Suds party on again at AfterHours

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

It's not Palmolive, but you can still relax while soaking in it.

A foam party offers clubgoers the altogether trippy experience of dancing, playing or otherwise disappearing in up to five feet of soapy suds. The stuff spews from a ceiling-mounted unit above the dance floor that mixes a concentrate with water and can fill a small room in minutes. Though water-based, the bubble bath-like foam generated is relatively dry, non-toxic and non-allergenic. Beachwear, however, is recommended.

Dehnert threw his first couple of foam parties at World Cafe last summer. He has organized foam gigs monthly at AfterHours since March.

"In general, the AfterHours crowd is very diverse," said Dehnert. "But the foam parties bring in a lot of different people. There's a rush from the 2 a.m. clubs. And at 4 a.m., a lot of people from The Wave, Maze or the other 4 o'clock clubs come over. It's an even more diverse community that draws upon all the different clubs."

With an average 300 or so suds addicts dropping by throughout the morning, foam parties double attendance for Dehnert's weekly AfterHours party.

"Even if you're not into dancing in it, it's fun to watch people," said Dehnert. "There's something cool about seeing people running around putting foam on their head and their friends' heads."