Last Call: Hit the new dance deck: Bars

I used to go to the Sea Galley Restaurant (or more specifically, Gilligan's) to start most weekend nights. Me, and everyone else in town. But it had been a while for me, and after hearing that things had changed a bit, I made a return voyage. Not only does the bar have a new music act, it also has a dance floor. Intriguing, considering it's usually so packed that it's hard to find a table, much less a place to do the Boot Scootin' Boogie.

The bar looked the same, smelled the same and had the exact same "getting hyped" vibe on a recent Saturday. But some things were different. On the way in we were stopped by a formidable looking gentleman wearing an earpiece, gloves, a stoic expression and handcuffs. This was the first time I'd been carded before ordering and the first time I'd seen a bouncer at the Sea Galley.

I learned that the tough guys were brought in two months ago to assist the servers and bartenders in checking IDs on busy nights. It makes sense to have muscle in a place that has a drink so potent (I'm talking about you, Alaskan Iced Tea) that they only allow two per customer.

We squeezed into a table next to the dance floor -- a clean, wooden square perfect for bust-a-move tendencies. A few couples danced to slower songs early in the night, but otherwise the floor was lonely.

The dance floor worked for rocker Dennis Lind who, distantly reminiscent of a young Don Henley in look and sound, is a literal one-man band with instruments, stage and promotional poster. Lind supplied the perfect amount of volume and momentum to keep things subtle but not subdued.

The bar remains a great place for the nightlife scene. The downside is that if you aren't in the mood to pump it up, Gilligan's gets really loud and really full after 11 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday.

Lind played us out with these lyrics: "We're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy." Listen to Lind and Seal; sometimes crazy is what you need. Gilligan's is a good place to start.

? Contact nightlife columnist Jessica Bowman at adn.com/contact/jbowman or visit Play's Lush Life blog at play.adn.com/lushlife.

Gilligan's at the Sea Galley Restaurant

Where: 4101 Credit Union Drive

Hours: 11 a.m.-after midnight Monday-Saturday, noon-10 p.m. Sunday.

Phone: 563-3520

Web: www.seagalleyalaska. com