Thousands of jumpsuit-clad partiers boogied to 1970s hits at the annual Gimme Gimme disco party on the Pier 17 rooftop deck at South Street Seaport.
The Saturday night event drew everyone from teenage girls to old-timers reliving their youth, dancing under the stars to an infectious song list spun by a mustachioed, hairy-chested DJ in sequined jumpsuits and gaudy earrings. Attendees paid between $30 and $65 for tickets to the family-friendly affair, which featured Abba, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Kool & the Gang and Blondie blasting across the East River.
Dancing women sparkled in form-fitting jumpsuits while men sported shimmering suits, platform shoes, bell-bottomed pants and polyester shirts. Star-shaped sunglasses, sparkly headbands, bright colors and tie-dyed designs dominated the fashion landscape. The scene was set against views of the illuminated Empire State Building and the fogged-in top of the Freedom Tower, with a mirrored disco ball spinning above the stage and massive screens showing nostalgic clips of ’70s and ’80s “American Bandstand” broadcasts alongside retro “Space Invaders” arcade footage.
“When you meet someone you share a love for the same music with, regardless of different backgrounds or beliefs you can have an instant connection,” Maccoby said.
The pair, who grew up together overseas and founded events company Burwoodland, have expanded Gimme Gimme from its 2018 New York City launch into nearly every major U.S. And Canadian market, plus international destinations including London, Paris, Singapore and Amsterdam. As many as ten of these disco parties now happen every weekend, with one scheduled for Tokyo next month.
Seeking an investor, Badanes and Maccoby cold-called billionaire Mark Cuban, whose email is publicly available, and were stunned when the “Shark Tank” alum bought in as their third owner.
“Our expectations were low, but we ended up blown away,” Maccoby said.
Ky Marengo, a 25-year-old banker from Amityville, New York, clad in a spectacular “Yellow Cab guy” outfit, goes to every Gimme Gimme event he can find.
“It’s my favorite … I had so much fun at the first one, I just keep coming back,” he told The Post.
Sophia Pacheco and Kiki Edwards, twenty-somethings from upstate New York, have attended nearly a dozen Gimme Gimme disco parties throughout the state.
“Everybody’s moving and dancing, everybody’s getting along. There’s such a nice sense of community,” Edwards said.
The Cetrullos of Lawrenceville, New Jersey were back for their second time, father Craig celebrating his birthday with his wife and two pre-teen daughters.
“We love the dancing and the outfits. It’s all just so much fun,” he told The Post.
Rebecca Maciag, a 27-year-old accountant from central New Jersey, brought her parents along after insisting they had to come because they love the music.
“I told them they had to come because they love this music,” she said.
Rachel Mia Ackerman, a 29-year-old program coordinator at the American Ballet Theatre and Astoria resident, burst onto the rooftop and immediately danced her way into a photographer’s line of sight.
“I can’t help it because I just love dancing on camera,” she said, explaining that she and her friends “wanted to come here for a year and are so glad we did. It’s such a good time.”
Kimberly Payne, a 61-year-old lifelong Inwood resident, came with her brothers, sisters-in-law, cousins and their whole friend group. She remembers disco from its original era and is thrilled to see it back.
“I was really into it when it happened, really into it. Now our kids even love the music because we raised them on it,” she said.
Payne and her crew regularly dance at Vinyl Nights at Pier I Café on West 70th Street, so Gimme Gimme Disco was an unmissable opportunity.
“It makes us feel young again,” Payne said. “Makes me feel like a teenager.”
Curissa Jones, a 29-year-old nanny and house manager from Indianapolis who comes to New York annually to eat, learned about the party on this trip and had to attend.
“I’m here for a good time and to hear the music I grew up on,” Jones explained, decked out in high heels and short shorts with a period-perfect afro.
A DJ-led conga line snaked through the audience as the Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining Men” played, with party-goers racing to join until the head of the line cut through other parts of it, creating happy bedlam.
Gimme Gimme’s next international expansion hits Tokyo next month.