Dance Party

Gay Pride festivals are in season. Washington's Capital Pride was last weekend, and so was Philadelphia's. Chesapeake Pride is coming up in mid-July at Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds. But this weekend, it's time for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Baltimoreans to celebrate. The Baltimore Pride festival , which officially kicks off Friday and ends Sunday, includes an opening garden party, a performance by Deborah Cox, a block party, a high-heel race and the annual parade.

They came, they saw, they danced and -- amazingly -- no one was arrested. No one was choked. No one was slammed to the ground or struck in the face.  Saturday at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C., protesters led by Russia Today show host Adam Kokesh (a former U.S. Marine and Iraq war vet) danced (rather poorly, I'll add) around the monument while police watched with no show of force. After letting the protesters dance for a significant amount of time, the officers closed the memorial and escorted protesters out peacefully -- without arrests or violence of any kind.

They were arrested, slammed to the ground and choked last weekend. But protesters opposed to a federal judge's ruling that bans dancing inside the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in D.C. aren't backing down.  Led by Russia Today host Adam Kokesh (an Iraq war vet), the protesters plan a larger silent dance party for noon this Saturday at the memorial.  Kokesh's movement found support from a majority of this blog's readers on Monday in an unscientific poll, in which voters 2-1 said the police were wrong to arrest the protesters.  Kokesh also found support from Fox Business Network host Judge Andrew Napolitano, who described the arrests as "a scene out of 'Footloose meets the Gestapo.'"  "It looks like they're choking you to death here," Napolitano told Kokesh.

If the Backstreet Boys and new Kids on the Block concert has you wanting to relive the '80s and '90s, there's plenty of options available, including several dance parties, nostalgia acts and even laser tag. The Ottobar 's upstairs floor has long been a shrine to the kind of unadulterated pop that flourished then. On Saturday, DJs Sarrs and Starlight host a no cover "All Excess" night that will feature a selection of the best of INXS, Depeche Mode, The Cure and other new wave classics.

"It's raw, simple, almost primal music that is meant to be the soundtrack to the time of your life. " That's DJ James Nasty talking about Baltimore club music. He's a longtime fan. But for an upcoming gig, he's been researching it and other historic Baltimore sounds more meticulously than he would for his weekly Mustache party at the Ottobar . The online magazine Gutter asked him and DJ Benny Stixx to come up with a dance party where they'd spin only Baltimore music. The two will finally show off their set lists tonight at the Windup Space at a party where they'll play songs that stretch as far back as the 1940s.

Club Phoenix is a dumpy two-floor bar in Mount Vernon that's forgotten for most of the week, even by the crowd of older gay men that frequent it. But on weekends, it's become known for hosting dance parties on its rickety, unvarnished upstairs floor. Most Saturdays, a bunch of Maryland Institute College of Art students serve as DJs for the Dance Your [Butt] Off party. And this Friday, it will host, for the second time, Ice Age, a monthly party dedicated to obscure, atmospheric music that marries Goth rock and New Wave — something that might sound like a cut from the Cure's album "Seventeen Seconds.

Sunday, Oct. 3 First Sunday Arts Festival Annapolis event features crafts vendors, artists, live music, street performers and sidewalk dining, noon to 5 p.m. in the first block of West and Calvert streets. Free. "Viva Flamenco" performs at 1 p.m. in the side lot at Stan and Joe's; the Annapolis Dixieland Band plays at noon in Wiseman Park; and in Whitmore Park, the Brothers and Sisters perform rock 'n' roll music from noon to 1:30 p.m. Information: 410-741-3267. 'Zirk der Ruhe' Theatrical performance featuring interactive razzle-dazzle, thrilling stunts and comedy takes place at 3 p.m. at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St., Annapolis.

Have you heard the one about the woman with the ham in the grocery store? It goes like this: A portly woman wearing an overcoat is walking down a supermarket aisle when a full-size ham falls out of her coat and lands on the floor. Fearing she'd be caught shoplifting, the woman looks around and yells, "Who threw that ham at me?" The story, which has gone around for years, was the basis for the new single by B-52s frontman Fred Schneider. Schneider filmed the music video for the song "Who Threw That Ham At Me?"

Ever since the Charles Village club The Ottobar started hosting '80s dance parties several years ago, co-owner Michael Bowen has wanted to surprise his customers with an 1880s dance party. It would be much like a 1980s dance party - just without the electricity, he would joke to his friends. On Friday, Bowen will make his uber-retro dance party a reality. Starting at 11:30 p.m., BGE is turning off the lights at The Ottobar for routine maintenance. Instead of shutting down, Bowen decided to put together an "authentic" 1880s dance party on the club's second level.

FRIDAY POE IN MOTION: Go gothic when Evergreen Museum and Library, 4545 N. Charles St., screens "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven" outside at 7:30 p.m. The grounds open at 5:30 p.m., so you can arrive early to take a self-guided tour of the museum's first-floor rooms and see rare illustrated editions of Edgar Allan Poe's works from the Garrett Library. General admission tickets are $6. In case of rain, the event will be held in the Carriage House. Go to nevermore2009.com. JOHN HUGHES '80S TRIBUTE DANCE PARTY: Remember the '80s and classic John Hughes films like "Pretty in Pink" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" at this dance party at Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. Don't forget to dress the era, too. Doors open at 9 p.m. There's no cover for this event, and drinks are $2 until 10 p.m. Go to theottobar.