So I went to see how the Verdi Club dance was last night, as it has been a while since I checked it out. It was a pleasure to see Stompy Jones playing as I know they play each week nowadays. I got there at 9:45 PM, and the dance had started at 9:30 PM. My first impression was that it was not very crowded. Within the next 30 minutes, more people arrived. The dance was quite lead heavy in my opinion, meaning when the dance floor had most follows dancing, there were 5-10 follows sitting on the sidelines with 15-20 leads sitting on the sidelines. I believe the intense heat from earlier in the day, which made the venue quite warm, was probably a large factor.
The crowd dresses up for this venue a bit more than some other venues such as the 9:20 Special. The music is generally faster at this event than the 9:20 so more instances of east coast swing, city swing, shag, and balboa happen overall. This leads to a great workout for a dancer, but for those dancers who like to converse at times when they dance it is not to be as easy.
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Tags : san francisco dance venues, verdi club sf
Don’t miss the Art Deco Preservation Ball at Oakland Paramount Theatre Saturday May 16, 2009. This is the 25th annual event in Oakland CA. On are Don Neely’s Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, The Art Deco Preservation Awards, The Decobelles, and special entertainment. To sign up, call 415-982-deco, or go to artdecosociety.org.
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Tags : Swing Events May 2009
Coming in May is the Sacramento Swing Time Event, Sunday May 24, 2009. This Memorial day weekend event is for all ages, and features Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics, Stompy Jones, Big B and The Snake Oil Saviors, The Tip Top Trio, and DJ Tanoa. This event will take place at the California Auto Museum, 2200 Front Street, Sacramento, CA. There will be a beer garden, picnic area, museum entry, music, dancing, vendors, and more. For more info visit myspace.com/sacramentoswingtime.
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Tags : Swing Events May 2009
The Mobsters Ball Part 2 will take place in San Francisco Saturday October 18, 2009. The band playing will be the terrific Mora’s Modern Swingtet, and there will be skits, floor shows, dining, and dancing. This event will be at the Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street. For the event with dinner, the cost is $80. For no dinner but shows and dancing, the price is $35. Part of the proceeds from this event will benefit the Art Deco Society. For more info, visit mobstersball.com.
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Tags : Swing Events October 2009
The Catalina Jazz Dance Festival will take place June 4 – 7, 2009 at the Casino Ballroom in Avalon, CA. For more details, visit 2plyswing.com.
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Tags : Swing Events June 2009
The 2nd Annual San Francisco Shag Jam will take place October 17 and 18, 2009. This event features collegiate shag dance workshops with various well known California instructors. There will be 1930’s and 1940’s music, dancing, instruction, and culture. Bands playing will be Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, Dean Mora’s Modern Swingtet, and JP and the Rhythm Chasers. The event will take place at 2424 Mariposa Street at the Verdi Club in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit shagjam.com.
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Tags : Swing Events October 2009
This fun event with JP and The Rhythm Chasers featuring Cari Lee will happen Friday May 8, 2009. Also playing will be Big B and His Snake Oil Saviors. This event takes place at the Verdi Club at 2424 Mariposa Street in SF, CA. To register, go to tuesdaynightjump.com or call 415-505-8530.
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Tags : Swing Events May 2009