Club Directory

Los Vaqueros Western Steakhouse & Saloon: An old-fashioned country-western bar with brands on the ceilings, tequila at the bar, and beef on the grill. There is free pool from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Wednesdays. Sun-Thu: Clint Williams and Running Wild, 9 p.m. Mon-Wed: Country Karaoke, 9 p.m. 285 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction, 480-982-3407.

Lucci´s 4 Pasta & More: 4747 N. 20th St., 602-954-2394.

Mabel Murphy´s: More Midwestern than Scottsdale, this Cheesehead haven (there´s a Packer shop inside the place) becomes a true hip-hop and R&B spot on Saturday nights as the 30ish crowd gets jiggy with the occasional local pro athlete. Sat: DJ Dark Vader, $7 before 11 p.m. (food until 2:30 a.m.). Sun: DJ Dark Vader (reggae), $5. 7018 E. Main, Scottsdale, 480-946-0363.

Macayo´s on Central: Trendy Latino clubsters and business folk sipping Coronas are drawn to Macayo´s popular Friday happy hour at the restaurant with the tropical-Mexican decor. DJs keep the party going with a mix of Tejano, salsa, Top 40 and old-school jams. Mon-Fri: Happy hour 4-7 p.m. 4001 N. Central, 602-264-6141.

Majerle´s Sports Grill: Owned by former Suns guard Dan Majerle, Majerle´s draws a healthy before-and-after crowd, serving downtown event dwellers and after-work patrons. Helmets from every NFL team, photos from Majerle´s career and occasional patronage by athletes such as Houston Rockets star Steve Francis solidify its sports identity, though musical theme nights and a friendly staff also augment the atmosphere. Wed-Sat: DJ nights, featuring DJs spinning different musical genres. 24 N. Second St., 602-253-9004.

Malone´s Roadhouse: 15601 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, 602-482-3125.

Martini Ranch & Shaker Room: An outdoor courtyard separates the two parts of this clubbin´ complex. On the spacious Martini Ranch side, themed cover bands serve up favorite hits. On the more cramped Shaker Room side -- it´s a converted office space -- the clubgoers absorb a swank lounge environment as hip-hop DJs spin dance music. Wed: Acoustic music with North. Thu: The Chadwicks play Top 40 and alternative hits. Fri: North plays classic rock, Top 40 and alternative hits. Sat: Rock Lobster kicks out ´80s jams. Sun: Metalhead cranks out heavy-metal faves. 7925 E. Stetson, Scottsdale, 480-970-0500.

Mason Jar: This former hair-farmer haven still provides a steady stream of punk, metal, goth and industrial acts. The Jar even books country acts on occasion, so look for an eclectic crowd of underage hard-core enthusiasts and middle-age partyers through the black-lighting and basement ambiance. 2303 E. Indian School, 602-954-0455.

McDuffy´s: McDuffy´s is an off-campus Irish pub and sports bar for Tempe locals and ASU students with a punk-rock influence. The atmosphere can be described as busy -- long bar, tables interspersed, pool tables, televisions, roomy booths for you and a clown-car full of friends, occasional live music and a healthy, drunken vibe. Mon-Fri: Reverse happy hour. Tue: Free billiards night. 230 W. Fifth St., Tempe, 480-966-5600.

McDuffy´s Wide World of Entertainment: 15814 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria, 623-334-5000.

Mickey´s Hangover: The attraction to this Scottsdale bar lies in its 3 a.m. closing. None of this turning-into-pumpkins, 1 a.m. stuff. While it stops serving alcohol at the witching hour, it keeps late-night snack food coming ´til 3. The back patio allows for fresh air, conversation and cigarette smoking while the DJs spin inside. Wednesday´s Funk and Soul is a big night, with Parliament coming from the DJ and blaxploitation films showing on the wall. 4312 N. Brown, Scottsdale, 480-425-0111.

Minder Binder´s: A barn on the outside, your grandmother´s cluttered attic on the inside, this college-minded bar and grill features rock and ska punk DJ music upstairs on Friday and Saturday nights. Live music and penny drafts on Thursdays. 715 S. McClintock, Tempe, 480-966-1911.

Modified Arts: Mainstream-shunning hipsters flock to this tiny performance space located in downtown´s up-and-coming Roosevelt gallery district. Modified hosts raw indie rock, emo and punk bands, as well as experimental film screenings, alternative theater and a variety of genre-defying performances. Smokers congregate on the front sidewalk between sets. 407 E. Roosevelt, 602-462-5516.

Mr. Lucky´s: You can find this legendary country haunt of Waylon´s by spotting its frightening 50-foot maniacal clown marquee in the parking lot. Owner J. David Sloan and his band Western Bred perform Wednesday through Saturday night. Downstairs has pool tables and video games. Wed: Open bull rides upstairs, 8:30 p.m. Thu: Free country dance lessons, 7:30-9 p.m. 3660 Grand Ave., 602-246-0686.

My Florist Cafe: A lively little cafe, My Florist Cafe features a menu that reads like poetry in gourmet sandwiches and salads. Many dishes lean to the sweet side, and it´s advisable to get often-syrupy dressing on the side. But ingredients are topnotch, and some dishes sparkle, like the cafe clubhouse sandwich, and pear salad. Lately, though, the music sparkles as much as the food, as the cafe now offers singer-songwriters and pianists sharing their tunes seven nights a week. 530 W. McDowell, 602-254-0333.

Nasty Habits: A small, divey lesbian bar with a definite dingy vibe going for it -- in a good way. Nasty Habits´ interior is stark, with beams that look like old telephone poles running across the ceiling and a yellow-brown wall. Patrons can enjoy a jukebox, a pool table and even a quick game of shuffleboard. Fri: Karaoke, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.