Mousetrap: DC's biggest brit-pop dance night September 11, 2004

caro_vina

Truth in Advertising probably doesn't matter to the Hipster Set, and I realize the Cat is part owned by one of the people Britpop was invented to take the piss out of, but they need to change the billing of this event to "indie dance party" because no single musical style or time period takes center stage and very little of what gets played is even remotely Britpop. "Britpop" is Cool Britannia -- not a catch-all term for British-influenced indie music written between 1970 and 2000. If you're into that stuff you'll probably dig the party. But when I pay to dance to Britpop and the dj plays The Cure, The Smiths, The Pixies, Interpol and The Clash but still hasn't gotten to Elastica, Suede, or Blur (let alone the Manics or the Boo Radleys or Black Grape), I'm gonna feel gypped. Where's Pulp's Separations? Where's Lush? Where's Gay Dad? if he likes punk-pop so much at least he could pull out the Kenickie... It's not even mid-90s British non-Britpop: there's no trip hop, not any flavor of house, no electro or industrial. The theme seems to be rock roots of britpop; it's not uninteresting but as a retro dance party, it totally misses the character of the thing altogether. Maybe the DJs collection is just limited; maybe the Black Cat's Razzmatazz night is better (I'll probably give it one chance.) But if you really GOT Britpop, not just the bits and spatters that came here, head to Baltimore instead; Sonar's DJ Taxlo catches the vibe of the era's dance scene with much more energy and style, for half the cover, and I'll bet he'll play Death II for you if you ask.