Hottest Live Music Clubs in Arizona Series: Thumbs Down List Revealed

In this ongoing series that we are proud to bring you regarding the hottest nightclubs and live music venues in the state of Arizona, sadly we also must tell about clubs that fail to meet these standards. While these represent only a small few of the excellent clubs in the state where patrons can enjoy live music on a nightly basis, sometimes a bad apple can seemingly ruin the bunch. Keep in mind that we are only reporting truth here, after having been at several performances at each of these clubs in questions. Our thoughts are based upon fact and countless interviews with live bands that have performed at these clubs, as well as patrons which were present during the shows.

Major Thumbs Down on These Three So-Called Live Music Venues in AZ
1. Tilted Kilt: while this is a great bar and pub, they offer awesome drinks and amazing, original food, when it comes to live music they get a sordid thumbs down. No stage, no lighting, no PA (public address system) and countless bands have informed us that they fail to pay them after performing. Good for drinks and food, bad for live music.
2. Mardi Gras: a club that offers a Cajun flare and a decent live stage and sound. However, we have actually been present while bands are getting kicked out of this club in the middle of their sets, for doing nothing but playing a show under contract. Good drink prices and a good stage setup don’t account for unscrupulous business practices that drive patrons out of the club when they only want to hear live music.
3. Copperstate Tavern. A club that claims to be a live music venue. This place has a capacity of about 50, no live stage, no PA, no lights, and we even talked to bands that showed up for shows when they booked other bands instead. Bad all around.

What a Real Live Music Venue Offers (Video of Live Performance Below)
Musical superstar and national act, Mandy Moore, performs a live set at the hottest nightclub in the state of Arizona, Martini Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona (in the video below). This club is not only a popular nightclub and social hotbed in Scottsdale, they happen to also have one of the most amazing stages in the entire state. While they frequently will host larger local acts, they also will host well-known national acts like Mandy Moore and others. This club serves as the basis of what should be expected from any live music venue trying to host bands: a proper stage, good lighting, great sound guy, and large capacity. Furthermore, the club will promote shows from within, using posters, fliers and ads in local news mediums. Martini Ranch represents what all music clubs wish to be: the best of the best, hands down.

Baseline Pub in Tempe: A Real Bar with Really Good Prices and Service

After a recent move to the burgeoning and growing city of Tempe, Arizona, I find myself searching for a new bar to call home. Being a barfly, I know that a great local bar will be one that offers decent amenities, awesome drink specials and welcomes regulars that feed their business and allows them to continue operating. After much searching and tons of frustration, I finally happened across Baseline Pub in Tempe one night. I am pleased to report that I have finally found my new favorite bar, and luckily enough, it’s right down the street from my new home!

Major Pluses
This place has an awesome location. It sits on Baseline Road in Tempe in between the 101 Freeway and Rural Road, on the south side of the street. It also is located near two other restaurants that offer a variety of food, and the complex is easily accessible from the street, not hidden away. There are three pool tables in great condition inside, three dart boards, a few arcade games, a fooz ball table and a great digital juke box. The bar also has several of those video games that sit on the countertop offering cheap entertainment for all, and the place has an ATM with reasonable withdrawal fees. But the biggest plus here, aside from excellent, first-name-basis customer service, are their great drink prices. Patrons enjoy stiff drinks for really cheap. A pitcher of beer for $5-$8 and mixed drinks from $3-$4, and that’s hard to beat in today’s economy.

Downsides
Like all bars and places of business, there are some inherent downsides that you will find at Baseline Pub. They have no kitchen, so food is out. You can, however, order pizzas at okay prices. But, I watched them make pizzas and they simply use Tombstone frozen pizzas and a smaller oven on the counter to make them. They taste fine, but in all reality this pub should really be offering a kitchen with a full menu.

My Rating: **** Four stars for cleanliness, customer service, drink selection, location, ambience and that very rare normal bar feeling that is so freaking hard to find these days. Keep in mind this is just a normal, all-around bar that can easily become the welcoming
place that you call home after a long day at work.

Video Games are Hot at Baseline Pub
The popular golfing arcade bar game, Golden Tee, is hot commodity at Baseline Pub in Tempe. As the video below shows, a golfer wins a tournament online at this bar, and has the video of his shot uploaded and shared online as a reward.

