Transcripts
DJ Sir Daniel: The views, thoughts, and
Speaker:opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views,
Speaker:thoughts, and opinions of Queue Points.
Speaker:Welcome to I Come Alive: Stories of Black Gay Atlanta Nightlife.
Speaker:I am your host, DJ Sir Daniel.
Speaker:This series strives to tell the stories of Atlanta's gay nightlife from the
Speaker:perspective of the people who lived it.
Speaker:Words can't express my gratitude for your support.
Speaker:And we've come to the season finale of I Come Alive, and I can't
Speaker:think of a better way to put the exclamation point on this series.
Speaker:Then with a conversation with Atlanta's godfather of house music, DJ Ron Pullman.
Speaker:Since 1986, Ron Pullman set a standard for how a party should sound.
Speaker:He has also cultivated a community that continues to hold space for the
Speaker:divine vibration we call house music.
Speaker:Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Ron Pullman.
Speaker:while
Speaker:I was getting, um, fixing the stuff to get in here, I had a quick recollection of I
Speaker:want to say that, uh, brother Jamal or.
Speaker:Um, Stan, Stanley, the music man, somebody put it in my ear that I needed
Speaker:to go while you were playing and go up to the booth and introduce myself
Speaker:to you and like, observe you playing.
Speaker:And I remember doing that one time at the Eagle when it was
Speaker:on Ponce, the old Kodak factory.
Speaker:And it just came back to me like, Oh yeah.
Speaker:I, first of all, that's wild that somebody would suggest that I come
Speaker:and like introduce myself while a DJ is at work, because that doesn't
Speaker:always go over well, necessarily.
Ron Pullman:That is the truth.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: But you were very gracious to me.
Ron Pullman:You just pointed out a couple things about how things work.
Ron Pullman:At that particular venue, like what you were using, because I believe it was
Ron Pullman:some CDJs and the mixer and whatnot.
Ron Pullman:And I was just like, listen, I appreciate that.
Ron Pullman:I'm just going to step back and watch you for a minute, because we
Ron Pullman:all know as a DJ, you just don't.
Ron Pullman:It's cool to have somebody observing, but you don't want somebody
Ron Pullman:observing and asking a whole bunch of questions at the same time
Ron Pullman:because that's interrupting the flow.
Ron Pullman:You, you know very well.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: So before we go into this conversation about Atlanta history.
Ron Pullman:I want the listeners to know more about your history and just tell us a little
Ron Pullman:bit about the Pullman soul movement.
Ron Pullman:Well, um, I've actually been DJing for four decades.
Ron Pullman:Uh, it's been over 40 years, to be honest with you.
Ron Pullman:Uh, so it would be 30 something years for Atlanta.
Ron Pullman:I didn't start, I'm originally from the Midwest.
Ron Pullman:Born in St.
Ron Pullman:Louis, uh, went to high school in Denver and shockingly out of all
Ron Pullman:places, that's where I, uh, started and learned to DJ is in Denver, Colorado.
Ron Pullman:And so, uh, but my, uh, music background and influence come from my dad.
Ron Pullman:My dad was a, uh, singer, musician, mostly, uh, gospel music.
Ron Pullman:So growing up as a kid around the house, I'm constantly being
Ron Pullman:influenced by him practicing, singing, and so on and so forth.
Ron Pullman:And one of my, uh, siblings, my oldest brother was into music.
Ron Pullman:So between them two, those were my earlier, uh, first influences is in
Ron Pullman:the music and getting into music.
Ron Pullman:Cause I said, Denver is where I started doing private parties,
Ron Pullman:gigs, and so on and so forth.
Ron Pullman:It wasn't until 1984, uh, where I had my biggest or first big club
Ron Pullman:gig was at a club in Houston, Texas.
Ron Pullman:It was called the catch one.
Ron Pullman:It was actually a sister club of the catch one.
Ron Pullman:In la.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: In la, okay.
Ron Pullman:Yes.
Ron Pullman:Yeah.
Ron Pullman:The
Ron Pullman:original catch one was LA but they had a, a
Ron Pullman:another club in Houston, Texas.
Ron Pullman:And that's where I did my first big club gig in 1984 in Houston, Texas.
Ron Pullman:And so it wasn't until 86 that I moved to Atlanta and started spinning and, um,
Ron Pullman:connected with, if you know the club, um, later became, well, it was Trax.
Ron Pullman:But prior to Traxx, uh, I connected, how, how I got connected in the
Ron Pullman:Atlanta scene was through, uh, uh, the late David Hampton and, uh, his
Ron Pullman:partner, uh, Phillip, Phillip Boone, uh, who's still around those guys.
Ron Pullman:We were doing, uh, they were doing parties called the Ritz boys, late night parties,
Ron Pullman:underground parties here in Atlanta.
Ron Pullman:Uh, I moved here around the spring of 86.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, two weeks after I moved here, I started playing for
Ron Pullman:those guys is how I got started.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, that's what, uh, kicked off my DJ history career here in Atlanta.
Ron Pullman:But, uh, answer your question, I'll, uh, respond about the Pullman Soul.
Ron Pullman:GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: Yes.
Ron Pullman:That name or title didn't come along until, be honest
Ron Pullman:with you, until the late 90s, 2000.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, a good friend actually, uh, thought it would
Ron Pullman:be a good catchy name for me.
Ron Pullman:And since she created that, I've been riding with it since
Ron Pullman:probably 99, 2000, I think.
Ron Pullman:Uh, but yeah, that's, so, there's a lot of history I can give you about it.
Ron Pullman:If you want me to expand on it, I will.
Ron Pullman:But yeah, as I said, 86 is when I started with the Ritz Boys.
Ron Pullman:Did that for a couple of years, uh, we, uh, then by 89, we, uh,
Ron Pullman:that's when Traxx opened up and, um,
Ron Pullman:yeah, it was on initially you would enter in on Marietta street,
Ron Pullman:then they changed it to lucky street, depending on the night.
Ron Pullman:You can enter in either, either street entrance.
Ron Pullman:So, um, Yeah, that's what started that, uh, the, uh, playing a track.
Ron Pullman:It was, uh, the, the resident DJs was, were, uh, Stuart Gardner and myself.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, we did that for a couple of years and then both left and
Ron Pullman:went on to some other club ventures.
Ron Pullman:So, um, you know, people, entitled or called me Atlanta's Godfather
Ron Pullman:House, and that's very appreciative.
Ron Pullman:I, I'm honored and flattered to, and I embrace that.
Ron Pullman:However, I surely do not claim to be the first, the longest, or whatever.
Ron Pullman:There were several, several DJs who were doing things here, such as
Ron Pullman:a guy named Al Tolbert, Rod Cole, Stuart Gardner, as I just mentioned.
Ron Pullman:So, and Dash Wright, DJ Smash, all those guys.
Ron Pullman:It was, and a lot of people I'm probably missing.
Ron Pullman:So, uh, Unfortunately, those guys, uh, some are no longer here or some just
Ron Pullman:were smart enough and got out of the business earlier and no longer doing it.
Ron Pullman:So if I'm rallying on, just cut me off anytime, but I'm giving you
Ron Pullman:the history, I think you're asking.
Ron Pullman:So I'm leading up to how I got into it and how, how, and I'm
Ron Pullman:still doing it 40 years later.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, so yeah, I, uh, we, we, we did Traxx, uh, as I said, and then for
Ron Pullman:a couple of years, like 91, I think I started doing just other than I started
Ron Pullman:doing radio mixes for Atlanta's V 103.
