the Club Kids, a group of young New York City clubgoers who became a cultural phenomen ...

, James St. James,

DJ Keoki George Lopez (born October 23, 1966), known by his stage name DJ Keoki or Keoki Franconi, is a Salvadoran-American electronic musician and DJ. Born in El Salvador and raised in Hawaii, Keoki began advertising himself as "superstar" shortly after ...

, Ernie Glam, Julie Jewels, It Twins and Michael Tronn in the late 1980s, and, throughout the 1990s, grew to include

Amanda Lepore Amanda Lepore is an American transgender model, singer, and performance artist. A former Club Kids, Club Kid, she has appeared in advertising for numerous companies. Lepore is noted as a regular subject in photographer David LaChapelle's work, s ...

, Waltpaper ( Walt Cassidy), Christopher Comp, Jennytalia (Jenny Dembrow), Desi Monster (Desi Santiago), Astro Erle, Keda, Kabuki Starshine, and Richie Rich. The Club Kids made long-lasting contributions to mainstream art, fashion and popular culture. According to former Club Kid Waltpaper ( Walt Cassidy), "The nightclub for me was like a laboratory, a place where you were encouraged and rewarded for experimentation." At the height of the group's popularity, Alig began to spiral into heavy drug use, adding drug dealers to the Club Kids roster and

Peter Gatien Peter Gatien (born August 8, 1952) is a Canadian club owner and party promoter. He is best known as the former owner of several prominent New York City nightclubs, including Club USA, The Limelight, Palladium, and Tunnel. Life and career Gatien w ...

's payroll; an increasing number of Club Kids became addicted to drugs. The movement began to decline when

Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and Disbarment, disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney ...

took office as mayor of New York in 1994, targeting the city's nightlife industry with his Quality of Life campaign. It eventually collapsed after Alig was arrested for the killing and dismemberment of his roommate and fellow club kid Andre "Angel" Melendez, and Peter Gatien was charged with tax evasion and deported to Canada.

Members

The term "club kid", coined by club owner Rudolf Piper, is now widely used as an archetypal style and personality reference, but was originally focused, from 1988 to 2001, on a shifting hierarchical group of New York based personalities that organized and promoted specific nightclub venues, tours to various cities and events, such at the Style Summits and Outlaw Parties;

once estimated that the group expanded to include up to "750 in the early '90s at different levels",

and rival personality, James St. James (born James Clark), first identified as "club kids" at nightclubs such at The World and Tunnel in 1988. Other documented personalities include: *

* Astro Earl (also styled "Astro Erle") * Chris Couture * Christina Superstar * Christopher Amazing * Christopher Comp * Clara the Carefree Chicken, the mascot of Alig's weekly Disco 2000 parties * Codie Ravioli * Cynthia Social Lies * Dan Dan the Naked Man * David Alphabet * Desi Monster (Desi Santiago) * Lisa E (

Lisa Edelstein Lisa Edelstein ( ; born May 21, 1966) is an American actress and artist. She is known for playing Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the Fox medical drama series ''House'' (2004–2011). Between 2014 and 2018, Edelstein starred as Abby McCarthy in the Bravo s ...

) * Ernie Glam (Ernie Garcia) * Ernie the Pee Drinker *

Patricia Field Patricia Field (born February 12, 1942) is an American costume designer, stylist, and fashion designer working in New York City. Early life Field was born in New York City to an Armenian father and a Greek mother, who emigrated from Plomari, L ...

* George the Pee Drinker * Girlina ( Lina Bradford, also known as DJ Lina) * Gitsie (or Gitsey, Cynthia Haataja) * Goldy Loxxx * Brooke Humphries * Ida Slapter * It Twins (Robert and Tim) * Jennytalia (also styled "Jenny Talia" or "Genetalia", née Jenny Dembrow) * Julie Jewels (Editor of Project X magazine) * Julius Teaser * Junkie Jonathan (also known as "Jonathan Junkie") * Kabuki * Kate Harwood * Keda * Kenny Kenny, the group's door person *

Keoki George Lopez (born October 23, 1966), known by his stage name DJ Keoki or Keoki Franconi, is a Salvadoran-American electronic musician and DJ. Born in El Salvador and raised in Hawaii, Keoki began advertising himself as "superstar" shortly after ...

(also known as "Superstar DJ Keoki", born Keoni Franconi) *

Lady Bunny Lady Bunny, previously known as Bunny Hickory Dickory Dock (born Jon Ingle, August 13, 1962), is an American drag queen, nightclub DJ, actor, comedian, and event organizer. She is the founder of the annual Wigstock event, as well as an occasion ...

