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1912 Lounge
1 San Marcos Pl.
Chandler, AZ 85225
480-812-0900
http://sanmarcosresort.com This elegant watering hole at Arizonas oldest golf resort has quite a history. Below a banquet room across the hall, catacombs are all thats left of what was once a speakeasy. You wont need a password to get into the brightly lighted bar today, but it seems nearly everyone who works there has a ghost story to tell.
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Afterlife
4282 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-264-8300
http://www.myspace.com/afterlifescottsdale Sleep is overrated, especially when Aron Mezos after-hours club Afterlife offers energy drinks, blackjack and other casino action, video games, dancing, and other eye-opening distractions all night to anyone 18-and-over. The Liquid Room regularly hosts hourly shower shows (featuring barely-clothed dancers shaking their moneymakers in glow-in-the-dark body paint), while the Earth Room also offers hookahs and DJs dropping beats. A special party bus also transports college kids from ASU every 30 minutes to help add to the raucous atmosphere.
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Alice Cooper'stown
101 E. Jackson St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
602-253-7337
http://www.alicecooperstown.com A fusion of rock and jock dreamed up by the Valley's shock-rocker in residence, Cooper'stown sports monster TVs, a full menu, staff in frightening makeup, and room for 1,100. Located downtown, it draws large after-event crowds from Suns games, Dodge Theatre shows and other attractions.
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American Junkie
4363 N. 75th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-990-3000
http://www.americanjunkieaz.com The stretch of 75th Street running through Old Town Scottsdale used to be something of a dead zone when it came to nightlife action, save for a couple spots like Drift Lounge. But after American Junkie opened in late 2008, things started getting a bit more exciting as urbanites aplenty have been flocking to this combination sports bar/rock club/scenester lounge. Operated by the same people behind Pussycat Lounge and Dirty Pretty, it boasts a colorful array of old-school punk and alt-rock concert posters decorate the back wall, a fun vibe, and a kitchen dishing out upscale comfort food selections. A Wheel of Fortune-like device hangs above the main bar and features a variety of shots, tasks, discounts, or prizes for the females who spin it while standing on the bar.
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Amsterdam
718 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
602-258-6122
http://www.amsterdambar.com The tony atmosphere at Amsterdam makes it a gay lounge with hetero appeal: Designer cocktails, cushy couches, freestanding Roman columns and the tinkling grand piano produce a relaxed and classy atmosphere.
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Apollo's
5749 N. 7th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85014
602-277-9373
http://www.apollos.com A longtime favorite of the Phoenix gay scene, Apollos is the kind of bar where you can have a few beers and hang with a diverse selection of drinkers. From jockish preps and fabulous drag queens to big cuddly bears and roughneck biker types, they all gather here for the camaraderie and cute bartenders. If your eyes get tired from all the people-watching, theres karaoke from Thursday through Saturday, and the infamous Greek God Revue strip show is on Sundays.
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Arizona Joe's
417 S. Winchester Rd.
Apache Junction, AZ 85219
480-983-6115
Feeling the need for some down-home country music or southern fried rock? Check out this raucous roadhouse located at the ass end of the Valley in Apache Junction, where a number of good ol boy bands and musicians do the pickin and grinnin thing every night of the week. Arizona Joes is definitely the place to hang if youre a cowboy (or wanna feel like one), with an array of western hats stapled to the wall, ice cold Budweiser and Coors available by the bottle, and ample parking where you can stow your pickup truck. The kitchen also serves a pretty mean steak and some tasty fried chicken in case you gotta get your grub on.
