Event Description
PSB: Boston Edition is delighted to welcome Joey Carvello, renowned disco deejay author of The Boston Hustle! The author will be signing books from 3pm - 4pm at PSB: Boston Edition (50 Liberty Drive: Suite 500, Boston, MA 02210). Books will be available to purchase in-store at the signing.
ABOUT THE BOSTON HUSTLE
In this first-hand account of disco history learn how DeeJay Joey Carvello road the cultural explosion of disco, and how record labels conspired to destroy disco's independent power.
Dance music has its roots in the gay, black, and Italian discotheques that emerged in the late 1960s. At the center of that fusion, the city of Boston became the birthplace of the predecessor to mainstream dance music: Disco. Joey Carvello, an Italian kid from East Cambridge, burst out onto the disco scene and road that cultural phenomenon into the record business where disco reigned for a time.
But doesn't everyone know that disco sucks? Maybe that's just what they've been told. Filling in the gaps in disco's history, The Boston Hustle shares the story of disco, its rise to prominence in clubs and its downfall at the hands of racist and homophobic record labels.
The Boston Hustle will appeal to baby boomers who remember the reign of disco fondly and to anyone interested in music history from the ground. Fans of mainstream dance music who want to see the genre's roots will appreciate this detailed account of how disco came to be.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joey Carvello is a renowned first-generation disco deejay and A&R representative. After making his deejay debut at Yesterdays in Boston, he was named Billboard Magazine’s “Disco Deejay of the Year in Boston” in 1978. He cut his teeth at RFC/Warner Records as the East Coast and Southeast Regional Director of Disco Promotion before joining Kiss 108 radio station in Boston. In 1989, he moved to Atlantic Records in New York where he helped promote and sign artists including Robin S., Little Louie Vega, Marc Anthony, En Vogue, and Jellybean, helping them to earn the title of Billboard Magazine’s “Dance Music Label of the Year.” He has worked for Champion Records UK, H.O.L.A. Records, Priority Records, and TVT Records and personally launched the radio careers of artists Lil Jon, the Ying Yang Twins, and Pitbull. He is an original member of the vinyl-only deejay crew at New York City’s Mobile Mondays and Vinyl Nights and continues to be a highly sought-after vinyl-only deejay. He lives in Secaucus, New Jersey.
This class will take place in-person at our Center for Creative Writing in Boston's Seaport neighborhood.
Covid-19 Update:
GrubStreet's space will be mask-optional when Boston's Covid-19 Community Level is low or medium. When the Covid-19 Community Level is high, our space will require masks. Please check GrubStreet's Covid-19 page for the latest info on masking and Community Levels before visiting in person.
Space Accessibility:
Our space is ADA accessible with automatic door openers, ADA-compliant restrooms, desk and table spacing, braille signage, and elevator. Our classrooms can be equipped with ALS for hard of hearing individuals. We cannot guarantee a scent-free environment. For more accessibility requests, please contact our Operations team at [email protected] or (617) 695-0075.