Club Directory

McDuffy´s: McDuffy´s is an off-campus Irish pub and sports bar for Tempe locals and ASU students. 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: $1 you-call-its.

Tue: 2 Hot Tuesdays.

Thu: Island night.

Fri: Ladies´ night. 230 W. 5th St., Tempe, 480-966-5600.

McDuffy´s Wide World of Entertainment: Dining by day, dancing by night is the slogan of this mammoth-size restaurant and club. During the day, patrons can eat, watch the games on huge-screen TVs and do off-track betting. After 9:30 p.m., the dining tables are cleared off the main floor and DJs start spinning Top 40 and hip-hop.

Wed: Ladies´ night.

Sun: Hip Pop Night with DJ Sean. 15814 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria, 623-354-5000.

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.

Thu: Ladies´ night.

Sun: Live acoustic music. 4312 N. Brown Ave., 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.

Wed: Live DJ.

Thu: Hip-hop freestyle.

Fri: Live music outside and comedy upstairs.

Sat: Live music. 715 S. McClintock Dr., Tempe, 480-966-1911.

Misty´s: At this unpretentious bar that caters mostly to women, the lush, boudoir-inspired decor (red walls, a mirrored wall covered in Victorian drapes) doesn´t exactly fit the ´80s retro and Top 40 music that dominates the dance floor, but it´s usually too dark and crowded for anyone to notice. Misty´s also hosts pole dancing and wet tee-shirt contests, giving Valley lesbians a nice assortment of eye candy. 4301 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, 602-265-3233.

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 St., Phoenix, 602-462-5516.

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 Rd., Phoenix, 602-254-0333.

Myst: Myst is all about finding your niche -- just check out the maze of VIP sections in the club. A few steps down from the main dance floor and red-lighted bar is a more private lounge area with red walls and erotic paintings. Around the corner is yet another lounge, decked out in white. And on the third floor is the exclusive VIP area, hidden from view by white curtains. There´s also a pool room with black leather couches and a computerized sound system, as well as a huge patio with glowing red tables. 7340 E. Shoeman Lane, Scottsdale, 480-970-5000.

Mythos: 2515 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-947-6896.

Nasty Habits: A small, divey mixed gay 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.

Tue: Dart night.

Wed-Fri: Karaoke, 8 p.m.-midnight.

Thu: Drag night.

Sat: DJ, midnight-1 a.m. 3108 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, 602-267-8707.

NEXT: This darkly lighted lounge offers aggressive house music, a small dance area and a bar buzzing with the gym- and surgically enhanced, some no doubt judging their own assets against those of the exotic nudes that decorate the walls. Well-furnished dining areas tucked in side rooms provide serenity for the rest of us.

Tue: Hip-hop music.

Wed: House music.

Thu: Style night with fashion show.

Fri-Sat: DJ. 7111 E. 5th Ave., Scottsdale, 480-970-6398.

Nifty 50s Nightclub: Early in the evening, Nifty 50s starts with classic rock ´n´ roll from the sock-hop era, and as the night progresses so does the DJ, who eventually plays from a contemporary set list. Video games, pool and karaoke are also part of this casual bar´s appeal.

Sun-Wed: Karaoke.

Thu: Ladies´ night.

Fri-Sat: DJ plays dance music.

Sat-Sun: Family days with karaoke. 6767 N. 35th Ave., Phoenix, 602-973-2023.

Northern Lounge: The Northern Lounge is the Northern Lounge once again. Known previously as the gay-friendly Triangles on the inside (while keeping the old Northern marquee on the outside), new ownership has restored the Northern name.

Sat: Karaoke. 5008 W. Northern Ave., Glendale, 623-937-0940.