Two parties, One Night. The And/Or Gallery Reception and House of Dang Prom

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If you happen to be checking out artist Chad Hopper’s mixed media collages at Paul Slocum’s And/Or Gallery on Saturday night, you’ll probably be wondering why the heck Journey, Styx and Color Me Badd tunes are thumping next door.

Neighbor and indie hot spot House of Dang is hosting Prom 2009 and encouraging partygoers to style it out from any decade. Store owners Andrew Bayer and Doug Voisin promise lots of fun slow jams and party photo taking under a huge balloon arch. In the meantime, they are looking for fun cheese song suggestions. If you have any thoughts we’d love for you to comment and give some feedback so we can forward on to the boys.

And I hear that Paul is meticulously planning a fun outfit for the gallery reception also.

House of Dang, 4219 Bryan Street

Stephen Becker

Man, where to start. How about Journey’s “Open Arms”? That song came out 12 years before my prom, and I’m pretty sure they still played it. If you want to get people really shaking what they have left, you can do a lot worse than “Bust a Move.” Young MC even commands you to, “Don’t just stand there, bust a move.” Who are you to disobey?
Grace

I hear you, Stephen. My high school used Journey’s “Faithfully” as Homecoming theme almost a full decade after the song’s release.

For more ’80s cheese, you gotta have something from soft-rock duo Air Supply (maybe “The One That You Love”), a power ballad like “When I See You Smile” or “Heaven,” and, of course, a Bon Jovi sing-along (most folks go with “Livin’ on a Prayer,” but I’ve always been partial to “You Give Love a Bad Name.”)

Oh, and I’ll see your “Bust a Move” and raise you an “Everybody Dance Now.”
Anne Bothwell

Pure cheese, and the very unironic themes of many a prom (Can it be a prom if it doesn’t have a theme?): “Come Sail Away” Styx; “Hold on to the Night,” Richard Marx; “Glory Days,” Springsteen; “All Night Long,” Lionel Richie; “Paradise City,” G ‘n R; and of course, Kool &the Gang, “Celebration.” Oh, and “1999.”

The thought of hearing these songs in a row makes my teeth hurt and my stomach queasy.

More disturbing: I can’t remember my prom theme.
JRo

Kickin’ it up a few years to some truly fine 90’s R&B ballads including “End of the Road” from Boyz II Men (especially touching during senior year) and you have to end with “Time of My Life” to see everyone’s interpretation of the Dirty Dancing routine.

So many great dance songs – I have to second Bust A Move and raise you a Push It/Shoop medley.

True story – my sophomore homecoming dance ended with “Let’s Get It On” – it seemed inappropriate at the time but now I think that DJ is pretty hilarious.