Dark Star: Clubs & Nightlife 

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Sports Bars
Something about the rivalry between Brigham Young University and University of Utah brings out the sports fan in everyone. But for those who get worked up over anything involving a ball, where you watch the game is just about as crucial as who wins it. If you happen to be staying at the Salt Lake Sheraton, First Press (140 W. 500 South, 801-323-7576) is an obvious choice. Located just a few doors down, Legend’s (677 S. 200 West, 801-355-3598, WhyLegends.com) is a sports bar with heart, donating a portion of proceeds off menu items to the Legends Youth Club. So go ahead—order another round of nachos while the game airs on large HD televisions. Still hungry? Take a short walk over to Lumpy’s Downtown (145 W. Pierpont, 801-938-3070, LumpysDowntown.com). Voted “Best Bar Grub” by City Weekly, Lumpy’s serves up gourmet entrees, heart-healthy salads and deep-fried guilty-pleasure appetizers to fuel armchair quarterback.

Bumpin’ & Grindin’
Breaking up is hard to do, but hooking up can be surprisingly easy in Utah clubs that tow the “party” line. For the closest thing to traditional bar hopping in Salt Lake City, hit up Pierpont Entertainment District, a cluster of popular nightclubs located near TRAX. Here, sexy, young urban professionals and let’s-get-blitzed college students unite in the spirit of Dionysus, grinding to Top 40, hip-hop and electronic music at the beach-themed Sandbar & Grill (122 W. Pierpont Ave, 801-819-7575) and three-storied Hotel and Elevate (155 W. 200 South, 801-478-4310, Myspace.com/HotelElevate), two glossy dance clubs in one making good on promises of big-city flair with limo service, VIP tables and lines that stretch around the block on weekends. Bliss Nightlife (404 S. West Temple, 801-364-2547, BlissNightlife.com) boasts an outdoor pool—more suitable for cooling off than doing laps—to complement its dance floor which heats up on Viernes de Locura (Latin Fridays) and super-gay Babylon Saturdays.

Lumpy’s Downtown (145 W. Pierpont Ave., 801-938-3070, LumpysDowntown.com) opens up three sprawling dance floors to complement multiple screens airing “the big game” (booths equipped with mini TVs = sports lovers nirvana). Lumpy’s Highland (3000 S. Highland Drive, 801-484-5597, LumpysBar.com) specializes in similar entertainment further south where you’ll also find Habits (832 E. 3900 South, 801-268-2228, ClubHabits.com), a sophisticated meeting ground for adults (dress code enforced), featuring the state’s biggest video-music library. Habits also hosts pole-dancing classes on select nights. Oscars (8136 S. State, 801-566-3222) is a University of Utah athletic booster hosting its version of halftime with dancing Thursdays through Saturday nights. Relive the late, great ‘80s metal scene with Hair Nation Thursdays at Allure (8925 S. 255 West, 801-255-2078, Myspace.com/AllureSlc) home to Utah’s largest interactive light space dance floor. Stop in on Wednesdays for Ladies Night, Fridays & Sundays for karaoke.

Area 51 (451 S. 400 West, 801-534-0819, Myspace.com/Area51Forever) breaks away from the Top 40 mold with a rotating mix of industrial, electronic, ’80s and gothic music filling two cavernous rooms—one open to 18-and-older club kids, the other populated by party people who’ve been coming here since its Halloween ’98 debut. Klub Kaos churns beneath Area 51—a “post-apocalyptic bunker dedicated to the counter culture and alt-underground”—with a separate entrance to the 18 bacchanalia. Under-21 crowds are also welcome at Club Sound (579 W. 200 South, 801-328-0255, Myspace.com/ClubSound) on Friday nights when the live-music venue transforms into a cheap-cover urban disco.

Cruisin’ for Boozin’
One of the common—and, frankly, annoying—misperceptions about Utah is that you can’t get a decent buzz. Never mind that the altitude alone goes to visitors’ heads even on measly 3.2 beers sold in grocery and convenience stores, the good stuff sold in bottles in bona fide brewpubs and bars is the same beer sold everywhere else, and some places carry beer that has a similar alcohol content to wine. The Bayou (645 S. State, 801-961-8400, UtahBayou.com) is a good place to start, with 224 different imported and domestic bottled beers in stock and 30 varieties on tap, plus killer Cajun food (don’t miss the blackened catfish). Beerhive Pub (128 S. Main, 801-364-4268), owned and operated by Bayou co-founder Del Vance, conveniently located just blocks from the Salt Lake Temple, features a state-of-the-art ice rail lining the bar to keep your mug frosty. Order a plate of spaetzel from the adjacent Vienna Bistro. Other must-see pubs include Squatters (147 W. Broadway [300 South], 801-363-2739, Squatters.com), Red Rock Brewing Company (254 S. 200 West, 801-521-7446, RedRockBrewing.com) and Uinta Brewhouse Pub (1722 S. Fremont Drive [2375 West], 801-467-0909, UintaBrewing.com).

