Waiting for Danny's

A few weeks back, during darts and Shuffle the iPod, “Real Life” by Tanlines played and Josh asked why bars didn’t play this kind of music.

His comment reminded me of a favorite Chicago bar, Danny’s, which did play music like Tanlines and Rye Rye and Delorean and Diplo Rhythm. There, music was not ambiance; it was the reason for being. There, I discovered new songs or old songs with a fresh twist, a mix of dance floor and house party and hip Wicker Park DJs.

Danny’s encouraged collective music discovery, rather than solitary online discovery. At Danny’s, I tested a song’s energy in real time as I bounced, swayed and head-banged.

We can do this at concerts – it’s better, really – but it is transient. Memorable concerts pass through cities once every few months; fantastic bars with fabulous DJs are forever.

I wish Denver had a Danny’s. Similar to Austin, Denver could be a music city, but has yet to establish a mainstay music/dance venue. DJ Rockstar Aaron tries, but the only song I discovered at Rock Bar was “Party in the USA.” Rock Bar trumps LoDo’s tired club tracks, but playlists vary little from Friday to Saturday, December to June.

Music is a deeply personal experience, even more powerful when shared with friend and a moving crowd. For now, my friends and I must settle for Rock Bar and Shuffle the iPod as we wait for Danny’s to show up.