Today is all about the old school. It would have been the 64th birthday of club legend and dear friend Arthur Weinstein, and tonight a ton of people who are grayer than they ever thought possible will gather for a tribute for the dearly departed Don Hill. This benefit at Irving Plaza will start at 6:30, not only because these days many of us roll that way but also because of the amount of talent that will be hitting the stage to show love. Although this list is likely to be incomplete, the following artists are slated to perform: David Johansen, Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs), Jesse Malin & the St. Marks Social, Manitoba, Royston Langdon (Spacehog), Lenny Kaye, The Toilet Boys, Daniel Rey, Triggers All-Star Band, Theo, Hired Killers INC., Bebe Buell Band, Adam Bomb, La Dolce Vita (Michael Imperioli), Brucifer & Bitch Band, At War With the 60's, and Girl to Gorilla.

The late great Arthur Weinstein would have celebrated his birthday today. He passed a little over a year ago. Those who were there can say that although the cancer took his life it never touched his dignity. It failed to dampen his courage or his spirit and it left so many of us appreciating our time and place on this merry-go-round. Greg Brier and I became fast friends as Arthur faded and remain so to this day. His life continues to inspire me and so many others. A wikipedia page about Art might tell you that he owned some of the best joints ever, Hurrah, The World, the Jefferson, The Continental. Hurrah was so formidable that Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager offered Art a partnership in Studio 54 so they wouldn’t have to compete.

My dear friend Arthur Weinstein died about a year ago, and the sense of loss that haunted me for so many months has morphed into gratitude that I was able to call him friend. A random comment left on his still-maintained Facebook page was accompanied by my pal's grinning puss. It read, "Guess who I just ran into? Robert Isabell!" The greatest events planner since the Louvre epoch, Robert died last week; the generation of club types that pre-dated me is getting thin. For me, Arthur was the voice of reality as he rarely sugar-coated anything and often saw the truth hidden behind layers of fatty lies and misrepresentations. The clubs that the New York Times was talking about the other day -- the specialty joints catering to the needs of a special few -- were his forte. Hurrah's, the Continental, and the Jefferson were the exact mix of exclusive, celebrity and real beautiful cool with downtown art, fashion, and music types. It was the Bea before Paul learned how to pee by himself. It's a forgotten era between Studio 54 and the modern clubs.

One of the largest gatherings of Clubdom Royalty and Dinosaurs paid their respects to the memory of Arthur Weinstein in a tribute on Greg Brier’s fabulous Highbar roof. It rained all day, but Greg, citing all sorts of meteorological sources (like the Farmer’s Almanac and NY1) guaranteed sunshine for the 5PM ceremony. I had the honor of MCing the event, which meant keeping the speakers from getting too teary-eyed or longwinded. Jen Gatien spoke of respect and sound advice. Peter Frank remembered buying two nightclubs from Arthur and finding out Art actually owned only one of them. Stanley Bard spoke of Art’s photos and artwork, which to this day cover some of the storied walls of the Chelsea Hotel where Arthur lived for many years. I spoke to Stanley, and we agreed we had almost the same job back when I ran clubs.

This Sunday at Highbar, beginning at 5 p.m., the club community will roast and toast our good friend Arthur Weinstein. One of the most influential figures in nightlife’s history, Arthur died a few months back from the complications that defined his life. Highbar will be packed with club owners and operators, celebrities, and his friends from the street who have made the necessary RSVPs and such. If you're a friend of Art’s and haven’t RSVP'd, someone you know will be at the door. I'll be MCing the event, showing photos and video of this incredible persona. Arthur owned many clubs -- including some of best ever -- such as The World, The Jefferson, The Continental and Hurrah! The latter was such a dominant club that when Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were about to open Studio 54, they offered him a partnership just to ensure its success.

Spencer Sweeney, artist and one of the forces behind Santos' Party House, talks community boards, sketchy after-hour clubs, and why he's changing his name to Santa.