When Lon Ballinger originally set out to write Party Boys, his intent was to give his grandchildren a document of his life working in entertainment. What started as a chronicle of his 30 years in the industry—including operating the world-renowned Webster Hall in Manhattan’s East Village with his three brothers—turned into an immersive, multifaceted book that has a little bit of something for every reader—from aspiring entrepreneurs to celebrity gossip fans to lovers of glitzy New York nightlife.
The story begins on the rural farm in northern Canada where Ballinger grew up and details experiences that led to his dream of running a business with his siblings—including learning how to run a roadside apple stand and dealing with school bullies.
The brothers operated several small businesses across Ontario during the ‘70s—including a successful pizza parlor and a laundromat-slash-convenience store. During a spontaneous road trip through the U.S. and Mexico, they stumbled upon a massive disco party in Texas. Ballinger was enamored with the venue’s flashing lights and nonstop dancing. The siblings were inspired to start their own dance club—and “The Party Boys,” as they started to call themselves, were born.
Soon after, the brothers founded two massively successful nightclubs: Ballinger’s in Cambridge, Ontario in 1979, and later in 1986, The Big Bop in Toronto. But just a year later, increased rents and complications in securing renovation loans led the brothers to leave Canada and make their mark in Manhattan. In 1992, they reopened the shuttered Ritz rock club on 11th street, following its closing in 1989 and relocation to 54th street. They renovated the 19th century venue and called their club Webster Hall, which was the building’s original name.
Ballinger takes readers behind the scenes, recounting the hundreds of concerts, club nights, and drag shows that rocked the historic venue including Madonna’s pajama party music video for “Bedtime Story” in 1995 and Prince’s intimate 2004 show that only 300 people got to experience, at the singer’s request. Ballinger describes what were, in his opinion, the greatest nights at Webster including a Mick Jagger album release show in 1993 and Patti Smith’s birthday party in 2015.
The brothers sold the venue to Live Nation in 2017—a tumultuous saga that Ballinger recaps in detail near the end of the book—and decided to return to the restaurant industry. They now own and operate several restaurants across New York State, including the Stewart House in Athens and The City Beer Hall in Albany.
For anyone who’s been to concerts at Webster Hall or is curious about what it was like to operate a popular, celebrity-studded venue during the golden era of New York City nightlife, Party Boys is a fun, fascinating read.
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