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Ahhhhhhhh, freak out! Le freak, c'est Chic. Freak out!

That Chic tune "Le Freak" sure was the jam back in the day. And thank the flashback gods for places like Bell Bottoms for keeping the disco ball turning.

Photos by DAVID GRAVES/Staff (ENLARGE)
Partyers can check out posters or become a "Saturday Night Fever" star with a John Travolta cut-out. Or they can try their own moves on the dance floor. Burn, baby, burn ...
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BELL BOTTOMS 225 Pharr Road, Atlanta. 404-816-9669, www.bellbottomsatl.com. RELATED LINK: • Photos: A night at Bell Bottoms

DIGGING THE SCENE: Don't think of this Buckhead spot as swanky. Think funky. The '70s, '80s and '90s dance tunes hit you before you even enter the dark, smallish space. Greeting you are posters of "Jaws" and "Planet of the Apes" and other fun nostalgia set against special lighting for a retro green, yellow and red glow. This is the most down-to-earth, happy-go-lucky, certainly grooviest, love fest I've ever seen in Buckhead.

And it's no wonder; mostly everyone who steps in seems to not have a care in the world. It's a diverse crowd, too, with the hip and sexy and the "oh, how it feels to be young again" couples. All share one common polyester thread: a fascination with golden oldies — and shakin' their groove thang.

DO THE HUSTLE: Think "Saturday Night Fever," with brightly colored lights hopping randomly underneath the dance floor. And as DJ Prism mixes Abba, Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, Earth, Wind & Fire and others, the footwork heightens — the Electric Slide, the Soul Train line, the funky chicken, the Cabbage Patch, Pee-wee Herman and other old-school moves. It's sometimes comical, always cool. But after all that dancing, a drink is almost inevitable.

CHILL OUT: Richard King manages the three bars at Bell Bottoms, which has been grooving for 11 years. Forgo his $5 vodka cocktails, and let him whip up a Long Island Iced Tea. It's 8 bucks and sure to get shy hips popping.

To chill out, head to the upper level (when it's open) and sit at tables or stand against rails to watch the action below. Or try the patio. It's a welcome respite when the main level gets packed, usually around 11 p.m. Word to the wise: Arrive around 8:30 or 9 p.m., nab one of the free parking spots and get in for only $5.

BOTTOM LINE: If you're an old-school junkie, Bell Bottoms is for you. You'll find this less of a club and more a discotheque. And when it's time to go home you'll be thinking about that VW Beetle on the ceiling, the John Travolta caricature on the wall, the fun, the dancing — and how every nightspot should be this carefree and, well, far out ...

That's the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it, uh huh uh huh.

• THE 411: $5 before 10 p.m., $10 after. 8 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Fridays (DJ Leo) and Saturdays (DJ Prism). Free early-bird parking on site and nearby pay lots.