Not a suds fan or simply in the mood for something harder? Stay classy with cocktails at the aptly named Red Door (57 W. 200 South, 801-363-6030, BehindTheRedDoor.com), where staff members wearing LDS missionary-style nametags pour beautifully constructed, potent drinks including its popular “medium-octane” namesake. The pretty people also flock to Kristauf’s (16 W. Market Street, 801-366-9490, MartiniBarSlc.com), a pristine and intimate club that’s quiet before 9 p.m., when live DJs draw big crowds.

Prefer to hide out? Salt Lake City features numerous neighborhood haunts where everybody could eventually know your name. Grab your skateboard and cruise down to Jackalope (372 S. State, 801-359-8054) for a night of drinking, dancing and action sports TV. Don’t miss Classic Soul & Funk Night Wednesdays. Downtown 9-to-5’ers punch the clock and head to Junior’s (30 E. 300 South, 801-322-0318, JuniorsTavern.com). Frequent regulars range from ad execs to journalists, crusty historians and college students who come for the down-to-earth vibes, also found around the corner at Cheers to You (315 S. Main, 801-575-6400, CheersToYouSlc.com). Cheers regulars are a diverse, welcoming bunch—but arrive early for prime seating in the cozy, broken-in, leather booths. There’s not really room for live bands, but stop in on Friday nights for karaoke. For something off the map, hit up the Republican (917 S. State, 801-595-1916), home to Irish session music Mondays, populated by soccer fans and black-capped writer types. Saddle up to the long, narrow bar and make friends over a pint of Guinness.

Local LGBT friendly institutions attract a steady, loyal clientele. Jam (751 N. 300 West, 801-891-1162, JamSlc.com), the newest kid on the block, is a welcome addition to the city’s Marmalade District. More Manhattan loft than generic nightclub, it hosts DJs Tuesdays through Saturdays. The Trapp (102 S. 600 West, 801-531-8727) opened in step with the gay line-dancing fad of the early 1990s and, to this day, it has maintained the air of a country-western bar. The crowd is decidedly mixed, however—it’s the kind of place you might encounter a bi-curious construction worker playing pool with a Latina drag queen. Club Try-Angles (251 W. 900 South, 801-364-3203, ClubTryAngles.com) is a popular downtown spot for a primarily gay crowd but welcomes anyone with an open mind and a decent pair of dancing shoes. One of if the only—if not the only—lesbian bar in town, Paper Moon (3737 S. State, South Salt Lake, 801-713-0678) is closed on Mondays for “employee sanity.”

Somethin’ Different
Stuck in a nightlife rut? Step outside your routine for an evening of made-to-order dueling pianos. Salt Lake City is home to two clubs specializing in interactive shows with featured performers furiously tickling the ivories for your pleasure. Tavernacle (201 E. 300 South, 801-519-8900, Tavernacle.com) swells on weekends with diverse crowds out to hear pianists belt out their favorite song. The spacious and classy Keys On Main (242 S. Main, 801-363-3638, KeysOnMain.com) opened two years ago and keeps up with Utah residents apparently insatiable need for raucous, all-request shows, plus karaoke on select evenings.%uFFFD

Locals are equally keen on flavored tobacco dispensed through elaborate hookahs. By far the busiest of the two clubs specializing in the traditionally Middle Eastern pastime, Huka Bar (151 E. 6100 South, 801-281-4852, Myspace.com/TheHukaBar) staff and clientele really is the young, good-looking party crowd portrayed in the marketing, and they apparently never rest. Reggae bands and DJs supply the soundtrack. Reservations are strongly recommended on weekends. Shisha fans also frequent the Downtown Hookah Lounge (268 S. Main, 801-580-1874, Myspace.com/DowntownHookahLounge), located across from Main Street TRAX, it features live music on the main level and a more intimate Persian-themed lounge upstairs with comfortable booth seating. Entertainment ranges from DJs to belly dancers on select evenings.

Belly up to Brewvies Cinema Pub (677 S. 200 West, 801-355-5500, Brewvies.com) for beer, burgers and The Hangover. Just kidding. The summer comedy had a good run at the booze-friendly movie house. Grab a pitcher, take in a film and challenge strangers to pool morning til night, seven days a week. Utah is also home to a burgeoning stand-up comedy scene, thanks in large part to Wiseguys (WiseguysComedy.com). Boasting four locations statewide, the longstanding local chain added a much-appreciated downtown venue, Wiseguys Trolley Square (505 S. 600 East, 801-532-5233, WiseguysComedy.com) in the summer of 09. Owned and operated by comedian Keith Stubbs, Wiseguys supports emerging talent with open-mic nights and also hosts touring comics such as Norm McDonald, Dave Attell and Kevin Nealon. Shows typically run on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Jamie Gadette and Bill Frost are City Weekly’s music and associate editor, respectively.