The Starck Club opened in Dallas, Texas, in 1984 and immediately revolutionized the American nightclub experience. The Starck broke every boundary that conservative Texas held at that time, with unisex toilets, legal ecstasy and a hedonistic polysexual vibe that would see everyone from Rob Lowe to George W. Bush making an appearance.
The music policy was diverse and initially preceded house music, with acts like Grace Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Byrne, Book of Love, and many other.
I mentioned Rick Squillante, one of the club's resident DJ's, at the end of this episode and I've loving the few sets of his that I've found on Mixcloud, here.
Michael's film, The Starck Club, was amazing and I would hazard a guess to say there is not a single person on Earth who knows the story and the legacy of the club as intimately as Michael does.
In this episode we discuss:
- Dallas in the 80's and the shadow of the Kennedy assassination
- How the club came to exist in conservative Texas
- Phillipe Starck's stunning design for the club
- Legal ecstasy in the 80's
- Dance music pre-house and rave
- Unisex toilets
- The atmosphere of unpredictability that the club created
- And much, much more
Find information about Michael's film and the club itself here
Check out he and his wife Melina's film company M3 Films
Michael is also the President of EarthxFilm and currently launching EarthxTV, both showcasing programming, films and emerging media that explore science, conservation, climate change, and the environment while honoring the heroes working to protect our planet. Their mission is to turn awareness into action, through education, art and media.
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