(born Jon Ingle) * Lahoma van Zant (Jon Witherspoon) *

Larry Tee Larry Tee (born October 12, 1959) is a LA-based DJ, club promoter, and music producer who curated the electroclash scene in New York in the early 2000s, and helped launch the careers of such artists as RuPaul, Scissor Sisters, Fischerspooner, Pe ...

* Lil Keni * Lila Wolfe * Karliin Mann * Magenta * Mavis * Michael Tronn * Michael T *

Michelle Visage Michelle Visage (born Michelle Lynn Shupack, September 20, 1968) is an American television personality, singer, broadcaster, producer, and actress. She gained recognition as a member of the dance-pop group Seduction (group), Seduction, who char ...

* Andre "Angel" Melendez * Richie Rich * Robert "Freeze" Riggs *

RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...

* Sacred Boy *

Screamin Rachael Screamin' Rachael, born Rachael Cain, is an American musician and Chicago native dubbed the "Queen of House Music" by'' Billboard magazine,''. Rachael has been connected to the evolution of the House music genre. She has worked with performers suc ...

Cain * Shuck E (Chuckie) *

Sophia Lamar Sophia most commonly refers to: * Sophia (wisdom), a central idea in Hellenistic philosophy and religion * Sophia (Gnosticism), a feminine figure in Gnosticism * Sophia (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters named Sophia ...

Susanne Bartsch Susanne Bartsch is a Swiss event producer, living in the United States, whose monthly parties at the Copacabana in late-1980s New York City united the ''haute'' and ''demi-monde'', making her an icon of New York nightlife. "Ms. Bartsch's name," ...

* Sushi * Thairin Smothers * Tobell von Cartier * Vivacious * Waltpaper ( Walt Cassidy) * Whillyem (DJ - Limelight, Club USA, Tunnel) *

Zaldy Zaldy Goco (born 1966),. "Zaldy, 38"; . "It was early August ..Zaldy was a preternaturally young-looking 48." also known mononymous person, mononymously as Zaldy, is a Filipino-American fashion designer. In 1995, he was featured as a model in ...

Prominent chroniclers of the club kids culture

* Waltpaper, club kid and author of ''New York: Club Kids'' and ''The Club Kids'' by Waltpaper *

Michael Musto Michael Musto (born December 3, 1955) is an American journalist who has long been a prevalent presence in entertainment-related publications, as well as on websites and television shows. He is best known as a columnist for ''The Village Voice'', ...

, ''Village Voice'' columnist and partygoer alongside the Club Kids * James St. James, author of ''Disco Bloodbath: A Fabulous but True Tale of Murder in Clubland'', a 1999 memoir of James' life as a Manhattan club kid, as well as Michael Alig's murder of Andre "Angel" Melendez. The memoir was retitled '' Party Monster'' after the 2003 movie that starred Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Chloë Sevigny, and Marilyn Manson. *

Nelson Sullivan John Nelson Sullivan (March 15, 1948 – July 4, 1989) was an American videographer who chronicled life in Downtown Manhattan’s arts and club scene from 1983 until his death. His hundreds of videos documented daily life in the city, nights o ...

, videographer and host of cultural gatherings and events * Ernie Glam,

, creators and hosts of the YouTube Channel show "Peeew!" which featured interviews of Club Kids and the history of the Club Kids.

History

Alig moved to New York City from his hometown,

South Bend South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

, in 1984 and began hosting small events. In 1987, he supplanted

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

as a leading New York partier; in an article in ''Interview'', Alig said: "We were all going to become Warhol Superstars and move into The Factory. The funny thing was that everybody had the same idea: not to dress up but to make fun of people who dressed up. We changed our names like they did, and we dressed up in outrageously crazy outfits in order to be a satire of them—only we ended up becoming what we were satirizing." The Club Kids' aesthetic emphasized outrageousness, "fabulousness", and sex. Gender expression was fluid, and members embraced DIY. In Musto's words: "It was a statement of individuality and sexuality which ran the gamut, and it was a form of tapping into an inner fabulousness within themselves and bringing it out." Avalon NYC 2007 006

As the group's influence grew, they spread from the back rooms of lesser-known clubs to venues such as

Area Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...

, Rudolf Piper's

Danceteria Danceteria was a nightclub that operated in New York City from May 1980 until 1986 and in the Hamptons until 1995. The club operated in various locations over the years, a total of three in New York City and four in the Hamptons. The most famous l ...

, and the

Palladium Palladium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1802 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas (formally 2 Pallas), ...

