One of our favorite bandleaders, Solomon Douglas, is returning to Rent Party on his way to play the Greenville Lindy Exchange, and bringing a few other musicians along for the ride. Details TBA.

Girl, it has been too long since we got our dance on. So Smoove has arrange this February 14th, the most finest of dance events just for you.

I have procured for you, the finest of gypsy bands, the Hot Club of North Carolina. These fine musicians will play upon strings hand selected from the finest cat gut available. Their instruments will be made from only the most virile trees in the forest. The violinist will sound better than Grappelli himself. The guitarists will sound so fine, you will believe you are in France. The bass will thump just like my love for you girl. There will also be a DJ.

Baby, this band will swing so hard that we will be dancing until breakfast. Should you desire more dancing, I will quietly slip the dance hall manager $50 to allow them to continue playing for us.

Damn.

With all this dancing, you will work up an appetite for more than just Smoove’s exceptionally skilled dancing. So I will hire the finest pastry chefs to make whatever you desire. The ingredients will be of the highest quality and I will select only the very best to hand-feed to you, girl. There will also be the most sensual beverages flown in that very evening from France. We will feast and dance, baby, until you are completely satisfied.

Now you know, as I have clearly stated before, that Smoove does not get down with Valentine’s Day. But for a band like this, I will brave all the wanna-be players to spin you time after time on the dance floor until you are so satisfied that you can spin no more. I will do this for you, girl, as only Smoove can do.

And girl, if you are reading this in confusion, and unfamiliar with Smoove’s moves, let me direct you to a few of my former works.

You may also peruse the fine musical offerings of the band on their Facebook Page.

Triangle Dance Studio, back studio
2603 S. Miami Blvd.
Durham, NC

9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Admission is pay-what-you-can with a suggested $10 donation.

RSVP to the Facebook Event here

Since the dawn of time, Man has saught ways to see into the future. Tea leaves have been read, star charts have been consulted, many a palm has been scrutinized, and Nate Silver has been practically canonized. We’ve all wondered for months about the upcoming Mint Julep Jazz Band CD. Will it be funded? What will it sound like? Will Lucian Cobb sing? Well, wonder no more!

RDU Rent Party has mastered the secrets of fortune telling using a mixture of wormhole physics, Mountain Dew, and a marathon watching
of the Back to the Future movie series. And this January, we will proudly review a sneak peak at the upcoming Durham on a Saturday Night CD with a pre-recording rehearsal of the Mint Julep Jazz Band. In addition, we will be offering a sneak peak at the future home of Lindy Lab, a room at TDS that we can call our own and upgrade to the kind of dance hall you deserve.

The Mint Julep Jazz Band will be playing RDU Rent Party including an extended second set which will be a track for track rehearsal for their upcoming CD. If you plan to show up fashionably late, make sure it’s early so you can catch their entire magnificence in action.

In addition, The Lindy Lab has arranged to open up the room next door, currently occupied by the church, to give you an idea of the new space we will be moving into in a few months. We will also be collecting suggestions on ways to upgrade the space as well as taking donations to better build you a super awesome place to dance.

Doors open at 9
Entry fee is pay-what-you-can with a $10 suggested donation

Triangle Dance Studio (back studio)
2603 S. Miami Blvd.
Durham, NC

9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Mint Julep Jazz Band plays!

Come see the future!

Oktoberfest begins this year on September 22. But we here at RDU Rent Party are an impatient lot (especially Laura) so we have decreed an early start to festivities on September 20.

We will be featuring the musical stylings of The Low Down Sires from Asheville, NC. We can assure you that these fine gentlemen are sticklers for traditional methods and all songs have been brewed in strict accordance with the Reinheitsgebot. That means their tunes contain no fillers or preservatives, just water, barley and
hops (lindy, of course).

We have talked to our resident bakers about providing Brezels (aka pretzel awesomeness) and you are welcome to BYOB. We suggest frequenting any of your local breweries for Oktoberfest goodness.

