Reed: Sometimes the nightlife is the right life

The crowd at the Longbranch Saloon is always likely to offer the nightlife a classic PBR toast.

Photo by Keven Reed

Cafe 4 and The Square Room make a for a good gathering spot for, from left, Rachel Downing, Grant Geren and the blue-haired Curtis Geren.

Keven Reed

Aline Renauld and Johanna Rydefalk, from left, enjoy dancing the night away at Voodoo at the Valarium.

The evening scene at Cotton Eyed Joe brings smiles and more to, from left, Jennifer Dienes, Isaac Adams and Ben Hughes.

The crowd at the Longbranch Saloon is always likely to offer the nightlife a classic PBR toast.

Mickayla Eldridge, Heather Baughman and Dinah Sweet, from left, bask in the friendly vibes at Blue Chips.

With the year 2008 finally behind me and a new year full of surprises ahead for the nightlife scene, I thought it would be a good time to look back at some of the best places I visited throughout the past year.

This year I got to visit a lot of places that surprised me, as well as witness the resurgence of Knoxville as a viable venue powerhouse. The year was definitely a great one for Knoxville’s nightlife scene. Here are my top 5 picks (in no particular order) for the year that was.

The Square Room — OK, I lied. The Square Room is leading the list because it was by far my favorite spot of the year. Opening alongside the classy Café 4 in Market Square, the Square Room delivered on all of its promises to provide something different to the Knoxville music and dining scene. With great service, excellent booking and a unique design, the Square Room should be the poster boy (or girl) of the Knoxville nightlife scene.

Voodoo — I will be the first to admit that you probably won’t see me out on the dance floor. I’ve got rhythm, I love electronic music and I’ve been known to get down, but there has to be something special to get me out into the crowd. Whatever that something special is, Voodoo at the Valarium has figured it out. DJ Slink has been one of my favorites during my time in Knoxville, and having the option to see him every Saturday night is great. Dressing up the Valarium in sexy Goth-chic each week has made Voodoo the place to be in Knoxville if you want to get down. Also, they have the “Orgasmatron.”

Cotton Eye Joe — My experience with bars like Cotton Eye Joe in other cities has always been a negative one. They are usually loud, full of rowdy people and smell like a gas station bathroom. Cotton Eye Joe, however, was the biggest surprise of the year. Not only was it clean, but the crowd was well behaved, diverse and even friendly. The Tex-Mex Western style of the places holds true to the name, and The Joe has some of the best drink specials in town.

Longbranch Saloon — The Longbranch Saloon on Cumberland Avenue is certainly a sign of hope amidst the misguided bar hoppers of the UT student body. While nearly every other bar on the Strip caters to the 18-and-up booty-shakin’ crowd, the Longbranch has kept to being 21-and-up and smoker friendly. Always known for being a bastion for local bands, particularly ska and punk, Longbranch has a show booked nearly every night of the week. If you are in the downtown area, enjoy PBR and head-butting your best friend, the Longbranch Saloon is probably your best bet.

Blue Chips — Visiting Blue Chips under the advice of a friend, I mostly expected another bland sports bar. Blue Chips is indeed a sports bar, but it has local, supportive charm that I found most appealing. Sure, they have drink specials, silly signs and TVs, but what separated Blue Chips from the rest of the sports bars I visited this year was the laid-back atmosphere. The service was great and the smaller size made the experience much more intimate. If you’re looking to have a good time and make some new friends, Blue Chips is one of the best places around. I promise I won’t make any “Cheers” references.

This year is already shaping up to be an interesting one for nightlife. I’m looking forward to trying some new things and heading out in a few new directions.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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