Boston Metro
Published 2008-01-18
Ewen rocks down to Electric Avenue again.
Good 'ol new wave
Holdin' out for 'Heroes' at '80s dance night
INTERVIEW. This version of "Heroes" has nothing to do with the NBC superhero drama. However, you still might find people dressed up in costumes (of a more fashionable sort) at the long-running ManRay '80s dance party, "Heroes," says resident DJ Chris Ewen. After a rotating tour of nightclubs throughout the city, the popular event seems to have landed a semi-permanent home at T.T.'s. Metro asked Ewen how he throws it down.
How long have you been a DJ?
I started spinning in the mid '80s in Detroit. I used to go to a club called Todd's. It was a gay club that had an underground dance night. When they fired their DJ for that night, I told them I knew how to DJ, even though I'd never worked in a club before. They let me spin one night, and then they hired me.
"Heroes" has moved around a lot. What's been your favorite venue so far?
I obviously still have a soft spot for my time at ManRay.
Any songs you get sick of playing?
Funnily enough, not that many. "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners would probably top my list.
Why do you think '80s dance nights continue to be so popular after all this time?
While there is obviously the nostalgia factor, I think there's more to it than that. Some people enjoy hearing songs they grew up with or that they haven't heard in a very long time. But the '80s were about more than skinny ties, John Hughes movies and one-hit wonders. Musically, it was a very creative and diverse time and spawned the goth, industrial and electro club scenes that continue to thrive today. ... So, besides just playing the standard "new wave hits of the '80s," I like to mix in some of the darker and more obscure elements from that time, as well as newer bands that draw some of their inspiration from it.
'Heroes' '80s Dance Night
Saturday, 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.
T.T. the Bear's
10 Brookline St., Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Central
$7, 617-492-BEAR
www.ttthebears.com