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back to MAY 1978: XENON OPENS

Xenon

In 1978, Andy Warhol was spending a lot of time at receptions at the Iranian Embassy in the hope of getting some portrait commissions from the Shah's family.

Bob Colacello:

"One day in May 1978, our involvement with the Iranians turned into something more than a topic for verbal jousting at Manhattan parties: A man with a Middle Eastern accent called the Factory and said, 'Tell Andy to be careful tonight. There's a bomb at the party.'

Andy was going to four parties that night, including one he was hosting and another in his honor, all publicized in advance. The first was a promotional cocktail party for Interview at Fiorucci... Second was Dr. Denton Cox's dinner for Andy at Barbetta... The papers had also noted Andy's expected appearance at the two big bashes of the night: MoMA's annual Party in the Garden and the opening of the disco Xenon...

At Xenon the mob was unbelieveable and the only one who was up for fighting it was Sylvia Miles, who plunged into the crowd shouting, 'Sylvia Miles coming through!'

Brigid Berlin, Jed [Johnson] and I decided to give up, and took a taxi to 54... Andy appeared on the edge of the dance floor... I went over to him and he said in a woozy voice, full of vodka, Valium, and Quaalude, 'Oh I met the cutest busboy. You should put him in Interview, Bob. Tell him you'll make him a big star." (BC367-8)

back to MAY 1978: XENON OPENS

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