DJ Inky’s Social Distance Dance Party, Pt. II

07 Apr DJ Inky’s Social Distance Dance Party, Pt. II

Posted at 20:49h in Playlist, Uncategorized by inkyinkinc

Welcome back, Gentle Reader(s), to your fave rave online resource for… for whatever it is we offer to you here. Like arty stuff and such like. But let’s forget about the arty farty stuff for a moment and get down to brass tacks: We remain in the throes of Lockdown and enforced solitude is quite likely beginning to weigh a bit heavily upon many of us. While I don’t have any ready solutions to offer for our current state of Heavy Manners I can extend to you DJ Inky’s Social Distance Dance Party, Part the Deux—tried and trusted toons from the expansive dancefloor of Ye Olde Matador Bar & Lounge. With any luck it might provide a bit of welcome distraction from the myriad woes and worries of the day. I find getting up and moving about to be an essential tonic—it can do nothing but good for you & yours as well, just don’t trip over the pets or the furniture or your fellow inmates.

Now, you may be asking unto yourself, ‘Self, who in tarnation is that bespectacled fellow pictured at top, wrangling a meaty slab of meat?’ And well you might. Unless you were a customer of Langenstein’s Market on Arabella Street in New Orleans in the ’60s and ’70s (perhaps even the ’80s and ’90s?) you probably wouldn’t recognize Mr. Buddy. Mr. Buddy Hodgkins was the manager of the meat department at said emporium back in the day and I saw him just about every Saturday morning when I was a kid, out on the weekly excursion to ‘make groceries’ with Inky Mum. Mr. Buddy, as he was known to all and sundry, was a beloved fixture of Uptown life in New Orleans and I have fond memories of him and of Langenstein’s, which blessedly still exists, largely unchanged, to this very day.

So now we know the ‘who,’ but what about the ‘why’ and ‘wherefore?’ The ‘why’ and ‘wherefore’ are by way of a heartfelt salute to grocery store workers all over the world. Who would have thunk, mere weeks ago, that grocery store employees would become front line warriors in the coronavirus plague? Who could imagine that stocking shelves, manning the produce, meat and fish counters and cash registers would become essential and decidedly hazardous duty in this unprecedented pandemic? These are some of the folks that we deal with regularly but probably think little about in terms of their critical role in our daily lives and the potential risks that they might face on our behalf. I’m hoping that one of the potential upsides to this epic shitstorm will be that we might take a moment, or a moment longer, to think of these people, to recognize their hard work and to be thankful for the same.

So next time you’re in your local manifestation of Langenstein’s and you encounter your local versions of Mr. Buddy and his colleagues, take that moment to give them a heartfelt ‘THANK YOU!’ for continuing to play their part in our global life and death drama. Yes, they’re getting paid to be there (though not enough, for sure), but they’re also taking a considerable risk on our behalf. Everbody gots ta eat, rite?

So hang in there Friends and Gentle Reader(s), get up and shake a leg, and most importantly: Stay Safe, Stay Strong, Keep Calm and Carry On!

Let’s Dance – David Bowie

Rip It Up – Orange Juice

Twist & Shout – the Beatles

I Got Mine – the Black Keys

London Calling – the Clash

Gates of Steel – Devo

I Want You Back – the Jackson 5

Ray of Light – Madonna

Looking for a Kiss – New York Dolls

Dance Away – Roxy Music

Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs