Monday, August 25, 2008

1135 Decatur Street, New Orleans Lousiana

I moved from the blustery cold of Minneapolis, Minnesota to New Orleans in 1996. I didn't know anyone then, but I went to a concert at a bar venue called Jimmy's to see ...was is Sister Machine gun?..I have no idea any more. Anyway, that's not important. It was the girl sitting on the steps that was. Her name was Sharon. I didn't know it then, but she was about to change my life.

She introduced me to Harry K., Ryan Jones and Mark Taranto. They in turn asked me where I was headed after the show. I had no clue. I was informed that THE place to be after the show would be at a bar/club called The Crystal. I went down to a block of Decatur Street in the French Quarter that I wasn't really familiar with yet. That block was to become a second home to me over the next ten years.

The Crystal was a shithole. It still is, for the most part. If you're trying to impress someone from out of town, I don't recommend walking them in there as their first stop. But from the moment I stepped through those ratty-ass wooden doors at the front, I knew I'd come across something important, something special. And it's that something special that you get to experience if you stay there long enough despite the fact that its a shithole.

When I first started attending the Crystal, it was in it's gothy heyday, lots of candles, velvet, and a spookily lit dance floor. There were couches(which I'm sure by daylight would warrant lighting on fire), and dark cubbies where a guy and girl could smear their black lipstick all over each other.

There was a gorgeous tall bartender there, who's name is escaping me (she works over at OEJ's now -someone help me! We always remember each other but forget each others name! I used to have a huge crush on her!), and a big friendly door guy (who's name is also escaping me -grrr). The drinks were cheap, and like most NOLA establishments, served in plastic cup.

The sound system stunk, the dance floor was tiny, and the DJ's played a setlist that seemed to repeat itself each week. There were 'themed' nights that all basically boiled down to how many Siouxsie songs they'd play as opposed to how many Front 242 songs they'd play. Don't even get me started on the horrendous bathrooms.

But all that didn't matter. Because Ryan and Mark and Harry introduced me to so many people, I could spend the rest of this article listing them. And those people introduced me to even more. I could turn this whole post into a Romper Room sequence: "Oh look, I see Joey, and Leia, and there's Mykelle! Hi Mykelle.....". The Crystal was one degree from Everyone. It was too small for bands, but acts like Thrill Kill Kult often came over for after show parties.

Eventually, it died. When and why isn't important (I'll get to that in a minute). But it went away. Born as the Blue Crystal, then dying as the Crystal.

Shortly after that, it was reborn as the Crowbar. No one liked it. It didn't last long. It was gone. I'm not sure when it opened or why it closed. It isn't important.

Later, in the early 00's, a friend of mine that I worked with at the Shim Sham decided to put his own spin on 1135 Decatur. The Whirling Dervish was born.

Unlike earlier incarnations, Matt and his cohorts put a fresh spin on the place. Taking the focus away from 'goth' and putting the emphasis on 'eclectic' or perhaps more accurately, 'freaks'. I say freaks with a fond inclusiveness. He opened the upstairs and turned it into a hookah lounge. He hosted Dada art nights and pursued DJ's and theme nights that brought in a whole range of people. He renovated the bar, brought up the lights, cleaned, painted and gave the whole thing new life.

Over time there were ups and downs, the upstairs closed, things lost their luster.

I began DJ'ing there for the third time in early/mid 2004 for a night called "No Name, No Slogan" (Thanks for that Mark) which, for me, would mark the high point of my time at the Dervish. It was the first night there where new indie music was really embraced. Within a year, bands like the Postal Service, The Faint, Felix Da Housecat, and Fischerspooner were getting played right along with the Smiths and the Cure and packing the dance floor.

Despite all of these changes, it was still the people that made 1135 so special. Many of the old faces were still around, but there were always new ones. People like Cynthia and Shelly, Seale and Jene put a new mark on that address for me.

I'm sure the Dervish has caused me significant liver damage, but it was all worth it. Which brings me around to why it isn't important when the Crystal closed or why the Dervish is closing. The place has been around long enough in enough incarnations, that it's become an idea, a concept. You can't destroy concepts, just morph them. The Dervish may be gone, but 1135 Decatur will rise again from the ashes, I have no doubt. Hopefully, Matt Vaughn is involved with it (The little schemer is always planning something!).

If he isn't, it will probably still be a place where I can roll in on a Saturday night and see a familiar face behind the bar, Shelly and Cynthia on the dance floor, Chris James sitting at the end of the bar, goth girls dancing horribly to Wumpscut, Ryan Jones making out with...umm someone who's name I've redacted, Seale showing off a new skirt, Candace talking about a new band she found, Eugene up in the booth spinning a tune I love, Joey showing someone his disco ball, Jack, Travis and Harry talking about their bands, Matt presiding over a happily drunken crowd, or where Mykelle and Leia and I can sit at the bar and reminisce about the old days back when it was still called, "The Whirling Dervish".

The Whirling Dervish is dead. Long live 1135 Decatur.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't you mean showing off what's UNDER my skirt?

You are a nice boy for just thinking that in your head and not writing it down.

xo
see you soon!

mykelle said...

I grew up in that shithole. I started going in 1991 when I was 17. I've seen that bar go through so many changes. It is a significant part of my life, especially the period of time when I worked there and The Crystal closed for good. It always resurrects. But then it always falls again. That is the cycle of 1135 Decatur.

Colette Bennett said...

This makes me sad. At least I'll be prepared when I got in December that it won't be there anymore.

Unknown said...

I'm right along with you, Connor: The Crystal was one of the very first clubs I walked into when I moved to New Orleans, also in 1996. Met you on that very block, in fact. I don't think I can write a better summation of life there than you did: I have most of those same memories of those same wonderful people and crazy times. God I miss that place, hotbox that it was. When I heard it was closing, it made me sad. But - you're right - it will rise again.
I know that whenever I go back to NOLA, no matter what the name or concept, that is where I will find.....everyone.
Our ghosts are still dancing............

Unknown said...

I have some pictures from '98 there... I can't for the life of me remember the name of the hot DJ guy I liked (I do have a picture in my albums...)

I miss going to "The Bog"...lol

Thanks for posting this (albeit an old post)... Helps me remember some great times.

replicantgirl said...

lots of memories from the crystal. :)

Unknown said...

The bartenders name was Lisa.
It's great to see that that funky little joint had the same affect on some others. I will be missing and celebrating those days forever! We got a real gift to be able to have experienced it.

Unknown said...

I started going to the Blue Crystal in 1989 while a freshman at Loyola. The Blue Crystal was the first place I heard "How Soon is Now" and asked the DJ what the hell it was. The hot bartender introduced me to mind erasers...fantastic. Blotter acid was the bane of the day, and when you couldn't get blotter there was a guy on the corner that would drip acid into your hand from an eye dropper. Dennis if you know who this is get ahold of me, I remember you puking into a cup from pat'o'briens.

deepbluehue said...

Dougie here . . .

Was traveling around the country when i attended one summer almost every night of the week for a few months . . . most likely helped with candles / incense and smoking clove cigarettes . . . was nice to get in free ; i most likely helped bus drinks . . . work at a goth club in austin now . . .

hung around 'rooster' ? and that handsome model looking guy with dark hair . . . mark ?

summer of janes addiction
jane says and summertime rolls reminds me of that time

along with crucify me / moev
and god aren't we all over headhunter after like the 5000th time we heard it !

elysiumonline.net

facebook http://www.facebook.com/deepbluehue?cropsuccess#!/deepbluehue

deepbluehue said...

btw

I'm speaking of circa 1992 / '93

deepbluehue said...

btw . . .

Angel helped with some of the dada parties ;

if your interested her blog is here

angeliska.com

dj bigdirty said...

I used to frequent & love The Blue Crystal when I was stationed in Biloxi, Ms at an Air Force base from 89-05. Used to hit it every payday weekend. We used to lose our minds when Section 25- "Looking From a Hilltop (megamix)" used to come on along with all Front 242 & Ministry tracks. Thank you for the memories! Still inspired by some of the tracks from back in the day. I went on to become a dj in San Fran area and Boston from there. Thank you again.

dj bigdirty
Boston, MA

dj bigdirty said...

oops meant to say 89-95, plus I saw someone reference Moev Crucify me! YESSIR!!!!

deepbluehue said...

Big dirty ; we prob. were in each others company a few times !

dj bigdirty said...

Check out this article and video trailer of Wax Trax upcoming documentary. When I saw it I immediately thought of The Crystal. http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2013/08/13/wax-trax-records-documentary-trailer-video/

Resofactor said...

Last time I was there was about 2002. What's going on there now?

Unknown said...

The tall bartender was Missy, Anthony was the door guy, and Paul Prickett was the Dj. Good times!!!

Decker said...

In 1970 I lost my virginity to "Queenie" who "worked" in her room above the Blue Crystal.
I brought a friend there to see her the next week.
Decatur was nice back then, no tourist.

Bart said...

When I was stationed at the NAS there in NOLA, I was a semi-regular at the Blue Crystal. It shaped my musical tastes and later when I'd moved on to Chicago (where I spent a solid 20 years), every goth venue somehow reminded me of the Blue Crystal. I do miss it so.

Bart said...

(PS: DJ bigdirty, I know a lot of those folks from the Wax Trax doc) :)

Anonymous said...

This is a long shot but does anyone have pictures of the blue crystal they would be willing to share?

Unknown said...

Many memories, to many lost friends.

deepbluehue said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
deepbluehue said...

i WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS OLDE BLOG YESTERDAY …
AND ' UNKNOWN ' POSTED A THOUGHT …

https://www.facebook.com/deepbluehue

Maximumsuede said...

Totally my hangout from 87-91. Anthony, the bouncer, was my boyfriend’s best friend at that time. Best music ever. Those were great memories. Trent Reznor moved to New Orleans in 1990, and he was there from time to time. I haven’t found another similar spot until I went to the Pyramid club in NYC. The basement bar is Defcon. And Mike, the dj there plays all of that old school industrial, Belgian new beat, and dark wave. If you’re ever in New York City you must check it out. You will totally have a flashback of the Blue Crystal. The music, and the scene lives on!