Triangle Dance Studio (back studio)
2603 S. Miami Blvd.
Durham, NC

8:30 – 9:15 Beginner Lesson in the next door house (with the bulldozed back yard)
9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Low Down Sires play

Check out some of their music on the band’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LowDownSires/app_204974879526524

A few fun facts on Oktoberfest:
The 14 day festival hosts approximately 6.1 million people and serves up around 7.1 liters of beer, around 70,000 haxen or pork knuckles, uses up to 27% of Munich’s daily water requirement, and my personal favorite for odd stats, has over 878 meters of urinals.

The RDU Rent Party Players proudly present: Two Fancy Lads discussing the upcoming Rent Party

Fancy Lad 1: “I say old chap, have you heard that the swingsational Solomon Douglas Sextet featuring Alison Dreyfuss will be happening through this area, but a fortnight from the morrow?”
Fancy Lad 2: “Indeed I have my good man.”
Fancy Lad 1: “And might it have passed ‘twixt thy ears that they are bound thereafter for the hills of Virginia for a revolt of the Lindustrial variety?”
Fancy Lad 2: “Quite right you are sir, and thus it seems chronologically sound that the Lindustrial Revolution should in fact be preceded by our own Agricultural Revolution.”
Fancy Lad 1: “Ah yes, kind sir, then will not this 6-strong legion be empowered herein with ingenious new ways to fertilize and cultivate while staving off famine… musically speaking, of course?”
Fancy Lad 2: “Indeed.”
Fancy Lad 1: “Quite.”
Fancy Lad 2: “M’yes.”
*followed by this*:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rn68PxJ2Ik
-Aaaaand Scene-

Not only are we entertaining, but Rent Party is now educational as well. Since the Solomon Douglas Sextet will be playing just 2 days later at Lindustrial Revolution, we decided to drop some knowledge and bring in the historical age preceding the Industrial (which obviously EVERYONE knows is the British Agricultural Revolution, at least according to our very limited searching of *HaHmm* Wikipedia ).

The Solomon Douglas Sextet will be playing RDU Rent Party on Thursday August 30 from 9-midnight at Triangle Dance Studio. As per usual Rent Party procedures, the dance will be pay-what-you-can with a suggested $10 minimum and all proceeds going directly to the band.

The Solomon Douglas Sextet will feature vocals, piano, guitar, bass, drums, trombone. They will play a wide variety of swing and blues tunes and a solid range of tempos for Lindy, Charleston, East Coast, and Balboa.

Triangle Dance Studio (back studio)
2603 S. Miami Blvd.
Durham, NC

9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

We would also like to direct your attention to the following Friday night Blues Dance where the Solomon Douglas Quartet will be playing an all blues set. The Quartet will be a smaller combo with vocals, piano, bass, and guitar playing an all blues set and more slow dance oriented tempos.

RDU Rent Party is back to running live music dances after a summer of DJ’d dances. And this time, we’re bringing in the reigning World Champion Old-Time Piano player to rock the dance floor and your world.

Those of you who attended QCLX 2011 may remember Ethan Uslan as the piano player for the Friday night band. Since then, Ethan has gone on to win the 2012 World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest, making him a two time Champion. He is an incredibly versatile stride and ragtime piano player.

In addition to Mr. Uslan’s not-to-be-missed playing, we will have DJ Sarah Ovenall of WXDU’s Divaville Lounge to play the breaks and to beat the heat we’ll be serving up Arnold Palmers (that’s tea and lemonade mixed).

Triangle Dance Studio (back studio)
2603 S. Miami Blvd.
Durham, NC

9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Check out some of Ethan’s performances on YouTube:

On May 9, RDU Rent Party will be going on the road to Raleighwood with just $12 in our pocket, a one-way bus ticket, and dreams of making it to the big times.

