Pulse Article

5 Stupid Questions for ... Bob Pantano

By Victor Fiorillo

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of his live radio show on WOGL, “Mr. Saturday Night,” Bob Pantano, is to the Hustle what the Geator is to the Twist. We caught up with him to see if disco is, indeed, dead.

You’ve been credited with bringing disco to Philadelphia back in the ’70s. Don’t you feel like you owe us an apology? No way. Disco is my claim to fame. It’s one of the greatest musical genres ever.

During the Me Decades, was it coke or Quaaludes? Neither. I’m more of a barbera or brunello guy.

You lost the open shirt and hairy chest, and yet the mustache remains. What gives? I’ve had it since 1975. It’s a tradition. But it might actually be time to think about shaving it.

You bring four CD players to your gigs. Why not run the whole show from one of those new iPhones? I’m taking my time. It was tough enough to leave vinyl. I have over 100,000 albums just ­sitting in my house.

Do people actually still come out and do the ­Hustle? Yeah, there’s a resurgence of the real disco people now. They’re at an age where they can come out. The toughest era for people coming out, especially women, is the childbearing years. Then they reappear. Of course, now they’re divorced.

Originally published in Philadelphia magazine, September 2007
 

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