And so we’re running just as fast as we can…holding on to one another’s hand…trying to get away into the night and then we put our arms around each other, hold each other tight and then we say, “I think we’re alone now… there doesn’t seem to be anyone around, I think we’re alone now…the beating of our hearts is the only sound.” where do those lyrics take you to? if you’re a child of the seventies or eighties, you’re not thinking of the 1967 original sung by tommy James and The shonells, but of the 80’s pop goddess tiffany, who brought the song back to life to the delight of teenage girls everywhere across america in 1987. For me, specifically, it brings me to a middle school dance, singing my heart out with a gaggle of girls in the school cafeteria. it’s a great memory. every time i hear the song, i smile. i don’t hear it very often though, after all, where, specifically, can i hear these ‘flashback-type’ songs in my adult life with kids of my own? The answer is closer than you’d think. enter boogie nights, billed as “the ultimate 70’s and 80’s dance club”, at The tropicana in atlantic City. From the requisite disco ball to themed booths – think That 70’s suite, solid gold, Jungle boogie and The love shack – boogie nights is designed to give you the 70’s and 80’s experience from start to finish. i caught the man behind the concept, Dave pena, the day before the grand opening of boogie nights at The trop. although boogie nights has seen huge success – clubs have opened in indiana and baton rouge, and the original boogie nights was located just down the boardwalk at resorts – pena was understandably excited and even, he admitted, a little bit nervous, about the impending grand opening on may 4th. “There’s a lot of excitement,” pena explained. “i can’t wait to unleash it.” he’s not the only one. Cape may County resident michelle inserra has been to boogie nights on a few occasions, and looks forward to returning. “i love the music and dancing…it’s a great way to celebrate a night out with friends,” explained inserra. “i can’t wait Tropicana CEO, Tony Rodio, with some of Boogie Nights’ dancers By Danielle Davies to dress 80’s and go back again!” music has always been a part of pena’s life. even when he was a child, he remembers his grandmother giving him an allowance that would cover one new 45 album a week. with an eclectic music taste – pena appreciates everything from heavy metal to 70s funk – he spent his time in the 80’s working as a DJ at the club, streets, in new york. On any given night, bands such as The ramones and Danzig would come in. pena, who admits his training was ‘old school’, had the advantage of seeing how clubs run from any given angle, gaining invaluable first-hand experience. after a stint working with Japanese television in new york, pena and sumio sone partnered to open the karaoke bar planet rose in new york. seeing terrific success, pena and sone approached the Jersey shore, seeing huge potential in atlantic City, a place pena loved, having frequently visited as a child.(pena recalls getting to drink virgin coladas at the playboy hotel as well as seeing the easter parade with his family). They were right. planet rose has since been voted best Karaoke in the 2010 and 2011 aCweekly.com reader’s Choice nightlife awards. but pena isn‘t the type of guy to rest on one success – he‘s constantly trying to reinvent. he likes to keep dreaming up new concepts. so it was that on a lunch date with his wife, Carolyn pena, they came up with three new concepts, one of which was boogie nights. pena remembers thinking, “if i want to hear music like this, then other people probably do too.” pena adds, “it was about filling a void…there was nothing…that dedicated itself to just these two decades.” in addition, pena was aware that most places were desperately gearing themselves for the 21-28 year old marketplace. This filled a void for another age group, in addition to appealing to the typical club crowd. pena began the pitching process. having been around the block one or two times, pena was prepared to have the door shut in his face. instead, a fortuitous meeting with tony rodio, then regional president of resorts and currently president of tropicana, was met with support and enthusiasm, and boogie nights was born. boogie nights was originally located at resorts, courtesy of rodio. when rodio, with whom pena had instantly clicked, left atlantic City for indiana, boogie nights expanded to that location too. it was only natural that, upon rodio’s return to atlantic City as president of tropicana, boogie nights would once again find a home with him. while boogie nights was successful at resorts, it was the opportunity to work with rodio again that brought pena to the trop. “we work really well together,” pena said of rodio. and considering the fact that pena thrives in a team environment where everyone