Nightlife: College kids keep Macleod's kicking

Greg Wood/Special to Knoxville.com Lincoln Billingsley, left, Donald Walker, and Chelcie Holloway hang out at Macleod's.

Karaoke at MacLeods

Greg Wood/Special to Knoxville.com Lincoln Billingsley, left, Donald Walker, and Chelcie Holloway hang out at Macleod's.

Macleod's and I have a long, awkward relationship.

I've been no stranger to Macleod's, though going there has almost never been my suggestion. In college I ended up there almost every weekend (well, Thursday nights mostly, but that was always when the weekend started for me).

And although the loud music, large crowd and rowdy behavior sometimes got on my nerves, it was never enough to keep me away.

Years ago the bar was on the fringe of Market Square but has since moved to the Strip - a far more appropriate area considering it is a college-student haven.

On a recent Saturday night I mustered the enthusiasm to hit the Strip for some Macleod's nostalgia. The new venue is much smaller, being only one story and one room, with a handful of tables and one pool table in the back. There's an elevated stage in the front of the venue similar to the old venue. There's a porch area in front of the building with large speakers aimed toward campus.

And even though the venue is different, the attitude remains the same.

When I got there at about 10 p.m. (which I now consider late, but in college I wouldn't be caught dead at a bar prior to midnight) the karaoke hadn't started because of the UT/Kentucky basketball game. And yet the decibel level was just as high as ever.

Consisting mostly of college students, 30 or so people watched the game while downing drinks, smoking cigarettes and yelling profanities at various TV sets. Several college girls sat at a table, not seeming to be having any form of conversation whatsoever.

It was actually so obnoxious that I wanted karaoke to start.

Within half an hour of my time at Macleod's several people had rudely declined my request for photos.

There were redeeming factors, however.

For example, the same older gentleman donning a cowboy hat runs karaoke. I've spent many times standing next to this man doing poor renditions of classic rock songs as he looked on in quiet judgment. And he still kicks out the jams in between performers.

While he was performing "New York, New York" the crowd got into it, shamelessly dancing in front of the stage. Only at a place like Macleod's would people be moved to dance at something so ridiculous. And I appreciate this to a great degree.

As the night went on, the bar got more and more crowded. I bailed much earlier than I would've years ago, unfortunately missing what I assume to be the peak hours of 1-3 a.m. It seems the loss of a big basketball game couldn't stop the college crowd from pouring into Macleod's.

Going back is something I like to do every now and then. Somehow I (and tons of other college students) made it to the Market Square location regularly for years while living in the Fort, it only makes sense that the more convenient location still pack in the same crowd. I'm never opposed to hitting up Macleod's.

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