Ron Pullman:I was doing parties in the college scene.
Ron Pullman:I was, I was doing both straight and gay, uh, clubs at that time.
Ron Pullman:I was like, and working a full time job at Atlanta public schools.
Ron Pullman:And work and DJ and three, four nights a week.
Ron Pullman:So, yeah,
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: that's heavy.
Ron Pullman:I mean, a lot of people do that these days, but I don't think like your,
Ron Pullman:your average DJ that's coming up to date, they don't understand that.
Ron Pullman:At that time, you carry your library was in crates and that
Ron Pullman:could took a truck or a lot of manpower to take with you everywhere.
Ron Pullman:So that's a lot of manpower.
Ron Pullman:Whereas today, you know, you fold up your laptop and you pack your
Ron Pullman:hard drive and you're good to go.
Ron Pullman:That's true.
Ron Pullman:So I don't think a lot of people,
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: um, have an appreciation for how much work it
Ron Pullman:took to rock a party back then.
Ron Pullman:You, um, so you're saying from 86 and we've gone on, you, you mentioned working
Ron Pullman:the full time job and spinning for three to four times a week doing mixes
Ron Pullman:on, um, for V one Oh three, which was.
Ron Pullman:It's still considered, it's a, it's still considered the largest urban
Ron Pullman:radio station in the city of Atlanta.
Ron Pullman:It's now a heritage stations in my opinion, because it's
Ron Pullman:been around for so long.
Ron Pullman:And, um, I actually worked there at one point myself.
Ron Pullman:Um, yeah.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, Early 2000s, but I'm back to I guess the paint a picture for the average
Ron Pullman:listener right now that wants to know in those late the mid to late 80s early 90s.
Ron Pullman:If I wanted to go out, how would I have found out about the Ritz boys
Ron Pullman:or Traxx if I to say I'm completely new to Atlanta, there's no internet.
Ron Pullman:Um, I don't know if if the flyers were being circulated at that time,
Ron Pullman:but if I wanted to be to find out.
Ron Pullman:Where I could go party with my community.
Ron Pullman:How did I find that out?
Ron Pullman:How did, how did I find that out?
Ron Pullman:How did I get that kind of information and know where to hear Ron Pullman
Ron Pullman:and, and those other DJs spinning?
Ron Pullman:Well, it definitely was a heavy, heavy flyers.
Ron Pullman:We doing that era in time, flyers were definitely essential.
Ron Pullman:Um, um, so at, at that time, Atlanta had.
Ron Pullman:Uh, I think a decent amount still do a decent amount of, uh, gay
Ron Pullman:clubs, uh, are just immense.
Ron Pullman:So I would say the promoters, how you could find out the promoters were
Ron Pullman:very diligent and very, uh, good about just putting up posters or putting up
Ron Pullman:putting flyers on cars or, or in the barbershops or the whatever businesses
Ron Pullman:have, they were very, big about putting up posters or leaving flyers in places
Ron Pullman:that they knew, uh, perhaps the family would go and, and would pick up flyers.
Ron Pullman:But the biggest thing that always worked and in business still to this day, word
Ron Pullman:of mouth, if you got something hot that's going on and people know if the word is on
Ron Pullman:the street and they talk, connect and talk to the right people or just happened to,
Ron Pullman:uh, bump into a person that, and if they just say, Hey, I'm, I'm new in town and
Ron Pullman:this is what I'm looking, I'm looking for underground house music party or so on.
Ron Pullman:If it's hot and the word is on the street, they'll, they
Ron Pullman:will, people will let you know.
Ron Pullman:But like I say, during that era in time, just like you say, How it was so true
Ron Pullman:what you say about what the DJs, the music we have to carry and the work we put in,
Ron Pullman:but even the promoters were so they were to the streets or I had a street team.
Ron Pullman:So yeah, everything now, of course it's digital or social media, but yeah, during
Ron Pullman:that era of time, you did your work.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: So I want to tell you a funny story that happened one time.
Ron Pullman:I was given a flyer at one point that said, this was a hip hop party at.
Ron Pullman:The warehouse, cause they were calling Traxx, both, they were calling it the
Ron Pullman:warehouse on certain nights and they were calling it Traxx on other nights,
Ron Pullman:and they would change that depending on which entrance
Ron Pullman:you would go through as well.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: So imagine my surprise when I got there thinking this was
Ron Pullman:going to be a hip hop night and I was clearly at the wrong night
Ron Pullman:Yeah, but see that's what you're talking about came
Ron Pullman:along after it initially opened.
Ron Pullman:but the first two, maybe two and a half years, surely three, uh, It was straight
Ron Pullman:up, uh, underground blockade club.
Ron Pullman:Yeah.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: So what I know about you, Ron, is that you, you have a history with,
Ron Pullman:um, a landmark of a record store here in Atlanta called earwax and recently last
Ron Pullman:year, late last year in 2023, earwax had a celebration, um, for, and there was
Ron Pullman:a, uh, A museum type exhibit created to mimic what air wax looked like in the 90s.
Ron Pullman:And of course, you know, I, I saw the pictures and there's Ron Pullman
Ron Pullman:alongside, you know, JC, Applejack, uh, Kemet, all of those brothers.
Ron Pullman:And so, I'm wondering, as DJs in the community, like, and you are already
Ron Pullman:doing your thing, when you're making your rounds and making your name for yourself
Ron Pullman:around the city, does the conversation about playing at gay clubs come up
Ron Pullman:with your peers, with your DJ peers?
Ron Pullman:Most of them knew.
Ron Pullman:Most of them knew that I played.
Ron Pullman:They, I mean, and they would, and, and a good amount would come.
Ron Pullman:Let me, I don't know if I should tell this story and Nah.
Ron Pullman:That, but anyway, , I mean,
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: if we
Ron Pullman:have name, I'm gonna, I'm gonna describe this in a way that you
Ron Pullman:people could probably figure it out.
Ron Pullman:Okay.
Ron Pullman:Long as a popular.
Ron Pullman:producer, um, who, I mean, who's doing extremely well, at least for
Ron Pullman:years he did, uh, who used to DJ with me, uh, at one of the gay clubs.
Ron Pullman:I mean, he just would just, and he would just come and just
Ron Pullman:watch and so on and so forth.
Ron Pullman:I mean, it was for some reason, it seemed like it wasn't a big deal or a big thing.
Ron Pullman:These guys, they, um, you know, for whatever reason, they, I don't know
Ron Pullman:if they just wanted me to mentor or they just actually enjoyed coming
Ron Pullman:to hear me play and it was great.
Ron Pullman:But they didn't have, they would come and hang out in the booth most of the time.
Ron Pullman:And they was just, uh, like I say, are some of them would, um, come and spend,
Ron Pullman:I'll let them open up for me and so on.
Ron Pullman:So again, but most of them knew from everybody I've worked with at earwax.
Ron Pullman:To like you say, JC, Kemet, all the guys, uh, knew that I played at
Ron Pullman:Traxx or most of the popular black gay underground clubs in the city.
Ron Pullman:And then, you know, they all just, it's just, they're like, Hey, you know what?
Ron Pullman:You do your thing.
Ron Pullman:And it was just mad respect.
Ron Pullman:It was no biggie.
