Do you remember 13 Lansdowne Street? This was the club that gave me some of my best memories. The Soul Shack every Thursday night at Axis was your who’s who of Dorchester. I mean we owned the club….it was virtually 2 floors of the entire neighborhood. The bouncers came to know us all and in some cases partied right along with us. I remember it being Hip Hop and Old School upstairs and Techno downstairs. You would have Dj Justin Hoffman spinning the hip hop…and that’s usually where you could find me.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=48_rJDpfdag]
On any Thursday night you could find a famous hip hop group passing through like De La Soul, 6 foot 5 drag queens, or maybe Pete Moss spinning on the 1st floor. You had the smokers lounge set off to the side….big black Derek either bouncing or serving ferocious drinks. Every park and and parish converged…whether you where the raver type or hip hop fan. Nobody gave a rats ass that it was Thursday….it was the beginning of our weekend and we would just have to suffer through work or school the next day.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDBpoTMicYI]
Of course not all good things last forever and Axis fell to the wrecking ball a few years back.
This place is always in my mind and always a topic whenever the crew gets together. I can still remember the smell of the place….or the Bruce Lee flics playing on the vintage TV sets around the club. It wasn’t a chic place….you didn’t need to have Louis bag to get in the front door….this was a place to get loose and enjoy yourself.
I would like to see a Soul Shack/Axis reunion at a good-sized venue….I mean if the numbers worked…why not fly some of the old Dj’s back and make it epic. Talk to me people…