1/3 - Disco Demolition Night "The Day After" with Steve Dahl & Garry Meier - July 13, 1979

[dlovett32]

I was an Andy Frain Usher and there was NOT MUCH I remember from that night that had anything to do with comedy.

[TheOriginalShockJock]

@dlovett32

No one is denying it was crazy and out of control, but the heart of the 'bit' was comedy, and it was hardly a riot as there weren't any major injuries, no fighting and so on. But again, anyone that was there or saw how it all went down can't deny it was a crazy night, even Steve Dahl himself admitted it was pretty insane. But those people that want to claim that it was a 'hate' event, or that it was racists or prejudicial are missing the point of the satirical comedy nature of it.

[johnthejeweler]

whatever he did it was amazing!!!

[tiggerburberry]

The irony of this whole event is it took place in the city (Chicago) that is widely known for House Music (an updated version of disco)!!! So Dahl didn't really kill the sound, he just helped to move it underground.

[TheOriginalShockJock]

@tiggerburberry It was never meant to be taken too seriously anyway, it was comedy, and the real emphasis was on the fad aspect of what disco had become, not so much the music (though some artists probably suffered because people didn't always make the differentiation). Disco by 1979 was no longer relegated to black artists or underground clubs; it was a full-fledged fad, the BeeGees and Disco Duck, all that crap, homogenized, commercial pap for the masses.

Thanks for listening and commenting!

[Lashid4u]

@TheOriginalShockJock You say it was not to be taken seriously, but you hafta understand that many music careers were destroyed, considering that these artists (i.e. Gloria Gaynor & KC & tSB) could no longer get the airplay (and respect as musicians) that they had, prior ...This lead to many great bands disbanding (and ANYTHING that was too black and funky was marked "disco", like Earth Wind & Fire), and many DJs loosing gigs ...So, this shows how one dumbass act can affect an entire genre

[TheOriginalShockJock]

@Lashid4u Maybe true in retrospect, but there was certainly no way for anyone to have predicted that, and as it was a fad it was bound to change for some reason or another (namely the over-commercialization) In the context of the late 70's it was just comedy focused on popular culture, as it so often still is, Steve Dahl and Disco Demolition just happened to hit at the right time to help (fad) disco's demise along!

[TheOriginalShockJock]

@Lashid4u Comedy is an effective form of social criticism, rightly or wrongly (which is subjective) but that doesn't necessarily mean that it was 'mean-spirited' or whatever, it is just an amplified opinion (for comedic purposes) as well as being satirical, parodying and expounding on real life. And again, in the context of the times it was a somewhat valid criticism shared by many. (Now I'm over-analyzing it, it was COMEDY and SATIRE!)

[GeoLayered]

LOL I WAS THERE and I can say it was without question , done in the name of comedy -but when u add alcohol and other things and people goin nuts havin a good time- this is what CAN happen lol OK NOW WHERE IS the insane coho lips song!

[TheOriginalShockJock]

@GeoLayered I'm not saying it wasn't crazy as hell, it was, but there seems to be a new popular mythology (in a number of place on You Tube as well) where people are equating Disco Demolition with hatred and prejudice; meanwhile there are people like ourselves that were around and know better.

Are we talking Coho Lips Blues? thestevervault com /blog/ 2010/03/100323_1/

[GeoLayered]

@TheOriginalShockJock US from that time KNOW IT WAS done for comedic purpose and yes we are talkin insane coho lips blues lol band i was in yrs ago used to play it LOL and I.........sang it

[TheOriginalShockJock]

@GeoLayered Cool, check it out at The Stever Vault link I posted (you'll have to insert the w's and the .'s since You Tube won't let us post links in comments).

Plus, if you haven't already checked out The Stever Vault you'll really enjoy it. Later.

[VIEWTUBE00000]

Middle America hated disco primarily because disco was comprised of a demographic that included blacks, gays, and affluent people on the west and east coasts. So, ignorant blue collar, Midwestern types took out their hate and did things like this. I grew up in the Chicago area and was 13 when Disco came through and if you openly liked disco, you would be verbally or even physically attacked.

[TheOriginalShockJock]

@VIEWTUBE00000

There's two sides to that. I grew up in the same area at that time and there was a distinct contingent of people that were very arrogant, even belittling, about those that weren't into disco, like you weren't cool if you weren't into it. This created a backlash (in both directions).

Also, this event stemmed from COMEDY after Steve Dahl left a radio station that changed to disco. No one from Steve's show, or the "Cohos" thought about the prejudicial aspects of it, it was comedy!

[TheOriginalShockJock]

@VIEWTUBE00000

There seems to be popular misconception, or re-interpretation of this event that has caused people to think that it was a 'hate' event driven by prejudice, but for Steve Dahl and his fans it was just a funny cultural clash based on something that they viewed as corporate-driven snobbery (rock had it's own commercial elements). I don't remember anyone making it into being racist or homo-phobic, and I know for a fact that Steve Dahl and the Insane Coho Lips didn't have that in mind.

[4williamtx]

BAD COHO!!!!BAD COHO!!! HAHAHAHA

[3443bh]

This was a great moment for our generation! Thanks for the memories.

[rspwner14]

am i the only one who thinks we need a "Hip hop demolition night" ?

[TheOriginalShockJock]

It wouldn't work these days. While I can appreciate the sentiment there are just too many styles and types of hip hop, and music in general for that matter. Back when there was a regular top 40 and it was all kind of together it was different. Besides, Disco Demolition was more about the superficial culture that the disco scene had become (generalizing) and not just about some of the corny commercial music. I've heard people say they should have 'rap demolition' etc. but it wouldn't be the same.

[UniQueLyEviL]

@rspwner14 I *knew* I was going to find a comment like this somewhere. Hah!

[Blueracer]

That was great.  I can't believe it's been 30 years!!!

[TheOriginalShockJock]

It really is hard to imagine that it's been that long. In some ways it seems like only yesterday, in other ways it seems like a really long time ago. 40 years tomorrow for the moon landing, almost half a century. How the time goes by.

Thanks for listening and commenting, later.