Dancing, it seems, never goes out of style. And even though Denver might not live up to the same raucous standards of nightclubs in cities like New York or Los Angeles, there are still some places in the Mile High City to lose yourself in the beat. Enter Denver native Boyhollow (Michael Trundle), a DJ who has been throwing the longest-running indie dance party in the country for the last 17 years — called Lipgloss. The weekly party gives attendees an excuse to carve up the dance floor, usually in time to Boyhollow’s mixes. In celebration of each continued year of success, Lipgloss always goes big for the anniversary parties, bringing in headlining acts that command the dance floor.
READ: The Lipgloss Anniversary Party was Poppin’ At Bar Standard
Since 2001, Lipgloss has delivered week after week of danceable tunes for those who want more than the Billboard Top 100 on their night out. Boyhollow mixes in and out of oldies and current beats, looking for similarities and harmonizing rhythms that span decades. Normally, the dance party happens at Milk Bar every Friday, but for the big upcoming 17th-anniversary throwdown on August 24, Lipgloss will take over Bar Standard with Grammy-nominated Shiny Toy Guns.
Shiny Toy Guns is a band that combines rock with synth-pop and grunge to produce songs that incite movement, even from the unwilling. Running in line with the DJ-driven sounds of Boyhollow, the performance will be a DJ set by Jeremy Dawson, the keyboardist and bassist for Shiny Toy Guns, paired with live vocals from the band’s singer, Carah Charnow. Some of their songs like “Le Disko” use elements of house and techno music, while others like “Carrie” sound more similar to the electronic-pop-rock ballads of Arcade Fire or Passion Pit.
The party starts at 9 p.m., with DJ sets from DJ Tower and Boyhollow, followed by the headlining performance from Shiny Toy Guns. Even if Shiny Toy Guns isn’t your thing, the nonstop dance party that Boyhollow always delivers is worth checking out. And after a long week, letting it all loose on the dance floor feels pretty damn good.
Lipgloss’s 17th Anniversary dance party is Friday, August 24 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Bar Standard, 1037 Broadway. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.