Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture

It is difficult to overstate the merits of "Clubland." From a literary point of view, it is brilliantly written. Owen's nimble narrative voice effectively combines dispassionate reportage with vivid prose, sprinkled here and there with moments of subtle, geniune wit. Personally, I cannot disagree more with Linus Van Pelt's libelous review (below). Clubland is, without a doubt, marvelously written, and extraordinarily readable (a distinct quality that the other 16 reviewers unanimously agree upon). In fact, I would say the most impressive aspect of Frank Owen's opus is the degree to which he brings utter lucidity to an underworld that is, by nature, impossibly shadowy and inextricable. From a cultural perspective, Frank Owen has done a hero's task in writing this book. Not only did he (quite literally) risk his life to illuminate the shadowy depths of this sinister underworld, but he successfully wrapped his mind around a colossal kingdom of nighttime pleasures, and pieced together a lucid collage for all of us to comprehend. Owen's efforts have ensured that this epic moment in america's "forbidden" cultural history is accessible to all. For anyone remotely fascinated by the nocturnal side of human nature, "Clubland" will terrify you, edify you, and give you a deeply humbling awareness of a world you rarely, if ever, get a chance to see for yourself... one that you probably wouldn't want to see for yourself.

After taking in an interest in the movie "Party Monster" I picked up "Clubland". Minutes after opening the book I was hooked. 36 hours later I was taken aback. The story and the little known details of the 90's Manhattan club culture came alive once again in my mind. The story of Peter Gatien, Michael Alig and Chris Paciello is fascinating. A true journey through the best and worst of times. Highly recommended+++++++++++++

This book, to be colloquial about it, was OFF THE HOOK. I am one tough-to-shock reader, but there were passages in this book that had me literally dropping my jaw and gasping. As I mentioned in my review of 'Disco Bloodbath/Party Monster', James St. James' frothy, breezy, and dishy account of the Alig fiasco, I enjoyed it immensely but was looking forward to reading Owen's book for a meatier, more in-depth examination of the seething underbelly of 1990s Manhattan. Happily, Owen does not disappoint.Skillfully illustrating the gestalt of the era, Clubland offers us a nearly exhaustive account of Peter Gatien's nightclub empire and the shady-but-fascinating denizens slithering through one dank VIP room after another. Michael Alig is clearly the most well-known and notorious of Gatien's 'directors', but the story of wiseguy-turned-impresario Chris Paciello is compelling as well. Owen does a masterful job of keeping the Byzantine labyrinthe of squalid interconnectedness (reminiscent of Alig's infamous 'wheel of hepatitis') clear and understandable in a world that is anything but. What was most shocking is the sheer extent to which absolutely everyone involved seemed to be on the take in one way or another - a collection of ruthless, amoral characters all bent on getting one over on each other, the public, and even themselves. While Paciello and Caruso, two promoters under Owen's microscope, were always tinged with Mafia flavor, the real tragedy seems to be that of Michael Alig and his crew of voraciously attention-hungry 'club kids'. Owen provides a riveting background portrait of Alig's Midwestern roots and past as a natural-born, from-the-cradle prankster and hustler nonpariel. How this demonic little genius, at age 22 the toast of Lower Manhattan, ended up as a pathetic, opiate-enslaved persona non grata is an epic tragedy. That bankrupt amorality does not equal flinty fabulousness may be the hardest lesson that Alig ever has to learn. Having spent my time in the trenches of the demimonde, I understand all too well how what seems like just having a good time can turn dark beyond belief in an instant....my reaction to the 'downward spiral' of Clubland was the same as when watching the 'Party Monster Shockumentary'....overwhelming sadness at such great creativity, energy, and promise being squandered needlessly. Thankfully, Owen was able to bring depth and humanity to the players on the stage, as well as including minor characters (i.e, Gatien's wife Alessandra, several DEA snitches, murder victim Angel Melendez's brother, Johnny, and many more) that added greater context to the well-known, sordid story. It would be easy to lay the blame for the tragedy at the feet of drugs, as plenty of junkies, convicts, other casualties of excess, and we as a culture, are wont to do. What Owen manages to illustrate is that this kingdom of glitter wasn't brought down so much by drugs as by greed, dark ambition, mercurial loyalties, and power. What was a groundbreak

Veteran journalist Frank Owen, regarding himself as "one of the last of the gonzo journalists", has probably written one of the most seductive moral tales brought to the press in a long time. With a list of characters ranging from the foolish to the fantastic, the absurd to the alluring, and delightful to the dangerous, set in the environs of New York City and South Beach, and coving a period of approximately 10 years within an immediate context of the last 40 years of the 20th century, he has managed to demonstrate the decadence and decline of western civilization with a stroke of linguistic genius amid an era of Caligula-like clowns and killers. Coursing through this expertly written exposé, these character sketches become invaluable as the reader makes his way through the text. Not just a journalist, but a teller of tales like Hunter S. Thomson, Frank Owen works on many levels always starting with a very straight forward premise to be followed by social-historical and/or social-philosophical context and commentary, all woven with his own personal experiences in Clubland, becoming a filter and everyman as this tale is told."The era of Studio 54 that had been the scene of well-documented, glamorous decadence faded as a new empire of clubs - fueled by more potent drugs and an extreme culture of self-indulgence - stretched across American cities." To the point, Mr. Owen gives a very germane treatment of the decline of Western civilization in the latter half of the 20th century as seen through his experienced eyes in the Clubland of New York.Excerpts from a review by:Marc MegeReal Detroit WeeklyMay 21-27, 2003

I just love how the story came to be:Frank Owen was hired by the Limelight's owner to write a story about The Limelight at the same time The Village Voice asked him to write about the drug scene in "clubland" so after five years, he came out with one hell of a book. We follow four of the most fascinating (and true) characters I have ever read about, how they started a revolution and were all connected, yet all so incredibly different. I bartended in New York City for almost a decade, I knew the owners of many of the clubs mentioned in the book, I even knew one of the DEA guys in the book. I thought I knew it all. I found out I didn't know a thing. Frank Owen takes you there, he makes you understand how it all came together, while creating a mystery (rather the characters created the mystery, Frank Owen, simply knew how to string it all together, without it being confusing and making it extremely intriguing. )Most important, he doesn't take a side (Like the movie and book Party Monster and how I am sure Gaiten will have his movie made) Owen stays wondefully true to all. Even if you have never been to Manhattan, even if you never knew a Fed, even if you have no idea what The Limelight is/was...this book is worth it and by the end, you will know it all!