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DancePlex 396 S. First St, San Jose 408.280.1977 Retro Groovin' Relive the '70s, '80s and ... this morning! By Jessica Lyons Was favorite downtown dance club Polly Esther's a celebration of Ohio Players disco or Prince before that weird name change? Easy solution--split the decades into their own scenes--Polly Esther's. Culture Club and Club Expo-- and package the whole deal under a new name: DancePlex. Psychedelic paintings of Billy Idol, Prince, Pac Man and other '80s icons--along with a 35-foot-tall Terminator--adorn the walls, while disco balls, flashing lights and wall-to-wall Afros are the norm for the Saturday Night Fever disco floor upstairs. Downstairs, on the Purple Rain dance floor, '80s rock is totally cool and Madonna wannabes dancing in cages are always in vogue. It's a staple for bachelorette parties, birthdays and nights when girls just wanna have fun. Snaking out the door, there's always a long line made up of microminis, tube tops and lots of skin. But the guys aren't complaining. "The music is great and there are lots of chicks,"explains one Prince enthusiast, slurping on a Jaws (what a bite!) specialty drink, and eyeing the night's potential hook up on the dance floor. "It's all about Madonna," enthuses another scantily clad go-go dancer. Indeed, the DJs have been known to play entire sets of Material Girl hits. Featuring drinks with names like The Exorcist "it will make you head spin," and the Sonny and Cher, DancePlex is a must go for all Gen Xers. So dig out the pantsuits and cone bras, brush up on the Hustle and hit the dance floors, you dancing queen, you. Hours: Thu-Sat 8pm-2am Crowd Age: early 20s to early 30s Music: Disco and '80s rock, house and techno Décor: '70s and '80s memorabilia Signature Drink: The Sonny "I Had You Babe" and The Cher "I Don't Want You Babe" Dancing: Three dance floors Games/Amenities: Dancing cages, giant Twister, VW Bug Listings by Geographical Location: Campbell | Cupertino | Los Gatos | Mtn. View | Peninsula | Central San Jose | San Jose 'Burbs | Santa Clara | Saratoga | South County | Sunnyvale | South County | Bar and Club Locator Features: Light's On, Door's Open: What makes a bar a favorite hangout the world over? One writer aims to find out. I'll Have What She's Having...: What's new and what's cool when it comes to the latest cocktail twists. Reviews: Senoritas and Margaritas: Left at Albuquerque--blame it all on Route 66. Scene Stealer: All the animals come out at night... to the Camera Cafe. Saddle Up: Sangria Restaurant, where sitting at the bar is a gripping experience. Retro Groovin': At the DancePlex. partygoers relive the '70s, '80s and... this morning! Flash and Dash: Mardi Gras and other surprises at Nola Restaurant and Bar. Knight Dreams: Black Watch--where swords cross and Stoli freezes over. United Nations: Lido's Nightclub, where world beat has a whole new meaning. Taste the Music: The Icon Supperclub is the new incarnation of the Edge. Mineral Wealth: Mining for meaning under the Cinebar's disco ball . In the Pink: All in a dogone day's work at the Pink Poodle. Rod's Roadstop: Britannia Arms at Almaden wears it well. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]