Larry Himmel explores San Diego Nightlife in 1979

5 part series. In November of 1979, News 8's Larry Himmel drew the tough assignment of exploring San Diego's hottest clubs. His first piece focuses on Maxi's in Mission Valley - an area Larry called "the focal point of San Diego's nightlife." The dance floor was packed, and disco blared as we took a look inside the club. Fashion was also key as Larry noted that patrons of Maxi's "dressed, looked and smelled affluent." Dance/fashion troops performed shows that featured the latest in disco fashions. "If the disco craze is dying, the people at Maxi's haven't gotten the word yet," Larry concluded. News 8 photographer/editor Tom Zizzi was responsible for the behind-the-scenes work on these fun clips.
Part 2 focused on one of our city's oldest discotheques Crystal T's located near the Town and Country hotel in Mission Valley. Larry said the spot in Hotel Circle attracted locals and tourists alike. The club's DJ Allen Gregory talked about his role keeping the party going and the growing visibility and importance of DJs. The spacious club also offered seating for downtime between dancing and costumed waitresses to serve refreshments.
Part 3 featured Rasputin's in Point Loma which Larry chose for two reasons: Lori Ball and Mike Kiehm. The dancing duo had recently won the first-ever San Diego Disco Ballroom Dance Championship while representing Rasputin's. Larry spoke with the pair who had been dancing together for five months putting in 30 hours a week about their passion for disco. Larry called their finely tuned moves "disco poetry in motion."
In Part 4, Larry visited Flanagan's in Mission Valley. This spot set itself apart with a live band supplementing the disco hits for dancing patrons. Flanagan's was also different than other spots Larry had highlighted in that it had a more laid-back, "beach-like" atmosphere. Tuesday $1-drink night was a big hit with many of the people Larry spoke with. A few also described the spot as a bit of a "meat market."
For Part 5, the final installment, Larry highlighted D.O. Mills located in Mission Valley "nestled behind the El Torito" off Interstate 8. When the spot first opened it focused on the swanky restaurant downstairs, but the disco club upstairs ended up being the big draw. Larry said people would wait an hour or more on weekends to get in. D.O. Mills was named for Darius Ogden Mills - the first California banker - and its decor included old bank teller windows and vaults. It was one of the newer night spots which Larry described as "classy but not pretentious."

[@jaminova_1969]

No way! I knew 90's Larry.I never would have guessed he was "The Dude"! I wish I had known 70's Larry! Great segment!

[@jerryh2954]

Those were the days when people were all out and about, no TV, no internet, no cell phones. It was perfect!

[@ll4680]

I wish I could go back and live in 1979. Everyone looked so happy back then.

[@DiogenesOfCa]

Just be happy now.

[@susanschroeder3512]

@@DiogenesOfCa Unlike Yourself

[@plutoplatters]

yeah... but there were still many insane humans

[@ll4680]

@@DiogenesOfCa I am happy now but a lot of people are not

[@DiogenesOfCa]

@@ll4680 it's been that way since the beginning of time.

[@robgotti184]

I was born and raised here in San Diego I was 1yrs old when this segment came out. I wish I could go back and party back then. Those were the good ol days when women were women and men were men and every life matter.

[@DiogenesOfCa]

Just live in the moment, stop pining for things you can't have.

[@susanschroeder3512]

@@DiogenesOfCa Like Yourself

[@kendallevans4079]

Don't...OK? I was 22--25 in SD in those days...Living in Encinitas and doing all these clubs every weekend, believe me when I say it was not without issues!!!

[@robgotti184]

@@kendallevans4079 those were the coke days not meth and fentanyl days like now

[@kendallevans4079]

@@robgotti184 OK, but still I don't think it was all fun & games...Coke was off the dial and booze is ALWAYS a problem...Lots of lived were messed up cuz of all this

[@WaynoGur]

I remember Himmel. I always enjoyed his segments.

[@kendallevans4079]

He was an ass-hat...crooked face and crooked smile...never looked good on camera

[@JonAnthony3]

I danced here! Upstairs off the 8 freeway accross from where Target is today. Had floor to ceiling windows n lots of hot ladies! Lol

[@SV_1904]

Dang, Himmel was a looker 🔥

[@kendallevans4079]

Yuck!

[@matthiassventoest6800]

this so fun.., and out of control. man I remember Larry from my childhood.., doing San Diego at large, .. but wow.

