Monday, October 11, 2010

Fancy Footwork...

Last week we went to check out Stompy Jones at the Top of the Mark lounge at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. Apart from being swanky and having a nice little dance floor, it also has a great 360 degree view of the city. As if this wasn't enough, they also serve you Japanese rice cracker snack thingies in big silver martini glasses.






So decked out in our best gear, we climbed up the hill (and then up the elevator) to the top floor and enjoyed an evening of fancy. Fancy bar, fancy outfits, fancy cocktails, fancy dancing.






I really enjoyed the evening! Stompy Jones were on top form as usual, and it was fun dressing up and being able to dance with only one or two other couples on the floor. I also really enjoyed the opportunity to dress up smart and try somewhere new. The cocktails are overpriced ($13 a pop) but they are good, and you get to enjoy them in a nice environment. Plus the dance floor is great.




Our fancy outfits did not feel so fancy, however, when we ran out of petrol on the way home and had to pull up on the side of the freeway....

So onwards and upwards, it was time to get fancy schmancy pants again last Saturday for the Black Couture Ball.


The Ball was held across seven venues on Fillmore - some you had to pay to get in to, and other were free - and the dress code was vintage (1900-1960s) black tie.


Our friends Slim Jenkins, an up-and-coming, swingin' bluesy seven piece band were playing at Bruno's Pizzeria Cucina so we went along to support them and have a dance.





Whilst Slim Jenkins rocked the joint, I'm going to have to say, the venue itself was a real disappointment to me. It was small and cramped and didn't allow much space for dancing. But what was worse, was that more than half the customers, who were just out for dinner (rather than knowing about the event) were dressed in jeans and t-shirts. Now, this is not their fault, of course, but given that it was only the minority who were dressed to the nines, I felt like my outfit was wasted on this pizza joint.




Then to make matters worse, my boyfriend and a friend of mine were handed invitations to strut their stuff in the fashion show being held that evening at Yoshi's, but when we tried to go in, the lady at the door pulled me back by my arm and told us we needed to purchase ($30) wristbands to gain entry. This is where I got annoyed. LADY, do not pull my arm, and do not have your people handing out these invites in the street if you only want people who have paid for tickets to enter. Hand them out to people inside the venue (who have your poxy wristbands) or make sure you are organised enough not to cause this type of embarrassing situation. It's not our fault if you went to hunt for talent on the streets because there weren't enough fashionable people in Yoshi's.


She then changed her mind and decided to let us in, but by that point I no longer wanted to be a part of their event. I think the idea of the Black Couture Ball was great, but I would have liked to have seen it on perhaps a smaller but more cohesive scale. I think the tickets to get into Yoshi's should have been cheaper and there should have been a dress code to get in to all the venues involved.

So anyway, after the brief Yoshi lady encounter, we promptly went back to the pizza joint and listened to the rest of Slim Jenkins' set. They are a really fun band, and play a great selection of danceable music - with style and personality. They all look like they are really enjoying themselves when they perform, and similarly the crowd all love being entertained by them. I am looking forward to seeing them play at Amnesia later this month.

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