Labor Day parties with a retro twist

Once Labor Day 2012 has come and gone, we can look forward to a new autumn, a new school year, a new set of holidays to shop for and everything else that arrives hand-in-hand with a change of seasons. However, there are a couple of dance parties set for the coming holiday weekend that involve taking it back, with music more likely found around Labor Day 1992, or even 1982.

On Saturday, Sept. 1, DJs Rob Nitro and Lord Robert return to Broadway Bar in Amityville for another edition of their semiregular New Wave bash held here. Starting at 10:30 p.m., the two will spin a night of beats born of the 1980s and 1990s, with everything an alternative classic. Punk, synth pop, goth, industrial – anything synonymous with the darker side of dance might play, so if you were once (or still currently are) all about the sound of bands like Depeche Mode, Morrisey, The Psychedelic Furs, The Cure and other jams from that era, this should be a good way to get down. Cover is $5, age of admission is 21.

Then, after 24 hours to recover, Labor Day gets a blast of retro tunes, courtesy of DJ Emissary and The Leaky Lifeboat in Seaford on Monday, Sept. 3. The Leaky caters to a younger crowd than the group who’s likely to populate the Broadway soiree, but spiritually the energy should be similar – for The Lifeboat, named for a song by iconic alt band Sonic Youth, defers more toward the hipster side of the nightlife scene (unlike many average, mainstream-minded bars found around the Island). The night is the latest in the tavern’s “Cruel Summer” old-school music series of Monday evening gatherings, and this time the theme is “ '80s vs. '90s,” with the evening a struggle for supremacy between big hits of both decades. The kickoff is at 9 p.m.; 21 and over, with no cover.

For more information check out facebook.com/broadway.bar.5 and facebook.com/theleakylifeboat.