By Lydia Wrobel:
House music hit the dance scene in the early ’80s–it originated at private house parties and underground clubs housed in unused parking ramps and garages. House was a direct response to the outgoing disco era, and ushered in a new, exciting, raw and pulsating form of music that came straight from the street, and was just about the dance.
It was gay, it was straight. It was black, it was white. It inspired new colloquial dance forms: voguing was one of the most creative and outlandish. It was a potpourri of deep, resonating beats that reflected the melting pot of its ardent followers.
The movement, which originally came out of the ’80s and mid ’90s, exploded across the country, and landed in the far-flung clubs of London, Moscow, Vienna, and Berlin. By the mid-’90s, the music scene yet again evolved, expanding from deep, soulful house sounds to mechanical, regimented and also much-loved techno beats.
Thirty years after the birth of house music, Buffalo has launched its own house party that draws inspiration from the purity of the original scene: Peace. Luv. House!
This party began in January 2012 at The Golden Key on Connecticut Street. Currently, the house monthly is home at The Buffalo Bar & Grille in Buffalo’s Old First Ward.
Peace. Luv. House!
What: A classic house music party
When: First Saturday night of the month, 8pm-1am
Where: Buffalo Bar & Grille, 307 Louisiana St. in the Old First Ward (learn more)
Hosts: DJs Bflo Lydia (Lydia Wrobel) and Active8 (Vincent Somogyi), plus a
monthly guest DJ
Cover: $5 includes first drink (well or draft)
Online: www.facebook.com/PeaceLuvHouse
Peace. Luv. House! is a monthly gathering of house music aficionados carrying on the torch of soulful, funky, disco house … usually played on vinyl records. The event is gathering attention from local house heads, all types of people, usually in their mid-20s to mid-40s (gay, straight, bi / brown, white, black / poor, middle-class, upper-class). Peace. Luv. House! is the type of event where patrons go specifically for the music — not to get falling-down drunk or to pick up chicks.
The Buffalo Bar & Grille, owned by John W. Hoffman, is a funky little joint with unique Buffalo-themed decorations, historical photographs of famous musicians, and a smattering of off-the-wall additions (wait’ll you see Marilyn Monroe).
Offering Buffalo-style fare such as scrumptious chicken wings and huge, juicy cheeseburgers, the Grille is just the right size for those who love to groove to real house music once a month. Henna tattoos are also offered by local artist Mehandi Mahal starting at $8 during the first half of each night.
Peace. Luv. House! is not a generic EDM (electronic dance music – the newest catch-all term for many types of electronic music) event. It is specifically a house music event: four-on-the-floor beats, sweat rags, and well-worn sneakers are the norm (yes, even on the ladies). It is expected that patrons will dance and make new connections in the local house music community — not just stand in the corner with a grimace on their face. This monthly party is all about the feeling that one is connected through house music and its people; that is what makes Peace. Luv. House! special.
For more information about house music and its history, check these links: