The Shim Sham Club - Anniversary

Today is special. It's been exactly five years since the Shim Sham Club in New Orleans closed it's doors. For those of you who know it, this post will be a trip down memory lane. For those of you who didn't, well, it might be informative, but it won't capture what really happened there.

I've re-written this paragraph five times now because I don't know how to begin telling you about it. There are certain clubs (or places, or people, or food, or whatever) that become more than etched in your memory. They take on a certain bit of magic, a glow. Personally, I've had some of the best and worst experiences in my life in nightclubs, so naturally, they're important to me. There's a short list of really mystical ones, and the Shim Sham Club is at the top of that list.

I could regurgitate shows I've seen there (X, Daniel Ash, Dead Kennedy's, the list is long) or the girls I've met there (I won't list any of them here - you know who you are). But that can be said of almost any club. What separated the Shim Sham Club from so many others was the feeling of family. It almost always felt like the regulars outnumbered the tourists. The employees were always regulars, and quite often, vice versa.

It was a place you could go to on any night of the week and see a familiar face, share a story, catch up with old friends, and sure, see a good show. There were burlesque shows, 80s nights(not to mention just about every other genre out there besides top 40), theater (including a long running version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch), even a porn night. But it was all couched in friendship and community.

I was fortunate enough to be a regular DJ there, for their 80s nights, and it's given me some of the better memories of my life. Two really stand out. The first was closing night. Five years ago. The AC's had gone bust and everyone got progressively more naked as the place heated up and the drinks flowed. It was an 80s night and there were three of us DJ'ing, taking turns. At one point, I'm guessing around 1am, I took a break and walked outside for some fresh air. The line to get in the club went well around the block. I knew then, that we were at the end of something really special. I think I got home around 7 am that night.

The second standout was of my wedding reception. Morgan Night, who was the owner, and I'm proud to still call friend, was kind enough to let us use the main room of the club on a Tuesday night for my wedding reception. That's the kind of place the Shim Sham Club was.

I'm sad that those glory days are over, but things are as they should be. The best things in life aren't supposed to last, and the Shim Sham burned hot and fast. When I look back now, it's not with longing, but with happiness. I can't really say I'm able to observe any silence (this is a written blog, after all), but I can say, out of love and respect, this will be my only post today.

I encourage any and all of you who remember the Shim Sham Club fondly to post your memories, photos or videos here. And cheers to Morgan, all the Shim Sham employees, and all those people in New Orleans I miss dearly.

(You can also visit Morgan's site, which has some Shim Sham stuff at Devils Night )

Both of these videos were shot at the Shim Sham.