Catch One

Known for four decades as Jewel’s Catch One, original owner Jewel Thais-Williams’s nightclub was simply legendary. It was easily one of the first Black gay dance bars when it opened in 1973, and certainly became the longest run; over the years it boasted performances from the likes of Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Donna Summer and Madonna. Thais-Williams built a more inclusive, judgment-free analog to Studio 54 where you were just as likely to find disco enthusiasts as you were vegan soul food or alternative health services. Eventually the club changed owners in 2015, briefly under the name Union, and broadened its scope of performances (while also losing a bit or the original glamour), but it’s since adopted to the Catch One moniker again.