The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn @Sol, June 24th

Last night, went with SoCo to catch my kung fu mate Billy's band, The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn, fresh off their win on The Morning Show's Subway Idol competition. While I've dragged SoCo to a few gigs now, this marked the first time we were doing something in his territory -- a swing dance gig, sponsored by Swing Remix.

Although, I was excited to see Billy and the Vipers in a proper gig setting (the prior times being on the street), I was nervous about the occasion -- a swing dance lesson followed by a few hours of swing dancing. SoCo has been swing dancing for a long time, but I had never even dabbled. Sure, I bought me some Brian Setzer and Cherry Poppin' Daddies when they were hip in the late '90s, but I have always regarded myself as having two left feet. But now that I've been doing the Fu for almost a year and a half now, I've learned to be less self-conscious while moving my body and not worry about looking like a fool. The name of the game is learning and having fun, and I was sure I could do that!

After a fun 1/2 hour lesson during which we kept rotating partners and learned some basic moves, Billy and the Vipers then hit the stage and kept the crowd lively. They played a good mix of slower tunes (well, definitely good for me, anyway) and really fast ones for which even SoCo decided we oughta sit out.

When we first got on the dance floor, I did manage to kick one woman accidentally -- too much chi! -- which made me feel oafish and iffy for a short while, but after an apology, we moved on and focused on workin' it. SoCo was a masterful leader, and I had a blast dancing away the evening with him. Also, it was reassuring to hear Billy's familiar voice and giggle while I stumbled around like a lunatic. I enjoyed watching the other dancers and wondered about the subculture that probably exists amongst them, like in any small group, like of my beloved Kung Fu Dorks or fellow concert addicts.

I had a great time. I dunno if I ever would have tried something like last night without the guiding hand of SoCo (and the friendly face of Billy), but I'm glad I did, and look forward to the next dance, when I hopefully won't take down any other people.