Dangerous Moves: R.I.P. DSC and Lenny’s
July 1st, 2008 by J. Winter in Mayor of Ponce Mayor of Ponce raises a glass to those who deserve it
It was a sad weekend for Atlanta scenesters who saw the official passing away of Decatur Social Club and the un-official death of Lenny’s. Techno may have been the cause of DSC’s demise, and poor ol’ Lenny’s has seemingly been done in by corndogs.
Ironically, these two Friday night traditions split the dishes a few years back when promoter Preston Craig took his KISS indie-rock dance party outside city limits, lured away by a 4 a.m. bar call. The move proved brilliant as the summertime Azul patio became a Friday late-night staple.
It was a wonderful four years of sweaty dancing to “Deceptacon” on top of the bench seats inside the cramp, dark restaurant. No matter what show you went to that night, you were sure to converge in Decatur for after hours drinking of cheap PBR pitchers and cheaper shots of Jager. Its where your MySpace friends came to life. DSC got you laid, made you friends, lost your cell phone and/or camera, and hopefully caused irre-hep-table damage to your liver and brain cells.
And that’s only if you were doing it right.
DSC embodied everything I love about this city. It was about dancing and fun and just getting out of your head. It remained wonderfully inexpensive, when it certainly could’ve taken advantage of its popularity. DSC wasn’t about bottle service and V.I.P. tables; it was just about having fun.
But all great things have to come to an end. Sadly, DSC moved away from Iggy’s “Lust for Life,” and into its Challenger space shuttle, techno remix phase. Its final frontier, I suppose.
DSC, you will be missed.
Getting on the horn to see what the good word was this weekend, it was pretty obvious no one wanted to attend this year’s Corndogorama. It was a tough pitch: $20 to see the same local bands you’ve seen for years. It was a weird feeling — suddenly, going to Corndog was not cool.
EDITOR’S NOTE: According to Lenny’s booker Bean Summer, the club has no plans to move or close before its lease expires in two years. Also, stay tuned for coverage of Preston Craig’s new weekly East Atlanta pub crawl.
Although Lenny’s hasn’t officially received its death certificate, you have to think it’s in the mail. DSC’s demise was quick and merciful. Lenny’s fate hasn’t been so kind. Slow and painful have been the summer months since the tornado did its damage, and this weekend at Corndogorama might as well have been a funeral.
Ever since moving from its tiny original home on Memorial Drive and into the cavernous new spot in the run down strip mall, it’s never been able to regain its charm. And that’s one of the few things Lenny’s always had going for it, an unexplainable charm.
With news that the club will have to move once again since the owner of the strip mall sold the property to a developer, here’s hoping that Katy, Bean, “Big Man,” and the rest of the motley crew can revive the Lenny’s tradition and find a spot that’s as dirty, cramped and romantic as the first Dottie’s/Lenny’s.
With a little bit of bad luck, I’m sure they can.
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July 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
couldn’t agree more about Corn-dog fest–A weekend pass was $50, that’s more then Music Midtown was!
Insane
July 1st, 2008 at 5:03 pm
DSC was the final frontier up until the last year and a half then everyone moved to the rave fest at masquerade. where the fuck do you go now for that “lust for life”?
its more like the stooges “no fun”
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Jay-Atlanta-or any of the 3 people that read this blog.
We will be reborn, and are charm will come alive again.
Bean
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Dearest Mayor of Ponce,
#1: You are a very irresponsible writer, and not a very good one.
#2 FUCK YOU!
YOU HAVE NO CLUE WHAT YOUR IGNORANCE AND MISINFORMATION HAS ACHIEVED, IN THE SENSE OF MAKING YOU SOUND LIKE A REAL ASSHOLE WITH NO BLOW JOB IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
IF YOU WANT TO RAG AND ATTEMPT 2 BURY SOME OF THE COOLEST THINGS ATLANTA HAS EVER HAD IN THE SCENE, YOU ARE THE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE A DICK. $5, $2,FREE, $80. IT DOESN’T MATTER, THEY ARE JUST NUMBERS. IT’S ABOUT THE MUSIC AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN. IT COSTS DJS/MUSICIANS A LOT FOR THEIR GEAR,TIME, HEART & IT IS A LIVING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DO THEIR SOUND AND LIGHTS AND CREW. IT IS PEOPLE WITH VISION AND DRIVE FOR ART IN THEIR COMMUNITY, EVEN WITH DOUCHE BAGS LIKE YOU WITH A STUPID LONELY DESPERATE BLOG. SO, WHAT DO YOU LIKE AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DIDN’T SIT AROUND WITH YOUR DICK IN YOUR EAR AND WONDER MAYBE IT YOU THAT’S THE PROBLEM? ATTEMPTING, AND FAILING, AT RUINING THINGS WITH CARELESS NEGATIVE DRIVEN COMMENTARY, IS NOT COOL. YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT, MAKE YOUR SELF LOOK LIKE A TERMINAL CUNT. - dangerous words
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Thanks for the kind words Jay. The ” Challenger space shuttle, techno remix phase” actually got a genuine laugh out of me.
Although, some would say that phase is what pushed us to our highest point last summer… as all of our largest crowds were based around electronic headliners. However, it’s definitely not for everyone and in some cases we gained people and in others we lost people. C’est La Vie.
Thanks again for coming out and thanks for the eulogy. See you at Eastern Bloc!
July 9th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
i give your article three limp dicks out of four. grow up please. no one really wants your to read your coked-out diatribes. i can nearly guarantee lenny’s will last longer than your painful attempt at keeping up with what’s “hip”. see you at urban outfitters!
July 14th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
You need to get your backside down to Lenny’s on the third Saturday of every month, Jay.
That’s when we ‘Worm the Starhole’ with Noot D’ Noot. It’s where the interesting shit is happening over the Summer.
We’ll be there July 26 and August 16. So should you. Bring a cowbell.