A reunion for those who remember Club Rocket & Club Babyhead in Providence

(WJAR) — The Providence independent music scene used to be big, with live bands featured at a half-dozen clubs downtown.

One club also featured a live D.J. twice per week when the bands weren't putting on their shows, for the "Stupid Dance Party" as it was called.

Now, there's a reunion taking place Friday.

If you watched late-night TV back in the '80s, you might remember the commercial for the Providence club called "Rocket".

It was an offbeat tongue-in-cheek video shot inside the venue, with a "Film Noir" feel, and a 1940's retro samba beat in the background.

At the time, Jared Dubois had been a bartender and magician, with an extensive eclectic music collection, and was asked if he'd like to be the D.J.

The "Stupid Dance Party" was born, Thursday and Sunday nights.

Dubois remembers it as "a club for misfits. They're interested in art and different things, all came together, with a common love of music, and it was a really wonderful scene."

When live bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and The Smashing Pumpkins weren't gracing the stage, "D.J. Jared" as he was known, was spinning the vinyl.

"People don't realize, we had the Goo Goo Dolls there. Live music, and dance nights. We had the combination," he said.

D.J. Jared could levitate the crowd with his music.

"Oh, I had unique music that nobody else had," that he would curate once per week over the phone with a music agent that would play him clips of the hottest and latest songs from around the world.

"I'll take that one," recalls Dubois. "Send it in the mail," he laughs, at how much has changed. But "I loved it. The feeling was exhilarating," he recalls, the nights when it all came together, with a packed club, "seeing everybody moving on the dance floor. I said 'I can get into this.'"

Rocket morphed into Club Babyhead until the 8-year party was over in 1996.

Tonight starting at 9, it's the 2nd, and likely final, reunion, this time at Dusk on Harris Avenue, proceeds going to the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness.

"I'm expecting to see a lot of faces that I haven't seen in years. I'm expecting to see a lot of happiness of just people seeing each other, hearing the music that they grew up with," he says.

The music didn't end when Club Babyhead closed on Richmond Street. It became Club Hell, and now it lives on as Club Ego.

"When it was over, I did feel a void in my life," says DuBois, "because this was an artistic expression really. It's hard to replace that feeling in life. I was actually depressed when I stopped D.J.-ing. I mean I missed that feeling." And he misses the music. "I do," he laughed, setting up his turntables at the new one-night location. "That's why I'm here tonight. Let's give it one more shot. Let's make tonight magical!"

To watch a live stream, click here.