Sometimes you just gotta dance. No one gets this quite like you, college student. Many more seasoned adults are too tired or they just downright don’t want to be around a bunch of sweaty people anymore.
I don’t ever want to grow up and out of my desire to flail in embarrassing ways with a bunch of other dewy folk, and I’ve been scoping out Valley dance spots for a handful of years, now. So I got your back. I see your hip swivel and I raise you a shimmie.
Here’s where you can shake it seven nights a week:
Sunday, Monday: It’s a given that Sundays and Mondays are the trickiest to find places to go dancing. You’ll probably have to head to Northampton. On occasional Sundays you can catch something cool at Hinge. And sometimes on Mondays Bishop’s Lounge will have dancing. Divas recently started doing a Sunday night Latin Night in August, but I haven’t yet had the pleasure. Outside of Hamp, The Platinum Pony in Easthampton and the Waterfront Tavern in Holyoke also host events every now and again on these days with dance-lovers in mind.
Tuesday: Club goin’ up and we’re not talking about Drake. Tuesdays in Northampton are two-stop shopping. The Iron Horse features Latin Night on Tuesdays, with dancing starting at 10 p.m. There’s also great hip-hop around the corner at The Basement, which starts at the same time. I recommend hitting them both. Amateurs beware: Latin Night is about serious dancing. If you don’t know your steps, you can often find a willing expert who’ll twirl you around for a bit, and if not, you can always just watch the dizzying circles as you prime to bust a move in the corner. Once you’ve finished taking in the sights and/or showing off everything you learned in those dancing classes you took in high school — thanks, mom and dad — head across the street to The Basement. At this bar the lights are dim, the dance floor is small, the ceilings are low, and drinks are served in plastic cups. It’s not fancy, but on Tuesdays the DJs put on a hell of a show.
Wednesday: Hump day is funk day in Northampton. Alternating live bands get funky with it at Bishop’s Lounge, a small, intimate venue in downtown Northampton. The music normally starts around 10:30. Also, Lit in Amherst will soon extend their DJ nights into Wednesday.
Thursday: Leave it to Amherst to hold down the fort on thirsty Thursdays. Monkey Bar and Lit both feature DJs and dancing for pre-weekend celebrations. Or maybe you’re among the lucky who don’t have Friday classes and this constitutes the start of your weekend. If so, congrats on the dream schedule. Freshmen, take note for next semester.
Friday, Saturday: Again, Monkey Bar and Lit both have DJs on Fridays and Saturdays. Prepare for lines out the door and dress to impress as Lit is known to fill the small space with the most on-point in the crowd. Divas, on the other hand, is a large venue and can easily accommodate big crowds. Structurally speaking, Divas is the best spot I know of for dancing in the Valley. It has multiple bars so you don’t have to wait long for drinks, the dance floor is spacious, and the disco lighting sets a fun tone. For those wanting to put on their salsa shoes, there’s also more Latin dancing at the American Legion in Hadley on Friday nights. And there’s a newer spot on Worthington Street in Springfield called Club Zone. It has multiple dance floors with different music playing on each one. Fridays and Saturdays are dedicated to hip-hop and raggaeton.•
Tell Amanda where to get her groove on at adrane@valleyadvocate.com.
