I remember the first time I lost myself in a club as if it were yesterday.
In all my life, I had never heard that.
A composition always came to an end.
Credit: Mark Sagliocco/FilmMagic
A song on the jukebox stops.
It was the most amazing thing ever.
That meant that this was either a cool spot or a safe haven for them.
When my girlfriend and I stumbled into that first club, we would have been the outsiders.
We were the jazzers who wouldnt have fit in normally, but we fit in right away.
There was not even an ounce of resistance.
This was one of the most important characteristics of the disco movement.
It was so inclusive.
You never felt uncomfortable.
People were drawn to clubs because they were real.
Thats why so many dance records have the wordreleasein them.
We live our lives on edge.
Were always aware of our surroundings.
Were always aware of the dos and the donts that society puts on us.
You could imagine that clubs were pretty loose.
You could forget about your surroundings.
You could come up with your own definition and find your own sense of style.
It gave me a new palette to write with.
I was working on a song last night that was sympathetic to the incident that just happened in Orlando.
When I was youngerI grew up during the Vietnam Warwe had this concept of places that were safe.
If you were a black person, there were certain neighborhoods you didnt go to.
If you were a hippie, there were neighborhoods you didnt go to otherwise bikers would beat you up.
It was called liberated territories.
Thats what I started writing about: the concept of liberated territory.
I had been thinking ofChristina Grimmie, the woman fromThe Voicewho had been shot.
I heard she was giving love to fans and welcoming people with open arms.
Then a few hours later I heard about the incredible tragedy at Pulseand it was in the same city.
Clubs were liberated territories, too.
Theres nothing in life that you do thats celebratory that doesnt include music.
We always had those places that were special.
I used to live in subways.
My cousin used to live in subway tunnels.
For some people, it feels safer to live on the streets, so you find your liberated territory.
You find a space that feels likeyourspace.
Sometimes you walk into a club, and its just your spot.
it’s possible for you to tell right away.
It feels better and better, and you come back the next weekend and the next.
There are places that just feel like home to you.
