A good friend of mine, a lovely woman truly, Stella Rose, has recently introduced me to an interesting little speak easy named Danny’s. It sits back in a neighborhood just off Daman and Dickens in Wicker Park. This special gem is hidden away on Dickens, out of sight from those that aren’t wise to it.
It was a particular night when she chose to take me to this underground hideaway. The first Wednesday of every month is Soul Night at Danny’s. I would be remiss to say that I don’t love good soul grooves on a humid summer evening. It’s a fact that the firefly lights his ass to the sound of Aretha Franklin. And so should the rest of the world come to think of it. There aren’t any firefly’s lighting up Danny’s though, it sits in the neighborhood under a dim street lamp. Not showing the party that awaits those who choose to wander in. Young Jack’s and Judy’s all smiles and dancing like it was Friday night already, it’s a splendid sight of youths keeping it old school.
There is a bit of a line if you don’t time your arrival accordingly. At first entrance this low lit landmark of underground Chicago seems a much tighter fit, but if you mousy on past the bar and up a few steps, the place really opens up. It’s up those few short steps were Danny’s goes from a dim lit dive, to a spectacular experience that makes me feel rather good to be alive in Chicago.
Darling Stella took me up those transforming steps to the dance floor. Good old Lovelace caught the mood shall we say. I was jelly legging and hip hopping, while young people all around catch the spirit. Lovers kissing to Marvin Gaye while others trade bourbons over James Brown, all around this house of immortality good times is dispersed through speakers. They know what ales us at this fine establishment and it’s remedied by a DJ that knows all too well the benefits of applying those old cuts from way back. Soul night is the answer to all those in love that have so many questions. And with all those questions so many crowd the place that the floor moves with the grooves of the mob. Chicago scene kids climb the walls; the music persuades all of our rational decision making abilities. It is truly a divine concoction this place makes.
If you wish to take a load off and rest those dogs, try and cozy up in one of the many dark corners that one could find solitude hiding in. Danny’s was an apartment gutted and reconstructed into this low key Chicagoan bar for those with there ear to the floor to come drink, be merry, and commit any number of lovely sins. They took those rooms that sectioned off the old residence, and turned them into lounge space, making walls to half walls and hallways into dimly lit walkways that lead to more private settings.
There’s a single bar that feeds the energy of this night. The bartenders are quick to the draw and greet those who have come to have an exciting evening. They wield a fairly seasonal selection of hops and barley, and mix up drinks for a reasonable coin.
I dare admit that I was quite reluctant the first time I came to this establishment, but each time since that first, has been a rejuvenation. It is a wonderful feeling to see so many that seem so happy dancing to Motown. I rather thought that man no longer had the ear for a true songbird. Danny’s has proven me false. Keep your head Danny’s. Keep your vision. Don’t let the soul die.
No comments:
Post a Comment