Hello party people, welcome to the coolest hole in the wall.Gainesville may be a small, liberal town swimming in a sea of conservatism and religious enthusiasm, but in this tiny pocket of North Central Florida, we know how to get down and dirty with the best.
Thanks to the existence of UF, this otherwise bland town is home to a vibrant and colorful nightlife with a little something for everyone.
There are plenty of hip-hop and top-40 clubs around and even a local line-dancing mecca. But most recently, it's the indie-dance scene that has really come into its own.
Every night of the week there is something going on for those who just can't get enough electro. The key is knowing where your crowd is headed each night.
Facebook is a great way to coordinate between friends and clubs. Any night worth its salt has an event page that sends a guest list out weekly. There you can check who's attending, what DJs or acts are playing and make your decision.
Of course, if you have no idea what's going on, you might want to start by checking out one of two nights: DANG! at the Atlantic on Thursdays, or Neon Liger at Spank on Saturdays.
DANG! and Neon Liger are the most talked-about nights in town, the quintessential Gainesville-dance-scene hangouts and the best places to get started.
DANG! is advertised as the longest-running indie dance night in Gainesville. It's been going for six years and features an eclectic mix of everything from ‘80s post-punk and ‘90s hip-hop to modern indie rock and electro.
DJ Cameron Gregory has been spinning the night's jams for the past four years and loves it. He chalks up DANG!'s success to its cool-but-unpretentious vibes.
"I think we're kind of willing to play anything that'll make people happy," he said. "We try to keep an indie aesthetic but ... we try to make it fun without being too hip."
Though the night has been around for a while, Gregory said it continues to grow in popularity. He said he's noticed the recent rise in dance music's popularity and thinks it's just a sign of the times.
"It's partly to do with the recession and the political climate," he said. "If people feel like they're marginalized, one reaction is to be hedonistic."
Gregory said it's also just part of the pop-music cycle.
"People get tired of standing around with their arms folded watching bands," he said. "I think they wanna move."
Neon Liger is newer in comparison to DANG! Established about two-and-a-half years ago, Liger is the town's best night for sweaty, energetic, no-holds-barred, dirty-bass dance music.
The venue may be smaller, but the crowd packs a punch, and like the Atlantic, it's only growing.
"It's the radio," said DJ Vijay "Vi" Seixas, the man behind the club's iconic Cadillac DJ booth. "Akon and Usher are doing up-tempo tracks. That's how we can do Steve Aoki to 1,100 kids."
Part of Liger's appeal is the heavy influx of guest DJs who come from all over the country and the world, only to be surprised by the wallop a little Gainesville club can offer.
"It's just a sweaty, crazy, dance party," Seixas said. "A little bit of everything mixed together. Lots of fog, confetti cannons, glow sticks ... we just keep throwing crap in there just to make it fun and interesting."
Nikki Oberlin, 22, is one local who loves attending Neon Liger. Though she moved to Tallahassee for school, she said she frequently comes back Saturday nights just for her favorite party.
"It's a very accepting environment," Oberlin said. "You can go to Neon Liger and dance goofy and do whatever you want. No one cares."
Bobby Perry, 30, said he loves going to Spank, as well as newer clubs like Sharab Lounge and the Vault. He said Gainesville nightlife is great because it's so unique.
"Some other college towns are real jocky," Perry said. "Here, it's real chill. There's a lot of respect between club owners and patrons ... not a bunch of meatheads looking to fight."
And of course, Perry said the best part of all is the nearly limitless variety of places to go.
"The cool thing about the downtown scene is that you can go wherever you want, whenever," he said. "It's nice to walk down the street and have options."