Ron Pullman:And if they felt like coming out that particular night or
Ron Pullman:weekend or plan, they would.
Ron Pullman:It was no, it was no biggie.
Ron Pullman:And, um, And I love them guys, appreciate them, because that's,
Ron Pullman:that just speaks in volume that, you know, about, about who they are, and
Ron Pullman:how, and confident in who they are.
Ron Pullman:And more importantly, it's about the music.
Ron Pullman:You're not worried about being, you shouldn't be uncomfortable
Ron Pullman:if you know who you are.
Ron Pullman:GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: Mm hmm.
Ron Pullman:And so, yeah, it was, yeah, but they, yeah, I mean, everybody,
Ron Pullman:pretty much any and everybody, surely everybody I worked with at Earwax
Ron Pullman:knew that the gay clubs is where, is what I was known for and planned.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, yeah, it was just, it was just, uh, just, just bad respect and support.
Ron Pullman:And like I said, I love, I still have some of these guys that I've known
Ron Pullman:for years that may come up, come to the Eagle and I'll they're coming out.
Ron Pullman:Some of them, I feel like they can rock the crowd at the Eagle.
Ron Pullman:I'll allow them to play.
Ron Pullman:But I'm very, very protective of my equal crowd.
Ron Pullman:I don't just let anybody play that straight up game.
Ron Pullman:They got to come with it.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: They got to come with it.
Ron Pullman:And I'm so glad you said that, that you're very protective of your
Ron Pullman:crowd, because I always feel like the relationship between the DJ and the party
Ron Pullman:and party people is a reciprocal one.
Ron Pullman:And like, after now, 40 years of doing it, do you feel as if the audiences
Ron Pullman:are still giving you what you need?
Ron Pullman:Um,
Ron Pullman:yes, I would say yes for the most part and reason why I
Ron Pullman:hesitate, um, because since the new Eagle location, the dynamics of the
Ron Pullman:crowd has changed, but it's good.
Ron Pullman:As you know, coming to the older Eagle.
Ron Pullman:You come in on first Fridays.
Ron Pullman:It was just the, just the energy and the vibe was, I mean, it was, um, as
Ron Pullman:you see, I'm not trying to brag a boss, but it was something to be reckoned.
Ron Pullman:You know, you just, no,
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: no, please, please brag because you listen, everybody that's
Ron Pullman:listening to this podcast or watching a clip or whatever has to know the name
Ron Pullman:Ron Pullman is synonymous with like, not just house music, but superior.
Ron Pullman:Parties and having people still actually dance at parties.
Ron Pullman:So please, please do not hold back.
Ron Pullman:As a matter of fact, I may be hiring you as my agent.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Please let the people know, but you're absolutely right.
Ron Pullman:I can say that as somebody at, as a DJ and somebody that's attended, I can
Ron Pullman:say that you completely have a grip.
Ron Pullman:On the crowd like other and other DJs come to witness it to Tracy Levine,
Ron Pullman:all of you know, all people like that that are here in the city that
Ron Pullman:are especially the house heads know they will follow you wherever you go.
Ron Pullman:And that that's a testament to what you do, but you were saying you were
Ron Pullman:talking about audiences still giving.
Ron Pullman:Giving back to you what you need from them because we feed off of
Ron Pullman:them as much as they feed off of us.
Ron Pullman:Absolutely.
Ron Pullman:So yes, to answer your question, yes.
Ron Pullman:Um, um, I, I referenced the, the old eagle because it was just, I mean,
Ron Pullman:it took a little time to build.
Ron Pullman:we've been doing the eagle as far as me being affiliated with the
Ron Pullman:eagle, it's been about 14 years now.
Ron Pullman:to answer your question about if the crowd is giving me what I need.
Ron Pullman:it's just a little different because the dynamics is different at the new location.
Ron Pullman:the new crowd or, uh, is.
Ron Pullman:Much younger and is a little bit more diverse,
Ron Pullman:First Friday was, was probably 90 percent African American or black And
Ron Pullman:now it may be 70 percent where It's, um, it's more young, uh, more younger
Ron Pullman:people, which is great because we need younger people to keep this vibe going.
Ron Pullman:I embrace it.
Ron Pullman:but it's a catch to it.
Ron Pullman:it's, uh, sort of a catch 22 situation.
Ron Pullman:So due to the new location and its popularity, the new Eagle
Ron Pullman:location, the older heads is feeling like it's, it's taken away.
Ron Pullman:It's taken, they not able to dance like they, with the freedom of the
Ron Pullman:space, like they're accustomed to more like, of course, it's losing some of
Ron Pullman:its, um, undergroundness, I guess, if that's how one wants to put it.
Ron Pullman:we should embrace growth if it's the right growth and technology,
Ron Pullman:but you don't want to lose, you don't want to lose the substance or
Ron Pullman:whatever it was that made you popular.
Ron Pullman:And so it can be a little tricky keeping that balance.
Ron Pullman:So fortunately, a good amount of the people still come, but some of the
Ron Pullman:heads don't come, so which I can when I'm looking out into the crowd, people
Ron Pullman:are dancing and moving, but it's not that energy that the old eagle had.
Ron Pullman:they would go in hard at the old eagle the energy and the vibe of
Ron Pullman:the older location, um, it was, it just had become, it was just a spot
Ron Pullman:you can go to and you can release
Ron Pullman:It may not have the energy completely as the previous.
Ron Pullman:I hope that answers your question, right?
Ron Pullman:I'm yeah,
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: it does.
Ron Pullman:And I'll, and I'll say this as.
Ron Pullman:Somebody who's been there.
Ron Pullman:I think the difference, one of the differences at the, at the, we'll say
Ron Pullman:the Kodak, the old, um, Eagle was you were there, I can literally reach out
Ron Pullman:and touch you like at, In that space at the Eagle and there was enough, like
Ron Pullman:you said, there was enough room for everybody to dance that you could see the
Ron Pullman:bar from from the booth and vice versa.
Ron Pullman:We can still see you at the new location because you are you
Ron Pullman:are centered upstairs, right?
Ron Pullman:Right, I'm upstairs, upstairs,
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: and I think and because there are different
Ron Pullman:levels is also the outdoor patio.
Ron Pullman:I think I'm wondering if that separation kind of has something to do with it,
Ron Pullman:because I know that I've, I've played places where if I'm, if I'm separated
Ron Pullman:from the people and I don't see them.
Ron Pullman:I'm just.
Ron Pullman:I'm just playing music.
Ron Pullman:I'm not really vibing off of them and vice versa.
Ron Pullman:So I think, so I feel what you're saying and I think that might have
Ron Pullman:something to do with the dynamic and it's Interesting that you bring up
Ron Pullman:the two different venues now and the different places and the different,
Ron Pullman:all the different venues that have been come and gone in the city of Atlanta.
Ron Pullman:do DJs, specifically black DJs, do we have to have a responsibility to
Ron Pullman:take, take a stand against venues that benefit from black dollars, but
Ron Pullman:don't necessarily respect the patrons?
Ron Pullman:Yeah, absolutely.
Ron Pullman:We should take a stand.
Ron Pullman:I can say I have been,
Ron Pullman:I have been through the phase of, uh, been unappreciated, And, and I feel like,
Ron Pullman:uh, people are taking advantage, As much as people may consider me a DJ if I, if
Ron Pullman:I go into an establishment and start a residency or monthly or whatever, it is
Ron Pullman:important to me, I don't just show up just to play music and get paid and leave.
