Alley Cat returns to its old home above the Diamond Cabaret as a weekly event starting Saturday night. Though the club itself will still operate under its current incarnation as Tabu Ultra Dance Lounge (303-571-4545), promoter Kevin Larson hopes his Saturday-night parties will revive the scene and bring back the energy of old.
“I’m taking over their Saturday night and trying to bring back that Alley Cat vibe,” Larson said. “Erotic parties are my specialty, so I want to create a sensual, erotic environment that caters to the late-20s and early-30s crowd.”
If you have modest tastes, you may want to skip it; the club shares its location and license with the Diamond Cabaret club downstairs at 1222 Glenarm St., though they are separate spaces with separate entrances. Look for a new sexy theme each Saturday, with risqué titles such as “Stripped and Dipped.” Tabu has floundered lately, so maybe this is what the crowd has been missing.
“It’s about getting people off-guard and overloading them into a euphoric state,” Larson said. “They can get involved, have some fun and then go home and take care of business.”
Make yourself at home
The creative juices and the cocktails flow freely on Tuesdays at Mario’s Double Daughters’ Salotto, 1632 Market St.
The event launched last summer, and each week, local artists and creative types gather for “Self Made,” a weekly happy hour during which a featured artist shares his or her story with a crowd of interested onlookers.
Last week’s artist presented a challenge to the crowd, making it a participatory project involving collages and cocktails. Not an easy task after sipping one of the house cocktails, like the “Pirate Socks and Dead Parrots” martini (Bacardi Vanilla, blue curacao, lime, pineapple).
Up for the challenge? Drop by any Tuesday around 6 p.m. to help support the arts scene.
One more time
The Shelter (1037 Broadway) is the one uncertain spot among Regas Christou’s dance empire. The space has changed names, themes and nights sporadically the past few years, and now it has a new manager, a new look and a new weekly lineup of nightly events.
New GM Phillip Galaviz says he’s “starting from square one” with the club, which has gone through stints as a gay dance club, a hip-hop club and most recently a live-music venue. None of the past attempts to generate a loyal crowd seemed to stick, so Galaviz has a new approach, starting with a fresh look for the space, with plump couches, large swaths of fabric and retro chandeliers. “It was inspired by the old 23 Parrish design,” says Galaviz, who worked at the early-’90s downtown dance spot. “It feels like a really big living room.” The new design makes for a warmer, cozier environment to balance the warehouse look, but it’s going to depend on the music to make a believable scene each night.
Check out the new lineup: Wednesday is “Renaissance” with industrial and goth in the basement Milk Bar; Thursday is “Pachanga On the Patio,” a new Latin and tropical night, with Cumbria, salsa and rock en Español on the main floor and second-level patio; Friday is a new weekly ladies’ night with an indie, alt-rock and retro soundtrack (and open bar for the gals until 11 p.m.); Saturday is “Tabloid” with DJs spinning West Coast house.
At your service
Girls want to look good while balancing a martini glass, and The Martini Ranch (1317 14th St.) aims to help. The club is taking a new approach for its Tuesday-night ladies’ happy hour, and it’s all about indulgence. Gals can drop by for the “Vanity” ladies’ night, where they can order manicures, pedicures, free bubbly and even limo pickups. Sounds like a busy scene? They’ll even throw in a massage to make it worth your while.
Kat Valentine writes about nightlife Fridays in 7Days. Reach her at kat@kingproduction.com or call 303-820-1568.
