The Change in the Nightlife

By: Sean Crowley

Last month The Garage reopened after being raided in late January 2010 and closed due to
overcrowding and serving alcohol to minors. The Garage currently has a liquor suspension, but
still is a dance club for college students to go to. At 214 Western Ave. The Garage is located in
the downstairs, while Professor M Barley’s is upstairs. Both owned by Mark Basco, and while
the Garage had a temporary closing Professor M Barley’s has still been going with the food
serving pub style. The downstairs is primarily the dance club where eating is not found.

While today there are multiple clubs and bars in Albany there are not one that outshines the
others. Over the years at the location of 214 Western Ave. There have been many other dance
clubs such as, Oasis and The Coliseum. In 1985 the place to go was at 214 Western Ave. before
all of the other dance clubs at this location. This was the precedent for all other dance clubs after
in this location.

Twenty five years ago L.P.’s was the place to go in Albany all due to the minds of Tony
Sabatino and Roger Martel. After leaving law school in California, Sabatino came back to his
home in Albany to work at the Lamp Post. Sabatino’s family owned Sabatino’s Liquor Store
located on Quail Street. Sabatino asked his father to bring him to a bank where he borrowed
twenty five hundred dollars. He used this money to renovate the Lamp Post owned by his family.
He went with a college pub style.

“The Lamp Post was rocking and rolling, but I needed another challenge,” said Sabatino.

The downstairs of the Lamp Post in the building was a bowling alley with a pool table. Martel
had the idea of going with a dance club. Then the two partners drew up a questionnaire for
nearby college students to find out what they liked best in dance clubs. Sabatino and Martel then
began their investigation to create a popular and successful dance club.

The two traveled around the country and even to Montreal exploring all the popular dance clubs.
Then one day they were ready to go so they gathered up people they knew to help and used a
design that the two created after their investigation. Two large bars were put in and the dance
floor was created from the former dance floor there.

Glass was used to support the bars and neon blue cobalt lights were used to light them up giving
a new innovated look to the bar. Most underground places at this time failed, but the two partners
intended to change this. They used silver metallic arched roofing that they discovered in Puerto
Rico to make it more enticing. The bathrooms were also a concern with the two. They wanted to
make it a color that would relax people and not be written on. They went with a soft pink for the
girls and a soft blue for the men’s.

“It was so advanced and sophisticated,” said Sabatino.

Security was connected by walkie talkies and earpieces. The DJ was hired locally and the sound
system was state of the art. The club consisted of sixty employees and would make around
twelve to fourteen thousand dollars a week allowing for Sabatino’s loan from the bank to be paid
off within two weeks. L.P.’s never had to advertise due to the success. Celebrities such as, Mike
Tyson, Janet Jackson, and Yankee players would come to the private VIP section.

L.P.’s would usually be open from Wednesdays to Sunday during the early years then moved to
Thursdays and Saturdays. Multiple fundraisers were held and to get a ticket to these would be a
special event. It was a dress to impress event with tickets people were selling for around three
hundred dollars. There was a special parking lot for L.P.’s where the nicest of cars would go.
“There are no places like it anymore,” said Sabatino.

Alcohol was not a problem because Sabatino’s family owned the nearby liquor store. Almost all
liquor was served there even top of the line champagne. There were never any specials or deal
prices like other bars have. The food was only upstairs in the Lamp Post never downstairs in
L.P.’s.

L.P.’s was opened in 1985 and was sold in 1990. It was time to move on for the two partners.
The dance club was sold first and then Lamp Post was right after. L.P.’s was successful, but
Sabatino and Martel wanted to move on to other things.

“It was like if you were in Vegas and you need an ace of spades for a royal flush and it falls into
place,” said Sabatino.

Today Sabatino is selling commercial real estate and owns Mary Jane Books and Pepper Jack’s
both located on Western Ave. Martel owns Martel’s at Capital Hills Golf Course. The two
former owners of L.P.’s live a different life, but still stay in touch.

As for 214 Western Ave. that was once the Lamp Post an upstairs pub for eating is now
Professor M Barley’s. L.P’s the dance club now The Garage.