The Monster

In the foggy mid-70s in Key West, The Monster was a notorious and beloved disco on lower Duval St. There was a rotating bookcase that opened onto a hidden spiral staircase leading to the upper deck over the dance floor. The Monster hosted “Dollar Dinners” on Sunday nights to grateful locals and visitors who got an entire meal for $1 (when inflation hit in the late 70s, it became “Double Dollar Dinner”). The popular entertainer, Divine, was a regular guest performer — and “Budda” worked the door, making sure nobody got in who looked like trouble. Judy and Sven were the original owners in those days, and as Judy always said, “Don’t worry who sees you fall off your bar stool tonight; tomorrow you’ll see them fall off theirs.”