Washington Athletic Club
9/3/05
Still, having us play a wedding is an interesting choice. How would we go over in a situation where people (including parents of the couple, children, etc) were probably expecting the Chicken Dance?
Even more interesting was the venue. The Washington Athletic Club is a pretty ritzy joint, or so I�ve heard. It�s one of those places that�s been around for 75 years, and apparently caters to a very private and upscale clientele. It also used to be a �Gentlemen�s Club�, meaning they didn�t even admit women until about 1972.
So what the hell were we doing there?
Our questions were answered at the beginning of our set. The scene immediately shifted from the traditional dance of the drunken Caucasian to an overdressed mosh pit. It was so surreal that I flubbed the first verse of �Psychotherapy.� Who wouldn�t? Have you ever seen slam dancing at a wedding reception before? I didn�t think so.
Some of the guests, knowing what was in store, had the forethought to wear their Converse with their suits. The added traction came in handy, as drinks began to spill at an alarming pace. Others, including the parents of the happy couple, bobbed their heads from a safe distance.
We brought up the well-oiled groom (who we know as �Stevie Ramone�) to sing �Sedated� with us, while the bridesmaids jumped around and struggled valiantly to keep their breasts from bouncing out of their low cut dresses. Unfortunately, they succeeded.
Another interesting moment was bride and groom standing in front of me, singing along to �The KKK Took My Baby Away� into each other�s faces. It was kind of like that scene at the end of �Grease�, with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John on the Shake Shack, except way drunker.
Aside from my mic crapping out for a while mid set, and a few musical rough spots, it all went swimmingly. Everyone was really nice, and nobody asked us to turn it down. Best of all, we didn�t have to play �Daddy�s Little Girl� or any of that lame shit.
It was refreshing to see someone having their wedding the way they really wanted, with no pressure to conform to tradition or other�s wishes. Best of luck, you two!