Pioneer Press

St. Paul Pioneer Press
July 21, 1997

Where you gonna dance?
From hip musicians to wild-and-crazy mayors, here are picks for best local dance spots

By Jim Walsh
pop music critic

What's your favorite place to dance, and why? That's the question the Dancing Diaries-keeper posed to a variety of dancers, DJ and dilettantes. The answers are:

Joanne Horn, dancer, Jazzdance by Danny Buraczeski and The Flying Foot Forum: "Because I dance for a living, I don't go out dancing that much. But when I do, it's usually with other members of the company. We go to the Lounge (411 Second Avenue N., Mpls.) because they play disco, and familiar stuff like James Brown or "I Will Survive'' -- that kind of groove. And the Gay Nineties (408 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.) is such an unassuming atmosphere. The mix never stops, and because the dance floor is packed, you can just get lost. It's not so much of a meat market, whereas the Lounge on Saturday nights can be too much."
DJ Woody McBride, founder, internationally recognized electronica label Communique Records: "Being a DJ for a living, I don't go out to dance all that much, so when I do, my dancing consists mostly of toe-tapping. Thursdays at the Front (15 N.E. Fourth St., Mpls.) are great, and I'm always up for the Latin Sounds Orchestra, wherever they might be. After I do a show, I usually get my fill at a warehouse somewhere at 5 a.m. with a 10-foot-high sound system. Then there's First Avenue (701 N. First Ave., Mpls.), which always has a great aesthetic, and that's important. And for metal, there's Ryan's (Fourth and Sibley, St. Paul). A lot of people think clubbers are the only ones who dance, but those rockers can get down pretty good, too."

Mindy Ratner, weekday morning host of MPR's classical music station KSJN (99.5 FM): "Most of the dancing I do is at Tapestry Folkdance Center (at Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th St., Mpls.). I met my sweetheart at Tapestry. The thing that's great about New England contra dancing is it's a very sociable activity. There are couples, but there are a lot of new people who come every week, and people who come alone. In my profession, I spend a lot of time in a room talking to people I can't see, and who can't see me, so I love being with people, and that feeling of connectedness."

Sharon Sayles Belton, mayor of Minneapolis: "When I was in college at Macalester, I was in an African dance group called Feast of the Circle Dancers, and we performed on campus and around the cities. But these days, my favorite place to dance is in my living room in front of the fireplace with my husband."

J.G. Everest, singer/guitarist/bassist, the Sensational Joint Chiefs: "I like dancing to live hip-hop, and anywhere Casino Royale is playing is good for that. And the (Gay) Nineties is good for techno."

Norm Coleman, mayor of St. Paul: "The last time my wife Lori, who used to be a ballerina with the Minnesota Dance Theatre, went out dancing was at South Beach (325 N. First Ave., Mpls.) about a year ago. Other than that, my dancing has been relegated strictly to Polish weddings. If you know some hot spots in St. Paul, let me know and we'll check 'em out."

Jennifer Downham, host of "Groove Garden" on KFAI (90.3 FM/106.7 FM) and roving DJ at the Front and Biscuits & Blues (430 N. First Ave., Mpls.): "I don't mean to grandstand, but Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Front are great fun. It's more of a spontaneous thing; it doesn't have that big disco club feel. It's more intimate. It's not a meat market, where people are constantly checking each other out. It's more free, and there are no rules."

Yvonne Viehman, co-host, with her husband Dan, of the cable access TV show "Get Up And Dance!" which starts this fall: "For east and west coast swing dancing, and swing dancing in general, Country Rodeo in Cottage Grove is the place to go on Wednesday and Saturday nights; it's hot, hot, hot. Orrie's Bar and Grill (Bandana Square, St. Paul) is also great for swing dancing, as is Famous Dave's BBQ & Blues (Calhoun Square, Uptown Minneapolis)."

Fancy Ray McCloney, media superstar and host of cable access mainstay "Get Down With It!": "The best dance floor in town is First Avenue, hands down. And the Quest (110 N. Fifth St., Mpls.) has it all: good music, a good vibe and good energy, and a good light show. Last, my favorite place to dance is on stage at the Cabooze with Greazy Meal playing -- while looking in the mirror. A-rooo."

Julius Collins, singer, Greazy Meal: "I don't enjoy dancing, and when I do, it's usually in an altered state. So when I do it, I like someplace where the environment is nutty and free. Which, for me, means the Nineties or the Saloon (830 Hennepin Ave., Mpls)."

Robyne Robinson, anchorwoman and host of "The Buzz!" on KMSP-TV: "I like acid jazz and hard grooves, and the Front on Wednesdays and Thursdays are great for that. Also, the Lounge is good for pure funk.

Leslie Ball, singer/songwriter and founder of the late-night cabaret "Balls": Sunday nights at Lee's Liquor Bar (11th and Glenwood, Mpls.), with the "Cosmic Slop'' guys from Radio K. Because it's completely unpretentious, and I remember all the music."

Chuck Tomlinson, co-host of Radio K's "Cosmic Slop" (770 AM): "I guess I have to plug our Sunday night thing at Lee's, where we basically take the radio show on the road. We play a lot of funk and R&B, and by the end of the night, people are drunk enough so they want to hear disco. I'm also a fan of the Lounge. They've got some sharp DJs, and the music appeals to the record collector-head in me."

Barb Cohen, singer/songwriter, Brother Sun Sister Moon: "The disco room at the Nineties. The music is always really good, and you can get as wild as you want, and nobody looks at you twice. They just go about their business, dancing their tushes off."

Lori Barbero, drummer/singer/songwriter, Babes In Toyland: "The upstairs room behind the disco near the drag bar at the Nineties. There's a DJ up there who looks like a female Howard Stern, and she spins on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights -- great disco stuff, and she shows videos of ABBA and Donna Summer and other cool stuff.

Alan Freed, founder, the (unplugged) pirate radio station Beat Radio: "In my book, we have only five major clubs. And First Avenue is the best. I like Thursdays ("Love Drops'') and Fridays ("Danceteria''), because it sounds very much like what we were doing on the station.

Freddie Bell, operations manager/morning show host, Solid Gold Soul (950 AM KSGS-AM): "These days I don't get much of a chance to dance, but when my bride and I do, it's whenever we meet with First Fridays, the premiere informal networking association for African-American professionals. They meet every first Friday of the month, and I'm their emcee. They have some of the best DJs in the country in Brother Jules, Joe Burell, and Fast Eddie, who play a lot of the music we play on Solid Gold Soul ('60s and '70s soul and funk), as well as some new hip-hop and R&B. But probably my favorite place to really cut loose is at home -- with friends who won't laugh at us too much."