Although my arrival was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, my fellow crew mates were happy to fill in all the details I missed during the first two hours of Dance Night ’95 while DJ Shok was on the decks.
Opening this final Dance Night ’95 event, on September 22, Electric Star Productions’ own DJ Shok kicked off the night with dance beats like Superstar by Love Inc and How Much is the Fish from Scooter. More favourites soon followed as Shok showed off his impressive Eurodance collection. Aqua’s Candyman amped up the energy, and everyone was losing it to I’ll Fly with you (L’Amour Toujours) by Gigi D’Agostino and Total Eclipse of the Heart, when I arrived around midnight. Round Venue was packed, and people were still arriving as the music spilled out into the street and I headed inside. The costume contest had already concluded but it was clear there were many participants. It looked like almost everyone had made an effort to look at least a little retro for the evening’s theme.
I was just in time to catch Paul Savage taking over from Shok. As he dropped Everybody Dance Now by C+C Music Factory, which shifted smoothly into Haddaway‘s What is Love, the dance floor swelled from full to packed! Chemical Brothers‘ Block Rockin’ Beats and Technotronic‘s Pump up the Jam were also in the mix which kept the dancefloor moving with glow sticks illuminating dancers as the place rocked from corner to corner.
I found my crew and ordered one of the night’s signature shots: A Fresh Prince. Little extras like themed drink specials are one of the reasons I have always enjoyed Electric Star Production events so much! Then Aqua’s Barbie Girl practically dragged me from the bar to the dance floor, and I grooved for the duration of the hour to classics like Rhythm of the Night and one of the Backstreet Boys‘ number chart topper’s – Backstreet’s Back.
Paul Savage passed control of the decks to DJ Tranzit around 1am, and he promptly dropped Darude’s popular and lasting classic: Sandstorm, which kept the dance floor hopping. Tranzit went on to transition through several nostalgic hits, including Jellyhead from Crush, Mr. Vain by Culture Beat, and Superhero by Daze. Looking to relive a little Dance Night ’95 magic, or wanna show your friends the awesomeness they missed? DJ Tranzit’s Dance Night ’95 set is available (click play below!) on Mixcloud for fans who want to keep the party going!
Electric Star Productions resident DJ Fraktl’s sets are always a high point for me. His amazing track selection and feel for the night’s flow makes every event one to remember. Saturday was no exception as notable tracks included Armin Van Buuren’s classic Communication and Subspace Interference by Control Freaks, as well as some Offspring and more Aqua. All in all, I danced until my feet began to hurt and sought out a place to sit. I found several spots to rest between Round’s many convenient couches, stools, and chairs until the final transition, and took a few moments to appreciate the dance music videos playing on the screens behind the DJ booth.
2AM brought the usual thinning of the crowd post-last call, but that did not deter DJ DTM as he continued to carry the mood of the night and play on the nostalgic atmosphere. A final burst of energy launched into some energetic tunes early off – like Bob Sinclar‘s Gym Tonic – but began to skillfully taper off the night. Although I did not stay to the very end, the floor still held a fair number of dance warriors when I made my exit.
Another amazingly successful night of great 90’s music, nostalgic connections and unique Toronto atmosphere sounded a high note for Dance Night ’95 to go out on. I bid Electric Star Productions a fond farewell and heartfelt thank you for their enthusiastic contributions to the city’s nightlife with this event series. The continued success of Dance Night ’95, over its multiple iterations, expresses the city’s deep love for events that celebrate the music that recalls some of the most formative years of a generation.
But hey, reunion tours are ‘totally a 90’s thing’ – so maybe someday we’ll see a similar event series! In the meantime, I’m still happily enjoying the afterglow of another rocking 90’s night. However, if you’re starting to feel the void and want to relive the weekend already, check out our friend Tim’s excellent video of this fantastic night!
LINKS:
Event Page
Electric Star Productions (ESP)
Round
Paul Savage
Facebook
Soundcloud
Tranzit
Facebook
DJ DTM
Facebook