Bikini Baristas

In the old days, someone like Mr. Roper on Three's Company was forced to either go to beach himself (which I don't really recall him ever doing) or to get out his trusty binoculars to spy on girls in their bikinis. Fortunately for a lot of people in the Pacific Northwest, men don't have to go anywhere but their local espresso stand (for the price of about 4 or 5 dollars) to see a young hottie with a bodacious bod in her bikini or lingerie serving up cappuccinos. Some earnest young Tacoma man has even started his own blog devoted only to these prime girls in their bikinis, publishing locations and pictures of the stands and sometimes even the girls themselves. (actually taking photos of the girls is frowned upon)

In Seattle, on Aurora, which is home to more than one strip club and has the dubious distinction of being the prostitution strip in the neighborhood, I doubt anyone is complaining about the stands ruining the hood. I mean, seriously, Chica Latte, one fine coffee stand is located right next to a strip joint. I wonder if some of the girls work in both places. As far as I know, there are no lap dances at the Bikini Barista coffee stands and very few of the girls, if any, seem to be above the age of 20. While they do risk spilling coffee on themselves, the tips from customers to girls in bikinis are reportedly larger than the average coffee stand. Some customers even buy more cups of coffee.

The biggest complainers about this style of coffee stand are conservatives, the religious right, moms, and not surprisingly, other coffee stand owners who claim that the bikini baristas are taking away all of their business. It also is largely dependent on the neighborhood, too. Moms tend to want to protect their children from this sort of thing. (although how this is different from a bikini car wash I am not exactly sure).

I recommended a friend of mine open up a similar establishment in Milwaukee, WI, which I think would spur a coffee revolution in a town better known for beer than coffee. I failed to consider the fact that Milwaukee is one of the coldest places in the United States. It would be better for nipple action, but I think the frost-bite and hypothermia risks would unfortunately outweigh the gains.

If I had the gumption, I would put up a similar coffee stand up in town, but with men serving the coffee. My target customer would not necessarily be a typical female like myself, but more likely a gay male and the stand would be located in an area such as Capitol Hill in Seattle, which is notable for being a gay-friendly area in Seattle.

Hottest Clubs in Arizona Series: The Sets, Tempe, Arizona

We are on to our next pick for hottest clubs in the state of Arizona, and this time we head from Scottsdale (last time we featured Martini Ranch in South Scottsdale) to Tempe, Arizona. If you head to central Tempe on a weekend, you will wait in line to get into The Sets, and for many good reasons too.

Location
If you are looking for one of the hottest clubs in the state of Arizona to party with your friends at on a Friday or a Saturday night, then look no further than The Sets in Tempe, Arizona. Located at 93 East Southern Avenue in central Tempe – the burgeoning music scene in the state is in Tempe – The Sets offers a rocking good time, great eats, good drink prices and selection, and also features one of the largest stages in the entire state, adorned with all the high tech offerings that one would expect.

Drinking and Eating
While you won’t find anything outside of the normal eats when at The Sets, their kitchen offers all sorts of goodies from pizza to finger foods. The best part about having a good time here at this club is that there is something for everybody to do. If you are looking for something to eat, I recommend the pizza; you can build your own and get a huge pie for relatively cheap on the wallet. As far as drinks go, they offer specials every night, and you can always get a pitcher of beer with your friends for pretty cheap here. Another thing to note is that they are one of the few clubs in the state that does Jell-O shots; typically they offer these for pretty good deals on the weekends.

Live Music at The Sets: Two Degrees Faster at The Sets in Tempe, AZ on 2/22/09
The band, Two Degrees Faster, performs a monster set at The Sets in Tempe, Arizona on February 22nd, 2009. This venue offers a huge live music stage in the main room equipped with state-of-the-art gear and a great stage. Tons of national acts frequent this venue when passing through Arizona, and there is always something going on down at The Sets. The bar also offers live music in the other rooms, but those rooms are smaller and don’t feature a signature stage, as you can see the band performing on in the video below. The Sets is one of the hottest live music clubs in the state, and for good reasons, as you can see below.