Ron Pullman:It is important to me that my Supporters, crowd, family is treated right.
Ron Pullman:it was a club that I was doing a monthly at several years ago.
Ron Pullman:They didn't even have the air conditioning working.
Ron Pullman:And I told them, you will, this crowd coming here and
Ron Pullman:they make you a lot of money.
Ron Pullman:If you don't get this air condition fix, I'm leaving.
Ron Pullman:It's important to me that.
Ron Pullman:you're not going to treat my crowd and my people less than if it was another crowd.
Ron Pullman:No, we bring you a lot of money.
Ron Pullman:our dollars is very important
Ron Pullman:going into a place and, and, and I'm just playing and I'm just getting paid.
Ron Pullman:No, I, I, I want the, the sound has to be right.
Ron Pullman:People are, I'm known for being a jerk if the sound is not right for me
Ron Pullman:because I can't do my job properly.
Ron Pullman:I'm like, if people coming up, my, my crowd, the people that support me
Ron Pullman:mostly come out and they want to dance.
Ron Pullman:They want to hear They want to know that I'm not perfect.
Ron Pullman:I have my off nights, but they want to know that if I'm, if, if the sound is
Ron Pullman:right, if I'm doing, doing whatever, because they've had a rough day, week
Ron Pullman:or whatever, or what's going on, they coming out, they want to release.
Ron Pullman:So, so yeah, me going into bars, clubs, venues, whatever, it is important.
Ron Pullman:There's so many things, it's quite a few things that I want to be right.
Ron Pullman:Nothing's going to be perfect, but I want it to be right.
Ron Pullman:Uh, and my people to be treated right.
Ron Pullman:So yes, I will say this, what I, what I love about the owner of the Eagle.
Ron Pullman:I, I, he has been very, very accommodating.
Ron Pullman:He is truly about the community.
Ron Pullman:Black, white, Latin, whatever.
Ron Pullman:He, he is truly, for my years of dealing with him, he is truly about the community.
Ron Pullman:Um, and he understand the importance.
Ron Pullman:And he don't take for granted what we have accomplished at First Friday.
Ron Pullman:So I would say pretty much if, if there's an issue or something I need
Ron Pullman:or whatever, he is very accommodating.
Ron Pullman:And that's important to me.
Ron Pullman:Like I said, it's not all about me.
Ron Pullman:Yes.
Ron Pullman:I want the things, whatever it takes for me to do my job or my gig properly, but I
Ron Pullman:also want my people to be treated right.
Ron Pullman:And probably that is very important to me.
Ron Pullman:I had a, Another club in the city, um, not too far from, uh, from the Eagle
Ron Pullman:wanted me to do a night and I declined because I didn't like the way particularly
Ron Pullman:my people would be treated there.
Ron Pullman:That's important to me.
Ron Pullman:And so, you know, all money ain't good money.
Ron Pullman:So
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: That's what they say.
Ron Pullman:And I'm, I'm so happy to hear you say that.
Ron Pullman:And, um, because I, I believe, I'm gonna use my, an I statement.
Ron Pullman:I believe the city of Atlanta, the city of Atlanta owes its
Ron Pullman:appeal, its economic growth.
Ron Pullman:I think it owes a lot of that to its black queer citizens.
Ron Pullman:Because if you've lived here for a certain amount of time, you know that
Ron Pullman:After every holiday weekend, and you know, the black gay community, we love
Ron Pullman:a holiday weekend because that's people are going to come in from out of town,
Ron Pullman:and we know that we're going to be entertained, whether it be specifically
Ron Pullman:DJs that are coming to town to play or the DJs that are residents here.
Ron Pullman:There might be performance, etc.
Ron Pullman:So you've got all the holidays, Labor Day weekend which has become
Ron Pullman:Atlanta black gay pride weekend.
Ron Pullman:After each of those.
Ron Pullman:Milestones every year.
Ron Pullman:I know that there has been tremendous population growth in the city of Atlanta,
Ron Pullman:and that brings economic growth as well.
Ron Pullman:Absolutely.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: So, I'm thinking to myself, is there something that
Ron Pullman:the, and I'm wondering out loud, is there something that the city
Ron Pullman:of Atlanta could do economically, to To empower ownership of spaces
Ron Pullman:created for the black gay community.
Ron Pullman:Because I hear what I hear a lot, what people are saying, well, the
Ron Pullman:reason why the clubs are disappearing is because nobody owns the bill.
Ron Pullman:You know, we don't own these properties.
Ron Pullman:We don't own these buildings.
Ron Pullman:Well, is there something maybe the city of Atlanta could do to say, look, this
Ron Pullman:is we, I don't know, through some type of, um, uh, movement or some type of,
Ron Pullman:you know, thing that they put in place.
Ron Pullman:We, we have empowered this black promoter, this black group of people,
Ron Pullman:um, to get some type of economic stimulus so that they can have this
Ron Pullman:building so that we could point at it and say, this here is a landmark.
Ron Pullman:This is for, this is a place where the black community has gathered
Ron Pullman:for the past 20 plus years.
Ron Pullman:As a place, as a space, is there something that the city
Ron Pullman:of Atlanta could do, you think?
Ron Pullman:Almost like a reparations, you know?
Ron Pullman:Yeah.
Ron Pullman:It sounds like reparations.
Ron Pullman:No, I mean, no, definitely.
Ron Pullman:The black gay community definitely has made a strong impact and definitely
Ron Pullman:need to be acknowledged without a doubt.
Ron Pullman:Yes.
Ron Pullman:If, um You've been around for the past decade or few or so long.
Ron Pullman:Yes, it is.
Ron Pullman:You, you will see what, what the black gay community has, um,
Ron Pullman:provided for the city of Atlanta.
Ron Pullman:You're right.
Ron Pullman:That's what, what, um, bring a lot of people.
Ron Pullman:If not move here, surely come here on a regular basis.
Ron Pullman:Uh, you know, I mean, it's so funny.
Ron Pullman:I want to get a sidetrack cause I'm gonna get back to your point, but to, to, to To
Ron Pullman:sort of piggyback on what you're saying, just, just the people coming here and
Ron Pullman:they, they come here whether for a weekend or, or, but I, I, I talked to guys who
Ron Pullman:come to the Eagle now, even at the old location who come in from DC or New York,
Ron Pullman:they come into the city once a month.
Ron Pullman:Maybe not always, always, But they do come in for once a month to come party
Ron Pullman:and hang out because they're not getting Atlanta need to stand up and be proud.
Ron Pullman:It's things that this city is given the black gay community, but you
Ron Pullman:don't even get in other major cities like LA, you don't even get stuff in.
Ron Pullman:And then I'm not trying to put these cities down.
Ron Pullman:I'm just saying that we offer, uh, that we offer so much.
Ron Pullman:for the black gay community in this city that, yeah, Atlanta, city of Atlanta
Ron Pullman:should just be, should definitely recognize and be proud, be proud.
Ron Pullman:you know, back to your point, um, what the city could do.
Ron Pullman:And if, if I think, If I think some, what you're, what you're asking
Ron Pullman:also, you was, you were mentioning something about, uh, a black owned, uh,
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: business.
