In a city that reinvents itself nightly, Michael Musto has remained its sharpest observer—and, at times, its main attraction. From the electric chaos of the 1980s downtown scene to today’s curated, influencer-driven nightlife, Musto hasn’t just documented New York’s evolution—he’s lived it, shaped it and occasionally stolen the spotlight from it. His legendary “La Dolce Musto” column didn’t simply report on the party; it WAS the party, capturing a world where celebrity, absurdity and raw humanity collided under neon lights.
What makes Musto truly iconic, however, isn’t just his proximity to fame—it’s his perspective. Equal parts outsider and insider, biting yet deeply empathetic, he turned gossip into an art form and nightlife into narrative. Decades later, still writing, still showing up and still telling it like it is, Musto proves that relevance isn’t about chasing the moment—it’s about defining it.
Michael, you’ve been the definitive voice of New York nightlife for decades. What was the exact moment you realized you weren’t just covering the scene–you were the scene?
Well, I’ve been part of this whole mess called nightlife for a very long time. In fact, at the last Glam Awards back in January–where I won my 11th Glam, if you don’t count the Living Legend honor, ahem–I told the crowd, “I’m the only one here wearing orthopedic shoes.” Before I left the stage, I thanked Shady Pines for letting me out for the day so I could receive one more honor. But I knew I was part of the scene …definitely not at Studio 54 because nobody even noticed me there. I think it was in 1984, when I had a party at Danceteria for having launched my column “La Dolce Musto” in the Village Voice. It was one of the first times I really was the center of attention. All of my friends were there congratulating me. I looked around and thought, “This is really wild. I get to be celebrated. Not just celebratING.”
It’s funny. Everyone loves you and at the same time they are intimidated by you. I love that.
It’s weird that I’m in the nightlife because I’m very socially awkward. Growing up as a child, I literally never spoke. It took a long time for me to learn how to articulate my thoughts. So I didn’t know how to be in these crowded scenes in nightclubs. It’s bizarre that I became such a club regular; I really was an outsider. I never really belonged anywhere! I think I radiate that awkwardness, so people assume I’m nasty, but I really am pretty damn nice. I can be nasty behind my computer keyboard, but as a person, I’m rather decent.
You really are one of the nicest people I’ve met. But that being said, I was afraid of you too.
New York has gone through dramatic cultural shifts. How would you compare the raw, anything goes energy of the ’80s and ’90s to today’s more curated nightlife?
It is always different but the same. And the more they say NYC is a shit hole, the truth is that no one is ever really leaving unless they have to. But what changes are the details. When I started, we weren’t into the Internet, cell phones, Facebook, etc. You really had to leave the house to socialize. You had to go to a club to hear new music. And you also had to go to a bar or club to meet someone to hook up with. So there was much more of an urgency around nightlife. Now it’s a whole different scene, plus it’s so expensive to try to open a club in New York. So it is not the same. It is never going to be the same as the hedonistic ball of excitement of the 1970s. But so what? I don’t sit around and think about the past. I kept all my clips and videos, but I never look at them. I stay in the present.
You’ve interviewed everyone from underground legends to global superstars. Who surprised you the most and who completely lived up to the hype?
My ultimate celebrity has always been Diana Ross. She just sparkles. I really think she has sequins in her bloodstream. I didn’t do a sit-down interview with her, but I did meet her at a party in the ’80s. It was on the Intrepid. It was at the height of everyone saying “She’s a bitch. She’s a cunt. She’s a twat.” But she was so nice!
Well, I did interview her. And I wanted to kill myself. Because she only gave me one word answers. She wasn’t mean or anything.
She always wants to talk about love. But so what? It’s Diana Ross. I was so shocked at how nice she was. And in the heyday, it was always Sandra Bernhard and Carrie Fisher who were the two that always gave the best, spiciest interviews. Because they were so funny and spontaneous.
I’ve interviewed Sandra a thousand times. And the last one, she said, “Eileen, you’ already know me. Just make it up.”
There has always been a tightrope between journalism and friendship in nightlife reporting. How have you navigated that without losing your edge?
