{"id":2246565,"date":"2026-01-23T03:03:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T03:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2246565"},"modified":"2026-01-23T03:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T03:03:16","slug":"this-new-orleans-dance-party-has-been-grooving-for-25-years-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/this-new-orleans-dance-party-has-been-grooving-for-25-years-music\/","title":{"rendered":"This New Orleans dance party has been grooving for 25 years | Music"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By about 11 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month, you can expect to find the dance floor at Saturn Bar packed to the brim, throngs of music lovers crammed shoulder to shoulder, shimmying and shaking under the dim glow of the dive\u2019s multi-colored chandelier.<\/p>\n

The back patio is likely inhabited by cliques huddled around a shared cigarette, a bowl of late-night ramen or both. Lines snake out of the bathrooms, up to the bar and from St. Claude Avenue to the building\u2019s entrance. Sweaty dancers crowd onto nearly every inch of the balcony, clinging to the railing as they look out on the chaos below.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll be like this through much of the night, sometimes until dawn.<\/p>\n

But the music pumping from Saturn\u2019s speakers? You won\u2019t find it on Billboard\u2019s Hot 100 or trending on Spotify. It\u2019s not even from this century.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s the music that first played on radios and in dance halls 60 years ago \u2014 Aretha Franklin, The Zombies, The Beatles, The Isley Brothers \u2014 and it\u2019s the music that has drawn new generations of New Orleanians to Mod Dance Party for the last 25 years.<\/p>\n

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A crowd gathers on the dance floor during Mod Dance Party at Saturn Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Staff photo by Enan Chediak, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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One of the longest running dance parties in the city, Mod night started at Circle Bar in 2000 with a pair of rookie DJs, some old \u201860s records and a couple of loyal fans. Since then, it\u2019s grown into a staple of New Orleans nightlife, outliving its original home and surviving Hurricane Katrina, COVID-19 and the advent of iPods, cellphones and streaming services.<\/p>\n

So what makes Mod night so special? Maybe it\u2019s the event\u2019s fearless leaders, 64-year-old Matt Uhlman and 46-year-old Kristen Aul, the DJs who have remained devoted to the event since inception. Maybe it\u2019s their allegiance to real vinyl 45s and LPs, a novelty in today\u2019s internet-centered world, or Saturn Bar\u2019s unpretentious atmosphere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But Uhlman and Aul, sitting outside the Bywater bar on a recent Saturday after a soundcheck, distilled the magic of Mod Dance Party down to one simple element: the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis era of music, most of this music was made to dance to,\u201d Uhlman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean,\u201d Aul said, nodding, \u201chow can you not?\u201d<\/p>\n

DJ Zeppelin presents Lipstick and Cigarettes<\/h3>\n

Fans of Mod night as it is today have the late Kelly Keller to thank. A music obsessive and co-owner of the now shuttered Circle Bar<\/a> until her death in 2004, Keller wanted to host a recurring DJ night but needed someone to lead the charge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Keller, known to have an eye for talent, tapped Uhlman. He agreed, though his DJ experience was limited to radio, having aired on Tulane University\u2019s student-run station WTUL. But, Uhlman pointed out, radio requires a \u201ctotally different kind of DJ.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you\u2019re not worried about whether people are dancing or not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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A young Kristen Aul and Matt Uhlman. Date unknown.<\/p>\n

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\n Courtesy of Kristen Aul<\/span>
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He had to buy all new equipment for the gig and earned his stripes on the job, learning some hard lessons along the way.<\/p>\n

Uhlman said he initially wanted to call the party \u201csomething stupid,\u201d like \u201cLipstick and Cigarettes.\u201d He also said he wanted to call himself \u201csomething stupid,\u201d like \u201cDJ Zeppelin.\u201d Aul still laughs hysterically when they talk about this. Uhlman rolls his eyes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Keller, a merciful ruler, vetoed those options, instead dubbing the event Mod Dance Party and Uhlman DJ Matty.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t an overnight sensation, but Mod night quickly generated a few fanatics, including Aul herself, who Uhlman said always danced and was always best dressed. Clad now in one of her many vintage, polyester mini-dresses and a pair of white go-go boots appropriate of the era, she still is.<\/p>\n

Aul revealed to Uhlman that her passion for music was cultivated in part by her dad, who had been in a \u201860s garage band called Substantial Evidence. Aul didn\u2019t think Uhlman would have heard of them, but he had a copy of the band\u2019s song \u201cDeath Angel\u201d on a 45.<\/p>\n

It felt kismet, so Uhlman asked Aul to help host the event. They still end each Mod night with \u201cDeath Angel\u201d to this day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Kristen Aul digs through records in 2001.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n Courtesy of Kristen Aul<\/span>
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Ruled by Jupiter, at home at Saturn<\/h3>\n

When Aul joined the team, she brought her dad\u2019s record collection and college radio experience of her own.<\/p>\n

She too had to learn the intricacies of a live music setting, and she reiterated that \u201cMod Dance Party was not a hit in the beginning,\u201d with many a Saturday night going without a soul on the dance floor.<\/p>\n