Ron Pullman:Yeah, black owned spaces or, you know, because that's, that's the, the, the,
Ron Pullman:the common thread is the reason why these spaces, these safe spaces are disappearing
Ron Pullman:is because there's no ownership, no real ownership in the community.
Ron Pullman:Well, um, I don't know if it's necessarily because
Ron Pullman:black is widely disappearing.
Ron Pullman:Um, because I've known people who have had black, who are black owners
Ron Pullman:have had black queer spaces, and they were lucky to last a year or two.
Ron Pullman:Um, let's just be honest.
Ron Pullman:Um, like I said, people come here and.
Ron Pullman:And this is a, on the same token.
Ron Pullman:So it's, it's two things that I see why, why the spaces are, uh, maybe even more,
Ron Pullman:but two particular why things don't sustain, uh, one with the younger crowd.
Ron Pullman:Things are trendy.
Ron Pullman:If something is hot six months, it may not be hot a year from now.
Ron Pullman:And the other thing with my age group, particularly.
Ron Pullman:Uh, once a month seems to, seems to work for them.
Ron Pullman:If I was to buy and do a club, I would be afraid that, I would be afraid that,
Ron Pullman:I will be able to sustain because people in my age group, maybe a little younger.
Ron Pullman:So I'm even a little older, they don't come out every week.
Ron Pullman:And so I would have to result to, um, some other crowds to keep me afloat.
Ron Pullman:GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: And
Ron Pullman:then if that crowd is there and who they don't like.
Ron Pullman:let's say a hip hop crowd, a young hip hop crowd, they'd be like, okay,
Ron Pullman:Ron is catering to these folks and I'm not going back to his club.
Ron Pullman:So, you know, you, those are the things that you, the challenges
Ron Pullman:you have being a club owner.
Ron Pullman:And, um, if you don't have the resources, uh, to sustain And you know, a lot
Ron Pullman:of things closed down during the COVID, the COVID era period that was
Ron Pullman:not able to sustain black or white, it didn't matter if you weren't not
Ron Pullman:being supported, you just lost out.
Ron Pullman:But, uh, again, I just think the challenge with Atlanta, it's, it's particularly
Ron Pullman:with the younger crowd is trendy.
Ron Pullman:They, like I say, whatever's hot.
Ron Pullman:The six months, it may be something different six months or a year from now.
Ron Pullman:And so you didn't invest it, your savings, a lot of money, and you'll
Ron Pullman:be SOL a year or two from later.
Ron Pullman:And I, you know, so I mean, you know, people have asked me all the time, you
Ron Pullman:know, why don't you get your own club?
Ron Pullman:I, you know, and I've thought about it many times, but I'm like, do I
Ron Pullman:want to take that chance or risk?
Ron Pullman:And, and, uh, and not be supported, you know?
Ron Pullman:Yeah.
Ron Pullman:People come out once a month to hear me play.
Ron Pullman:And like I say, my age group, mostly who comes out once a month, that's all
Ron Pullman:they need, that's all they feel like that's all they need or they want.
Ron Pullman:And so, uh, but again, back to your point about the city recognizing, uh, black
Ron Pullman:and stuff, there's definitely need to be some black spaces that need to be, um,
Ron Pullman:to acknowledge and so on and so forth.
Ron Pullman:Uh, I don't know of any black, particularly black clubs, establishment
Ron Pullman:that are that are exclusively black owned or ran right now.
Ron Pullman:Maybe there aren't.
Ron Pullman:I'm just, I'm just can't think of it.
Ron Pullman:Um, you know, I don't want to keep referencing the eagle, but I will
Ron Pullman:say again, the relationship that I have had with the owner, uh, he has
Ron Pullman:been a very accommodating to me.
Ron Pullman:And if I have an issue or something that I need to address and that's particularly
Ron Pullman:pertaining to the black gay car, he's, he's, he's been very accommodating.
Ron Pullman:Uh, yes, I wish we, I'm sorry to be rambling on, but yes, I wish that we had
Ron Pullman:our own, uh, and, and we would support it.
Ron Pullman:If we, if, if, if we have our own and we support it, I'm down for it.
Ron Pullman:Let's make it happen.
Ron Pullman:Uh, but it's, it's, it's a challenge or it's a risk.
Ron Pullman:I don't have that kinda money to spare
Ron Pullman:, GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: listen this a square
Ron Pullman:to, to, uh, to take that risk.
Ron Pullman:But I do plan to do some things that hopefully that will, that
Ron Pullman:will, uh, that would help out.
Ron Pullman:I, I, I have some things and
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: planned.
Ron Pullman:Okay.
Ron Pullman:All right.
Ron Pullman:Well, that's, that's hopeful.
Ron Pullman:That's, you know, I like hearing that.
Ron Pullman:Yeah.
Ron Pullman:And I, I'm glad you brought up that perspective of, because I
Ron Pullman:fall into that crowd as well, where my friends and I, you know.
Ron Pullman:First Friday is first Friday is a thing and that's okay
Ron Pullman:because you're absolutely right.
Ron Pullman:We're not in that, that space anymore of, you know, back in the days, it was Monday
Ron Pullman:nights at Traxx for the Monday night show, Tuesday night, dug that Tuesday at
Ron Pullman:7 0 8 Wednesday, Bible study, Thursday, you back it, um, you're at 7 0 8 again.
Ron Pullman:Um, Friday and Saturdays, you know, the Marquette this Traxx and then Sunday
Ron Pullman:you're in church, you know, there was a time where we literally we'd be
Ron Pullman:going out every single day of the week.
Ron Pullman:As you get older, you're absolutely right.
Ron Pullman:We can't sustain that at our big ages and our bodies are not
Ron Pullman:allowing us to do that anymore.
Ron Pullman:But I'm
Ron Pullman:sorry, let me just say this before we move on to the next point.
Ron Pullman:And another thing we also that that sort of.
Ron Pullman:Uh, I want to use my words correctly.
Ron Pullman:I don't want to say ruin, but, but change the dynamics of clubs being supported.
Ron Pullman:Let's just be honest.
Ron Pullman:Um, people are online and social media.
Ron Pullman:They get they fix and they hook up online that they don't feel like they
Ron Pullman:don't have to go out to the club.
Ron Pullman:They get door service these days.
Ron Pullman:So.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Let's call a thing
Ron Pullman:a
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: thing.
Ron Pullman:Let's call a thing a thing.
Ron Pullman:You're absolutely right.
Ron Pullman:I was laughing with another friend the other day.
Ron Pullman:We were laughing about those, um, the phone chat lines.
Ron Pullman:Before, because of course, we didn't have, we didn't have cell
Ron Pullman:phones, we didn't have the internet.
Ron Pullman:And
Ron Pullman:GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: so you
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: met people on chat lines at that point.
Ron Pullman:Um, But you're absolutely right.
Ron Pullman:And to, to, to harken back a point we made earlier about you particularly
Ron Pullman:creating a sense of community with, with your, um, with your crowd, um, you know,
Ron Pullman:you're able to go out and do parties at, you know, Local parks and people will
Ron Pullman:come follow you because you, you bring a great sound shout out to your, um, to
Ron Pullman:the people that provide sounds for you.
Ron Pullman:One of them is my guy, Herbie.
Ron Pullman:Um, DJ Herb does a lot of sound, you know, he and I used to work at V.
Ron Pullman:So that's how I know him.
Ron Pullman:And, um, you know, You always bring great sound and people will
Ron Pullman:come to you wherever you are.
