Win tickets to this Friday's Roller Revival!

About the time that Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue" was just about the coolest song around (for a 9-year-old, at least) Shanghaiist used to go to a place called Skatetown ... a lot. We played mucho Donkey Kong and Kung Fu Master in the arcade, and yes, we did a lot of roller skating, too. Somehow, though, we never got to be very good on eight wheels. We could skate fast enough, but never mastered the stopping part -- we always had to run into a wall. And we never could skate backwards, which meant the girl always had to lead during the "slow skates." It's unlikely that after 20-odd years of neglect our skating skills have improved at all. But we'll get a chance to find out this Friday at the 2006 Roller Revival. We'll let the promo copy explain:

Pick out your flyest polyester threads and bust out those bell-bottoms, kick off your shoes and strap on a pair a skates. It's time for the second annual Roller Revival, where DJ Mr Strokes will masterfully mash up Disco, Funk and Crazy 80s Party Jams to get your ass out on the roller-rink, and there's plenty of room to dance if skating ain't your thing. Top-shelf open bar and beer all night, from 9pm to 2am, to keep you lubed up and ready to roll.

Tickets are RMB 120 in advance and RMB 150 at the door (call 13671993664 for details) -- but for two lucky Shanghaiist readers they will be totally free. The organizers of the party have given us two free passes that we are passing on to our readers. Fill out the entry form below, and if you are one of the two winners, you will be notified by email by Friday morning and your name will be put on a list at the door.

Here's a personal message from one of the event's organizers:

It's a great party -- and one I think lots of Shanghaiist folks would appreciate, due to their keen grasp of satire and proclivity to drink too much. Basically, we found this hilarious old roller rink in Jing'an that looks straight out of 1979, disco ball, multi-colored flashing lightbulbs and all, and we've done two parties there. We've gotten between 300-400 people for the last two, but the place is huge and there's plenty of room for more.

Mr. Stokes plays great party music with a bit of mixing and scratching, expect Prince and pre-Thriller Michael Jackson, early hip hop, a bit of disco and 70s funk, some 80s gems ("Safety Dance"?), and maybe a little "Jack and Diane" because for some reason that song is f*cking perfect on roller skates. Tickets include good booze (Jim Beam, Cuervo, Gordon's) mixers, beer (and soft drinks if you find yourself falling on your ass too much). Skates are also included, and there is a separate stage for dancing when your feet hurt.

The rink is located at 554 Anyuan Lu, near Jiaozhou Lu. Here are some photos of last year's party.

Enter to win a free ticket below. Good luck!

UPDATE: And the winners are ...