This Rent Party will be held in the beautiful ballroom at the Velvet Cloak Inn in Raleigh. The Velvet Cloak which once played host to EBC 2007 boasts historic building status, an honest-to-goodness hardwood floor, and true southern charm. You’ll have to see this gorgeous space to believe it. Sodas and stronger spirits will be for sale from the front desk and Rent Party will again be providing bottled water free of charge (though additional donations to the band will be welcomed).

Clark Stern

In attendance on the musician’s red carpet will be the incredible Clark Stern trio. Clark is a wonderful piano player and entertainer, plays inspired tunes across the Jazz and Blues spectrum and boasts vocal styling reminiscent of Wynonie Harris. He is assembling a trio of fine musicians to blow your socks off with great dance music to suit all tastes. We will also be featuring not one, but TWO vocal starlettes for the night. The first is known and loved throughout the Triangle and needs no more introduction than to say that Ms. Laura Windley will be gracing us with her song bird talents. And we are very excited to host the debut swing scene vocals of Ms. Hannah Pearce. You may recall Hannah as one of the spectacular photographers from past Rent Parties as well as the TAP Project. In addition, Rent Party has recently learned of her soulful and sultry singing voice to compliment her pictorial skills and ravishing good looks.

Hannah Pearce

Velvet Cloak Inn
1505 Hillsborough Road
Raleigh, NC

Doors will be open at 7 for a red carpet cocktail hour prior to the dance.
Beginner Lesson begins at 7:30
Band starts at 8
Entry is pay-what-you-can with a suggested $10 donation and we encourage you to support the bar as well.

You can find more information on the musicians and venue below
http://www.clarkstern.com/
http://www.laurawindley.com/
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/hannah-pearce-photography
http://www.velvetcloakinn.com/

We’re taking a break for a couple of months, but we’ll be back when you need us most or when another touring band falls in our laps.  For updates, join the RDU Rent Party Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/118146201539380/. Check our calendar page for a list of upcoming shows.

It’s a night of firsts! With the good graces of Hot Club of Durham, we’d like to welcome the Mint Julep Jazz Band to the RDU Rent Party stage! The Mint Julep Jazz Band is the new musical endeavor of Laura Windley and Lucian Cobb, veteran jazz cats and purveyors of fine, swinging music. We’re happy to host their debut performance and look forward to hearing all the new music they have in store for us!

Also making her debut is DJ Sarah Ovenall, host of WXDU’s Divaville Lounge, which highlights “great songs and singers from Tin Pan Alley to the swing era,” every Sunday from 2-4 p.m. on 88.7 FM. If you’ve ever heard Sarah’s show, you know that she has an extensive music collection from the jazz age and swing era. She’s up for this new DJ challenge and we’re excited to hear her first set for dancers!

Trotter Building
410 W. Geer Street
Durham, NC

8:00 p.m. – Beginner lesson

9:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. – The Mint Julep Jazz Band and DJ Sarah Ovenall

As always, Rent Party is pay what you can with a suggested $10 minimum donation to the band.

I’m going to ask you a question, who’s the big winner here tonight? You are! That’s right, because you get another chance to dance to Jessy Carolina and the Hot Mess. If you missed this fantastic band on the 14th at Casbah, they will be circling back around for another pass through Durham on January 26th at Hot Club of Durham.

And because we here at Rent Party are so sure you guys will support all kinds of music, we’re doubling down with nearly back to back Rent Parties. Jesse Carolina and the Hot Mess on the 26th and the Floyd Council Memorial Project on the 28th. So come out and help us break the bank and we all go home big winners.

And if you haven’t yet seen Swingers, we suggest you request it at one of your local swing movies nights.

Trotter Building
410 W. Geer Street
Durham, NC

Beginner Lesson at 8:00 p.m. with Adam Speen and Abigail Browning (who will be teaching a Dean Collins and Jewel McGowan class series for Hot Club in February – check it out! http://hotclubofdurham.com/2011/12/intermediate-lesson-dance-like-dean-and-shine-like-jewel/)

Dancing from 9:00 p.m. to midnight

Admission is pay-what-you-can with a $10 suggested donation, with all donations going to the band.