This week's buzz phrase is "filthy degenerate." That's me. Ever since my trip to Spearmint Rhino a few weeks back, I've had strippers on the brain.
Last week, another strip-club visit was in order. I'd heard about Rich, this "upscale" hip-hop event Tuesdays at Sapphire. I went but was disappointed.
Rich isn't inside Sapphire proper, but in a side club attached to the main building. The room has a great setup with a stage, plenty of seating and cozy atmosphere. The crowd was pleasant and there was a constant state of bouncing, bouncing being key to hip-hop dancing. There was even a burlesque show, and while the act wasn't fantastic, at least the effort was there. I've seen cabaret-style fun at Risque's Christmas party, Studio 54's Dollhouse Thursdays and Tabu's Boutique Wednesdays, and I expect we'll see more.
Once I found I could bounce between there and the actual Sapphire, though, I didn't stay at Rich for long. Topless women beats hip hop every time.
But Sapphire was a disappointment. Longtime Vegans will remember the old Sports Club that once stood where Sapphire currently rests. It looks like all Sapphire's owners did was take out the basketball hoops and replace them with go-go poles. The place is too vast. The stages are so far away that you'd be better off just popping in a DVD at home. The actual structural design of the stage setup is cool, but for the wrong reasons. It reminded me of an Imperial Star Destroyer. Unless one of the strippers is going to challenge me to a light-saber duel, the high catwalks and stages are just plain useless. Rich is worth checking out; Sapphire is not.
Risque, Stubbs a winning combo
I checked out Spundae's Thursday night at Risque. The main draw was Portuguese DJ Vibe, but I was more interested in local boy Scott Stubbs' spaced-out trance sounds. I hadn't heard him spin in a few months, and was curious to see how his sound has progressed.
I'm happy to report it's progressing just fine. His set felt more tribal than usual and his choice of beats was much more diverse than most trance. I'll probably get some hate mail for this, but most rave-flavored music has gotten terribly stale. Stubbs' mastery of the genre keeps it fresh and suitable for digestion. You can hear him Saturdays at Chez Moi's Breathe after-hours and at www.djscottstubbs.com.
Coming up at Risque are Christopher Lawrence and Bjorn Burton this week, and Charles Feelgood and Keith Evan next week.
G-Force, Transmute!
Here's a groovy show. Stop by the Venetian's Venus on Saturday for the girl-group pop stylings of G-Force. I'm anxious to see how a live act plays there, and I'm always excited to see something other than traditional deejay entertainment. Plus, any sexy all-girl band that names itself after groovy anime from my childhood has my attention.
Antonio Llapur walks softly and carries a big club. E-mail him at [email protected].