‘Mad Men’ mania comes to Portland

Tonight, Empire Dine & Dance is hosting a “Mad Men” party to celebrate that night’s fifth season opener for the highly touted, award-winning and rampantly followed AMC drama about 1960s advertising executives and their families.

To get in the mood, Empire Dine & Dance is asking attendees to don their coolest 1960s attire. The fun starts at 8 p.m. The 21-plus watch party has no admission cost, features drink specials for those who choose to partake and something they’re calling a “classy awards ceremony.”

The return of “Mad Men” to the small screen (well, big, if you go to Empire Dine & Dance) is a big deal for a lot of people. It’s on the cover of just about every TV or entertainment magazine by the shopping center check-out lines, and because it’s been nearly a year and a half since Season 4, anticipation has come to a boil for this go-around to start.

If you haven’t begun following the show yet, it’s got a reputation for being absolutely addictive, and the early returns on the upcoming season opener are tantalizingly good.

Reviewer David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle calls the season premiere a “stunner,” writing:

[B]ased on the premiere, the season may wind up being the show’s best so far, but even if it doesn’t, “Mad Men” beats almost everything else on TV.

Here’s a link to a Huffington Post multimedia recap of Season 4 just to catch you up, if you need it, and there are still a few hours left to rent some DVDs or stream some past episodes.

But if you just want to dress up in 60s clothes and have some fun, maybe watching the Season 5 premiere at Empire Dine & Dance is going to be what gets you hooked.

Seth Koenig

About Seth Koenig

Seth has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and writes about the greater Portland region.