. From there, Alig and his group went on to run Peter Gatien's club network, including Club USA, Palladium, Tunnel, and

The Limelight The Limelight was a chain of nightclubs owned and operated by Peter Gatien. It had locations in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, London and Hallandale, Florida. History Florida and Atlanta locations Peter Gatien opened the first Limelight n ...

. To draw crowds into these venues, Alig and the Club Kids began holding guerilla-style "outlaw parties", where, fully costumed and ready to party, they would hijack locations like Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, ATM vestibules, the then-abandoned

High Line The High Line is a elevated linear park, greenway, and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Op ...

tracks, and the New York City Subway blasting music from a

boombox A boombox is a transistorized portable music player featuring one or two cassette tape players/recorders and AM/FM radio, generally with a carrying handle. Beginning in the mid-1990s, a CD player was often included. Sound is delivered thro ...

and dancing until the police cleared them out. Alig even "threw a party in a cardboard shantytown rented from its homeless inhabitants", whom he paid with cash and crack cocaine. He ensured that such events always happened in the vicinity of an actual club to which the group could decamp. At the height of their cultural popularity, the Club Kids toured the United States (throwing parties, "certifying" those clubs for inclusion in the Club Kids network, and recruiting new members), and appeared on several talk shows, including '' Geraldo'', ''

The Joan Rivers Show ''The Joan Rivers Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Joan Rivers. The show ran for four seasons, from September 5, 1989, to December 26, 1993. History The show aired for five seasons and ended in December ...

'', ''

The Jane Whitney Show ''The Jane Whitney Show'' is an American talk show that was hosted by Jane Whitney. The show ran for two seasons from March 30, 1992, to 1994. It was placed in first-run syndication until its cancelation in January 1994; however, NBC picked up ...

'' and the ''

Phil Donahue Show ''The Phil Donahue Show'' is an American talk show that was hosted by Phil Donahue. The show ran for twenty-nine seasons from November 6, 1967, to September 13, 1996, in which it broadcast 6,715 episodes. Before it was placed in Broadcast synd ...

''. As the 1990s began, the front line of the Club Kids became occupied by a younger group of dynamic personalities that were discovered and mentored by Alig, such as Waltpaper, Jennytalia (Jenny Dembrow), Desi Monster (Desi Santiago), Astro Erle, Christopher Comp, Pebbles, Keda, Kabuki Starshine, Sacred Boy, Sushi, Lil Keni, DJ Whillyem, Aphrodita, Lila Wolfe and Richie Rich. Many of these primary Club Kids lived together communally in large triplex apartments, and at the Chelsea Hotel and Hotel 17. Prominent music personalities, such as

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

, then singer of the band

Sugarcubes The Sugarcubes () were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Benediktsson (vocals, trumpet) ...

, were seen hanging with the Club Kids. With techno and the incoming rave scene, fashion began to soften into an ambiguous gender-fluid style, which melded references to the Club Kids with skate, indie, hip-hop, and grunge. Brands began casting street models and club personalities in shows, campaigns and music videos. Actress

Chloë Sevigny Chloë Stevens Sevigny ( ; born November 18, 1974) is an American actress. Known for her work in independent films with controversial or experimental themes, her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, in addition to a nomination for an Acade ...

emerged from the group at this time, and frequently modeled with Waltpaper, Jennytalia, DJ Whillyem, and Karliin Mann for brands like JYSP Johnson,

Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer. In 1968, he launched the company that later became Calvin Klein. In addition to clothing, he has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery. ...

, and

Jean-Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including corset ...

and in various editorials that showcased Rave vs. Club Kid style for magazines, including ''

Paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...

'', ''Max'', ''Project X'', ''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...

'', '' Details'' and ''

High Times ''High Times'' was an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by Tom Forcade. The magazine had its own book publishing d ...

''. The movement's decline was marked by an event on Sunday, March 17, 1996, when Alig and his roommate Robert "Freeze" Riggs killed former

Limelight Limelight (also known as Drummond light or calcium light)James R. Smith (2004). ''San Francisco's Lost Landmarks'', Quill Driver Books. is a non-electric type of stage lighting that was once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illum ...

employee and reputed drug dealer Andre "Angel" Melendez. After nine months, Alig and Riggs were arrested. The group dissipated in the mid-1990s after Mayor

's "Quality of Life" crackdown on Manhattan's nightclubs. Many of the members of the Club Kids distanced themselves from Alig as details of the murder were released and branded by the press and through documentaries such as '' Party Monster''. Waltpaper stated in ''Interview'': "I would say a lot of the community felt our experience of the time was hijacked by that ''Party Monster'' narrative...That's not the New York I knew. That narrative doesn't include the creativity, vibrancy, and cultural impact that I experienced." For his 2019 book, ''New York: Club Kids'', Cassidy weaves an optimistic narrative where a bunch of misfits made a wonderland by being themselves.