[@jamesmchugh2936]

I moved to San Diego in 84 when I was 8 years old. It was still when MV was the club spot. It was pre Gaslamp. No one went to downtown at night then. It was a dump. Would be cool to have a time machine and visit 70's Mission Valley.

[@sleep4200]

The best years 60,70 and 80

[@kendallevans4079]

Lived in SD in the 80's and the club scene was happening.....Started Thursday night with "The B100 Weekend Warmup" that moved around, and from there is was on....Sheriff's could record #'s of DUI's if it was 2022......

[@DiogenesOfCa]

I remember that the name nickname "Man Diego" was correct in the 80's; clubs were a sausage fest!

[@jamesmchugh2936]

@@DiogenesOfCa it's weird because San Diego has always had a ratio problem despite having a lot of good looking women. As someone that has been blessed to travel a lot and have even lived in a few other states, San Diego would definitely rank high as far as attractive people go, but yeah it is a horrible singles city if you are a male.

[@triplevirgo8739]

I was Born in 79' in San Diego California

[@passiveinvestor1978]

$1 drinks in 1979 would be $4.50 today according to inflation calculator. Too bad you won't find $4-$5 drinks in SD nightclubs today but you will in Tijuana.

[@jerryh2954]

Drinks and a lot of coke!

[@alobosk]

I moved to San Diego 41 years late...

[@DiogenesOfCa]

Never too late to live in San Diego.

[@brianchisnell1548]

Journey, Cinnamon Cinder, My Rich Uncle's, Redcoat Inn, Magnolia Mulvaney's, Park Place, Ox Bow inn, Mama's Mink, Charcoal House, Navajo Inn. Right??

[@nicholasklaus5412]

All the dudes look like Ron Swanson

[@dragoonseye76]

Wow.

[@gator2813]

I preferred hanging out at the Westerner in Nasty City. Home of the Westpac widow.

[@DiogenesOfCa]

Like fishing with dynamite!

[@danielduenez714]

He was the best and babba cruise on kgb

[@guizot2010]

Cute--Stay sleepy, San Diego.

[@jamesmchugh2936]

Is that supposed to be a jab? It's cool I like the fact that it's not a crowded douche town like L.A., or full of fakes like Vegas.

[@GrumpyCat24]

Did Flannegan's become bennigan's?

[@osisai4155]

Bounced at Winters, a college bar in El Cajon, as well as Jose Murphy’s on Mission Beach and The Elephant Club in La Jolla back in the mid 80’s. Good times man.

[@jamesmchugh2936]

I think you meant "on El Cajon" as in on EC Blvd. There were never any college bars in El Cajon.

[@CROWSLAW]

At first it looks like one flew over a cuckoos nest. Lol. Like the dance scene.

[@mysharona6754]

Pinky painting 😂

[@bryanburnap4537]

How much cocaine does it take to pinky paint at a disco tech ?

[@HoyaSaxaSD]

The cocaine was almost coming through the screen.

[@bryanburnap4537]

I can smell it !!! You know that cocaine smell :)

[@fredm.9474]

Saturday night fever

[@bryanburnap4537]

The dude at 5:05 or so was definitely creeping !! You didn't have to be that good looking in the 70' if you were a man !

[@realboltfan]

The cocaine… even Larry looked like he was on the devils dandruff.

[@bryanburnap4537]

For real !! I mean how many lines do you think the guy doing erotic pinky painting at crystal tees did this night :)

[@plutoplatters]

I think is saw some Covid

[@macbeth642]

Why did young people looks SO OLD back then though.

[@jamesmchugh2936]

cigarettes

[@DiogenesOfCa]

Note to youngsters out there, these people are not "hip". Disco was already dead by '79, New Wave was still underground and hip.

[@gator2813]

New Wave of British Heavy Metal? I agree. Way hipper than disco and punk rock. Priest!

[@DiogenesOfCa]

@@gator2813 It's funny how you metal heads stole all the cool things about punk, but carry on.

[@mistreme8341]

Yeah, that looked like the 30s-40s set with a few 20-somethings mixed in, but it was places like The Red Onion and The Bacchanal that had more current music, at least in the 80s.

[@gator2813]

@@DiogenesOfCa I'm not a metal head and there's a reason they called it the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. The first wave preceded punk.

[@kurtkensson2059]

@@DiogenesOfCa Disco sucked in 1979, but it wasn't dead yet.

[@julianG1212]

MAGA 🇺🇸

[@johnjaco5544]

This disco scene makes me sick to my stomach.