is “working toward the same goal” as they do in the casino environment, working relationships are of key importance to him. “i like the casino environment, the structure of being here to entertain,” explained pena. “(The casino environment) brings out the best in you by being surrounded (by others with the same goal). There is strength in numbers.” and while the move to tropicana has pena and rodio working together again, which is sure to be critical to its success, it has also provided pena with the luxury of hindsight. after all, with three previous boogie nights successes, he has learned what works, what doesn’t, and what could be better. in this newest iteration of boogie nights, pena has implemented some exciting changes, including a vibrant, colorful and bright element as well as a thoroughly unified vision. hindsight has clearly been a tool for rodio as well, who heralded in the original inception of boogie nights. Changes are seen not just in the club, but in the casino itself, with a party pit and boogie nights slot machines encountered en route to the club entrance, as well as costumed dealers on Friday and saturday nights. pena, himself, is thrilled with the plans rodio has implemented to expand the vibe of the club into the casino area. pena describes rodio’s involvement as “very hands on and very detail oriented in the layout of things.” pena added, laughing, “when i say hands on, i mean literally moving furniture.” pena’s enthusiasm about the space is infectious. when asked about his favorite physical aspects of the club, he couldn’t name just one thing, and it’s no wonder. The 9000 square foot space boasts some huge draws as well as attention to details. From the dome covered lighted dance floor to a second floor ‘glitter door’ from which special guests will make surprise appearances, and a 70’s suite complete with pinball machines as well as photo montages to add to the vibe of the club, boogie nights will be a site to behold. add to these elements a huge collage created by pena and his artist wife, consisting of record pieces and other 70s and 80s paraphernalia, a personal and creative effort to further the level of guest excitement. For pena himself, running the club is like “a dream come true”. “i love surrounding myself with people i admire,” explained pena, citing opening weekend guests tiffany, Jimmy J.J. walker from seventies tv show, Good Times, and randy Jones from The Village people. “i also can’t wait to see the fans,” pena added about opening night. and see them he will. with a large opening night guest list – the club can hold up to 620 people – pena will re-introduce fans to boogie nights with a new location, but the same customer service as ever. The who is really just as important as the what for pena. “people who join us (at boogie nights) are a very rare breed. They have to have the ability to adapt. we’re here to make people happy,” explained pena. “we might have to be a little goofy.” take, for instance, some of the staff. boogie nights is home to roller girl, mr. boogie, hula hoop girl, as well as celebrity impersonators and 70’s and 80’s icons. pena explained that boogie nights and its staff are really interactive with their guests, offering face to face experiences. “we have a lot of people looking to celebrate the weekend, people celebrating special moments,” said pena. “when people come in, they are often rolling in groups of 20 (people).” whatever it is, either the nostalgia, the interactions, the music or the décor, boogie nights is doing something right. boogie nights is wildly popular, drawing in guests from various age demographics. “Our age group is the nucleus,” explained 40 year old pena, “but boogie nights attracts a young group as well…everyone is really hitting the 80’s right now. The fashion. The music. even pop music now is 80’s based. it’s infectious.” located at tropicana, boogie nights is now open. The Atlantic City Jitney Association serves the needs of the local community as well as the millions of visitors to Atlantic City. We provide convenient, on-time transportation to various points in Atlantic City. Jitney Routes Route 1 New Hampshire Ave. to Jackson Ave. via Pacific Ave. Route 2 Golden Nugget, Harrah’s, Borgata via Delaware Ave. to Pacific Ave. Route 3 Marina Area-Borgata, Harrah’s, Trump Marina via Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to Inlet on Pacific Ave. New Convention Center/Train Station, Bus Station Route 4 New Convention Center/Train Station, Bus Station via Pacific Ave. from Jackson Ave. to Indiana Ave. 1616 Pacific Ave. Atlantic City, nJ www.JitneyAC.Com For information about Regular Jitney Service, Train Station Jitney Service, Lost and Found or Ticket Programs, call 609-344-8642 46 | The Boardwalk Journal | May 2012 May 2012 | The Boardwalk Journal | 47
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