END OF AN ERA AS RISE CLUB CLOSES

The dance floor at RISE as we knew it : packed and hot

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Tonight, when Danny Tenaglia finishes his all night set, RISE Club will closen its doors forever. Boston’s most dedicated house music dance floor ends almost 17 years of all night DJ-ing, a run longer than almost any music boute has managed in our Boston lifetime.

During those 17 years almost every master DJ of the house and techno genres has played RISE’s small dance floor — small but fierce. I can’t recall all who have worked the room — manger Mike swells will have to give us that list — but I personally have seen there just about everyone who DJs to American fans. (Some DJs don’t c ome here, including sveral of the giants.) I’ve seen Steve Porter, Derrick Carter, Carl Craig, Sander Kleinenberg; the late Peter Rauhofer, Dave Morales, Eric Entrena, and, yes, Danny Tenaglia. I’ve seen DJ Escape, Craig Mitchell, Dubfire, and Stefano Noferini; Honey Dijon, Carlos Tom Stephan, Billy Carroll, and Sebastian Leger. Mind Control, Jay Allegro, John Creamer & Stephane K, and Pirupa. Mark Knight, Eddie Amador, Roger Sanchez, and DJ Mes. Edu Imbernon and Dennis Ferrer. And all our best locals. And yes, Victor Calderone, often.

The list goes on. I’ve missed as many greats as i have seen.

The great DJs played RISE nmot because they could captivate thousands — the dance floor its barely 300 people — but because they knew that on that smallish dance floor they’d reach Boston’s intensest house and techno fans, the true believers, the all night bodies booming into the music.

RISE’s fan base wasn’t the former arena riockers converted these past few years to “EDM.” It was always an underground, cultish, semi-popular following. At first it was gay men almost exclusively, because that was who house music reached; but as the 2000 decade matured, and Boston’s house and techno following diversified enormously, RISE became the melting pot that dance clubs can sometimes aspire to.

RISE was always that ; a dance club for fans of dance music,. No alcohol could be served after hours; you did not go to RISE to get liquor-drunk, you went to get high on beats.

RISE was also a place to make and manintain friendships. This I can attest personally, as can many of you. The club will now close its doors; but the friendships live on and prosper. For all of that and all of the music, we say to RISE : thank you. Thank you for everything.

—- Deedee Freedberg / Feelin’ the Music