Here we are, the best no-brainer date night I’d had in a while.
First, the no-brainer date night, defined: Easy, not too pricey. Does not require reservations. Entertaining, but not a time sucker.
The no-brainer date night, handed to you on a platter: Summerdance, followed by sushi outside at Bob San on Division Street (or gelato at Caffe Gelato at Division and Damen), followed by some romantic action of the “Oh, he’s so cute, he took me to an outdoor dance festival” kind.
Yes, this can happen, even for you, the non-dancer.
People who are afraid of dancing in public, I assure you, Summerdance is a safe place to go. I’ve been there. I’ve seen how cute couples gaze at each other, even while glued to the chairs around the perimeter of the dance floor. Plus, they sell sangria there. There are live bands. Lots of cute kids run around and do cute things. You can snicker when the guy in the captain’s hat does the dolphin.
Here are some good nights to go (the full schedule is below): salsa night on Saturday, August 4th; bhangra night with Funkadesi, a fun band to watch play live, on Thursday, the 16th; African night on the 23rd with the band Kokolo.
For the uninitiated, Summerdance runs Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through August in the Spirit of the Music Garden at 601 S. Michigan, across from the new Spertus. Each night has a theme, such as salsa. Someone teaches a dance lesson about 6 to 7:30, followed by a band that plays in that style. I usually skip the lessons and show up at about the time the band starts.