Bars Fire Island Pavilion Is Rebuilt And Ready For Another Try! Here’s The Dish
by Michael Musto
The Fire Island Pines’ famed Pavilion club burned down in 2011, but after the input of a lot of effort and cash, it’s up and dancing again.
Tony Fornabaio–the hot NYC gay party promoter who’s managing the place–just told me how the Pavilion shall rise like a gay phoenix.
Hi, Tony. So the club is reopening on Memorial Day weekend?
Yes. The soft opening is on that Thursday. It’ll be smallish, mainly for homeowners, investors, and people who’ve been involved in the Pavilion. It’s early, from 8 to 12. Robbie Leslie will DJ. Friday is the grand opening, with DJs Phil B, Michael Fierman, and John Ceglia. And Saturday, Tony Moran and Eddie Elias will DJ. We’re doing the opening weekend as a homage to the DJs that created the sound in Fire Island. And we’re doing a circus theme.
How does the place look after all it’s been through?
It was designed by HWKN, who did the High Line. This is all thought out to be a homage to what the old Pavilion was about. It’s a barn like feeling–all wooden, but modernist, with stadium steps. There’s an amazing dome over the dance floor, which is my favorite thing in the world. And there’s an outdoor deck, with an amazing view. We’re trying to rejuvenate what’s on the island because in the last five to seven years it’s lost something. If people don’t pack the house at first, it’s fine. It’s an education process. For the newer generation, we’re hoping to make it some kind of educational musical experience.
Meanwhile, what’s happening with your gigs in NYC?
I’ll be leaving xl for the summer. I’ll do the closing of Rockit [the long running Friday night bash there] at the end of April and maybe bring it back in the fall [with copromoter Brandon Voss, who heads xl’s entertainment]. If it comes back, it won’t be at xl. It doesn’t make sense to keep Rockit there at this point after I leave. We’ll bring it back to its roots. I also have the possibility of doing a Wednesday gig in the city, a sort of funk/hiphop/R&B event.
Congrats on all your projects. Have a socko summer.