See also: It'll Do Club set to re-open
See also: Video of opening night
One of the best club signs in Dallas has always been It'll Do's, just off Elm and Carroll in East Dallas. I rode past it on bike rides and always stopped to take a picture of the red, white and blue mural on the exterior wall. Curious about what it looked like inside, I even attempted to find that lone, unlocked door, so I could just take a peek inside, but my attempts were always futile.
When news came that Brooke Humphries and her gang of merrymakers were taking over the space, I was thrilled. And on Saturday night, the party started right. And quickly. Admittedly, parking was a bit of a nightmare, but that was a small price to pay. I was inside for mere moments before a wish list started forming in my head for future events.
I passed the bar and headed straight to the long, open dance floor, surrounded by rows of bleachers on either side, which led up to the DJ booth. Dancers fought for their turn on the small LED runway at the end of the floor, taking turns sashaying down it or creating dance lines.
Slinking around the gorgeous wood floors, trying to take in the scene, I started to imagine how fantastic a roller disco night would be. BYO skates, perhaps? I'd be willing to sign a waiver.
I found a spot to people-watch on the bleachers. Perched above the floor, I started to imagine a grown-up Sadie Hawkins dance, the bleachers lined with Dallas fellas and all the fans of those fellas in the middle selecting a dance partner for the night. It might make for a fun Valentine's party.
It'll Do feels like an old-fashioned dance hall, and on Saturday in particular, a grown-up warehouse party. The lounges can be nice, but all you really need is a room and a fantastic sound system. It'll Do's further amenities: A cheap bar, a few places to rest when you need a break and some terrible bathrooms that make it feel like the dance rooms of the late '90s, when we weren't there to be seen. We were there to fucking dance.
Miguel Migs proved his dexterity in the booth, while Lisa Shaw jumped on the mic to sing live, an addition I always appreciate. His mix of "Caribbean Queen" was just the push I needed to take my own turn on the disco-lit floor, though I eventually got pushed off to make room for the next round of dance-offs.
Humphries has again done what she has been able to do in every spot she touches: Create a playground unbiased by genre or demographic. There are few places in town where a straight girl can run into former flames and drag queens, and they all feel equally comfortable. There we were, in the pursuit of a little fun, dancing together on opening night as if we had known this place all our lives.
Special thanks to Catherine Downes for editing the video, and Redsean for providing the track.
