crunk juice got me trippin…
Club COntact then v. now
I’ve never seen something as anticipated as the opening of Club Contact. The owner of Gracie’s Tax Bar (guess what her name is) opened a club down the street to fill what seemed to be a gap in the Phoenix nightlife market - a place for alternative people to shake ass. Not that they weren’t before at Gracie’s, there’s just really not enough space to comfortably do so. It’s also outdoors, so the heat is a killer during the summer months.
Club Contact took over the space that was formerly Thundercat Lounge, an 80s inspired bar and club that had been open for around a year or so. I never had the pleasure of going, but when looking at photos, Club Contact preserved quite a bit of the unique parts that made it special - the mirrored ceilings and the basement lounge with leather couches come to mind. Never fear, they live on at a close by 70s themed bar, Thunderbird Lounge.
I didn’t realize I’d be doing a comparative writeup on the before and after of Club Contact, so I really only have one photo of myself from the launch where I look geisha white (I’m Japanese).
Me, in a sea of Filipinos. There’s even a white guy for comparison.
The line for opening weekend? Insane. I think we waited for thirty minutes, realized we knew someone ahead in line, did the time honored tradition of starting a casual conversation in order to cut, and got in within an hour. Shoutout Brian - I hope you read our newsletters.
Now, I’m sure you’re thinking, an HOUR? What a long time to wait in line at 9 PM on a Friday night. I hate to say it, but that was comparatively fast to what we could have endured. Y’all don’t even get it… this line was moving at a snail’s pace. Perhaps we took one step every 5 minutes… perhaps longer.
Once at the front, we paid a $10 cover and headed inside. At least, I think it was a $10 cover. Social media coverage says $5 but in my heart it feels like it was $10. Not much to say after this… it was a good time. It was less crowded than I expected considering the massive line. I bought Brian a cocktail as a thank you for letting us cut.
Unfortunately, this is one of the only other content pieces from this night. I don’t know why I decided a boomerang was the way to go.
Now the second time I went, for article purposes obviously, it was Crunk and Chill night. There’s lots of jokes to be made here, and I’ll do my best to avoid them. They had Crunk Juice (vodka redbull) available for purchase, and it did in fact taste like straight vodka. Whether this is a great deal or not is really up for debate and personal opinion.
This time, the cover was $5, and you know what? I’d rather get there late and pay $5 than show up at 9 PM sharp, but that’s just me. Embarrassingly enough, we did show up at 9 PM sharp, realized it was too empty, and popped over to Gracie’s for a few drinks beforehand. They’re approximately a 15 minute walk from one another.
Line check… my digicam didn’t open all the way.
When comparing Gracie’s and Club Contact, Gracie’s had more people (or at least an equivalent amount), even later in the night. Why don’t more people go to Club Contact? Why do they still congregate at Gracie's? There should be a certain amount of social trust that the former will be just as much of a good time as well. It’s the same DJs and the same vibe, just with air conditioning ) and a proper dance floor. There’s even the exact same amount of outdoor seating.
(The air conditioning is so intense on the dance floor that I actually need more people to come to Club Contact. Come heat the place up with your bodies so that I’m not as cold.)
If I had to hypothesize… in an if/then/because format…
If Gracie’s doesn’t charge a cover, then more people will go there, because people are <broke, cheap, strapped for cash, all of the above>.
Down the line, my future hypothesis would be…
If Club Contact has air conditioning, then more people will go during the summer, because Phoenix will be over 110 degrees.
Honestly, there were all these expectations, and the line was so insanely long on opening weekend, so I get why people mentally crossed it off their list. People hate change or when something doesn’t live up to the fantasy! Myself included, and I feel like I’m a fairly spontaneous and open minded person. Just the other day, my work changed the software for something mundane and I got mad about it and avoided the new software for a few days. Turns out it’s literally fine and I was being dramatic.
Or, maybe everyone hates dancing now, which might actually be a greater societal problem. Everyone wants to sit and have a drink and chat with their friends and no one wants to join the 4 person twerk train.
Too many people in their 20s are mentally fast tracking themselves to early forties with this glass of wine and puzzle nonsense.
Now, if that’s your vibe, I’m not mad about it. But, when’s the last time you had a conversation with someone random? When’s the last time you did something for someone just because? There’s so much to be gained from being open to connection. Support awaits in the discomfort of doing favors. And dance! It’s good for you.
