The Hallucination Before Christmas
Words: Christian Crider
Photos: Michael Spadoni

Appeared:
December 15, 2007
Czar Vodka Bar, Ybor City

It’s that time again. The streets are decked with strings of lights, storefronts pimp the latest fad, and folks are filled with glee at the slightest glimpse of a fat man bearing gifts.  Our society is so inundated with holiday cheer that it’s rare to find a smug glimmer of hope, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the season of commerce. The Hallucination Before Christmas at Czar was such an event.

With the recent opening of the Imperial Theater, Czar was running on all three legs.  Each room carried its own vibe as the thick bass pounded the walls. I immediately noticed the diversity of the crowd, which was a welcome change of pace from the usual Ybor scene. Candy Kids, Goths, Hippies and other, less easily classified, partygoers lent color to the equally vivid setting. Several people were dressed in their finest Christmas costumes, though I’m not sure about the girl with butterfly wings attached to her back — unless there’s a Christmas Butterfly myth I missed somehow.  Glowsticks were also prevalent, as I’m sure many people had a hard time finding their way through the dark club. What better way to light your path than dancing trails of green or orange? 

Above all else, the theme of the night was a mix between Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, from which the event jacked its moniker. On prominent display were colorful prints from the graphic artist, Drone, whose work also appeared on flyers and posters throughout Czar. All around were the obligatory Christmas lights and other various decorations, but the Imperial Theater was the angel atop the tree. Jack Skellington, as stylized by Drone, adorned the room in various inflatable and graphic incarnations, and the stage was rife with Christmas spunk as scantily clad ladies dressed as Mrs. Claus danced for the amusement of the churning crowd. Several DJs rocked the stage with names like Tommie Sunshine, Monk, and Una Slim—each bringing their own brand of madness to the music. Una Slim, a Tampa resident, has grown in popularity with her futuristic house mixes, and her showing at HBC was nothing short of spectacular.

Hallucinations were not on my menu for the night, as my drug of choice was the state-sanctioned beer. Otherwise, this review might have turned out something like this: ‘twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, whiskers grew from the walls and the floorboards warped while singing Lilliputian choruses. Luckily for me, I remained mostly cogent throughout the merrymaking of the night.

hallucinationbeforechristmas.com