P2JW287000-2-A01900-1--------NS THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. ** Thursday, October 13, 2016 | A19 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Defining the ‘Downtown Era’ of the 1980s BY ANDY BETA When Tim Lawrenceset out to research his newbook,“Life and Death on the NewYork DanceFloor: 1980-1983,” he had predictable challenges. Club denizens canoften have difficulty remembering last night’sparty—who spun what, who wore what, which creativetypes lent their cool to the scene—much lessrecall what happened in the dark 30- plus years ago. NELL That didn’t deterthe Brit- DY ish author and scholar,whose 2004 book “LoveSaves the JOHNNY Day” documented the rise of ’70s discoculture. Afteritbe- came clear that the initial idea WHYLAND; for his new book, a history of ANDE ’80s American nightlife, was S; tooambitious,hehomed in on AM the firstpart of the decade, ABR specifically in New York City. It wasthere, he argues,iN ONARD night spotslikethe Mudd LE Club, Danceteria, Club 57 and TEINS; Paradise Garage, that lasting cultural phenomena—post- BERNS discodancemusic,hip-hop, BILL artand punk—all began to P: blossom and cross-pollinate. TO OM “The downtownera wasaN FR uncontained explosion of en- ergy,creativity,community, WISE OCK ideas,collaboration that re- CL sisted form, but wasalso pre- cisely wonderfulbecause of TimLawrence’snew book, that,” said Mr. Lawrence. ‘Lifeand Death on the New His book,published by York DanceFloor: 1980-1983’ DukeUniversity Press, offers features, clockwise from above: fresh detail and insight on the the dancefloor at Paradise clubs,DJs,parties and record- Garage, one of the 1980s ingsthat emergedfromthe nightclubs thathelped shape scene.HeevenoffersDJplay- the era; the frontcoverofEast lists from different clubs. Village Eyemagazine in June In documenting the rise of 1982; Keith Haring, an unknown the Mudd Club,wherescenest- guest, GraceJones and Fred ersfromart, fashion, film and ‘Fab 5Freddy’ Brathwaiteat music collided, Mr. Lawrence the FunGallery (c.1983); and describes the importanceof Jean-Michel BasquiatDJs in good doorkeepers in prevent- the lounge at Area in 1986. ing the mix inside from de- scending into chaos.Artist RichardBoch,for example, could recognizeimportant art- istsand musicians,but also maintained the Mudd Club’s defiant vibe—making record companyexecutives,tastemak- ersand anyone who arrived in alimousine wait while apunky 16-year-old got in first. It wasanera of constant cultural synergy:when new wave bands likethe Talking Heads embraced dance grooves and Blondie dabbled in rap. DowntowN artists like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiatdrewinspiration from break-dancers, graffiti and other street culture. And the ’80s club scene didn’t lack forrising stars— MadoNNa, Russell Simmons and Run DMC, among them. “Wewerehaving so much had to make our owN party.” and Asian, all somehow com- vanand interdisciplinary mu- whole historyofvoices that Basquiatepitomized the ki- funand being so creative,” Formusician John Robie, ingtogether to create, ofteN sician Arthur Russell.But that hadn’t been accounted for,” netic artistic energy.Already a said his bandmateMichael who recorded with Chaka serendipitously.” challenged Mr.Lawrence, a said Mr.Lawrence, who ulti- rising star in the art world, he Holman, also an artist, writer Khan andNew Order and Due to the outbreak of AIDS professor of cultural studies at mately interviewedmorethan wasthe lead in the film and filmmaker, who has been playedon’80s classics likeAf- and the rise of the crack epi- the University of East London, 130 people for the book. “Downtown81,” which docu- credited as the firstjournalist rika Bambaataa’s“Planet demic,manyofthe era’smost to dig deeper and find people This week, he is in town to mented the era’sart and music to use the phrase “hip-hop” to Rock,” the era’s artistic inter- prominent artistsdied young, whose stories had never been celebratethe book with film scene.Healso DJ’d and played describe the sound coming action wasalso cross-cultural: including Haring,Basquiat, documented. screenings, lectures, readings in an experimental band. from the South Bronx.“We “It was black, white, Hispanic Paradise Garage DJ Larry Le- “I realized that there’sa and—of course—danceparties. AUDI ContinuedfrompageA15 EXTRA chestra and chorus. “I thought it wassuch a fascinating piece—almost un- stageable,” Mr.Audi, whose production had itspremiereiN COMFORT 2013 in Amsterdam, said ear- lier this month. “How do you do it?” Don’t expect painted Alpine IN EVERY backdrops or medieval cos- JOURNAL tumes.When the curtain rises REET afterthe famous overture, Mr. ST Audi offersupastripped- LL WA STEP down, abstracted staging in- THE tended to highlight the opera’s R universal themes of liberty, FO loyalty and betrayal. Thear- LEY chitectural sets, by his fre- FO quent collaborator George PETER Tsypin, aremeant to evoke the PierreAudi speakswith Marina Rebekaduring rehearsal of the Metropolitan Opera’s‘Guillaume Tell.’ shape of chaletswith being overly literal. andDutch, he is accustomed duced British audiences to 2018,when he will assume lead- The “Circle Map” concerts to juggling continentsand cre- John Cage, ArvoPärt and other ership of France’sfamed Aix-en- were already in the pipeline ative endeavors.Heisalso contemporarycomposers. Provencemusic festival. before he arrived at the Ar- now, at age 58, balancing the In 1988 Mr.Audi washired Mr.Audi already knows morylast year.Asoflast week needs of a family. He married to lead Dutch National Opera. many of the major players in Mr.Audi wasstill working out in June of 2015,the same He wasjust 30 yearsold, with New York’s cultural scene. As thespecifics of what the audi- month his appointment at the no traditional operaexperi- he ramps up his work for the encewould encounter inside Armorywas announced; he ence.Mr. Audi ultimately put next Armoryseason, he is div- the organization’s vast space. andhis wifehaveayoung the young companyonthe ing in deeper,making frequent He calls the process “mise- daughter and asecond child map,with premieres of new visitshereand meeting young en-espace”—putting awork in on the way. operas and by working with New York-based artists. TheUn-Sneaker™ goes to work. space using elements such as Family,hesaid, provides boundary-pushing cultural fig- The Armory, which opened Youdeserve insanecomfort 24/7.Sowhy lighting,video or deciding “anadditional layerofhuman- ures ranging from the artist in 2007,getsthe benefit of Mr. where people sit. ity and helped me to manage Anish Kapoor to American the- Audi’svast international Rolo- nottreat your feet to theHubbard24Seven? “Wetry to getthe audience the stress a little bit better.” ater director PeterSellarsand dex. to surround the orchestra,” he Born in Beirut, Mr.Audi the Chinese composer TanDun. “He has worked with so said, to break down the barri- grew up thereand in France. From 2004 to 2014heserved manymusicians,composers, ersbetween performersand Afterstudying historyatOx- as artistic director of the Hol- conductors, directors,” said listeners. “It’sorganizing ford University,hefounded land Festival, and has directed Rebecca Robertson,the Ar- these ingredients, using one’s London’sAlmeida Theatreina productions foroperaand the- mory’s president and execu- experiencetoshape them, that once-derelict Salvation Army ater companies acrossEurope. tive producer.“Youget this 30 colorsfor him andher,1free catalog foryou.844.482.4800 motivates me.” hall, wherehepresented ex- He plans to step down as direc- kind of encyclopedia of the FluentinEnglish, French perimental theater and intro- torofthe Dutch companyiN avant-garde.”.