Ron Pullman:And I think that's very important to, to say again, because you've cultivated
Ron Pullman:that, that kind of relationship.
Ron Pullman:So I'm wondering, is it on the DJs?
Ron Pullman:Do we, is it us and not necessarily promoters or club owners, do we need to
Ron Pullman:start cultivating these relationships with the community so that they
Ron Pullman:feel like they have some place?
Ron Pullman:trustworthy to go to and will be able to feel like they'll be protected,
Ron Pullman:they'll be safe, they'll have, and they'll also be entertained with
Ron Pullman:the music that they want to hear.
Ron Pullman:I mean, absolutely.
Ron Pullman:Um, yeah, I absolutely believe the DJ, that's not a bad
Ron Pullman:thing for, um, most DJs to do.
Ron Pullman:I, uh, Uh, I just know today DJs wear more hats than you once were.
Ron Pullman:You just don't show up like you did back in the day with
Ron Pullman:the crater records or whatever.
Ron Pullman:Obviously you show up with a flash drive and headphones.
Ron Pullman:And if the, if the establishment have what you need, uh, you just show up, but
Ron Pullman:no, um, but to your point, um, you, you should, I know for me, I wear more hats.
Ron Pullman:It's important for me again, to, uh, I, I, uh, again, like I said, having a
Ron Pullman:relationship with the club, the sound people, my, the promotion aspect, all
Ron Pullman:those things from, it's important to me to, to, I think that's what has helped me
Ron Pullman:have a successful run in this business.
Ron Pullman:I've, uh, for quite some time, I, I, like I said, I, I wear, I wear a lot
Ron Pullman:of hats or several hats to make sure.
Ron Pullman:That my events, perhaps my night is, is, um, successful overall, because
Ron Pullman:as again, I'm a jerk when it comes to sound, it's, and that's important to me.
Ron Pullman:But again, like I say, it's, I want people to feel comfortable when they
Ron Pullman:walk into the establish, establishment.
Ron Pullman:I want the, from the staff greeting them and being polite to, to going
Ron Pullman:to the bar that they not being gouged or they not being, all
Ron Pullman:those things are important to me.
Ron Pullman:Again, and I, I, of course, unless somebody bring it to
Ron Pullman:my attention, but I'm playing.
Ron Pullman:So I'm DJing.
Ron Pullman:I mean, I know what's going on with somebody being
Ron Pullman:treated unfairly and whatever.
Ron Pullman:Again, I'm getting sidetracked, but, um, but yes, it's not a bad idea for a DJ
Ron Pullman:To, uh, be more involved and, uh, and, and, and making sure and reaching out to
Ron Pullman:people and making sure things are correct.
Ron Pullman:I hope that answered your question.
Ron Pullman:I may have gotten sidetracked.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: No, actually, I appreciate your answering
Ron Pullman:your answers to that question.
Ron Pullman:Um, because I feel that as far as having to wear multiple hats and, you
Ron Pullman:know, you got to promote yourself.
Ron Pullman:And what I do have a question of a fun question, uh, if you were able
Ron Pullman:to bring back any venue in black gay Atlanta and that black gay Atlanta
Ron Pullman:passive clubs, which club would that be?
Ron Pullman:Oh, wow.
Ron Pullman:Any black gay club.
Ron Pullman:Um, I, Ooh, that's a tough one.
Ron Pullman:Uh, I would say I wasn't involved with this, but I, I would say what I
Ron Pullman:enjoyed when I moved here, um, maybe a year or two after I had been here,
Ron Pullman:uh, So there was this female promoter, a woman named Gloria, and she had a,
Ron Pullman:she had an organization called Friends.
Ron Pullman:And Friends, she did parties at different locations, she, but probably
Ron Pullman:her longest, venue or spot she used.
Ron Pullman:So it was a club that was across, across from Loretta's used to be called 688.
Ron Pullman:It was used to be called weekends.
Ron Pullman:We, uh, we can, uh, it used to be called weekends, 688 spring street.
Ron Pullman:And this turns to
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: the Apache.
Ron Pullman:Yeah.
Ron Pullman:It was like, okay.
Ron Pullman:You know where the alleyway, where Apache is located?
Ron Pullman:Yes.
Ron Pullman:Uhhuh.
Ron Pullman:. If you were to the back entrance, that alleyway if you walked Okay.
Ron Pullman:You know what's Concentra now?
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Yes.
Ron Pullman:Uhhuh . The, the, uh, this was actually a club called
Ron Pullman:6 88 back in the day.
Ron Pullman:Oh,
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: okay.
Ron Pullman:Okay.
Ron Pullman:And the back
Ron Pullman:entrance was in the alley, be by, right behind Apache.
Ron Pullman:Wow.
Ron Pullman:And it, it was only a short period of time.
Ron Pullman:And I think Loretta's was, might have been open at the same time, I think.
Ron Pullman:And maybe Loretta's opened up shortly afterwards.
Ron Pullman:Because Loretta's was a lot of fun.
Ron Pullman:I mean, it's, it's hard for me to say, but I'm, what resonated
Ron Pullman:with me the most was that club.
Ron Pullman:I, um, Uh, so, uh, uh, Rod Cole was the DJ and, uh, but it
Ron Pullman:was, uh, it was a lot of fun.
Ron Pullman:It wasn't a huge club, I would say easily probably 250, 300
Ron Pullman:people packed was in there.
Ron Pullman:But, I mean, it was just, the crowd was just great.
Ron Pullman:It was just, Rod did an excellent job with music.
Ron Pullman:Um, The crowd was it was it was more mixed than it is today.
Ron Pullman:You will see more.
Ron Pullman:It was more mixed.
Ron Pullman:It was predominantly black, but it was more mixed women and men, gay
Ron Pullman:women and men just we just don't get that too often here in Atlanta.
Ron Pullman:And that's what house music particularly to me is like, the era I've come from
Ron Pullman:and what I try to still make happen to this day, it's about, it's inclusive.
Ron Pullman:Everybody is welcome.
Ron Pullman:I, you know, I, I want everybody to come as long as you don't have
Ron Pullman:a problem with anybody, just, just come and enjoy the music.
Ron Pullman:But that's what I miss about weekend.
Ron Pullman:I mean, the, um, friends was at this club called Weekends, Weekend Warehouse.
Ron Pullman:So, and so, um, That's what would have come back, but I
Ron Pullman:had great times at Morelos.
Ron Pullman:I had great times at Trax.
Ron Pullman:Um, I had, um, even a decade before, uh, several years before moving here,
Ron Pullman:there was a club called In Between.
Ron Pullman:And that was, uh, yeah, that was the early 80s.
Ron Pullman:And it was, that was, that was, that was nice.
Ron Pullman:Uh, but Atlanta has had so many clubs.
Ron Pullman:I mean, gosh, I'm probably drawing blank.
Ron Pullman:There's been, I mean, you know, you think about the palace, you think about, uh,
Ron Pullman:gosh, that's just been so many clubs.
Ron Pullman:Like the seven, seven or eight.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Backstreet.
Ron Pullman:Yeah.
Ron Pullman:Backstreet, which was a
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: place called the Metro.
Ron Pullman:It was a Metro, I think on, on peach street.
Ron Pullman:Yeah.
