On Tuesday I finally got to check out The California Honeydrops at Yoshi's. This was definitely a case of do believe the hype - they are fantastic! They are super fun, and really play for the crowd, with many of their songs taking on a real bluesy feel. This makes for some great down and dirty dancing...
I had never been to Yoshi's before, and had no idea what to expect. The band played in the restaurant/bar section, so I didn't get to see jazz club's concert hall, but the area that the band and dancers occupied was huge - although, given the amount of people that turned up for the event, the floor space still ended up being pretty tight. Obviously, as this was not designed with dancers in mind, the floor is not great to spin on, but this is easy to overlook, as the venue itself is pretty cool.
The decor is modern, and the room is sort of split into two, with a diving wall between the restaurant and dining tables, and the lower coffee tables and lounge seating. The stage is in the window, which is quite nice, as you can see the world go by outside, as you watch (you can also see people smooshing their nosey faces up to the window to check out what's happening inside).
The ultra high ceilings also ensure that you don't get tooooo hot and bothered when cutting some rug. Although, saying that, shiny-faced photos of me from this evening that have since surfaced on facebook suggest otherwise...
The night was super fun, and I would definitely return for more awesome nights out dancing here, likewise I would not hesitate to go along to future California Honeydrops shows.
And so, onwards and upwards, Wednesday evening was the opportune occasion to don the glad rags and hit up the Verdi Club for some non-Stompy Jones related dancing. German band, Ray Collins' Hot Club took to the stage before Swedish three-piece, The Go-Getters took over.
WOW!
Ray Collins' Hot Club were frikkin' awesome! Holy moses, they know how to rock a crowd. They are sort of a crowd themselves, taking up the whole stage, as there are around 50 billiion of them....ok, perhaps a slight exaggeration. But anyway, they were swingtastic and fun and some of the musicians even ventured off the stage with their instruments, to continue playing to the crowd as they weaved their way between all the dancers.
The Go-Getters were very energetic and played rockabilly, with a few classic punk songs by The Clash and The Undertones thrown in. I enjoyed their set, although I felt less inclined to dance to their music, and instead, felt more inclined to sip on a cosmopolitan.
I hear that Ray Collins' Hot Club will be playing in London next month, so I will be sure to check them out and spread the word to my fellow London dancers!
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