Hottest Clubs in Arizona Series: Martini Ranch

Welcome to our Hottest Clubs in Arizona series. A series of articles that we will be releasing that will bring to attention some of the best spots to drink and party at when in Arizona. Many people are not aware that Arizona has some of the best night clubs in the entire United States. The city of Scottsdale – where we begin our outlook on hot night clubs – is home to some of the best clubs in the world. And our first review begins with the astute, a-list club in Old Town Scottsdale called Martini Ranch.

The Scoop on Martini Ranch
Martini Ranch is a two level night club located in south Scottsdale, Arizona. Set in the middle of the nightlife scene, Martini Ranch is considered to be one of the best clubs in the state. If you guessed that they specialized in serving world-class martinis, you are correct. In fact, Grey Goose Vodka frequently sponsors many events here, which means that patrons quite often get to enjoy free martinis during the weekends for a limited period of time (usually a few hours).

Why People Love Martini Ranch
People love this place because it is huge, hosts four bars, has nice bathrooms and the upstairs Shaker Room – which is a VIP room with private DJs. Finally, some of the biggest bands in the state play here on weekends, and quite often they get national acts gracing their stage, one of the best club stages in the state. Typically you will have to pay a cover to get in, but once through the door, expect a non-stop party until last call.

The Hottest Bands in the State (and the country) Play Martini Ranch
Not only is this one of the tightest night clubs in Scottsdale, Arizona – a place known to host one of the best nightlife scenes in the world – but the hottest bands and DJs frequently play at this a-list club. In the video below, a newly signed Arizonan band called Vayden performs a hit song of theirs called "Anthem of the Used." This show was fully sold out at Martini Ranch, where more than five hundred people came to see this band perform before they go on a major tour. And, who knows, perhaps this is one of the last normal, smaller shows you will get to see of Vayden as they get better known with each passing month.

Wallingford Washington’s Babalu

Babalu is a place that I would not choose to go to on my own.  I don't really have a reason or desire to go into a place that looks so plush on the inside and so much like a cheap cookie-cutter copy of a night club on the outside.  It was my friend's birthday, so I obliged along with four others.  Immediately upon entering, around 7 or 8 pm, we were met at the bar by a very friendly bartender who was extremely eager to sell us the most expensive booze on the shelf.  After we assured him that all we wanted were a couple mixers and a couple of shots, he tried to sell us on the idea of doing multiple rounds of tequila shots.  Not just once, but numerous times.  It got a little annoying having a bartender act like a used car salesman, but we got our drinks and found a seat near the old fireplace. 

The interior is orange.  Everything is orange or has some sort of orange glow to it.  The seats were leather but all vertical surfaces were upholstered in quilted orange leather.  I thought the atmosphere would be nice if I was looking for something a little swank or a little pretentious, but I tried to just stay focused on the conversation.  The drinks were pretty good, average I'd say.  We lingered and talked for about an hour and every 15 minutes or so the same car salesman bartender would appear and ask us if we wanted more alcohol.  It was getting pretty bad at that point so we decided to leave.

We were again met at the bar by the sale alcohol salesman and each rung up.  The cheapest price for anything involving hard alcohol was $8.  $8 for a well gin and tonic, $8 for a well rum and coke.  But it gets better.  The minimum amount any person can charge t their credit card there is $10, thus either forcing a $2 tip or another drink upon you.  But we were smarter than that.  Since we all had one drink, we paired up and decided to settle out each $16 bill separately.  We'd take care of who owed who a drink later that night, at least it got us out of the forced tip or second drink debaukle.  The bartender didn't seem very pleased but there was nothing he could do but happily ring us up. 

I would say that the ringing up went smoothly except for the fact that the bartender got distracted by a pretty face and decided to help her before he finished ringing up any of our bills.  It wasn't the fact that making her drink would likely take less than 30 seconds, and therefore we would be able to wait as he served her between credit card swipes, it was just annoying that the bartender spent a good 2 minutes talking to her instead of focusing on the task at hand.  None of us were pleased, and in the end, I honestly think that none of us will ever go back in the foreseeable future.  I highly recommend that anyone looking for good drinks, a good value, great service, or great ambiance

The Coors Gimmick: Like Anybody Cares if the Mountains on the Bottle Turn Blue!

Yet another beer gimmick has been brought to the light of day for all beer drinkers. The beer company the makes Coors has decided that commercials and reputation alone are not enough to dupe people into buying their brand of domestic beer. So, now you can tell if your bottle is cold enough to enjoy simply by checking if the mountains – printed on the bottle – are blue or not.

Are Funny Beer Commercials Just not Cutting the Cake Anymore?
First there was serious beer commercials. You know, the ones that offered the master brewer’s opinion on the product. Like a documentary they informed you of the process that it took to make the beer, how fine the ingredients were and why it was better than all other beers on the market. Then, when that failed – as most people couldn’t care less; they only care about taste – they resorted to funny beer commercials, as prevalently seen during the NFL Super Bowl. Now, however, they are using gimmicks like Coors Code Blue.

The Coors Code Blue Gimmick
If you have not heard about the most recent attempt by the Coors beer company to oversell their product to the masses, then let me fill you in really quickly shall I? In a nutshell, they have repackaged and relabeled the classic Coors bottles and cans. This time the trademark Rocky Mountains – which have always been on their bottling packages – turn blue when the drink is the ideal, cool temperature for drinking. One can only guess how much money that they spent on research and development of this gimmick. And in reality, who cares? If you want a cold beer, buy it from a fridge, or let it cool down in the fridge before you drink it…seriously!

See the Gimmick for Yourself: The Coors Code Blue Commercial!
As if beer companies really need to get people to buy their products by offering them anything more than alcohol and an easy, inexpensive means at getting drunk. However, this is where tobacco companies and beer companies will never differ: they always are trying to think of the next great marketing scheme to sucker in more drinkers, when indeed most of the time they offer a lousy product that has rampant consequences for enjoying its usage attached. Don’t get me wrong: I love beer. Yet at the same time I have never been fond of shoddy domestic beer companies using gimmick after gimmick to upsell their lousy products when a microbrew is just what the drinking doctor ordered. Check out the latest Coors gimmick in the commercial that I have imbedded below!

Rye Cocktails

When I set out to sample American Rye whiskey, I thought I'd probably be able to find three or four in a range of ages and prices. I knew that there were a number of smaller distilleries and even a few bottlers. Alas, after trying several local stores, I was only able to come up with two examples of American Rye. Old Overholt, and Jim Beam Straight Rye. I confess, that was more than a little disheartening; worse, though, was that I discovered both are now owned by a very large corporation Fortune Brands (they're big on spirits, and golf equipment) and both Old Overholt and Jim Beam Straight Rye are made by Jim Beam distillers. After hunting through several different liquor stores in vain and consulting with Rye-drinking friends on the East Coast, it became apparent that I would have to content myself with the limited choices available.

The PR person for the other large distiller of American Rye, Heaven Hills Brands, who make Rittenhouse and Pikesville Supreme Rye says here that "We spill more bourbon in a day than we sell rye in a year." Wild Turkey, who also makes a Rye, wasn't available locally either; there too, it's clear that Rye is still scarce. The master distiller at Wild Turkey says of their Rye that "It's not a real big seller, but it sells fairly well. We make it about three or four days a year." It's pretty easy to find Rye lovers writing about Rye, but neither Jim Beam nor Fortune Brands were terribly helpful in terms of Web sites; Rye for them seems to be very much a neglected child.

The Rye that seems most readily available in Puget Sound area liquor stores is Jim Beam Straight Rye, the so-called "yellow label" Rye; 40% ABV; 80 Proof. It's made in Kentucky, but it really is genuine American Straight Rye. In order to be labeled "straight," it has to have been barrel-aged in charred oak for two years or more. This was aged two years. It was a little sweet, with a bit less of the "peppery" flavor or spice not that Rye is known for. It's not unpleasant, but not as rounded or as interesting as Old Overholt—the other Rye whiskey I found to sample.

When I asked my Rye-drinking friends what to look for in terms of my first exposure to Rye, they suggested I start with Old Overholt. But upon going out shopping the first Rye we found was the Jim Beam yellow label. Luckily, I found the Old Overholt a day or so later, because if I hadn't been able to compare the two whiskeys, I'd have had a much less favorable impression of Rye, overall.

