Paddling and partying all on the same night and route.
That’s the way I rolled!
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The Squeeze nightclub “Danceteria” opened in 1989 by Jack Kearney and was literally across the street from the big house in Ft Lauderdale!
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Squeeze was a one of a kind nightclub that in the early 1990’s purveyed the then-new “alternative” and industrial rock sounds along with lots of live bands. Probably the most famous band to play their early gigs there was Marylin Manson and the Spooky Kids.
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The Banana Boat with lights arriving at the Squeeze in downtown Ft Lauderdale, circa 1993-95 ? maybe. Note the Greenland stick!
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The club was located directly on the New River in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. As a kayaker, I found this to be intriguing early in my paddling career and thus would sometimes arrive via kayak! I usually launched at Cooley’s Landing not too far away and would combine my love for paddling and partying all on the same night and route! 🙂
I would tie off the kayak under the seawall, out of sight and carried a change of clothes. Mind you, one of the best things about going to Squeeze was that there was no silly dress code, and a very free and open-minded atmosphere along with great music. The place was well run and thanks to imposing ex-linebacker Willy, the bouncer, any problems that arose were quickly and quite literally tossed outside! Willy was a really cool guy and I had a number of conversations with him. Actually the entire staff was cool, seemed kinda like a lil close-nit family of sorts. They made Squeeze fun, because they were fun!
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High tide at the seawall next to Squeeze. I carried a change of clothes .. 😉
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Sometimes I’d paddle before “going out”, and would bring snacks because I was working out. I was that guy chomping on apples inside! More often though I’d start my paddling after final closing time, usually about 3am. I always waited to hear one of the bartenders sing “God Bless America” (thanks Doug!). Then it would be my private Ft Lauderdale after hours paddling party! I’m pretty sure I was the only one kayaking on the river at night back then. In several years I never saw anybody else paddling, save for one lone canoeist that I once encountered around midnight.
On one night, probably around 5am, I struck up a conversation with a guy sitting on the seawall on the river in front of the sinister looking Broward County Jail. Turns out that he was waiting for daybreak to “turn myself in” as he put it (on a fairly minor violation), so I gave him a beer!
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Sometimes I’d invite friends and we’d arrive via canoe at the Squeeze! 🙂
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In it’s heyday in the mid 1990’s, Squeeze became very popular on thursday nights drawing a more mainstream crowd with lines that would wrap around the building.
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Hanging out with friends by the seawall next to the Andrews Ave bridge at Squeeze.
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This bench on the seawall is the only thing remaining from the Squeeze era!
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By 2015, the only “part” of Squeeze left is that very same bench and seawall on the New River. There’s a high-rise building now where Squeeze once stood!
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Incidentally, the route I’d often take kayaking through Ft Lauderdale during the night was very similar to the current annual Winterfest Boat Parade paddling route!
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A very early digital cam capture from the inside of the Squeeze circa early 2000’s.
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A couple of times I woke hours later in the quiet darkness at home only to snap out of a strange dream. I thought I was locked inside Squeeze, still inside in an eerie silence with that giant hand hovering over me! 😉
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Squeeze was famous for it’s many eye catching art installations, mannequins and other props.
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You’d never know who you’d run into at the Squeeze!
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A peek into the infamous men’s room at the Squeeze!
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The rest rooms were infamous not because they were dirty (they were better than most places!). But they were a world almost on to themselves! 😉
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By the spring of 1999, the Squeeze was squeezed out by the then-new Riverwalk entertainment complex across the New River in downtown Ft Lauderdale. A eulogy-video “The Death of Squeeze” was produced featuring many of the original cast!
After the demise of the original location, the Squeeze re-opened as “Squeeze II nights” inside the Culture Room club on a semi-regular basis for a little while. As fate would have it, I met my ex there, literally from across the dance floor. Sometimes real life can be a lot like the movies. C’est la vie! The Culture Room is a great venue and is still operating today with all kinds of live shows.
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In 2010 the Squeeze was unbelievably resurrected for a few nights of new shows!
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Squeeze proprietor Jack Kearney with DJ Danny Bled! 🙂
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In 2010, a series of monthly nights were held at the original Squeeze location. The biggest and most memorable one was a show by Kill Miss Pretty with guitarist Scott Putesky (Daisy Berkowitz) playing a ouija board themed guitar. I arrived by automobile for this one!
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Late Squeeze show in Feb 2010 with Kill Miss Pretty, featuring Daisy Berkowitz (Scott Putesky) of Marylin Manson and the Spooky Kids fame!
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KMP rocked the house and brought in many faces from the Squeeze past including long time DJ Danny Bled. Great time! 🙂
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This I believe was the very last Squeeze show with Rebel in April 2010!
That is the original dance floor and DJ booth behind the band.
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At the very end of the very last Squeeze on April 20th, 2010. Frock yeah!
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Yup, the Squeeze was indeed legendary and was an integral part of the South Florida music scene through the 1990’s!
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Thanks for the memories Squeeze!
(that I can remember)
😉
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For those that want to remember more, there is a faceBook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/118724730649/
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Enjoy!
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© 2016 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / digital029art.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.
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Blessings friends!
kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i ) 