Almost every summer weekend, Philly dance-lovers decide to pack up their cars and drive a couple of hours to the Shore (or hop a plane to South Beach), where they can enjoy some good open-air dance parties right on the water, the bay or at a beach house block party. Save yourself the traffic and gas miles and get in on the weekly Sundae Philadelphia dance party.
Created in 2003 by the marvellous mind of Philly aficionados DJ’s Lee Jones and Dirty Frank, the Sundae Party at Octo was conceived to bring the open-air, all-day, Miami-esce dancing experience right into town. It’s stylish without being selective, it’s popular without being mainstream – not to mention that a Sunday outdoor dance party by the water, while in Philly (no Sunday evening traffic or early Monday morning drives to worry about) sounds like a pretty smart idea.
“We thought of a party on Sunday afternoons so that people wouldn’t have an excuse not to come out,” joked DJ Dirty Frank, who is a regular fixture on stage at Sundae Philadelphia. “And we chose to spin everything – from hip hop to house music – so they would have no excuse not to dance.”
And oh, they dance. An audience ranging from dance-loving 7-year-old kids (earlier in the day) to the most consumed senior clubbers crowded Octo’s 13,000 square feet before twilight. Dirty Frank’s sweet selection of house, soul and funky tunes featured a couple cuts tasty enough to have yours truly (not exactly the most hardcore dance-maniac) softly nodding his head to the beat and ordering an extra mojito.
“It’s a party so good, that it happens in four other cities: Los Angeles, South Beach, Brisbane and Lyon,” smiled Jones, veteran DJ and big name of the Philly’s dance scene. “It’s all about bringing the people together on the dance floor. We worked a lot for this.”
Let’s give credit where it’s due: the idea is a great one and the turnout often confirms it. Over the last seven years, Jones has invited artists from all over the world to spin their most eclectic material on a day that most Philly clubbers would usually spend complaining how there’s so little to do on Sundays.
Easy to understand how the Sundae Party also has Clark Maloney, Octo’s manager, excited for its success. “Since we started hosting the Sundae Party, Sunday has been the biggest night of the week here.” How big? We asked Alexia, one of Octo’s waitresses. “Well, just know that I always come here on my Sundays off!”
Get the Sundae app for your phone here! And get in on the next Sundae party at Octo on August 22, where the party continues at SIlk City at night and Voyeur late night!
For more information, check out Sundae’s Facebook and Myspace pages or their website, www.sundaephiladelphia.com.
AroundPhilly Staff