Old Overholt was a definite winner, and may have converted me entirely from ever using Bourbon in mixed drinks, again. It has that peppery-spicy note Rye should have—think of the distinct flavor or really good rye bread—with an underlying caramel, almost toasted-grain note. Smoother, overall, and extremely pleasant in any cocktail we mixed, I like it better not only in a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, but neat or on the rocks. Given a choice, I'd definitely buy the Old Overholt again, but probably pass up the Jim Beam for a similarly-priced Bourbon, instead.

Beer Goggles: Is this Conundrum Really True? Or is it Just Male Chauvinism?

Nearly every guy – and most women – on the planet have heard about beer goggles! Typically when women hear about it, they are learning of it in the most negative manner possible. That’s right. Some guy, somewhere, met them when he had too much to drink that night and thought that he was attracted to them when he clearly was not. For women – and for me – this is man at his worst: a pig. But for many men, they play this off as the beer goggle routine: “I was so drunk that she looked a lot more attractive than I thought, until I saw her the next day!”

Are Beer Goggles for Real?
By this I mean is it possible in a state of inebriation to view somebody as far more attractive to your tastes as you normally would? You bet your butt it is! But, guys and girls, pay attention here: this is not just limited to men. Most people, when they have too much to drink, their reasoning skills break down. This means that you would say and do things that you normally would not if you were sober. Like driving a car, operating machinery, hand-eye-coordination and so forth. So actually, in reality, beer goggles affect both sexes. It’s not just limited to males!

Have you Ever Succumbed to Beer Goggles?
Do you have a story (guys and girls please) where beer goggles changed the way that you saw somebody? Please don’t hesitate to share them with me on this blog by commenting with your posts! Help me figure out how far-reaching this is!

Even Sony Agrees that Beer Goggles Truly Make a Difference!
If you have the time, then I seriously recommend that you watch the video that I have taken the time to find and imbed below. In it, you will notice a really funny Sony Playstation 3 commercial – which has become so popular that is has realized more than two million views online on Youtube.com. In the commercial, a bunch of average looking men are attending a drinking party in somebody’s backyard somewhere; your typical house party of sorts. When a man realizes that the ugly girls there can become supermodels by simply drinking more, he dons the set of beer goggles. Then, what he really wants the woman to be appears: a video game console that is new, sleek and happening: a newly designed Sony Play Station 3!

Purple Haze: Sucks from the Bottle, Rocks From the Tap!

If you have never had the distinct pleasure of drinking the beer called Purple Haze, let me fill you in just briefly on what you are missing out on my friends! This beer is a signature, microbrew beer that is bottled brewed in New Orleans. It offers a robust, hearty and delicious, fruity flavor. Like a pale ale without the bitterness mingling with a heffenweizen and then topped with a lager. Seriously it is hard to describe the tasty offerings of such a great, master-brewed concoction. But what does plague me is that I have had the pleasure – on many different occasions – if drinking this brew from the bottle and from off of the tap. Guess what: it tastes so much more superior from the draft then the bottle!

Why is it Better from Draft than the Bottle?
The only conclusion that I can surmount is that the bottles lose flavor as the sunlight taints the beer during the shipping, handling and packaging process. Also, the beer settles differently in a keg than it would in a bottle. And, finally, kegs are fresher. This is one of the those beers that is meant to be enjoyed totally fresh and ice cold. So matter what bottle you get it from – unless right off the production floor – draft will always taste better when it comes to Purple Haze. Now finding this beer on draft is quite another story…good luck with that!

Purple Haze Rocks (I am Certainly Not Knocking it)
And to clarify: I love this beer. I am not knocking it in any way, it’s an amazing beer! However, I am merely stating it goes down better off the tap. Comment back with your thoughts!

A Song After Which This Beer (Perhaps) Was Named?
In the video (imbedded below) the one and only guitar prodigy and music soothsayer of the late 60’s and early 70s, Jimi Hendrix, performs his hit song live, “Purple Haze.” Of course, there is not much that this beer truly has in common with this song, except for a few namesakes. For example, the decorative coloring and packaging of the bottle (see the above, upper left picture), and the name. But, if you truly think about it, it would come as no surprise that the makers of this tasty brew were perhaps Hendrix fans of sorts, or were listening to the song when they decided to name their beer as such. And, the packaging and the mantra that this beer offers entirely relates in a sort of odd way—if you ask me!

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