Clubland — Page 2

THE ODYSSEY
1251 Howe St., Downtown, 604-689-5256

You’re likely to find a retired backup dancer for Janet Jackson sharing the dance floor with a harnessed and leather-clad chap, and a middle-aged Asian couple doing the rhumba on the raised stage platform (as we did one recent Thursday night). Point is, everyone’s welcome at the Odyssey. Ron, the longtime manager and constant presence both behind the bar and on the floor, cultivates an atmosphere of good, clean, über-gay fun, and the regulars (of which there are many) love him for it.

Look for boy toys, fag hags, queens of all ages Music Dance-remixed Top 40, rave-style house Night to Go Thursdays for Shower Power night, when go-go beefcakes strip down and lather up (below) Overheard “My drag name is really bad; Sheila Suckdeep just isn’t working for me” Hookup Factor If it’s a pickup joint you’re after, better luck at Celebrities or Numbers. Despite the amount of skin showing, this is more of a neighbourly gathering, where everybody knows your name Tip The heated outdoor smoking area in the back has its own bar

GEORGE ULTRA LOUNGE
1137 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-628-5555

Technically it’s not a club, but this lounge is worth including because it’s loud, crowded, hedonistic—a scene unto itself. Proprietors Jay Garnett (of Seattle’s Best) and David Hannay and Patrick Mercer (co-owners of adjoining Brix restaurant) have created an intimate playground for local glitterati. Bar manager Nick Devine, with his mis en place of exotic ingredients, introduced the city to its current obsession with high-end cocktails, and suddenly every booze slinger in town is a “mixologist.” Explore Devine’s lengthy and adventurous list of traditional and original-recipe drinks and you’ll see why he rules over all the chefly bartenders.

Look for spoiled Barbies, conceited Kens Music Hed Kandi compilations (downtempo house music); local DJs, like Leanne, spin weeknights Drink Mumbai Sling (crushed fresh ginger and coriander, mango puree, gin and soda, $10) or a Canadian Old Fashioned (orange and lemon zest, bitters, dash of maple syrup, Crown Royal, $8) Overheard “This is Tad. He’s my hairdresser and my dog walker!” Hookup Factor Does hitting on yourself count? Tip You and five lovelies can shell out for exclusive rights to the private room out back, the “G-spot” (shudder)

ROYAL UNICORN
147 E. Pender St., Downtown Eastside.

Add one more to the growing list of down-and-out eastside bars taken over by roving troops of indy kids. The Royal Unicorn is a dingy karaoke lounge every night of the week but Saturday, when Andrew Volk—a.k.a. andrewandrewandrew, longtime Shine veteran who put on the White Lies ’80s night for four years—and friends spin killer dance tracks for a packed house. Major coup: Volk is bringing Justice—a group hailed as “the new Daft Punk” and winners of MTV Europe’s Best Video award for “We Are Your Friends,” last summer’s monster club hit—to the Unicorn on March 24. Says Volk: “I still don’t know how we pulled it off.”

Look for indy scenesters: everywhere you look, more ironic T-shirts and white-guy ’fros Music Shine veterans, DJs Paul Devro, Eric Devereux, Cam Dales, Jesua and Bobby Wayne deliver a sublime mix of electro, dancehall, hiphop, indy and soul Drink Domestic and dirty: bottles of Kokanee, Coors, or Jack and Coke. Hookup Factor It’s a loyal crowd that follows these guys, so if you plan on returning, know that your one-night stand will likely be there, too Tip New door staff and more efficient line management mean no more lineups that snake around the block

HONEY
455 Abbott St., Chinatown, 604-685-7777

Honey is the artsy, misunderstood sibling to owner Mark James Group’s other, more jockish, properties (Fiasco’s in Kits, Yaletown Brew Pub). This resto-lounge, turned club on weekends, has a winner with “Mod Club” on Friday nights. Think mismatched vintage furniture, plush velvet curtains and gilded chandeliers, boys in skinny jeans and Harrington jackets, girls in über-short shift dresses and boots made for walking. Next-door lesbian bar, Lick, supplies hot chicks locking lips on the dance floor. The crowd here prides itself on being welcoming and unpretentious, but barstars and meatheads will be given the cold shoulder.

Look for high school geeks made good Music DJs Girl Friday and Lee Modern spin pop and soul hits and rarities from the ’60s Drink Import beers by the bottle or vodka on the rocks Hookup Factor Straight up macking won’t work, but carrying a Vespa helmet under your arm just might Tip Close proximity to GM Place means the lineup doubles, and the crowd runs more mainstream, on game nights

BACCHUS LOUNGE
845 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-608-5319

The Wedgewood hotel’s top-notch bar (all gold, burgundy and cherry wood) draws as many locals as it does visiting guests. It’s ground zero for the city’s affluent movers and shakers, where trust-fund brats play dress-up with coiffed Botox addicts in power suits. Here’s where you’ll find Peter Brown (Canaccord’s notorious, larger-than-life CEO) and friends striking deals over scotches in the adjoining library. The room is always slammed between 5 and 7 p.m., so plan accordingly.

Look for Howe Street players, on-the-make legal assistants, silver foxes Music The pianist takes requests Drink from the extensive wine list that favours B.C. bottles Washroom The trek involves teetering through the hotel lobby and down a steep staircase, so go easy on the Manhattans Hookup Factor Play it old-school—send a drink to her table Tip A date with the well-heeled vixen sitting solo at the bar might not come without financial consideration

CAPRICE
965 Granville St., Downtown, 604-681-2114


Many clubbers shed a tear when Luv-a-fair, the Seymour Street institution, shut its doors in 2003 and relocated to Caprice, the Granville strip movie-theatre-cum-nightclub of the same name. Management kept up “alternative” nights for the first few years, but today, this club belongs squarely in the middle, appealing to frat boys and their hootchie mommas. Which isn’t a bad thing—a warehouse-size space packed to the rafters with nubile bodies can make you feel young again, even if the PYTs are discovering ’90s hits for the very first time (sigh).

Look for Paris, Lindsay, Britney Music DJ Daryl O puts his spin on Top 40 hits from the past 10 (make that 15 or 20) years Drink boys guzzle Heineken, girls sip Stoli Raspberry and soda (zero calories!) Night to Go Wednesdays are “Ivy League,” for the college crowd; Fridays and Saturdays are ruled by the young’uns, despite the club’s claim to attract the 25-plus set Tip have a warm-up cocktail in the attached lounge to avoid lineups that start as early as 9:30 on weekends

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