East Bay Young Dems know how to party

Last night’s Barack n’ Roll Inauguration Party went even better than I could have hoped for. Throughout the night, about 800 people came to Z Bar to celebrate Barack Obama’s election, and to eat, drink, dance, and generally have a good time. We reached capacity at 7:30pm, just an hour after opening the doors, and had to regulate the flow of traffic until 8:30, when it cleared out a bit. Here’s what it looked like at the peak of the night:

It seemed like everyone in the East Bay at least stopped by the party – there were even a few San Franciscans there. I saw friends, co-workers, elected officials, city staff, a few Oakland bloggers, the leader of one of my favorite Oakland bands, and of course lots of Young Dems. The best part was that I didn’t know most of the people there, and many of them had never been to a EBYD event before. The crowd was diverse in every way – age, race, background – but also in attire. There were people wearing ball gowns and tuxedos and others in jeans and t-shirts, and of course everything in between. No matter what they were wearing, everyone looked fabulous – really, it was as if every attractive person in the East Bay was at Z Bar last night, and they were all looking their best.

The music was great all night, especially the opening set spun by EBYD’s own Chris Vaeth:

After Chris’s set, we played Obama’s inaugural speech on a large screen, and after that it cleared out a bit. Still, the line at the bar never died down, and we gave the bartenders quite a workout:

One of the best parts of using Z Bar as the venue was that the Chrysler showroom, which is adjacent to it, was opened up for spillover, which we desperately needed. As Oaklanders danced the night away, I fantasized about one of the car dealerships being converted into a nightclub. Maybe one day that will happen when Auto Row gets a makeover.

Besides finding a bigger location next time, I’m not sure I would have done anything different. Every detail down to the scrumptious appetizers and these gorgeous centerpieces was perfect:

Thanks to everyone who came last night and especially to all the East Bay Young Dems who worked so hard to make this night a success. Also, a big thanks to everyone on our host committees. If you weren’t able to make it last night, don’t worry, we’ll be holding an even more incredible party later this year. I’ll let you know about it here or you can sign up for EBYD’s email list at our website.