in review / By Emily Hobelmann

ELFS Family Night at The Alibi

(Sept. 20, 2007)  For me, getting ready for a queer dance party usually means donning a sleek black outfit and pounding a few beers to get in the zone. This past Sunday started a little differently, however, since I had to skip the pre-drink. (I had ‘partied-a-bit-too-hardily’ the night before. Walking, drunk, down Fickle Hill in the middle of the night can leave one quite battered. Curse that Jack Daniels!) So I got ready sans booze and headed over to that magical bar on the Arcata Plaza called The Alibi.

Ah, The Alibi. That padded bar holds me up just right. Gotta love it on a Sunday night, too. I’m talkin’ old friends, great bartenders and a plethora of hot peeps.

ELFS Family Night at The Alibi

GALLERY >

Anya the Bunny Slayer was on the decks when I arrived, hitting hard with some funky ‘80s classics with some hip hop booty shakin’-type numbers thrown up in the mix as well. You know the kind I’m talking about. Culo!

And hey, I’ll say the hip hop and ‘80s dance music sounded much better in that bar than the live rock I’ve managed to catch there.

Blancatron, the resident Family Night DJ, followed Anya’s set with a ton of reggaeton and freak-inducing hits, like Ciara’s classic “Goodies.” Both DJs are from a local conglomerate called the Electronic Legion of Feminist Sounds, or the ELFS. The ELFS come to the Alibi courtesy of Feminasti Productions, which puts on the county’s only weekly queer dance night.

You know I’ve got mad love and respect for the lady DJs. As a woman who studied mathematics, I can understand the need for more gender balance in certain fields. It’s good to see the women out representing. But, honestly, my music taste buds would have been more pleased by some beat matching. Most of the transitions I heard were just plain abrupt. Some were right on, though. The Madonna to Michael Jackson transition, for example, was flawless.

Despite all the culo-shakin’ numbers, my dance well just could not be tapped. My groove just wasn’t turned on. I be-bopped by speakers intermittently, quasi-dance style, but I mostly found myself drawn to the barstool. Fortunately the other family members weren’t plagued with inhibitions, so the dance floor was a sight to behold. At one time I couldn’t distinguish one person from another amongst the mass of sweaty, grooving bodies. It was pretty hot. The small space designated as dance floor was utilized well, no thanks to me. Maybe next time some more ladies will come ask me to dance, wink-wink.

Family Night at The Alibi: Epic? Sure. Body-movin’? For some. Worth the two bucks to get in? Absolutely. Additional info: Family Night happens every Sunday at The Alibi in Arcata. Music starts at 10:30 p.m.

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