But their love for the music of the era endured, and others eventually started to catch on.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can hear a song like \u2018Louie Louie,\u2019 you can hear it 1,000 times, but until you see people dance to it, it gives it a whole new meaning,\u201d Uhlman said. \u201cIt\u2019s like a form of anthropology or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aul and Uhlman play some of the same songs each Mod night, but they don\u2019t plan out a setlist, allowing them the freedom to lean more funk, surf or soul depending on the crowd\u2019s response.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSo that anticipation of what to play next to keep the dance floor crowded is what I think that me and Matt are really good at,\u201d Aul said.<\/p>\n

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Matt Uhlman, left, and Kristen Aul, right, look through records while they DJ during Mod Dance Party at Saturn Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Staff photo by Enan Chediak, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s that instinct that has kept locals like 37-year-old Philip Yiannopoulos coming out to Mod Dance Party for the last 20 years. To him, Mod night is one of those New Orleans constants you can always count on \u2014 akin to Saints games, Mardi Gras or potholes \u2014 no matter how else the city might change.<\/p>\n

After Katrina hit in August 2005, Mod night was back up and running that October, leaky Circle Bar roof be damned. When Aul briefly moved to Germany, Uhlman kept the dance party going. Uhlman moved to Philadelphia, and Aul kept it up. During COVID-19 lockdowns, the pair hosted Mod parties over Zoom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s been amazing to see some of the same faces for over two decades now,\u201d Yiannopoulos said.<\/p>\n

Yiannopoulos and his wife, Heather Lane, bought Saturn Bar in 2021<\/a> partly in an effort to save the institutions like Mod Dance Party that have found a home at the offbeat corner bar.<\/p>\n

Saturn and their team of veteran bartenders have been critical to Mod\u2019s survival, especially following the closure of Circle Bar, Aul said. She proudly pointed out that she, Uhlman, Yiannopoulos and Lane are all Sagittarius, who are \u2014 if you believe in the tenants of astrology \u2014 adventurous knowledge seekers ruled by Jupiter. Ironic, then, that they should all find a place at Saturn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A crowd gathers on the dance floor and on the stairs to the balcony during Mod Dance Party at Saturn Bar in New Orleans, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Staff photo by Enan Chediak, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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While Mod night tends to build longtime fans, there are newcomers, too.<\/p>\n

Yiannopoulos often helps work the door on busy Mod Saturdays, and he said it\u2019s a shock to the system when some 21-year-old born in 2004 hands him an ID.<\/p>\n

Really, though, he cherishes the opportunity to watch newbies navigate their first Mod night. During the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX, a group of young (but totally of age!) college kids were among the hundreds who rushed to Saturn Bar for country music star Zach Bryan\u2019s surprise performance.<\/a> Aul and Uhlman were up next, and Yiannopoulos encouraged the group to stick around.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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About half of them shut down at the first echo of the oldies, looking for the nearest exit. The other half, though, rushed to the dance floor, giddy as they joined the fray. It tends to be a love it or hate it kind of night, Yiannopoulos said, and that\u2019s part of the fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re there on the dance floor and it\u2019s packed, you have to leave if you don\u2019t want to be there,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can\u2019t half ass it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Dancers boogie at Mod Dance Party at Saturn Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Staff photo by Enan Chediak, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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In Mod we trust<\/h3>\n

Aul and Uhlman only have two rules: dance, and don\u2019t spill your drink on the valuables, though the duo prefers a rowdy crowd to a sleepy one.<\/p>\n

Aul herself, leading by example, has fallen from a fireplace mantel and finished the night with a black eye. A pregnant Mod attendee was once rushed to the hospital when her water broke on the dance floor, and more than a few now-married couples met for the first time at Mod night, kickstarting their relationships with good, old-fashioned dirty dancing. Aul and Uhlman have been featured in several weddings for this reason.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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They also don\u2019t gatekeep their setlists like some DJs do, instead sharing their music with anyone who asks, including New Orleans ex-pats as far as Hong Kong who have started Mod offshoots in their new homes. They don\u2019t consider themselves stuffy record collectors or music educators, though attendees are often so young (but totally of age!) that they hear some songs for the first and only time at Mod night.<\/p>\n

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Kristen Aul places a record on the turn table during Mod Dance Party at Saturn Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Staff photo by Enan Chediak, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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Aul\u2019s copy of \u201cDon\u2019t You Just Know It\u201d by Huey \u201cPiano\u201d Smith skips briefly at one point, and she and Uhlman said the crowd sings along to the skip. Most of them have never heard it outside Saturn Bar.<\/p>\n

Seeing new generations dance and sing to the music Aul and Uhlman love is what has sustained the duo over the decades, even while both hold day jobs. And they don\u2019t foresee themselves or Mod Dance Party slowing down anytime soon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhen I die,\u201d Aul said with a laugh, Uhlman nodding furiously. \u201cI mean, as long as people show up, we\u2019ll be here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By about 11 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month, you can expect to find the dance floor at Saturn Bar packed to the brim, throngs of music lovers crammed shoulder to shoulder, shimmying and shaking under the dim glow of the dive\u2019s multi-colored chandelier. The back patio is likely inhabited by cliques huddled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2246566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[128321],"class_list":["post-2246565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-hardwall"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/This-New-Orleans-dance-party-has-been-grooving-for-25.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2246565"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2246567,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246565\/revisions\/2246567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2246566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2246565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2246565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2246565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}