Silent Dance Party Recap

Last weekend I attended my first Silent Dance Party. I’d heard of the concept before but didn’t quite know how to feel about it. I would say it’s like a normal party but the experience is completely different. Instead of a club with different music playing on each floor, we were in one big space listening to different music through headphones. My friend’s like to call it the perfect “anti-social social experiment.” I originally imagined it being like singing in the shower but 10 times worse because other people were around to hear. But to my surprise everyone is singing right along with you in an awkward, tone deaf abyss of happiness and nostalgia.

Wavez Silent Party was at Howard Theatre and earlybird tickets were $20. The only other time I’ve been to Howard Theatre was for a Dom Kennedy concert a few years ago so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I just remembered the area by the stage being an open space, perfect for a party.

For some reason leading up to the party I was thinking it might be best to bring my own headphones. But then it hit me, “Well Erin, how are you going to tune into the stations?” (Don’t be like me. Think smarter not harder) When you walk in, they scan your ticket and trade you a pair of headphones for your I.D. They also give you another ticket with a number on it so that you can get your I.D. back at the end of the night. If you lose or break the headphones you have to pay $40 (which is why they keep your I.D.)

When we first got there, I was scoping out the crowd. I needed to know what I had gotten myself into; was this a work something twerk something type of vibe? Or more of a ‘I’m in my zone’ type thing? Mostly females or a good mixed crowd? You know the typical questions you have when going to a party. There were 3 DJs on the stage, playing 3 stations in the headphones: Afro-Soca, R&B, and Hip-Hop. 2 of the DJs were female which I find extremely dope because you don’t see that often #GirlPower. The ears to the headphones were trimmed in lights and changed based on the station you were listening to (red, blue, or green).

It was definitely an experience I enjoyed. From singing out loud like no one was watching to doing the Electric Slide with the whole dance floor. And it’s honestly a perfect way to meet people but not feel obligated to. There were times when other people would come over and sing with me because no one in there group was listening to the same thing. It was also pretty funny to see the puzzled look on someone’s face when they see you jammin’ to a song. Then curiosity leads them to changing the station to see what you’re listening to.

The crowd was definitely mixed. You had the anti-social social crowd who stood in groups with their friends. A few people who brought out the clappas to twerk. And the Afro-Caribbeans who brought their flags to twirl and wave. It was definitely a fun experience that I would recommend for anyone. Even if you don’t party all the time, it’s was a great environment, in a chill place where you don’t have to worry about being turnt up. You can just catch the vibe and do your own thing. There are plenty of Silent Dance Tours that travel around the world. Check your local Eventbrite to find the closest one near you.