The Sounds of Wham! in a Crowded Nightclub
Rhythm Reverie #13
The following story is part of a larger series that you can read more about here. Check out this Spotify playlist to hear the songs referenced in the series.
We called it The Promised Land.
On Friday afternoons, we’d hop on the tram and make our way across the cobblestone streets to a ticket booth in Prague’s Wenceslas Square. We knew that this chore would save us the headache of having to wait in line at one of the city’s most popular (as far as we knew it) nightclubs.
Lucerna, this Promised Land, was the hot spot my roommates and I quickly fell in love with during our time studying in the city. It was everything you’d expect a nightclub to be, but there was an electric energy in the air that only the famed Friday 80s Night could conjure up.
The main dance floor was surrounded by tv screens that played the music videos of the 80s classics. Whitney, Madonna, & Wham! were recurring guests during these late night dance parties, with the occasional Britney hit being thrown in for good measure.
My roommates and I often ended up on an elevated stage to dance in a close-knit pack while gazing down at the crowd. Dare to get too close to the stage’s edge however, and you were almost guaranteed to get an elbow to the side that sent you tumbling.
Still to this day, now seven years later, those early morning hours at Lucerna remain among my happiest memories. I had traveled to a foreign country, roomed with strangers who are now close friends, and learned to navigate a city that led me to this Promised Land.
It was a time defined by stepping out of my comfort zone — and being rewarded with joyful moments for having the courage to do so.
When the club closed at 5am, we’d stumble into the cobblestone streets and head to a nearby food cart for Prague sausages and toasted cheese. Our walks home served as our recap of the night — who danced with who, who fell off the stage (one of us almost always took a tumble), and who barely kept down their tequila shot.
There are a number of songs that take me right back to this sweaty club & bright TV screens. But Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” stands out above the rest.
Wake me up before you go-go
Take me dancing tonight
I wanna hit that high, yeah yeah
Dancing and hitting that serotonin high. That’s what The Promised Land delivered. And hopefully in the near future, I’ll make my pilgrimage back.
