By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Nightlife Blogger
My friend Connie is fun. As in F.U.N.
So when she said that I should check out the band Atomic Groove at the Belly Up Tavern during one of its Friday Happy Hours, I followed her advice and went there with her. And whoa, she was right. What a night!
Now, I’m not saying it’s the most fun you can have in San Diego but you would be hard pressed to beat it on a Friday evening between about 5:45 and 7:45 p.m. Because this band is fun. F.U.N.
Atomic Groove, if you don’t know, is a high energy 80s/disco/fun songs band. They play nonstop for an hour, take a break and then play about another half hour again nonstop, going from one “oh my gosh, I LOVE that song” straight into another. I constantly found myself looking for a place to put down my beer to pull out my phone to video and take photos. When I finally said “okay, that’s enough” they would play another fun song. Finally, I decided to put the phone in my pocket and just enjoy the moment, something too many people miss out on when constantly pulling out the cellphone camera at concerts and events.
Atomic Groove seamlessly bounces from Abba’s “Dancing Queen” to Pink’s “Get This Party Started,” from Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” to AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” to the unoffical singalong anthem of party bands, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” And more. And more. And more. To fully enjoy Atomic Groove at the Belly Up Happy Hour – or anywhere they play for that matter – you had better be at your peak stamina level.
I have no idea how the band does it. They must have oxygen tanks backstage.
All this energy is absorbed by the crowd, which arrives by the hundreds every other Friday, lining up when the bar opens at 5 and once inside, racing to get a good spot by the stage. Several are dressed in some kind of glitter, which matches not just the outfits of many in the band but also the music that is played.
Atomic Groove at the Belly Up Tavern Happy Hour isn’t just a band in a bar, folks. It’s a bi-weekly event in San Diego.
The best way to experience Atomic Groove is to be on the dance floor. You may get an occasional elbow, your feet stepped on (or you may be doing that that yourself; oops, sorry!) as you are constantly moving to the music.
Beyond the showmanship, I was mesmerized by the band’s dancers. They are perfectly choreographed, almost like the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, moving in complete synchronization with each other and to the sounds of the songs. They are from the AG Fly Girlz Dance Class of MB Fit Studio in Solana Beach.
It’s like no other Happy Hour in San Diego or any other Happy Hour that I’ve been to anywhere for that matter.
There are, however, a few things to know about it. For one thing, you have to buy a ticket. It’s about $15. It’s best to get this in advance, because I’m not sure it sells out but it certainly was pretty near capacity when I was there.
Also, there were are no Happy Hour drink or food specials. A beer is 11 bucks. And Belly Up does not run tabs at the bar. You must close out every time. At first, I found this a bit annoying but it does have the benefit of you not having to wait a long time at the end of the show to close out a tab.
The event begins at 5 and goes until 8, and you cannot hang around afterward to hear the later band because that’s a separate ticket.
Atomic Groove Belly Up Happy Hour Photos
Kevin Wilkerson is an award-winning journalist who publishes PubClub.com. This article was written by a human with no assistance from AI or ChatGTP.
Leave a Reply