While Rochester may not necessarily be the Mecca of dance clubs, there are still a fair number of places where you can express yourself. So put your dancing shoes on and start hopping to these clubs.
Red Social Lounge171 St. Paul St.
It?s not the biggest club around, but it has an intimate feel. With pool tables, black light ambiance, plenty of couches where you can get comfy and a long bar area, Red offers something for the dancer and non-dancer alike. The dance floor is small and doesn?t offer much in the way of platforms, but it proves a great opportunity to bump into the hottie you saw dancing in the corner.
Usually 21+, Red opens to 18+ on Saturday nights. Be sure to check what kind of music party the night will feature, because Red caters to a variety of people. For example, there are hip-hop nights, ska/punk nights, techno nights and top 40 dance nights. There are live shows with performers and DJed pump parties for the gay community. The possibilities at club Red are endless. Just don?t get caught drinking underage ? otherwise you are sure to be kindly escorted out.
Tonic336 East Avenue
Catering to a slightly older, posh crowd, Tonic is the bar/club for the dressed-to-impress. Tonic has one of the larger dance areas ? but most of the time, there aren?t enough people to fill the space. Hence the club isn?t exactly jumpin?, jumpin?. Wide open windows overlook East Ave., and the bar is extremely long. During the brief period of the school year where it?s actually warm in Rochester, there is also an enjoyable outside bar.
One perk of Tonic is that there is no cover ? but it?s also not for the under 21. Possibly as a trade-off, the music can only be described as rather strange ? it borders somewhere between disco and euro-techno. Tonic would probably be the ideal place to pick up that late 20-something sugar daddy or mommy that you?ve been craving to pay for the rest of your college career.
Tremors1509 Scottsville Rd.
Meat market. That is the best way to describe this little club. With loud bumpin? music, bar maids who wear skimpy little shirts that leave nothing to the imagination and a fair number of platforms on which to strut your stuff, this place is definitely hook-up central. Unlike a lot of the bars and clubs in the area, this place tends to get pretty packed. The music ranges from dance to hip hop to house and tends to get louder as the night wears on.
Attached to the main room is another smaller room with a bar and TVs and is the home to the occasional Phish-jamesque band, which provides a strange contrast to your usual dance club fare.
Piranha204 North Water St.
If techno is more your deal, then Piranha may be the club for you. Although it tends to draw a fair number of underage wannabe club kids with glow sticks and pacifiers in tow, if you?re there to dance, you?ll get your wish. The place is huge ? there are a multitude of rooms, each different in size, dcor and particular type of techno music, such as goth and punk. With all that space, the club feels lacking if it?s not packed, but that?s not the norm for a standard Saturday night. If there are a lot of people, however, the view of all the different floors is pretty impressive.
GQ444 Central Ave.
Not everyone in this city is straight, and GQ is just the club to cater to it. Complete with drag shows on Thursday nights, a good-sized dance floor, a pool room, a bar room and bathrooms where you?re not always sure which gender is supposed to be there, GQ is definitely a handful. If you?re a straight lady who doesn?t want to be manhandled for a change, a straight guy who just loves to dance or a gay person looking for a friendly club, there?s fun for the whole family. The music is diva-licious and you can share the floor with friends Madonna, Whitney and Cher, to name a few. You?ll definitely work up a sweat and the drinks are inexpensive and satisfying.
These are just a few options in Rochester. Centers and Jillian?s in High Falls, H2O on Mt. Hope, Vibes on St. Paul, the Marquee ? one of the only hip-hop clubs in the area ? and the newly opened Velocity on Liberty Pole are more places to explore. If you go in with a love of dancing and low expectations, especially if you come from a large city, you will be pleasantly surprised. After a busy week of classes and loads of impending work, take the words of Madonna to heart and ?get into the groove.?
