On Demand
Im Cabaret, au Cabaret, to Cabaret
Monday, July 14, 2008
New York City is considering repealing the "Cabaret Laws." The 80+ year old rules restrict dancing to licensed nighttime venues. John McGarvey, spokesman for Metropolis in Motion, talks about the impact on the city if the laws were taken off the books. Also in conversation, NYU law professor Paul Chevigny. Paul He is also author of, Jazz and the Cabaret Laws in New York City.
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Comments
Bring back can can dancers. Dancing is good for the body and the soul.
We need more places to dance in Queens that are classy.
Could your guest please comment on the Cotillo Act and it's role as a precursor to current laws?
A promoter's perspective...
The cabaret laws, like so many regulations governing bars and other nightlife establishments, are utilized selectively by the police to harrass owners, promoters, artists, and patrons when no other grounds are available.
Even with their removal, the police will continue to selectively enforce whatever obscure codes they choose.
Real education and reform is needed so that the police department does not immediately treat nightlife with hostility.
Some friends and I went to see the Smithereens at Kenny's Kastaways in 1980. We started dancing by our table and one of the employees quickly came over and told us "You can't dance here". We were astounded, having never heard of not being allowed to dance to a live band. I thought it was just an oddity regarding Kenny's Kastaways. My intoxicated friend, walking back to our car, announced to several passers-by, "You can't dance at Kenny's Kastaways"!!!
I thought cabaret licenses were there to make the city money since the liquor license is money paid to the state. Is that true?
I love to go to bars and dance and drink till 2am 3x a week. It is fun but I don't like to go to the bar, dance and then be told we can't dance b/c caberet license restrictions.
I love to drink and dance.
I remember during the debate over this issue when Giuliani was in office centered around the influence of club owners who had cabaret licenses, were arguing against unfair competition from bars with dance spaces that didn't have the license. They put enormous pressure on the Giuliani admin to enforce the law. Do your guests have any info on this?
Didn't Merce Cunningham make it clear enough that dance is in the heart? what degree of motion, repetitive? related to the pulse of music? shall they declare illegal?
The bars and DJs are businesses and dont care about the residents dont want all of the noise, after midnight and the garbage and fights that the community has to deal with not the owners of the bars.
People having fun is illegal to some people.
DJ REKHA!! Shes awesome. Bhangra basement!
there you go, ONE caller and his call outweighs the rest of the argument. Dancing and drugs do not go hand in had. As the caller said many small bars in the East Village were closed because cops harassed and closed the bars when the walked in a found as few as 2 people dancing to the juke box. that's the problem.
Should we have to go out and get drunk and listen to boring chatter?
They need to bring back music to this boring city of drunks. East Village rots with drunks smoking.
People should dance and bring back turntables to the East Village.
It's Guiliani's Gestapo tactics that shut down the clubs.
If they succeed in getting rid of these laws, New York will finally be a cooler place than the fictitious midwestern town in "Footloose". Hooray!
Now I gotta cut Loose, Footloose. How does Kevin Bacon Feel about this?
this is the issue that got me paying attention to politics. When Mayor guliani started enforcing this law during his war on quality of life i was at the point in my life where i was going out every night. There were hundreds of the most wonderfully diverse small events at every little bar. You didnt need to pull a thousand people to justify a party. You could go out and dance to every sort of music it was beautiful.
FYI, in 2006 Local 802 of the Musicians Union succeeded in lobbying for legislation that eliminated the State admission tax on mixed food and performance venues ( see below ). The union convinced lawmakers that jazz clubs and others would apply what formerly went to the State to paying pension contributions for performers.
LAWS OF NEW YORK, 2006
CHAPTER 279
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to exempting from sales taxes
imposed by or pursuant to the authority of article 28 or 29 of the tax
law a portion of the amount paid as the charge of a roof garden,
cabaret or other similar place in respect of admission
Became a law July 26, 2006, with the approval of the Governor.
Passed by a majority vote, three-fifths being present.
I'm amazed how any politician can let these racist laws remain on the books
This thread is closed.
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