“Straight from the fridge, dad, that track was really killer diller.” This summer, let’s time travel. Men can go back to slicked pompadours, Lucky Strikes, zoot suits and rebel tats. Imagine all the girls in pointy bras with pin-up hair and precise lipstick. Buy a sexy car and spend time polishing the fins. Become a snappy dancer.
Once a month local DJ brothers Rico and Kiko host the Killer Diller Record Hop at Simone’s Bar in Pilsen, and no jive, they bring the crowd. Everyone is beautiful. The girls breathe heavy, like they might let you go to second base, and the guys all seem like they’re gonna try. It’s the dancing, though, that really makes you stare. They know what to do, and they make it look simple. It’s easy to forget that everyone used to know how to Lindy Hop. Hell, it’s easy to forget that people born in 1992 can legally buy cigarettes. The bar is redolent of the “aw shucks” sex appeal of the fifties, and the jubilation makes apocalyptic oil spills feel far away, at least for the night.
Mostly, it’s just fun, even if you show up after work in jeans and sneakers surprised to find such diligent style at your local bar. The people coming out to dance are easy to chat with, and the excellent beer and occasional Manhattan make even innocent flirtations seem viable. It’s like “Dirty Dancing,” but with less corners, more babes, and better clothes. (Jessica Meyer)
The Killer Diller Record Hop takes place the third Thursday of every month, including August 19, at Simone’s Bar, 960 West 18th, (312)666-8601
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