Ron Pullman:Uh, and that was, uh,
Ron Pullman:Um, I've, I had only been a couple of times, but it was a little more
Ron Pullman:like a little small bar from, uh, but, uh, also during the mid to late
Ron Pullman:eighties, that was, uh, what, what was a before Loretta's was fosters.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, Falster's, um, was on, um, Peachtree right at 10th.
Ron Pullman:It was, uh, right next to what's called the Margaret Mitchell House.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Okay, yes.
Ron Pullman:Right
Ron Pullman:there, right next to that was, uh, was Falster's.
Ron Pullman:And that was a fun, uh, that was a real nice club, uh, bar that people attended.
Ron Pullman:Well, the, the lady Loretta who owned it moved over to Spring
Ron Pullman:Street and opened up Loretta's.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Okay, I have, so a person I call my play mama who is
Ron Pullman:here, who, you know, party here years before I was old enough to come,
Ron Pullman:you know, relocated to Atlanta and start partying, start hanging out.
Ron Pullman:He would tell me about a place called, was it the Pearl Garden?
Ron Pullman:Paragarden.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Paragarden, okay.
Ron Pullman:And was that?
Ron Pullman:Girl,
Ron Pullman:girl, you got me, it's the
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Paragarden.
Ron Pullman:The Paragarden, okay, so it's the Paragarden.
Ron Pullman:Was that downtown?
Ron Pullman:Because from what I understand, if I recall, like vaguely, there was a
Ron Pullman:place down by where the Georgia State Rialto Theater used to be, you know,
Ron Pullman:where on that, what street is that?
Ron Pullman:Lucky 3.
Ron Pullman:No, it wasn't lucky.
Ron Pullman:It's actually down to down there where the Rialto is now that a part of the Georgia
Ron Pullman:state campus where that, um, Ooh, I'm losing my train of thought now, as far as
Ron Pullman:the name of that street is concerned, but
Ron Pullman:was it in a little, a little alleyway or was it on the main street
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: in that year where the broad street and, um, That little
Ron Pullman:one way street kind of section.
Ron Pullman:I just remembered there were a couple of places.
Ron Pullman:I wasn't even old enough to get into those places, but I heard about them.
Ron Pullman:And when you said Ritz boys earlier, I remember there
Ron Pullman:was a place called the Ritz.
Ron Pullman:I think you had to go upstairs.
Ron Pullman:Yeah, and it, you, you could see literally the Coca-Cola
Ron Pullman:sign, the old Coca-Cola sign.
Ron Pullman:Okay.
Ron Pullman:So I, I'm, I'm not making, making, yeah.
Ron Pullman:That came, that came along later.
Ron Pullman:Okay.
Ron Pullman:That came, yeah, that the Brits came along
Ron Pullman:later, but it was the same guys.
Ron Pullman:It was Philip and David and, and those guys that own it.
Ron Pullman:But ironically, that's what you're, the area where you're describing is, is where.
Ron Pullman:I started with them.
Ron Pullman:It was a little, little bitty street called Poplar Street.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: And that's Poplar Street.
Ron Pullman:Yes.
Ron Pullman:Okay.
Ron Pullman:So yeah, I, uh, started off with them there.
Ron Pullman:We do late night parties and, uh, and yeah, so, uh, yeah, that was, uh,
Ron Pullman:that's why I started with them guys.
Ron Pullman:And then, like I said, after we left there, we did actually, we
Ron Pullman:did a club around the corner just a block over on Lucky Street.
Ron Pullman:It was called Secrets.
Ron Pullman:And, um, we did that for probably about a year before we opened up Traxx and, uh,
Ron Pullman:Sylvester actually came perform there.
Ron Pullman:And, um, and so, yeah, it was, it was, uh, really a nice, nice, nice spot.
Ron Pullman:And, um, we did several things.
Ron Pullman:Um, gosh, it was even a hotel right there on Lucky Street
Ron Pullman:called the Atlantean Hotel.
Ron Pullman:We used to do parties on the rooftop there.
Ron Pullman:It was quite a bit.
Ron Pullman:Atlanta is fun and it's still a lot of things going on.
Ron Pullman:Uh, but for you asked about clubs and the period, the, the, the, the era that
Ron Pullman:did it for me was when I moved here in 86, I would say up to the early nineties.
Ron Pullman:Atlanta, um, club scene was just, it was really a lot of fun.
Ron Pullman:It was really a fun period of time and Atlanta had definitely had its share
Ron Pullman:of, uh, queer and, and, and queer clubs and, you know, even just a ton
Ron Pullman:of black, uh, clubs during that time.
Ron Pullman:And, um, so to answer one particularly.
Ron Pullman:I only, I only use friends, the organization friends slash
Ron Pullman:weekends because musically that's what appealed to me.
Ron Pullman:I enjoyed it pretty much every time, but I enjoyed going to several spaces.
Ron Pullman:Like I said, it could have been Loretta's, but I mean obviously I
Ron Pullman:was playing at Traxx, maybe still playing at Traxx during that time.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, but it was just, it was just several, several things.
Ron Pullman:And it was just, if you didn't feel like being in a dance club, you
Ron Pullman:could have went to the, to a little drink bar like the Pear Garden.
Ron Pullman:Or, you know, You know, and just several spaces throughout the city.
Ron Pullman:Like you said, it could have been a metro, it could have been wherever.
Ron Pullman:Or you could have went to those places earlier, and then you felt like dancing,
Ron Pullman:you would come to Loretta's, or you would come to Trax, or you would come to, you
Ron Pullman:know, uh, 688, a weekend, or whatever.
Ron Pullman:But, um, so yeah,
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: as we wrap up, I, something you were saying, this
Ron Pullman:just made this pop up in my mind.
Ron Pullman:Another memory was unlocked.
Ron Pullman:I recall.
Ron Pullman:Um, and I believe, I'm not going to say it was, I'm not directly quoting, but
Ron Pullman:I believe it was DJ Cedric once said that the, the biggest change or the
Ron Pullman:change when he knew this, he knew that things had changed in Atlanta was when.
Ron Pullman:They moved the house DJ upstairs into the boom boom room, which was
Ron Pullman:at the very top and brought the hip hop downstairs to the main.
Ron Pullman:To the main floor and he marked that as a pivotal moment in, um, and I guess
Ron Pullman:the culture and I guess, um, just the appreciation for house music and things
Ron Pullman:changing as far as dancing is concerned.
Ron Pullman:Would you agree to say like, like my generation, we came in, we started
Ron Pullman:integrating hip hop Into, um, into the party and because hip hop had become the
Ron Pullman:major culture, especially for us come coming up, that's what we related to.
Ron Pullman:And so, yes, we love some house music, but then we were also
Ron Pullman:wanting to hear some Biggie and some little Kim at the same time.
Ron Pullman:Um, what was your, what were your thoughts in around that era when things shifted?
Ron Pullman:Well, I, I agree with Cedric.
Ron Pullman:It, that was a very pivotal moment.
Ron Pullman:And, um, you know, fortunately for me, I didn't, I didn't go through it per se
Ron Pullman:because I, I left Atlanta for a few years.
Ron Pullman:So that was that mid 90 ish era when, when that occurred, when he, and you're right,
Ron Pullman:and I, but I would come back here or wherever I am, I would, I could see that
Ron Pullman:happening and, and you, what you stated is so true and, um, you know, It was,
Ron Pullman:I want to use my words, it was, I don't want to say disheartening, but it was, it
Ron Pullman:was, it was, I know, again, we progress with times and we, we go with things that,
Ron Pullman:and in most cases go with things that are happening during that era in time.
