Dancing With Myself (Again)

I keep thinking of that episode of The Osbournes where they go out of town and the teenager that lives with them, Robert Marcato, stays at home. The episode cuts multiple times from The Osbourne family doing various things to Robert Marcato doing the same thing: dancing alone to techno in his bedroom. I can not find evidence of these scenes. Does anyone remember this?! Am I going off the rails on a crazy train? Who knows, this could be a figment of my imagination, but it is burned in my brain because I was that kid and I am that kid once again.

If you would have peeked into preteen Taryn’s room on a Friday night, you would have seen me dancing along to the show Electric Circus like it was my job (AND I would have been so mad at you for watching me, creep). 

Every time I hear a Daft Punk song from the late ’90s/early ’00s (“Around the World”, “One More Time”, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”) or Kylie Minogue (“Come Into My World”, “Can't Get You Out Of My Head”) I am taken back to those nights in my room when I craved to rave in clubs like Electric Circus.

Electric Circus was a live show on the Canadian channel MuchMusic that filmed at the Toronto night club of the same name. The show was canceled and the club closed before I had my chance to go to Canada, but I obviously grew up and danced (badly) like no one was watching in many places around Chattanooga. 

As a queer high school kid, I also pined to watch drag shows and dance the night away at the only gay bar I was aware of at the time, Images. Years later I would go on to have many fun nights at Images. When Images closed last year, I was in the crowded bar with two of the friends that I used to talk about going there with when we turned 21, but life had gotten in the way and I hadn’t seen them in years until that night. It was bittersweet to spend that last night in the very place with the person who told me about it over 15 years prior, when it was now out of my reach and 21 seemed so far away in the opposite direction.

Now in 2020, COVID-19 is still here and spiking, again, so I’m dancing alone to Spotify playlists and New York City nightclub, House of Yes live-streams like the younger, small town Taryn did while dreaming of being back to life, back to reality, ...back from a fantasy to some unknown time in the future that still seems so far away.

This morning Facebook reminded me that a year ago today my partner Brian and I were in Nashville eating delicious hot chicken sandwiches at Vege-Licious Cafe before dancing like crazy to Matt and Kim at Marathon Music Works. In contrast, tonight we’ll order take-out from somewhere closer, and dance to Matt and Kim’s Grand in the living room until it gets awkward. I’m sure I’ll be taken from this Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare for at least 3 and a half minutes, filled with the satisfaction that I grew up to be the woman that I wanted to be.

If I had the chance I'd ask the world to dance.

So go turn up some Billy Idol, dance with yourself, with the record selection, and the mirror's reflection.

Be safe and I’ll see you on the dance floor again (soonish!), fellow concert hoppers.