Where It's At: Fatback

Let me take you back to a cold night in February of 2011.  I had just moved into my apartment in Woodley Park and one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jared, came by to help me assemble some Ikea furniture.  At the conclusion of said assembly, he told me that I should meet up with him and some of his friends to attend a funk-soul dance party called "Fatback."  Clearly, I was confused and slightly put off by the name, but he assured me that it was one of the most fun DC events he had ever attended.  I've known this friend since high school and we remained fairly close over the years, so I took his word for it and agreed to tag along.  We met up for dinner at the Teaism in Dupont Circle, pre-gamed at his friends' house nearby, and then cabbed down to the U Street Corridor to a club called Liv where this oddly named dance party took place.

Fatback's slogan is "No cover, no dress code, just a chance to do it right."  This evening certainly lived up to those expectations.  It was this utopic experience with a very "come as you are" and "dance like nobody's watching" atmosphere.  The music was far from the standard Top 40 club mix and the DJs looked like they were having even more fun than the patrons (if such a thing were even possible).  The energy in the room was optimistic and joyful.  There was no judgment or shame, just a crowd full of 20- and 30-somethings loving life.  I was hooked.

It was a few months before I made it back to another Fatback.  (They take place the third Saturday of each month.)  The second time I went I brought some of my friends from work along with me and made converts out of them as well.  It happened to be Judgment Day (May 22nd), so I wore an ironic t-shirt to commemorate the occasion.

Joel, me, and Becca (and one of the Fatback DJs) "doing it right."

The third time I went I was on my own and had one hell of an adventure while there (though not the kind I'll share with the general public on a blog...)  Suffice to say that it was a crazy and amazing night...  ;-)  The next Fatback will be August 20th and you better believe I'll be there until they shut the music off, turn the lights on, and kick us out onto the street.  I leave you with a short video from the May Fatback that illustrates the unadulterated joyfulness of this fantastic DC gathering that has become a staple in my social schedule.  Enjoy...