Depictions in art, entertainment, and media

Books

* A comprehensive document of New York City nightlife and street culture in the 1990s, ''New York: Club Kids'' by Waltpaper ( Walt Cassidy) (published by Damiani, 2019), re-issued as ''The Club Kids'' (published by Hotglue, 2023), provides exclusive insight into the lifestyle of this celebrated and notorious clique, supported by an extensive curation of photography and ephemera. * The events of Michael Alig's years as a club promoter up to his arrest are covered in James St. James's memoir ''

Disco Bloodbath ''Disco Bloodbath: A Fabulous but True Tale of Murder in Clubland'' is a 1999 memoir written by James St. James about his life as a Manhattan celebutante and Club Kid. The book specifically chronicles his friend Michael Alig's rise to fame, and A ...

: A Fabulous but True Tale of Murder in Clubland'' (1999), re-released with the title ''Party Monster'' after the release of the eponymous 2003 film.

Films

* The documentary film '' Party Monster: The Shockumentary'' (1998) and the feature film '' Party Monster'' (2003) – both directed by former Club Kids Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbat, and focused on the murder of

Melendez Melendez is the American spelling of the Spanish-Asturleonese surname Meléndez (var. Menéndez), common in the United States Puerto Rican community. Melendez is also the surname of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans, given that Philippines was once ...

by Alig and Riggs – are based on St. James' memoir. * A prison interview with Alig is featured in the documentary ''

'' (2011), directed by

Billy Corben William Cohen (born 1978), better known by the stage name Billy Corben, is an American documentary film director. Along with producing partner Alfred Spellman, he is co-founder of the Miami-based studio Rakontur, which has created films such as ' ...

and produced by

's daughter Jen Gatien . * The documentary film ''Glory Daze: The Life and Times of

'' (2015) reviews the creation, rise, and dispersion of the Club Kids phenomenon and the life of Michael Alig, including his return to New York City after serving a 17-year prison sentence for murdering Andre "Angel" Melendez.

Music

Ernie Glam and Jason Jay wrote "Party Clothes". It was released on the one year anniversary of Michael Alig's death. Later Ernie Glam and Jason Jay wrote "Fashion " and released it on May 21, 2022. Greg Tanoose wrote and produced the song "What's In" with Michael Alig and DJ Keoki. It has Michael Alig on vocals. * Angel Melendez's friend

wrote the song "Give Me My Freedom/Murder in Clubland" after Alig and Gitsie took a road trip to visit her in Denver, arriving five weeks after Melendez's "disappearance". The lyrics to a backwards loop in the song include lines "Michael, where's Angel?" and "Did someone just cry wolf, or is he dead?"

Television

Melendez's murder case was featured on the TV series: * ''

American Justice ''American Justice'' is an American criminal justice television program airing on the A&E Network. From 1992–2005, the show was hosted by television reporter Bill Kurtis. The show features interesting or notable cases, such as the murder o ...

'': "Dancing, Drugs, and Murder" (2000) on A&E * ''Deadly Devotion'': "Becoming Angel" (July 16, 2013) on

Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries, similar to corporate sibling HLN. It is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery's netw ...

* '' Notorious'' * ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...

'': season nine, episode nine, titled "Your Pilot's on Fire", had a club kid theme on the runway. * ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' character

Stefon Stefon Meyers (''né'' Zolesky) is a fictional character portrayed by Bill Hader on the American sketch-comedy television show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Created by Hader and writer John Mulaney, Stefon is based on people Hader and M ...

(

Bill Hader William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 20 ...

) is a parody of a stereotypical club kid; he and co-creator

John Mulaney John Edmund Mulaney (born August 26, 1982) is an American Stand up comedian, stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Mulaney first rose to prominence for his work as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy ...

took inspiration from '' Party Monster'' in creating him.

Theatre

* ''Clubland: The Monster Pop Party'' (2013), a musical adaptation of St. James' book ''Party Monster'' and its 2003 eponymous film adaptation, debuted April 11, 2013 at the American Repertory Theater's Club Oberon, with book, music, and lyrics by Andrew Barret Cox

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

* {{official website, http://www.michaelaligclubkids.com at michaelaligclubkids.com LGBTQ history in New York City Nightlife in New York City Subcultures in the United States