Formed in 2010, Body Rock ATX is a monthly dance party created by DJ Chorizo Funk and husband-wife hip hop duo Riders Against the Storm. Body Rock was initially inspired as a throwback to the block-party vibe of hip hop’s origins: a DJ on two turntables weaving soundscapes and MC’s on a microphone leading call and response. Through the years Body Rock evolved and transformed this concept into a ceremony of self-expression, where life is celebrated through dance and music.
Initial jams were largely attended by Austin B-boys and B-Girls, greater awareness came when the party moved to first Fridays at Loft 718 on Congress Ave in 2011. Throwdowns at Loft 718 became so popular within one year, the small downtown space could no longer contain it. Body Rock ATX’s next move in 2013 to The Sahara Lounge on the East Side plus the addition of tribute-themed parties ultimately cemented the party as an Austin cultural pillar. The only place where you could find the hood, hipsters, hippies, and professionals all sharing the same dance floor. By 2015 the party out grew the Sahara Lounge, and moved back downtown to it current home: Empire Control Room and Garage.
A 2016 Austin Chronicle Best of Austin award winner, Body Rock ATX, attracts over 400 attendees every month to a wide array of themed nights that pay homage to musical icons such as Erykah Badu, Prince, Michael Jackson, Kanye West, and Stevie Wonder. Crowd participation is a cornerstone of the Body Rock experience as dancers often invited on stage as well as the impromtu soul train lines, limbo lines, and double dutch sessions.
Body Rock ATX is a refuge, and bedrock for sweat, music, community, and dance – the best booty ceremony proudly residing in the ‘Live Music Capital of the World.’
Chaka Mpeanaji, Qi Dada, and Chorizo Funk. Pic by Robert Hein