We may be deep into our (not so very) cold Texas winter, but we’re hot, Hot, HOT on the dance floor. Why not start your weekend off right this Thursday by dancing for a few hours with as eclectic a bunch of dancers as ever stepped unto Noah’s Ark? This Thursday (that’s in 2 days!), February 2nd. Location: Rusty’s, 405 E 7th Street (@ Trinity), downtown Austin.
In memorial to Miss Jamesetta Hawkins, better known as Etta James, and ranked by Rolling Stone as #22 of the “Greatest Singers of All Time”, we’ll enjoy a few more of her songs this week. Etta died Friday before last, aged 73, and was one of very few singers to successfully bridge both classic rhythm ‘n blues and rock ‘n roll. And surely only Etta James could have made a B-side single into a hit with I’d Rather Go Blind (trivia: the A-side was Tell Mama).
I and a certain famous WCS dancer I call Mr Spinach had the great pleasure to hear Etta James in concert in ’07 or ’08, and let me tell you: despite the fact that she was frail enough to need to sit on a stool through the entire 2.5 hours, she belted out song after song with the vigor and cuss-word vocabulary of a 20 year old. Wow.
Pro teacher this month is Taletha Jouzdani. Dance starts at 7.30 for casual warm-up, with a beginner lesson at 8.00 and then open dancing the rest of the evening.