You learn pretty quickly that you’re not really going to be friends with these people. It’s a sympathy kind of friendship. An “I love you, let’s have lunch” type of thing. But it really is helpful to never think of these relationships as friendships. I have my real friends. I have my chosen family. Celebrities want to be nice and funny, but they don’t want to be your friend. And you have to honor that dividing line. But my columns have broken the rules, for better or for worse. They are very immersive. I am not just sitting like Lois Lane with a notepad. At times, I’m trying to get photographed. I’m trying to claw my way to the stage. All of which is ethically very wrong. But that’s who I am. [Laughs] And that is how people have treated my work. It redefines gossip. I will even make myself the story, which actually makes for good copy.
Your writing has always had humor and bite. Do you ever hold back now? Or is Musto still fully uncensored?
I have to admit I have mellowed a little bit. It is hard to keep up that level of anger. When my column started, it was a little too biting. It took a while for me to balance that by showing who I admire and why I admire them. And now, it takes a lot for me to really go after someone. On Facebook, I just posted something pretty nasty about Melania Trump. Because I really can’t stand the way they’re suddenly trying to portray her as an important person or as somebody who represents anything other than pure vapidness. So I got a lot of responses. Thousands and thousands. I think it’s more effective if you hold back sometimes and wait for the right target–and in this case, the target was deserving.
If you had to curate the ultimate New York night in 2026, where are we going, who’s performing and who’s on the guest list?
I would have Amanda Lepore there. But she would have to get there before 2:00 AM. Of course, Susanne Bartsch should be involved. And it wouldn’t be a party without Andy Warhol. He defined an event. If he was there, you knew you were in the right place. That’s all you need. And of course a DJ. You need a DJ. I would get like three columns out of it.
What’s the wildest night you can actually print–and what’s the one store you’ll take to the grave?
I’m not really made for wild behavior. I may seem crazy and wild, but have you ever seen me doing anything that embarrassing? Don’t answer that, LOL. I did once have sex on the stairwell in the Limelight. And I’m not denying it anymore. I am like Madonna. I don’t regret anything.
So is that the one story that you’ll take to your grave?
How can I take it to my grave when I just told you? [laughs] You don’t see me passing out from doing drugs. I don’t do them. And I literally haven’t had a drink in 30 years. And I never drank that much anyway. I was never wasted or partying all night. Even back in college, when everyone else was, I was getting eight hours of sleep.
You’ve always had a pulse on fame. In today’s influencer driven world, what does “celebrity” even mean anymore?
Influencers don’t bother me at all. Celebrities will still get noticed if they are good. Influencers are simply using a new venue to get noticed. You used to have to go on auditions or appear in a play or movie. And now they can simply do a video on tiktok. That’s fine. It’s just another way for them to get hired. I’m always amazed at how many gorgeous people are out there.
What’s next for Michael Musto? Reinvention, reflection…or more fabulous chaos?
Remember when we were in lockdown and couldn’t leave the house? I became very reflective. I had to face my worst fear, which was alone time with no place to go. And I realized it wasn’t all that bad. Now I’m back on the scene again with my new perspective and I just landed two new columns. One of them is for W42ST. My monthly column there is called “I’ll Take Manhattan”. I also do a monthly column fpr LGBTQCommunityNews.com I write a different article every month for that site. I am picking topics of my own choice, which is the same thing I always did. I am one of the most reliable people!
You are probably the most reliable journalist on the planet. Besides that, is there anything else? Any parties? Entertainment?
The Broadway season is starting to wind up. It ends at the end of April. There is a lot of campy, gay positive stuff coming. Like The Rocky Horror Show revival. Titanique. Cats: The Jellicle Ball, which is basically Cats, but set in a voguing milieu. The one thing I don’t do is binge watch streaming or TV shows. In fact, I’ve never even seen Sex and the City or the sequel. People ask, “How can you live without it?” But I just say, “Hey, I’m alive. So it is possible!”
What are you most looking forward to this year?
The midterm elections. Trump is going to try to sway it, but I think it’s going to be a clean sweep for Dems. We need a strong majority in Congress, so we can eject him from power once again. Until then, I do think the system does work on some level. He is getting checked and balanced everywhere he turns!
