Last weekend I was invited to attend Business After Five (BA5) at Living Room in Bellville. BA5 is a ‘networking event’ for young professionals that goes down the first Friday of each month. Aside from live entertainment, if you fill in a data card before 8pm on the night, you can also stand the chance to win fab spot prizes.

Last Friday, Meneer Jack Parow was the headlining act and the venue’s PR were kind enough to invite me to attend, luring me in with the promise of a bottle of Bain’s whisky and a snack platter for myself and a bunch of my girlfriends.

I’d never been to Living Room before and it was a nice surprise in that, despite the casual-sounding name, it’s quite the classy little jol. Think plush lounges, sparkly chandeliers and mooi meisies flatironed within an inch of their lives and poured into bandage-style dresses. Thus, while I immediately regretted wearing a boring scarf and leather jacket combo, at least I had Bain’s to take the edge of my fashion faux par.

When the bottle arrived, my first thought was ‘God, this is awesome, but there’s no way we’re going to finish it’. And then it was gone. Oops. Or maybe yay!

..

Bain’s, if you’ve yet to try it, is awesome. I love that it’s locally lekker – distilled and double matured in Wellington – and is South Africa’s first single grain whisky. As for Jack Parow, dude totally killed it. Hosh Tokolosh, Dance, Dance, Dance and Cooler As Ekke got everyone up on their feet.

I was also impressed by Tye Platinum, one of the opening acts. He’s got a voice like runny honey and was good at revving up the crowd and getting everyone to sing along while doing covers of popular peeps like Justin Timberlake.

Afterwards, we decided to hit up Deco Dance back in town where we (stupidly) switched to champers and tequila, charmed a group of dudes who bought us roses (ag soet, man!) and were, like, the epitome of ‘cool’; dancing in a circle with our zexy plastic covered flowers while sing-screaming the lyrics to MJ’s Billy Jean.

Anyway, a big dankie to Johlene McGreer from Living Room for inviting us; this was a seriously fun night out.

If you want to attend Business After Five, e-mail info@living-room.co.za to book a table of 8 for R1 000 that includes a bottle of Bain’s and a platter for 8 people. Entry to the venue is free from 5 to 8pm and you can find out which acts are performing when by keeping an eye on Living Room’s Facebook page over here.

Love, love

Leigh

P.S. Can we all just agree that my mooi friend Bronwyn is a dead ringer for Cher Horowitz?

I’m right, right?!