beards, b.o. and beats

On Saturday, I headed into Williamsburg with a few friends, and checked out two new spots. The first stop was a soul and funk dance party at the Glasslands Gallery. This was a prototypical Williamsburg joint-- the exterior was a run down, grimy building with no sign but the street number scrawled in white paint. When we got there, around eleven, the place was mostly empty. The aesthetic inside was unkempt, and the self-aware hipsters with tight pants, beards and occasionally body odour were in full effect. We got there early because after a $3 cover, there was supposed to be free beer from 11 until 12. I knew it was going to be a good night when they handed us Colt 45. To be fair, the music was great, and I gave serious consideration to hanging around until 1 to compete in the funk dance competition.

Instead, a group of us left sometime around 1230 to fulfill Shival's longstanding dream (of at least four weeks) to party at another Williamsburg dance spot: Bembe. Despite having no coat check, and a painfully inadequate bathroom situation, Bembe was awesome. The music was a blend of South and Central American influences, and although I normally find it difficult to dance to these rhythms, I was really feeling the dancing choose on Saturday. The crowd was very chill, everybody was having a good time on the floor, and the drinks were cheap. And no cover! Will definitely head back here at some point. Who wants to dance?