Hot shots

Scenes and party goers snapped at venues and events around town. All photos by Erik Jacobs.
  • Beat Research at the Enormous Room

  • Beat Research
  • When: June 2
  • Venue: Enormous Room
  • The scene: On Mondays, the bohemian-chic Enormous Room in Central Square holds a world-music night of sorts. And from Bhangra to Brazilian to blip-hop, the essence is the beat. DJ Wayne & Wax and his partner DJ Flack read the crowd to determine if it's time for a chill pulse or a dance-inducing thump.
  • 'Sex and the City' party at Vox

  • Vox & the City
  • When: May 22
  • Venue: Vox Populi
  • The scene: Women came out in numbers on Thursday night for a "Sex and the City" party to benefit Dress for Success. Not surprisingly, there was plenty of designer footwear in the house. Highlights of the night? A fashion show and raffle prizes that included passes to an early premiere of the movie and a pair of coveted Jimmy Choo heels.
  • Famous Wednesdays @ Foundation Lounge

  • Famous Wednesday
  • When: May 21
  • Venue: Foundation Lounge
  • The scene: Hoping to see and be seen this Hump Day? Head to Kenmore Square. No, really. The line forms fast and early for the Famous Wednesdays night at Foundation Lounge. Well-heeled city folk sip cocktails and grind to electronic mashups of Kim Carnes and Usher, courtesy of DJ Dirty Dek. We're told Red Sox players and Patriots often stop by — so stash an autograph book in your bag.
  • Mambo Beat Club at ZuZu

  • Mambo Beat Club
  • When: May 15
  • Venue: ZuZu
  • The scene: Come the midnight hour on Thursdays, ZuZu is awash with the groovy tunes of Mambo Beat Club. As diners dwindle and revelers mingle, the night's host, Beat Train, amps up the small, pretty room with sixties pop, soul, and eclectic dance obscurities. Welcome to the era when Courreges and Cardin imagined a brave new design world called mod.
  • Rat Pack Wednesdays at Lucky's Lounge

  • Rat Pack Night
  • When: May 7
  • Venue: Lucky's Lounge
  • The scene: Lucky's wasn't swarmed this past Wednesday, but that was the point for the weeknight patrons -- to visit the bar without the frenzied Saturday-night crowd. Loungers sat at the bar sipping cocktails while Ben Zecker and his trio entertained. On the mike was Adam Herbert, who does Frank Sinatra standards with the spirit of Ol' Blue Eyes.
  • Squabble @ Good Life

  • Tuesday Squabble
  • When: April 29
  • Venue: Good Life
  • The scene: Looking for a little feel-good funk to lively up your Tuesday nights? Head to Good Life's downstairs lounge for the weekly Squabble, where members from various local bands unite under the same groove. You'll hear some originals and rowdy covers of "Mustang Sally," "Use Me," and randomly, "Psycho Killer." Qu'est-ce que c'est?
  • Automatic @ Diva Lounge

  • Automatic
  • When: April 23
  • Venue: Diva Lounge
  • The scene: Walking into the neon-white plastic-bubble-lined Diva Lounge is like stepping into the Korova Milk Bar in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" or the space station in his "2001: A Space Odyssey." It's the perfect sci-fi chic spot for Automatic, where progressive house and electro mash-ups create a wall of mesmerizing noize and hardcore beats. Great Indian food at Diva Bistro next door doesn't hurt either.
  • Paper at Harpers Ferry

  • Paper
  • When: April 17
  • Venue: Harpers Ferry
  • The scene: Paper — Harpers Ferry's weekly 18+ indie and dance party — has been packing in the hipsters for more than two years. On any given Thursday, Paper's Myspace page promises, you could hear anything from Human League to Snoop Dogg on the dance floor. Allston Rock City, indeed!
  • Shake 'Em Down

  • Shake 'Em Down
  • When: April 3
  • Venue: Milky Way
  • The scene: Oh, Milky Way. Where else could we go to hear everything from "Upside Down" by Diana Ross to "Finally" by CeCe Peniston while watching "Tron" on the big screen? The monthly Shake 'Em Down dance event, headlined by DJ Chris Devlin, brought us back to middle school roller skating parties — in a good way.
  • Drinking & Drawing

  • Drink & Draw
  • When: March 31
  • Venue: Paddy O's
  • The scene: Paddy O's was taken over by a pack of about 20 illustrators for a party that had them working together to make one animated film. The illustrations are being made into a quick animated feature this week and will soon be posted online for viewing at drinkinganddrawing.org.
  • Bowling @ Kings

  • College bowling
  • When: March 25
  • Venue: Kings Lanes
  • The scene: Students bowl free on Tuesdays, but it isn't that different from other nights at the busy Back Bay bowling alley. The neon lights and pounding music, complete with Go-Go's and Whitesnake videos on screens above the lanes, can be distracting -- at least that's our excuse for throwing gutter balls.
  • Make It New @ Middlesex

  • Make It New
  • When: March 20
  • Venue: Middlesex Lounge
  • The scene: Every Thursday night, three DJs take turns spinning electronic music into the wee hours. The tables are wheeled to the perimeter to make room for sweaty masses with asymmetrical haircuts and Converse kicks sipping minty mojitos and getting down to the beat.