Last night we partied like it was 1986 and what a night it was. We could have been in Area, the Tunnel or the Palladium, but it was the Brooklyn Lyceum, the classical style public bath that’s been transformed into a theater and performance space on Fourth Avenue.

But really, we were years away from those hip night spots of the mid to late 1980’s, and our younger selves.  In the here and now, the room was filled with middle-aged Park Slopers who looked pretty darn good in their Saturday night best dancing to an incredible mix of funk, rap, hip hop, and soul. Tom Tom Club really got the room moving as did Madonna and other old favorites. But there were newer sounds by artists we’d never heard of too.

Yet, it wasn’t a nostalgic night for pretending to be young or revisiting the past. No, it was a bunch of people acting their age — boldly and happily expressing themselves in free form dance; shaking their hips to the rhythms of the night. There were couples, singles, friends, and strangers joyfully dancing together. People were sweating, stripping off layers of clothing; just content to be out on a cold February night away from children and the daily details. 

When the clock struck midnight, there was a Cinderella moment in the room. Many had to get home to babysitters and sleeping children. We said our good byes and got our coats from the coat check. Walking up President Street toward Fifth Avenue and home, we could still hear the funky sounds leaking out of the Lyceum’s windows. The music was beckoning us to the dance floor for one more dance before we turned into pumpkins again.

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB