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Free Rocket Club Swing Party - New Location

SwingOrama Forum: Events: The Rocket @VASA Hall: Free Rocket Club Swing Party - New Location

By Margaret Adams on Tuesday, May 16, 2000 - 01:05 pm: Edit

Hi everybody,

Word has already been circulating but here are the details on the ROCKET NEW LOCATION PARTY".

Note: This is a "TRY OUT THE NEW LOCATION FOR ONE-NIGHT ONLY." If you all like the new place we will move the Rocket Club there permanently three weeks later on June 20th. In between we will still operate at Vasa Hall. (If you are in our Tuesday night classes this session, all classes will be at Vasa Hall except May 23rd which will be at the Portuguese Hall.)

Many of you know that Jim Cruzen and I have taken over the management of the Rocket though Mickey Raml is still the owner. We're hoping for a great turnout on the 23rd not only to see the new place but also to thank Mickey for his support of our Lindy community. It's his birthday so come on out & have some cake with us. Michelle Cancel will be presenting Mickey with the donations she collected for his stolen sound equipment.(Thank you all for your generosity.)
_______________________________________________
Be our guest!!! FREE DANCE PARTY!!!

Jim & Margaret invite you to come try out the POTENTIAL NEW LOCATION for the ROCKET SWING CLUB.....bring all your friends and help make it a great night.
(If our dance community likes the place, we will move there permanently on June 20th.)

When: TUESDAY, MAY 23rd 9pm-12pm
Where: PORTUGUESE HALL (near Shelter Island in Pt Loma)
2818 Avenida de Portugal
San Diego, CA 92106
Directions- 8 west or 5 south to Rosecrans, pass NTC into Pt Loma, left on Avenida de Portugal, 1 1/2 blocks down on left, park in the parking lot.

Why: BEAUTIFUL,AIR CONDITIONED HALL
NEWLY REFINISHED WOOD FLOOR
IMPROVED ACOUSTICS
DJ MUSIC BY RON BLOOM & JIM CRUZEN
PLENTY OF PARKING
GREAT PLACES TO EAT NEARBY

Any questions...call Jim (619) 291-6354 or Margaret (619) 291-3775 or email us at
2togroove@mindspring.com

SEE YOU THERE!
P.S. We are looking for a few volunteers to help with table set up and decorations and the guest list. If you can spare some time please call Margaret.

P.S.Again! A little side note.....a very special thanks to all of you for the incredible birthday party at the Marriott & the surprise
party at my house the next day. The video is proof positive of how much fun it was. (Ron, wait 'till you see our blues jam dance) (Thank you, Jeff , for the video) It was the best birthday I have ever had. I recieved so many thoughtful gifts and cards(CD's, Gift certificates for dinner,a massage, hair styling; candles, flowers, wine, wine glasses, more flowers, hugs, kisses and smiles)....it was hard to hold back the tears. You all mean so much to me.

Counting the jams at the Firehouse(Thank you, Meeshi!), I ended up with a amazing total of nine birthday jam songs. (2 swing songs, 1 blues song at the Firehouse, 2 swing songs at the Marriott, 1 song with my old dance partner Jon Costa at the Marriott, 1 swing song with the girls at my house, 1 blues song with the boys at my house and a final thank you dance with my partner , Jim for coordinating it all. HOW LUCKY CAN ONE GIRL BE.....THANK YOU AGAIN... I LOVE YOU ALL

By Ron on Friday, May 19, 2000 - 04:01 pm: Edit

This will be fun. Special events usually attract a crowd, and the opening of a new venue is certainly special. I hope to see everyone there on Tuesday!

By Jeff Eldridge on Monday, May 22, 2000 - 10:45 am: Edit

I've got 20 avocados that are just right for quacamole. I'll make it fresh just before
dancetime. I'm bringing shrimp cocktail,too. They'll be a ton of food. Lots of
people are providing goodies. Can't wait!!! See ya there.

By Jeff Eldridge on Tuesday, May 23, 2000 - 10:23 am: Edit

Don't forget! TONIGHT is the debut of the new location of THE ROCET CLUB!
It's FREE!!! It's from 9-12. The address is:

PORTUGUESE HALL
2818 Avenida de Portugal (Point Loma)

Directions: Take Rosecrans into Point Loma, turn left on Avenida de Portugal
(which is the next street after Shelter Island Drive). The hall is
1.5 blocks down on your left.

There will be free munchies too! See ya there.

By Ron on Tuesday, May 23, 2000 - 10:43 am: Edit

FREE is certainly a big draw! There could be a big crowd. Besides the free munchies Jeff mentioned, another highlight will be a birthday dance for Laura Dobby! She will now be legal to blues dance with. And there should probably be a birthday dance for Mickey, too, but don't let that scare you away!

By Shawn Hanna on Tuesday, May 23, 2000 - 10:55 am: Edit

How big is the dance floor?

By Joe M on Tuesday, May 23, 2000 - 12:46 pm: Edit

Glad there is a lot of available parking.

By HopMichael on Tuesday, May 23, 2000 - 07:56 pm: Edit

See everyone at the new and improved Rocket tonight!

By Shawn Hanna on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 08:58 am: Edit

I could not attend, alas, but would anybody like to offer a review?

By Anonymous on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 11:37 am: Edit

did it suck?

By Jeff Eldridge on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 11:38 am: Edit

Portuguese Hall, where the Rocket Club met last night, exceeded all my
expectations. The dance floor feels like it's twice the size of Vasa Hall.
The floor was just completely refinished. When I got there I thought it
would be sticky but a couple hundred dancers can break a new floor in
pretty quickly it appears. It's an old facility that has been wonderfully
maintained. Lots of wood and ambiance. The lighting fixtures are beautiful.
Lots of different lighting options available, too. Plenty of on site parking.
We're lucky to have such a place to dance. It's easy the nicest place in
San Diego to dance and my favorite floor.

We had so much fun last night. We celebrated Mickey's birthday and thanked
him for keeping the Rocket Club going when Alan left town. There was tons
of great food. I didn't want to leave and stayed 'til the last song was played and
the clean up was done. I can't wait to go back.

By Natalie Roy on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 11:53 am: Edit

I had a wonderful time last night, despite being tired out of my tiny little head. I agree that the venue is gorgeous. My only negative feedback is that the floor was really hard work without, but powder soon fixed that. My only other point (and another follow mentioned it to me), was that there wsa something weird about the lighting level that made one more easily dizzy when spinning. I know it sounds really bizarre, but there you have it, from a consensus of 2.

By Swingbaby on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 12:06 pm: Edit

Kudos to Margaret for all her hard work in getting us such a gorgeous venue! Yes, the floor was a little sticky for non chromed soles and the lighting thing now has a consensus of three (I talked to another person with the same thought) :-) But otherwise, it couldn't be better!

By Jeff Eldridge on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 12:13 pm: Edit

I couldn't believe how quickly the floor went from that new sticky wood
floor feel to almost too slippery. What a great sprung wood floor, though.
Made it easy to dance every dance all night. In fact, the floor has so much
cushion and response that we probably will have to get the DJ up on stage
rather than on the floor. "Stomp offs" at the break made the CD's skip a few
times.

We can definitely mess around with the lighting. The options are endless.
The wall lights that surround the perimeter could be dimmer and we could
increase the overhead indirect lighting recessed in the ceiling, etc. I don't
know what the solution would be for the dizziness. We did keep it a little
dark in there last night, like the Firehouse. But at the Firehouse all the lighting
is from overhead and not on the walls.

By Andy on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 12:15 pm: Edit

Right on, Jeff. That place was awesome! Great ambiance with the lighting and design of the place. Also, there was a huge turnout with a great energy in the place. Million times more appealing to me than Vasa, which felt like a gym, but this place feels like a classy dance hall.

Ron was spinning some great tunes... hats off! Emmy and I had an awesome time. I'll definitely show regularly to support the new Rocket.

The floor was a bit sticky... but, Emmy and I had to leave early, so I didn't really get to feel it break in. Though, I almost broke thru it! when Meeshi and I were playing the steal game with Laurel...at the end of the song, I moved in to steal the dip with Laurel, but Meeshi stole me instead. Of course, I thought he was gonna dip me (since he did the stealing, right?) aaaannnd he thought I was gonna dip him, sooooo we pretty much body slammed each other into the floor.

By Chris on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 12:19 pm: Edit

WOW!
The new building, in my opinion, was really nice. The ornamentation (architectural finishes)were very clean, and the building was very well kept. The floor looked beautiful, and in some areas, a little sticky (quickly fixed with baby powder). The acoustics were good, and the arrangement of the seating area seemed to work fine. It was almost too nice to hold a weekly dance there, maybe I felt this way b/c Vasa Hall was really broken in. I think that the new place will be a perfect place for The Rocket! I have good feelings about it. It's a good building from an architectural stand point. It has historical significance and the design (exterior and interior plan) are clear and defined.

My only concern is -How much does it cost?!!?!? If they could pull the amount of people they pulled last night - only that those people paid, would that be enough to cover the cost? I guess Margi, Mickey, and Jim have it all worked out with the owners.

About the dance last night:
I've been so busy at work lately that dancing has become 3rd in my life (Shana being #1, #2 being work). To get out last night and dance with great follows was such a relief from work and made me realize how much fun dancing is and its meaning to me. (sorry about the sobbiness) I hope it goes well at the NEW Rocket, and I know that Shana and I will support this venue - just to dance in that space was good enough to go! I hope everyone else tries to support this event!!

By Ian Campbell on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 01:06 pm: Edit

I loved it, and wonder if it is possible to get some of those tables out of the room, if not oh well, love the venue.

By Joe M on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 01:07 pm: Edit

I had a great time. Glad to see so many top notch dancers. Excellent place. Accoustics really enhanced Ron's great choice of music. Especially enjoyed watching the advance class, prior to the party.
One problem, there was so much to eat I did not dance as much as I should have. Loved Jeff's salsa & fruit mix. Because it was so much fun sharing munchies, I bet you will see people bringing snacks to each Tuesday night. Hint!!
I'm sure people will be taking advantage of all the neighborhood resturants before and after Tuesday nights classes & dance.

Thanks Margaret

By HopMichael on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 05:02 pm: Edit

It was great to see such an overwhelming turn-out last night (what was it: 150 at the high point?). That, by itself, says that folks want to dance in this town! (or at least dance for free =)

Very classy place. I'd expect Chris to give us the architectural scoop in next week's installment. I hope that Lennart Westerlund and the rest of the Swedish Rhythm Hot Shots don't mind our forsaking Sweden for Portugal. =)

Sound was surprisingly very good. Jeff, I concur about moving the CD player away from stomping dancers to avoid skips.

Floor was freshly varnished and now freshly scuffed. My leather soles didn't have any trouble, but I heard sneaker-clad dancers complaining of stickiness at the beginning--less, toward the end. Ask Dan Ang about how to home chrome your sneakers for under $15. From our conversation on the way to the Bill Elliott concert, this guy is the shoe maven!

The tables actually are a step up from those sideline seats. They give flexibility in accommodating the number of dancers. But would a row of seats be more appropriate for dancers waiting to dance, and the tables for group hob-nobbing?

[Chris, rumor has it that the Rocket club got a very good deal.]

Andy, I saw that mutual dip and wondered what move you guys were trying...

Swingbaby, do I know you?

See you at the Rocket!

By Laurel Nishida on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 06:27 pm: Edit

Andy, I hope you don't have any lasting injuries (physical or mental) from that intimate moment with the floor and Meeshi last night. I'm sure Emmy made it feel all better. I apologize for saying this but it looked damned funny from my point of view!

I had a great time too last night. Funny, the lighting didn't make me dizzy at all and I'm usually very prone to that. Papa Jack's was the worst for that with those stupid rotating spots of light. I got used to the floor pretty fast - maybe the powder had something to do with that. Everything was perfect after the tables were moved to make more room (less touchy-feely moments with nearby dancers). Definitely a keeper of a place for dancing.

By Jcruzen (Jcruzen) on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 07:24 pm: Edit

To everyone who has posted messages or taken the time to give us written feedback about tuesday -- thank you. You guys simply amaze me!! The selfless help and support of this dance community seems to have no end. It was a blessing and a joy to watch the scene pull together to give back and make a wonderful night of dancing. To those I didn't get a chance to thank personally, Thank You!! Jeff -- for everything! (especially the mango salsa and great guac!!) Mark, Ernie, and Joe a million thanks for helping take down and clean up the place. To all those who brought food: thank you. [I like that idea about a snack table every tuesday. maybe take turns and collect a donation?] To everyone else for coming out to support Mickey, Margaret, and I. A Million thanks!!! The night is a success because and only because of you all! Don't forget that. When San Diego pulls together it's one heck of a party!!! (and this one was even sober)
Tuesday was for me an exceptional time dancing!! Great to see so many new and old faces out dancing again. The room had that high energy feel of a supportive and outgoing community. Everyone seemed to mingle and generally be having a good time. How refreshing is it to have too many great people to dance with them all in one night? I love it.
As concerns the suggestions and complaints: thanks again for your feedback. Margaret and I worked really hard to try and find an environment that we could all enjoy. From the feedback we've received, I'm quite sure we can make this hall work. Ladies, sorry about the lights. We're still working out the best configuration. Everything is fully adjustable so we'll keep tweaking it 'til you stop getting dizzy. Keep us informed. As per the dance floor. Sorry it was a little on the sticky side. The floor hadn't been refinished yet when we checked the site out about a month ago. We were a little bummed that the new finish was a bit sticky for the grand opening. Thanks for working with what we had though. Powder and a little time will do wonders for the floor, I'm sure. We should be sliding around in no time. As regards the finances, its all good. This place is a find!! in all respects. Keep showing up to dance and there will be no issues.
The only other topic of concern has been a few comments about the music. Before going any further: Ron thank you for your exceptional DJ work. You kept everyone on the floor, smiling and having a good time well past the midnight hour. That's quite a feat for a dance scene with such diverse musical tastes. As a co-manager of the Rocket now, I want everyone to know that I support all types of swing music and dance and so does the Rocket Club by extension. Yes, as I'm sure you all know by now, I could dance all night long to slow bluesy jazz music. It is however, not my intention to cater the Rocket Club solely to my own preferences. I appreciated Ron's attempt to mix up the tempos and get everyone out there dancing. I earnestly want to keep everyone out dancing and to make everyone feel like the Rocket is a place at which they are welcome and can have a good time dancing. To those who voiced a concern, you have been heard and I'll be working on it. I'm also excited at the prospect of booking bands in this hall. I miss bands in SD -- and what a great place to have them!! My biggest request is that you all be patient with me as I do my best to cater to everyone. No matter how different our musical tastes, we all love to dance!! Let's never forget that.
Thank you again, it was only possible because of you!! Please, keep letting us know what you think and we�ll do it again on June 20th!! (We�re thinking about bringing in a live band � would you be back for that?)
Don�t forget: The Rocket Club will still be going on at VASA HALL for the next three weeks!! Lots of lindy love to you all!!
jim
ps. sorry its an essay :)

By Ron on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 07:30 pm: Edit

Great fun last night! Margaret told me the floor was newly refinished and probably won't be so sticky once its broken in. I think the CD only skipped once by accident, and then once when I stomped hard on purpose right in front of it. The DJ booth should be OK where it is, I'd rather not DJ from up on the stage. For those that were asking, the song played during Laura/Heather/Maya/Kristin's birthday dance was Joe Salzano's "Phantom Blues" (147 BPM) and at a lengthy 6:20, its good for birthday dances. Joe Salzano was the band at New Year's Eve in Ensenada. Great turnout! I counted 110+ people at one point, and 60+ at midnight! Of course it WAS free. Hopefully it'll do well. I liked the tables! Once the tables were moved back, it seemed good, but that can be played with... What did people think of the acoustics? It seemed good to me at first impression, but it would be nice to have those rear speakers that Mickey bought for the Rocket, but alas, they were stolen.

By Michelle Cancel on Thursday, May 25, 2000 - 02:20 pm: Edit

Speaking of Mickey's speakers...
I just wanted to thank everyone who donated money to help replace Mickey's loses. Every dollar helped out and added up. My last count was about $383. Mickey was really touched. I�m proud to be part of a caring and cool Lindy community!

Take Care,
Michelle

By Jeff Eldridge on Friday, May 26, 2000 - 06:28 pm: Edit

I never liked those speakers in the back at the Rocket. Having all the music come
from the front feels much more "acoustic" like a real band. Surround sound
is fine in my car, but not in a room where differing volume levels is one of the
most beautiful aspects of the ambiance created. If folks want the music loud
and "in your face" they can move to the front. I love being able to move within
the room and find a volume that's suitable to me and my partner. Plus, now at
the Rocket at Portuguese Hall (after 3 more weeks from now), we've got those
nice big round tables at the back which provide for "lounging" and conversation.
Speakers in the back would ruin all that completely.

In addition, the beginning dancers tend to hang out in the back. They really
appreciate it when the more experienced dancers take some time out of their
evening and dance with them. Most of whom I dance with are full of questions
and want tips as we dance. The lower volume in the back of the room allows me
to speak to them in a normal tone of voice. It also allows them to hear me count
out a different beat for them to practice with if the song being played is too
fast for them.

One of the things that is so nice about the Catamaran is the overall setup.
Mitch Grant, who does the sound for the Catamaran weekly, as well as for
the Rock Church I play at in Montezuma Hall at San Diego State always has
the sound coming from the source of the sound, the front. It's so nice to be
able to sit in the back at the Catamaran and talk a bit, get a drink, and get a
break from the noisy front.

In my opinion, if the quality of the system is excellent, speakers in the back
are very undesirable.

By Jane Hance on Friday, May 26, 2000 - 08:29 pm: Edit

I agree.

By Ron on Sunday, May 28, 2000 - 03:04 pm: Edit

Good points!

I guess I was thinking about it slightly differently. VASA hall is so big that it can be too quiet in back for my tastes, but the volume can't be turned up, when there's 2 speakers, because it would blast the people in front. But maybe its good the way it is.

By Margaret Adams on Tuesday, June 20, 2000 - 02:45 pm: Edit

Hi everyone,

Hope you can come out and join us for our LAST NIGHT AT VASA HALL. The Rocket Swing Dance Club has had some great times at this old place...lots of great memories dating back to when Johny LLoyd was here! Jim will be DJing tonight and we hope if all you new graduates show up we can give you a "Graduation Jam"!

So come on out for one more go around the VASA dance floor. See you there!

Jim and Margaret

P.S Don't forget!!!We will be moving next week to the Portuguese Hall and having our Grand Opening Dance Party with the La Jolla All Stars! We will post all info. again later this week! Hope you all can make it!

By Jcruzen (Jcruzen) on Monday, June 26, 2000 - 01:09 pm: Edit

GRAND OPENING PARTY
(It's now later this week, so here it is:)

NEW LOCATION for the Rocket Club:
S.E.S. Portuguese Hall
2818 AVENIDA DE PORTUGAL
SAN DIEGO CA 92106

DIRECTIONS:
8 WEST TO ROSECRANS
LEFT ON AVENIDA DE PORTUGAL
1 1/2 BLOCKS, ON LEFT SIDE
NEAREST CROSS ST. -- SCOTT

WE'RE HAVING A GREAT LOCAL JAZZ BAND: THE LAJOLLA ALLSTARS. These are amazing old-timers who really know how to jam. It's going to be a really fun evening. So come on out and we'll see you all there. Covers only $8.

Jim and Margaret

By Chris on Monday, June 26, 2000 - 05:25 pm: Edit

WOW!
I just got off the phone w/ Jim and asked me to DJ the breaks on opening night at the new Rocket location!! Of course I said YES!!!

Between the mighty La Jolla Allstars' sets I'll be DJing!! So come and dance to some amazing live music accompanied w/ a variety of great swing music!

What a way to kick off the opening!

By Jeff (Jeff) on Tuesday, June 27, 2000 - 02:52 am: Edit

Very cool!!! I'm bringing my two Roland Cube 100's to add to the house speakers.
They add sooooo much to the lows and the highs, being designed as 100 watt keyboard amps
(each!!!). So the DJ'd stuff may sound better than the band!!! I'm so excited about this room.
It's got so much history and class. The floor is great, twice as big as Vasa Hall, and there's on-
site parking.

I went to Memories this Saturday and thought to myself that if Justin and Jenn weren't there...
well, it was pretty ordinary, let's put it that way. I brought up Valerie, Melissa, Tania, Kate,
Laura and Mary Ann with me from San Diego and they were the most sought-after follows
up there. They really made the night!!! I was so proud of San Diego.

If all the dancers in San Diego were to show up at the same venue, say the Rocket Club at
Portuguese Hall on Tuesdays, instead of spreading themselves thin at Lima Bar and Grill,
Tango, etc...LA people would be driving down here!!!

Or how about Break Away this Saturday!!! The KGB trio is playing!!! This band is super
fantastic!!! Why drive up to Memories and watch a Balboa Contest when you can support
something like what's happening at Break Away? Or, as I did on Saturday, support Break Away
until 11:30 or so and then drive up to Memories and dance til 3 a.m.

Actually, it's all good. We're so lucky to have so many great options open to us. But be assured,
you won't have more fun outside San Diego than you will right here if we all support what's
happening in San Diego and show up together as a dance community!!

Would someone please email or call Shesha, Peter and Michael, etc and tell them about what's
happening in San Diego this week???? We've got two live bands, one at the Rocket on Tuesday,
and another at Break Away this Saturday!!

By CatThyme on Tuesday, June 27, 2000 - 09:50 am: Edit

I know that you mean well, Jeff. But I really think it's important to support the venues that constantly have great live music. Please don't put a lot of energy into persuading people into not supporting the Lima Bar and Grill! It's a great venue! Besides, since the Lima Bar and Grill begins earlier and lets out before midnight, it's possible to support both the Lima Bar and Grill and the Rocket on Tuesdays.

By Anonymous on Tuesday, June 27, 2000 - 10:04 am: Edit

Live swing music vs dj'd blues, hhmmm

By Jeff (Jeff) on Tuesday, June 27, 2000 - 10:29 am: Edit

Tonight the Rocket does have a live band, and DJ'd swing music by Chris during the breaks!

In case you didn't get Jim Cruzen's update about tonight, he stated:

NEW LOCATION for the Rocket Club:
S.E.S. Portuguese Hall
2818 AVENIDA DE PORTUGAL
SAN DIEGO CA 92106

DIRECTIONS:
8 WEST TO ROSECRANS
LEFT ON AVENIDA DE PORTUGAL(one block past Shelter Island Drive)
1 1/2 BLOCKS, ON LEFT SIDE
NEAREST CROSS ST. -- SCOTT

WE'RE HAVING A GREAT LOCAL JAZZ BAND: THE LAJOLLA ALLSTARS.
These are amazing old-timers who really know how to jam.
It's going to be a really fun evening. So come on out and
we'll see you all there. Covers only $8.

By Joe M on Tuesday, June 27, 2000 - 12:33 pm: Edit

There is going to be a snack table, so feel free to bring some of your favorite goodies to share.

By HopMichael on Tuesday, June 27, 2000 - 01:38 pm: Edit

Yay! New Rocket!

mmmm....Live Music!

Hope to see everyone down there tonight!

By Margaret Adams on Tuesday, June 27, 2000 - 03:05 pm: Edit

Thanks for all your support, you guys! See you tonight at the Rocket at the Portuguese Hall.

Jim & Margaret

By Jcruzen (Jcruzen) on Tuesday, June 27, 2000 - 03:10 pm: Edit

Oh, we almost forgot.....our Level 4 class tonight at the Portuguese Hall will be a new session on Blues Dancing - Technique and Timing. If you get a chance, come check it out. (Wait 'till you hear our blues theme song.)

Class starts at 8pm followed by The Rocket at 9pm. See you later!

Jim & Margaret

By Chris on Wednesday, June 28, 2000 - 07:52 am: Edit

I must be the first one up, or to the forum at least. I just wanted to share with those who missed last night's opening at the New Rocket. Out standing job!! The venue was a success - the floor was packed, tons of smiles, the La Jolla Allstars played wounderfully, the sound was excellent (way better than Vasa), and the munchies filled me up! Looks like this place will do just fine. There were a lot of faces I didn't see there, you guys really missed out. A lot of new faces which is always good for our scene! Keep coming!!! It was a real exciting night. It's funny, to me the Portuguese Hall is such a nice place, it's hard to believe we'll have a consistant venue there. Too-good-to-be-true sort of feeling. I know every time I'll dance there it will feel like it's during a big event or something. Vasa was home for a long time, and now after dancing at the new place Vasa seems to be a sweaty ol'gym in comparison. Margaret and Jim worked their butts off to find a new place, and they did wonderful!

Keep the flow positive!

By Jeff (Jeff) on Wednesday, June 28, 2000 - 09:21 am: Edit

I feel the same way, Chris. What a great place to dance. Doesn't even feel like we're in
San Diego because the place has so much class and charm.

I loved the floor! What I can't figure out though is that with my running shoes on it felt
really quite sticky, but with my Bleyers on it was on the slippery side. Usually, there's not
much difference between my running shoes and Bleyers. Great floor for LA style and
sliding footwork with Bleyers or leather soles.

By Ron on Wednesday, June 28, 2000 - 10:14 am: Edit

I had an excellent time, too. Great venue, lots of room. Great band! How come no one insisted I go see them before? Great crowd, not just the regulars. That woman singer really got the crowd going with that blues number! I liked their mix of tempos. They played a lot of Basie, it sounded like.

Chris, you played some good stuff, too. The slow blues was interesting, but the transition to the fast one threw me! You played some good old big band songs, and a rock and roll number that I couldn't figure out who did it, but thought I should know.

By Tertia (Tertia) on Wednesday, June 28, 2000 - 12:03 pm: Edit

Sorry I couldn't make it out last night...I went to see Natalie Merchant...I had tickets for that show since March (it was an amazing show!). I'm glad to see that things went well. Although I feel bad that I wasn't there for the first official night, I will definitely be there for the Tuesdays that follow. Hopefully the big turnout wasn't just a one time thing. I hope that those that came last night will continue to come consistently. Until then, see you all on the dance floor!

By Chris on Wednesday, June 28, 2000 - 02:42 pm: Edit

Thanks Ron
That means a lot coming from you.
Rock and roll number.
Can you describe it? My mind is a little flaky this morning/afternoon big rush to get a presentation out by 2. Augh!

By Jcruzen (Jcruzen) on Wednesday, June 28, 2000 - 04:19 pm: Edit

To Everyone, A MILLION THANKS!!!
Last night was an amazing success and an overwhelming treat for both Margaret and myself. With so many wonderful people helping us out at every turn and such a supportive response from the community, we were overjoyed at being priviliged enough to be at the center of it all somehow. You were all amazing. It seems that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the band -- I love those guys (AND OF COURSE Lila the vocalist) -- which gives me hope for booking great swing bands in there on a regular basis. Everyone keeps commenting on how classy the place is. I keep having to pinch myself to remember that it's all for real. Help us keep it for real. Together, we can make this place a center for first-rate music, memorable dancing, and mind-blowing fun.

We'll keep you all updated as to dates and other prospective bands. I'm hoping to update the Rocket web site soon, but in the meanwhile stay tuned to the forum and calendar for latest info. Thanks one final time to everyone last night, none of it would be possible without you. But before signing off, a special thanks to some angels who showed up last night disguised in dancin' shoes: Munchies provided by Charon, Natalie, Isgard, Joe, Amy, Chris(Swing Mom), Mark, Billy and others I'm sure I've overlooked; Door help by Kathleen, Dorothy, Sheila, Amy; Sound support by Jeff; Cleanup by Charon, Jon, Dorothy and Ernie.

With special thanks to Bill Sullivan(for Rocket trophies and more), DJ Chris Bowling and Mickey Raml for his never-ending support of us and our dance community.

PLEASE VISIT THE NEW SWINGORAMA FORUM
GO TO SWINGORAMA.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

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