Virtual DJs (you know who you are) need not apply.

Local promoter, DJ and Twist & Shout dance music guru Peter Black (formerly of the Rockstars Are Dead night) has a way of latching onto hot acts before they blow up, which makes his Analog Space nights at the Meadowlark so much sweaty, screaming fun.

The dance parties kicked off at the beginning of the year and were an instant hit, so now Black and his cohorts are adding an outdoor bar, more guest DJs and celebrating the opening of the Meadowlark’s brand-spanking new outdoor stage. We talked to Black about the monthly dance party, which takes place tonight, about its inception, its popular CD giveaways, and why Analog Space has banned DJs that use MP3 players.

Who started Analog Space and when?

I actually started it in January with a guy named Matt Bandy, a DJ and one of the buyers and managers at our store (Twist & Shout). We wanted to start a new dance night because we were tired of so many of the electro parties, to be quite honest. We were seeing this really big trend in Europe and New York, with a massive return to disco again. It’s a newer take on the style and we’ve heard a lot of records coming out that really excited us. Plus we wanted a place to play weird stuff like Harmonia and Goblin and Tangerine Dream.

So it’s a mix of styles?

Yeah, because we’re also big house heads, Afrobeat, things like that.

Where did the name come from? I’m guessing it refers to the fact that your DJs only use physical media while spinning songs…

The biggest impetus for us was that we worked in a store and saw so many people that never touched records anymore. We get a million people that ask us to play our parties, but we’re like, “You have to play on real vinyl and CDs,” and 90 percent of them are like, “Oh, sorry, I can’t do that.” We’re just really trying to push the culture. That’s where the name comes from.

You frequently have lines out the door, which is impressive since the Meadowlark is pretty intimate bar. Did that happen instantly when you started, or did it develop?

It was the wildest thing. We were really nervous for the first night but it was packed, and since then it’s just been busier and busier. We’re really excited about Friday because we’re debuting the outdoor patio, which they just finished. It’s been under construction for years over there. The lights have been installed, the stage with the tent is complete. So we’re hyped to debut it.

How would you describe the vibe?

It’s a very mixed, big city feel. It’s definitely a more diverse crowd than the Denver art scene is typically used to, like Lipgloss. And I love and know the guys that put on that night, but it’s sort of an urban, indie, hipster crowd. We’ve somehow managed to blur those boundaries. We get the hipster kids but we also get the gay crowd and black kids and kids from suburbia. That was our biggest goal.

Analog Space takes place tonight at the Meadlowlark, 2701 Larimer St. 9 p.m. The event is 21 and up.

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