Ensconced in its 38th summer, Memories of Margate and its famous owner have had a knack for satisfying revelers of all ages
The Geator at Memories
You never know who you might meet at Memories of Margate on a typical weekend night in the summertime. Politicos on the local, regional and even national levels have shown up to savor the flavor of the place, as have film and TV stars, legendary musicians, sports figures and others in the public eye.
But it’s members of the public themselves who — regardless of age, financial status, upbringing or origin — are made to feel like the Margate mainstay is their special place. South Philly prodigy, AC Weekly columnist and local legend Jerry “The Geator with the Heater” Blavat has honed a knack for making 20- to 70-somethings feel like they can intermingle, through the magic of music and his wizardry as master of ceremonies, without the encumbrance of generation gaps.
“I love making people happy,” says Blavat, 69, whose career in entertainment began as a 13-year-old dancer on the original Philly-based Bandstand TV show, and in radio on a Camden station in 1962. “There are few clubs folks can go to today where they can honestly relate to the music. Clubs come and go, but the secret to this place is the people. The people come back again and again, word spreads as they tell others about they good times they had, and others want to come and see what they’re talking about and have the same good times.”
Every Friday and Saturday night through Labor Day weekend, Blavat broadcasts his show live on KOOL 98.3 FM, from 9pm-midnight, on what’s called the Geator Gold Dance Party. Blavat pioneered the concept of broadcasting radio shows from nightclubs, and his on-air mantra has always been “Programmed from the heart, not from a research chart.” That may explain why his notable persona and frenetic, almost machinegun-like delivery can be heard on six different stations seven days a week. His summer work schedule is exhausting just to view, much less do, as he does, and includes spinning at Philadelphia Park Casino on Wednesday evenings (5-7pm), the Lighthouse Pointe in Wildwood Crest on Thursday nights (8pm-midnight), Memories on Friday and Saturday nights (9pm-2am) and La Costa Lounge in Sea Isle City every Sunday, 4-8pm. He also puts in occasional special-guest appearances with his good buddy Bubba “Mac” Birch at the Atlantic City Country Club, including this Thursday, Aug. 6, at 6pm.
“He’s a trip — I wish I had his energy,” says Blavat’s youngest of four daughters, Deserie, a bartender at Memories. “He’s got a lot of drive, and was always sort of hyper, but he’s always been a good dad, too.”
Most Friday nights it’s a middle-aged crowd until around 11pm, at which point you start seeing people 30 and younger show up. There’s line dancing, occasional special-guest DJs, reduced drink prices, and a free food buffet catered by Chickie’s and Pete’s of EHT, and Barrels of Margate. On Saturday nights the crowd is varied right from the opening bell, with the younger element closing down the place after DJ Joel Stevens spells the Geator from the elevated DJ booth — which is situated adjacent to the dance floor facing the entrance, and straddling two large bars and two smaller ones — at 2am Fridays and Saturdays.
“It’s a pretty mixed crowd early on Saturday, but at a certain hour, maybe 11 or 12 o’clock, it turns into a younger crowd,” says Dino Rae, a longtime friend of the Geator who was at Memories on a recent Friday night with his wife, Cathy. “Usually on Saturday night you can’t even walk in here, it’s so packed. Jerry knows how to switch gears and keep it lively so that everyone’s having a good time, no matter what your age. He’s the master.”
Like the Raes, Kathy and John Kaufman are originally from the Geator’s hometown of South Philly, and were visiting Memories from Ocean City.
“We don’t know him personally, but everybody knows somebody who knows him personally — he’s that well known and that well liked,” says John Kaufman.
“We’re more from the disco era and the music from the ’70s and ’80s, and a little younger than the doo-wop era, but they always play good music here,” says Kathy Kaufman. “Music you can dance to.”
In a Philadelphia Weekly (sister paper of Atlantic City Weekly) interview from Jan. 2001, when the Geator was celebrating a mere 40 years in the entertainment industry, he was asked to recall some favorite stories about himself. He replied, “One of the wonderful things, baby doll, was when you guys (PW) did a story about the DJs of yesterday and compared them to what DJs are doing today. It said that Blavat back then had the ability to create the sound that he wants his audience to hear. You know the DJs on the radio can’t do that now, but the guys in the clubs can. They have the ability to create their own sound and their own persona, and that’s what I did 40 years ago.”
And he’s still doing it, while dispensing the everlasting advice to “Keep on rocking, ‘cause you only rock once!”
Memories
Address: Amherst and Madison aves., Margate
When: Thurs., Fri. and Sat., 9pm-4am
Phone: 823-2196
On the Web: geatorgold.net
Once again, greetings and salutations. And wow, what a tremendous Memorial Day weekend. It all started off Friday night in Egg Harbor Township when we went live at 5 at Chickie’s & Pete’s on Cruisin’ 92.1 and KOOL 98.3, and then on to Mia’s at Caesars, the fabulous restaurant from Georges Perrier and Chris Scarduzio. Mia’s was packed — so much so that starting this Friday we’ll be going live on KOOL 98.3 from Caesars’ Pool Bar so that you Geator Gold guys and gals can have more room to dance after you dine at Mia’s. Over at Memories, the big 65th birthday party for Carol Kauffmann took place, with family and friends. Of course, Carol belongs to our dear friend Justice Bruce Kauffman. Some of the Who’s Who who came to pay respects: My old friends Lewis & Margie Katz,...
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