The Dance Party

Jammin Java - Vienna, VA - Feb. 13, 2009

Live Review by Thomas Hillard

Vienna, VA. It’s an unusually warm winter night at the all ages venue Jammin Java, home to the rock and roll loving youth of the otherwise quiet Virginia suburbs. The half-restaurant, half-rock club is mostly full of fifteen and sixteen year olds donning the outfits of soul searching high schoolers. It’s Friday night, and they’ve come to splurge their allowances to hear six bands each alotted six to seven songs. Tonight the band du jour is Washington D.C.’s The Dance Party.

We originally discovered The Dance Party during their month long stint in Los Angeles when they performed with LA’s Casxio at Cinespace. The trip is documented in true rock star stlye in the band’s MySpace blog, entitled “LA Happened.” In it you’ll find mentions of their good times in the Land of Slashies,  like “THE DANCE PARTY ROCKED THE FUCK OUT OF LOS ANGELES”, and “we ROCKED it. Partied with party people, took shots with hot babes, bro'd it with band bros. Whatever”. If you’re starting to get a feel for this Bill and Ted meets Wayne's World vibe - you’re on the right track.

The Dance Party came on and within a couple songs the crowd flooded around the stage. As guitarist Kevin Bayly put it after the show “they were eating that shit up!” Surely it’s no mistake they’re playing an all ages club. The kids clearly love the attitude and and can get into it. It’s a performance filled with intensity but also strewn with total carelessness. The Dance Party clearly couldn’t give a crap about what half the people in the room are thinking, their show is all about being the party and knowing this alone will step it up for everyone in the room, and maybe spawn a dance party right there.

In their show at Cinespace in Hollywood, front man singer/guitarist Mick ripped off his shirt in the middle of the second song - a risky move that definitely caught a judgement or two; even I raised a brow. But upon further investigation, it’s really perfect for their whole schtick. Back in Virginia, Mick wore a flannel button up and while it was loosely staying on, he never removed it. I have to wonder if I didn’t miss out this time around. I mean, if he normally tears off his shirt mid-show, probably because the band is rocking so hard he has no choice but to remove it, then why not at this show? I can only guess that it never came off because they didn’t completely push it to their full potential. Or maybe it’s just cause it’s winter in Virginia.

The all ages vibe was a little weird, I kind of felt bad for drinking beers in front of these kids, and then ironically wondered how some of them were drinking. Jammin Java + The Dance Party was totally a change from the Silverlake/Hollywood scene albeit a strangely refreshing one. It was rad to catch The Dance Party in their natural habitat. And I surely hope to see them again; maybe if I’m lucky, Mick will remove his shirt.