Ron Pullman:So, you know, we can't always be stuck in the past, if you will.
Ron Pullman:Um, but I knew that that was,
Ron Pullman:The hip hop thing, when it became popular, and it had, uh, integrated into
Ron Pullman:the black gay clubs particularly, it was, because obviously, you know, I'm
Ron Pullman:a, I'm a house head till the day I die.
Ron Pullman:Right.
Ron Pullman:But I mean, I have an appreciation for hip hop and all that, because
Ron Pullman:obviously I worked in a record store, so I know various forms of music.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, so I appreciate that.
Ron Pullman:But to see that culture, integrated into the Black Gay Club, uh,
Ron Pullman:it was, uh, it was a little sad for me because The black gay clubs and
Ron Pullman:black Latin and the gay clubs have always were known for the trendsetters
Ron Pullman:We didn't follow what was mainstream.
Ron Pullman:We didn't follow what was on radio.
Ron Pullman:Just now we set the tone for fashion for music for Whatever was hotness
Ron Pullman:in that and to see that The Black Gay Club particularly wanted to follow
Ron Pullman:radio and the videos on TV and stuff.
Ron Pullman:It, it, it changed the dynamic.
Ron Pullman:So yeah, that's, uh, he, he makes a very valid point.
Ron Pullman:And, um, and so, um, By it becoming that, uh, we lost, we lost the house.
Ron Pullman:I think, I just think that I'm trying to say this without being
Ron Pullman:negative or coming across the fence.
Ron Pullman:I'm sure not every club that integrated hip hop was, was a
Ron Pullman:bad or negative experience, but I just think when it became that.
Ron Pullman:It changed the dynamic and, and, and even the, uh, mentality, if you will,
Ron Pullman:of how gay men carry themselves, you know, trying to emulate what they
Ron Pullman:see and perhaps on video or listening to music, it was just, it was just
Ron Pullman:shocking and mind blowing to me.
Ron Pullman:So, uh, so, uh, yeah, he's right.
Ron Pullman:And so when I moved back to the city, which was around the Olympics time and
Ron Pullman:stuff, I started DJing again, but I started playing mostly on straight clubs.
Ron Pullman:And then eventually got back to playing both.
Ron Pullman:Now I play pretty much.
Ron Pullman:exclusively Black Ink Club or Grout.
Ron Pullman:And so it's been refreshing to me to see over the past decade that it's been an
Ron Pullman:appreciation, a resurgence, if you will, for, uh, what started off as a And even
Ron Pullman:though it's once a month or twice a month now what I do, but to see, again, back to
Ron Pullman:the point you were making earlier, to see, get back to the house and what I do and
Ron Pullman:the younger crowd is really embracing it.
Ron Pullman:That's what, um, So I feel good.
Ron Pullman:But yeah, during that era in time, it changed the 90s, mid 90s ish.
Ron Pullman:It changed when the crowd embraced hip hop.
Ron Pullman:It changed the dynamics of the club.
Ron Pullman:So Cedric is right.
Ron Pullman:It did change.
Ron Pullman:And, um, again, to your point about establishment, um, I know business has
Ron Pullman:to do what's in their best interest to make money, but again, all money, it may
Ron Pullman:not, if it's something that you're doing and you change it, the dynamic, it may
Ron Pullman:be successful for six months or a year.
Ron Pullman:But if you don't stick to what's, um, who's been supporting you
Ron Pullman:and, and, and, and, and, and being consistent, you're going to
Ron Pullman:probably lose out in the long run.
Ron Pullman:I know I got sidetracked to your question, but I just, it's making
Ron Pullman:me think about all of that.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: No, and that, that, but no, I want you to express
Ron Pullman:that because I think those are all the things that, that go into.
Ron Pullman:a sentiment that is being felt, but nobody knows how to put it into
Ron Pullman:words specifically about what has happened to the landscape and to the
Ron Pullman:atmosphere of the places that we're going to and that we're frequencing.
Ron Pullman:Um, but I am happy that I've had this opportunity to speak with you and to
Ron Pullman:revisit those days but also to, to, to give people an idea of what it really
Ron Pullman:takes like community is, it's like what people say about the church churches in
Ron Pullman:a isn't a building churches wherever.
Ron Pullman:You know, you are, you know, they say we're two or more gathered and that's
Ron Pullman:a sentiment that I think we can, we can take with us and explore, but please,
Ron Pullman:um, Ron, uh, I'm, I'm so appreciative of your time, but please let the people know
Ron Pullman:how they, where they can find you online.
Ron Pullman:And how they can, you know, if they're not already a part of your flock, how
Ron Pullman:they can, you know, become a part of their flock and make sure that they keep up with
Ron Pullman:you, whether you're in Atlanta or wherever you're, you know, you tour, please let
Ron Pullman:them know how they can keep up with you.
Ron Pullman:Well, social media is going to be the best way to follow me right
Ron Pullman:now, or to stay up with what I'm doing.
Ron Pullman:Of course, I am on Facebook as Ron Pullman Soul.
Ron Pullman:Pullman Soul being one word, you can reach me on Facebook, and
Ron Pullman:on IG, Instagram, Pullman Soul.
Ron Pullman:And usually on both of my accounts or pages, uh, I have, uh, I keep
Ron Pullman:the latest, uh, flyers or I keep a schedule of events that I'm doing.
Ron Pullman:So you can, um, just hit, just hit me up on those.
Ron Pullman:And, uh, that will be the best way to contact me as well.
Ron Pullman:Stand up on the events that I'm doing.
Ron Pullman:It's, um, again, my social media pages and, um, but also.
Ron Pullman:If you're in the Atlanta area, you can catch me first and third
Ron Pullman:Fridays at the Atlanta Eagle.
Ron Pullman:That's the Atlanta Eagle.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Ron Pullman.
Ron Pullman:Once again, thank you.
Ron Pullman:Thank you so much.
Ron Pullman:Not just for spending this time with me and, um, doing this, this, uh, interview
Ron Pullman:for the podcast, but for what you've done period, like for the building blocks that
Ron Pullman:you've laid down for, um, not just the party people, but also, you know, for
Ron Pullman:people who come in behind you who want to DJ, who have this, um, ambition of
Ron Pullman:becoming a DJ, not necessarily a house DJ, but Knowing that there's some foundational
Ron Pullman:things that we all as DJs need to practice and the community that you created,
Ron Pullman:I think is a long lasting testament to all the work that you've done.
Ron Pullman:So thank you.
Ron Pullman:I appreciate you, Ron Pulma.
Ron Pullman:Well, no, thank you.
Ron Pullman:I appreciate you reaching out to me and allowing, giving me
Ron Pullman:this platform to express myself.
Ron Pullman:And, um, I'm grateful to you and Jay for making this happen.
Ron Pullman:DJ Sir Daniel: Thank you for listening to I Come Alive: Stories of Black
Ron Pullman:Gay Atlanta Nightlife brought to you by Queue Points Productions.
Ron Pullman:Special thanks to the Counter Narrative Project 2024 Media
Ron Pullman:Roundtable for their support as well.
Ron Pullman:Make sure you become a Queue Points subscriber so that you don't miss
Ron Pullman:the next episode of I Come Alive.
