Tucked away on a dimly lit backstreet between a residential neighborhood and a car dealership hides a beloved hole-in-the-wall, Starboard Tack. It’s a known nightspot for some of the best elixirs and bites, but only recently has it built a reputation for music and dancing, thanks to a buzzing new ’80s night.
During their teenage years, DJ Boogieman and DJ Combz shared a mutual love for vinyl records, which takes a special kind of dedication, considering how costly and time-consuming it is to build a collection. Eventually, the Vegas duo partnered with friends and began hosting monthly backyard events known as the Get Down, attracting a younger crowd that loved dancing and needed somewhere to go and something to do.
“We were kids who weren’t old enough to be in bars, so we set up our turntables and started throwing parties in backyards,” Boogieman says.
The first bar gig they coordinated came unexpectedly and garnered solid attention. Hosted at Dive Bar, another local haunt, it drew the Get Down’s already loyal regular crowd, setting the event’s tone and potential.
“We didn’t know that it was going to pop off the way that it did,” Combz says. “It’s probably because we only spin vinyl, which most people don’t do anymore.”
The music that built this party’s reputation ranges from freestyle to funk, dark wave to hip-hop and more, mixing a selection of tracks that hold nostalgia for both younger and older generations.
“I have a friend who’s in her 40s, and she’s in shock because she sees younger people singing along to music she grew up with,” Boogieman says.
The crowd sings Debbie Deb’s quintessential freestyle jam, “Funky Little Beat,” without a note missed. And “In My House” by the Mary Jane Girls packs the dancefloor every time.
The ’80s Night rotating lineup of DJs keeps the fresh event from going stale. Out-of-state DJs—typically mutual friends from social media—sometimes travel to Las Vegas to spin.
Starboard Tack still feels like a surprising venue for a dance-centered event, but Boogieman explains why it works so well: “I think Starboard has a perfect layout with its openness. There’s a bar, eating and dance area, and you can enjoy yourself without other people being in the way.”
Attendees run the gamut—goths, rockers and old-school folks—yet the crowd somehow meshes, reflecting the event’s true purpose, an inclusive throwback that nods to a bygone era.
Flocks of people arrive, dressed to impress and giddy when greeted by the muffled music through the front door. As the night progresses, movement blurs the room, matching the blend of songs coming through the speakers. The shuffling of feet from dancefloor to bar is illuminated only by the disco ball, and the tight squeeze can help one make a new friend, or many.
’80S NIGHT AT STARBOARD TACK 2601 Atlantic St., 702-684-5769, starboardtackvegas.com. Next event July 29.
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