The song is, of course, a tribute to the now-defunct Bethesda club, which featured sweaty dancing to all sorts of roots music - Cajun, blues, zydeco, primordial rock 'n' roll - at the fantastically funky American Legion hall. WHEN HOMETOWN girl Mary-Chapin Carpenter came home last month to film a video for her current single, "Down at the Twist & Shout," she charmed the gracious art deco Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park into getting down and pretending to be the late, great, grungy Twist & Shout Club.
And every Tuesday, the club caters to the gay crowd, changing its name to The Pump Room, directed by promoter Bob McCabe.Ĭhicago is at 1330 19th St. Party promoter Andy Rudnick, who presents Jewish singles nights at clubs across the country, brings the event to Chicago June 29 - Dhatt says Rudnick's previous events have been quite successful, attracting up to 1,500 nice Jewish boys and girls.
"We also do an all-Asian blowout one night a month, mostly for Far Eastern Asians, with a DJ mixing Asian and Euro-house hits," Dhatt says. On July 3, Chicago's "Noches Latinos" presents the salsa band Peligro and the merengue JCJ Band on July 10, the Colombian salsa band Grupo Niche. "We're oriented to cater to all crowds, not just to American suburban or college crowds."Ĭhicago began its successful Wednesday Latin nights a year and a half ago, and this coming Wednesday launches a six-week merengue dance contest. "We'd like to be known as an international club," says Soni Dhatt, director of marketing for Chicago and its sister clubs, Annastasia, the Playpen and Natasha. We're trying to get everyone together under one roof to party together." "Our idea is, it doesn't matter where you're from, what color, what nationality. "I think Dupont Circle can relate to world music - the neighborhood is international, and it's so close to Adams-Morgan," Wossen says. Wossen plans to book live acts into the club, and says he is negotiating with the likes of world-music superstars Fela Kuti and Kassav. This Friday Dakkar inaugurates its happy hour from 5 to 8, with drink specials and hors d'oeuvres, including chicken legs and yassa, a Senegalese dish of rice and fish. It has an island flavor, with its hut-shaped bar, and island music menu of calypso, reggae and African pop videos. Īdjoining the sprawling main room is a smaller, quieter space, called the Bob Marley Room on Dakkar nights. Nelmo, a West African who has been with Kilimanjaro for five years and mixes it up with a world music cocktail of calypso, zouk, soul, reggae, soukous, salsa. Spinning in the main room at Dakkar is multi-culti D. But by midnight, the place was filling up with the well-heeled international embassy and World Bank crowd targeted by Wossen. But Wossen pinned it on the parade that kept some people at home, and the late basketball game that ran till midnight. Third World music is growing daily major labels are signing African artists left and right."Įven with an hour of open bar to entice, Dakkar got off to a strangely slow start Friday night. But I think there's enough for everyone here. "They've done a lot for Third World music. "I'm not competing - I respect Kilimanjaro," Wossen says. "The intention is to try and expand our music and our culture," says Wossen, who began his club career as a bartender at Baobab, D.C.'s first African club, and has been associated with Kilimanjaro for the past three years as a promoter of reggae concerts and house music events at Heritage Hall. Named for the capital city of Senegal in West Africa, Dakkar is the brainchild of East African-born Abraham Wossen, who leases the vast below-street-level club at Dupont Circle each Friday evening for his club concept.
Last Friday, Chicago changed its name to Club Dakkar for the night, and became an African-oriented dance club. The good thing about having a multiple personality is you stand to offer something for everyone. Or Asian, Jewish or gay partiers on still others. Come back tomorrow, and you'll find a Latin American crowd. Taking a cue from the chameleonic New York club scene, the Dupont Circle dance club Chicago is changing constituencies from night to night: One night it's standard issue high-energy dance music the next it's African/world music.
IF IT'S FRIDAY, this must be West Africa.