'80s Prom Is Back Just in Time for Prom Season

Folks, get your corsages and leg warmers ready because, on Saturday, May 11, Sweat Records presents "Spring Love," the 20th edition of its '80s Prom party at ZeyZey.

This year's '80s Prom, which happens during prom season, is absolutely stacked with DJs, drag performances, and a prom cover band — and, for the first time ever, it's open to all ages.

The event features sets from DJs Lolo Reskin and Hottpants spinning your favorite throwbacks on the outdoor stage, followed by cover band the State Of, which will make you feel like your high-school crush just asked you to slow dance. In between trips to re-up on classic prom punch, visit the indoor "Goth Room," where DJs Carlos Menendez, Carmel Ophir, and Ray Milian will play darker tunes that'll have you ripping holes in your fishnets. Drag queen Dang-Ho Yu Sickning will put on a performance that may or may not include a Grace Jones number, and nightlife photographer Nefarious Girl will snap photos.

"It's just good vibes," Reskin tells New Times. "It's a special party, and that's exactly why we keep doing it."

According to Reskin, the party predates Sweat Records, the Little Haiti record store she cofounded.

"It originated from an old '80s party called Vice that I used to have in 2003 at this incredible venue in the Design District called Soho Lounge. The '80s Prom was a party we decided to do, and it ended up being so much fun that even after we moved away from Soho Lounge, we kept doing the '80s Prom in other venues."

For a long time, '80s Prom took place the night before Thanksgiving. However, last November, Sweat broke the news on Instagram that the party had been postponed. "This year's 20th Anniversary edition of the annual '80s Prom will be postponed to a later date in order to make it as special as it deserves to be," the caption read.

Part of what will make this year's party so special is the venue, ZeyZey, which has quickly become a nightlife and live music hot spot since it opened last summer.
"I'm really excited to have it at ZeyZey — it's such a cool venue," Reskin adds. "It's right up the street from Sweat Records, and they're like a family-friendly venue. In the past, we've done it at 21-and-up bars, but this year, you can bring whoever you like, and we love that."

After 20 years, '80s Prom has turned into a kind of family affair, so the change to the admission policy was a welcome one.

"It's mostly the same DJs we've had the entire time, so it is kind of like a family affair," Reskin says. "And DJ Hotpants, he's my general manager at Sweat Records as of the last few years, and he's one of my oldest friends."

Ultimately, what Reskin loves most about the annual bash are the partygoers. "Honestly, the best part about it is who shows up," she says. "I'm from Miami, and I've been in the scene my entire life, and friends that show up here are friends that we've been going out to nightclubs all together for like 20 years. Like some people have babies, some people have businesses, some people live in other places and come back for it, so it's really beautiful and very gratifying."

For this year's party, you can expect party favors like friendship bracelets and Pop Rocks along with cutouts of '80s celebrities for photo ops.

While dressing up isn't mandatory, why would you go to '80s Prom dressed casually? "People dress up like crazy, and it's cool cause the '80s are so wide you could do any style, any celebrity, or you could do prom wear," Reskin adds.

Sweat Records Presents the 20th Annual '80s Prom. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, May 11, at ZeyZey, 353 NE 61st St., Miami; 305-456-2671; zeyzeymiami.com. Tickets cost $20 to $25 via eventbrite.com.