On Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, the renowned venue opened its doors once again for the Twilo Reunion, fusing old-school New York City club greatness with a modern twist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a different era of New York City nightlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the mid-\u201990s and early 2000s\u2014when most clubs were in Manhattan, unlike today, when many have shifted to Brooklyn. It was a time when acclaimed artists like Danny Tenaglia, John Digweed, and Sasha played at one of the city\u2019s most iconic venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the era of Twilo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA typical night at Twilo was electric from the moment you passed the entrance and walked down its legendary hallway,\u201d said Alan Sacks, the owner of the Twilo brand and CEO of Twilo Events, an event engineering and production company. \u201cThe energy was immediate. The vibration of the music pulled you in, and that hallway became a rite of passage, carrying you into another dimension. You could sense that something powerful was happening before you even reached the dance floor,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast-forwarding to 25 years after its closure, the club reopened for two nights, giving dance music lovers a chance to experience Twilo once again. The event, dubbed Twilo Reunion, took place on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7. There was a no-camera policy in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Friday night\u2019s show featured performances by John Digweed and Danny Tenaglia. It was fitting that the two performed on the club\u2019s opening night, as they had played one of the final sets at Twilo before it closed in 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Digweed had been integral to the development and popularization of the progressive house sound in the 1990s. His history with Twilo dated back to his monthly residency alongside Sasha. \u201cFor me, Twilo was the best club in the world that I have ever played at, primarily because of that sound system,\u201d Digweed said. \u201cEvery month was special for me, as I truly understood how unique that room was, and playing on that incredible sound system brought every track to life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danny Tenaglia was known for his omnifarious approach to house music, playing everything from tribal to garage, progressive, and tech-house. He had been instrumental in popularizing the dark, percussion-heavy sounds that defined New York house music during the \u201990s. According to Tenaglia, who held a Saturday residency at Twilo, the club was \u201call about the sound\u2014the music,\u201d and had \u201cthat pure, original, authentic underground dance party vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Saturday, he performed again, this time solo on Twilo\u2019s main floor for an event titled Tenaglia\u2019s Birthday: Twilo Classics (All Night Long)<\/em>. An open-to-close set like this allowed the tastemaker to take attendees on a sonic journey. He spinned tracks defined as Twilo Classics\u2014similar to those featured on his CD compilations\u2014alongside newer music, creating a set style he described as \u201cpast, present, and future.\u201d In addition to his performance, Carry Nation and Benny Soto played in the loft on the second floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI really couldn\u2019t remember a time when a club that had shut down reopened 25 years later, essentially picking up where it left off, since most venues that closed were usually demolished and turned into apartments,\u201d John Digweed said. \u201cIt was a pretty historic night in terms of club culture, allowing people to almost go back in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The nostalgic evenings were the first in the Twilo Series. \u201cWe were only going to come back with the best DJs who had played at Twilo,\u201d said Eric Ortense, one of the producers of the series. When Twilo was open, he had worked as a promoter. After his time with the venue, he went on to work as a talent buyer for Sound Factory and as Danny Tenaglia\u2019s tour manager and promoter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event series boasted an impressive sound system. Twilo Events collaborated with STAX, a high-end audio production company, to produce the sound and overall audio experience. \u201cOur ultimate goal was to create an immersive sound environment where the listener felt surrounded by the music, honoring legendary DJs and their artistry, while delivering a sound system that resonated deeply and stayed with people long after the music ended,\u201d said Alan Sacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sound system was key to the shows because Twilo originally utilized the world-renowned \u201cPhazon\u201d sound system, which had set a new standard for club audio at the time. \u201cThe most important aspect of Twilo was the Phazon sound, which was truly mind-blowing,\u201d John Digweed said. \u201cIt was crystal clear and covered every part of the club, yet you could speak normally, and your ears didn\u2019t hurt after 12 hours of dancing on that sprung wooden floor. Producers even started making records specifically for our nights there, as the sound was so powerful. Tracks suddenly had a \u2018Twilo\u2019 sound attached to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The series also featured a lighting experience that \u201cbrought back that old-school NYC club vibe,\u201d Alan Sacks said. The lighting was presented in collaboration with Dougie Lazer and was designed to complement the sound system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notably, many people who had worked at Twilo\u2014such as the doorman, bartenders, and security staff\u2014returned to work the Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7 shows. \u201cMy heart was on my sleeve. My commitment was to deliver the best lights, the best sound, the best experience to the friends and people who made it all happen 25 years ago,\u201d Eric Ortense said. \u201cI was doing this for everyone else. It wasn\u2019t about the money\u2014it was about bringing the reunion to life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alan Sacks said the original team members had shaped Twilo, so having them at the shows \u201chelped bridge the gap between Twilo\u2019s past and its present, grounding the event in authenticity.\u201d The event wasn\u2019t just marketed as a reunion\u2014it truly was one for the people who had worked there and the attendees who had danced there all night, reviving the essence of what Twilo once was while also introducing it to a new crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe reunion was a celebration of Twilo\u2019s legacy, but it was also about presenting its spirit in a fresh and purposeful way,\u201d Sacks said. \u201cIt was about crafting an experience that reflected why Twilo mattered then and ensuring it continued to matter now. By blending what made it special with modern sensibilities, we were creating something that spoke to both longtime supporters and a new generation of music lovers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n