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Avalon
7707 E. McDowell Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85257
480-656-0010
http://www.avalon-scottsdale.com Feeling thirsty? The dope drink-mixers working the glowing bar at Avalon Scottsdale can slake your thirst with any of a dozen scintillating and exotic-sounding alcoholic concoctions. Check out their super-sweet take on the traditional caipirinha (made from a combo of cachaça, cane syrup, fresh lime, and a swizzle stick made with rock candy); as well as the delectable Africana Fiz (consisting of fresh lemon, Madagascan vanilla bean
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Axis/Radius
7340 E. Indian Plaza
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-970-1112
http://www.axis-radius.com Experience twice the dance floor action at Axis/Radius, as the massive nightlife complex offers two separate clubs connected by a glass-and-steel catwalk. Radius dishes house music and other high-energy tracks amid a rainbow glow of colored light displays, while Top 40 and R&B jams pump out of the megawatt sound system inside Axis, where videos play across a gigantic video wall.
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AZ 88
7353 Scottsdale Mall
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-994-5576
http://www.az88.com
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Badlands Music Venue
5626 E. Main St.
Mesa, AZ 85205
http://www.myspace.com/badlandsmusicvenue Yucca Tap and Hollywood Alley tend to hog the spotlight when it comes to live music action in the East Valley, but these titans of the scene aren't the only action going on right of Central. Witness the burgeoning success of the Badlands Music Venue, which has been hosting a slew or hard rock and pop punk shows over most of the the past year. Situated along a dusty strip of Main Street in the ass-end of East Mesa, this ballroom-like joint has featured any number of local heavyweights, such as Eyes Set to Kill, Raina-Fire, and Knights of the Abyss.
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Baja Tilly's Cantina
1123 W. Broadway Rd.
Tempe, AZ 85282
480-968-6224
http://www.bajatillys.com Every weekend, this spacious, energetic Latin-themed dance club features a stunning one-two punch of live bands and DJs spinning cumbias and R&B. Be sure to dress to impress, as the doorman are known to turn folks away for not sporting their finest duds.
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The Ballroom (inside Myst)
7340 E. Shoeman Ln.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-970-5000
http://www.mystaz.com/ This swanky pool hall attached to Myst features some great billiards action, with DJs from around the PHX turntable scene spinning on Friday nights.
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Bar Smith
130 E. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
602-229-1265
http://www.barsmithphoenix.com While the lower level of this glossy downtown Phoenix hangout is more of a slick-looking eatery (boasting a killer red and black color scheme), the second floor is devoted to DJ music and dancing. Heavenly-looking honeys mix and mingle, blowing off half-assed hookup attempts from dudes operating way out of their league, while talented turntablists work the wheels of steel from an elevated area. Saturday are the domain of the popular Solstice dance night with spinsters working both levels.
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Barwinkles
5930 W. Greenway Rd.
Glendale, AZ 85306
602-938-9330
http://www.barwinkles.com Barwinkles is a laidback neighborhood joint thats tucked away in a Glendale strip mall and is the kind of establishment where everybody knows your name. It's where the working class comes to unwind after a hard day, drink some brewskis, play some pool, and pick some tunes from the thousands of downloadable songs on the bars Internet jukebox.
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The Big Bang
501 S. Mill Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85281
480-557-5595
http://www.thebigbangbarstore.com Located below The Library, the Big Bang touts itself as "an underground dueling piano bar." Patrons provide as much entertainment as the pianists, getting onstage to dance and sing along. A high level of audience participation, combined with the pianists' campy humor, creates the aura of a cheesy lounge high on nitrous oxide, seven nights a week.
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Big Fish Pub
1954 E. University Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85281
480-449-3474
http://www.myspace.com/azbigfish This landmark Tempe bar has gone through a number of changes over the past couple years, going from a raucous rock club to a more of a jazz/blues joint and back again. These days it features a versatile and varied lineup of live music during the week and especially on weekends. The line-ups range from hard rockers unleashing power chords and massive licks one evening, to hip-hop artists spitting funky rhymes the next.
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Bikini Lounge
1502 Grand Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-252-0472
Spend an evening at the Bikini Lounge and you'll see why the legendary tiki-themed dive bar is a favorite among the downtown crowd. Rub elbows with barflies and artist types as they down dirt-cheap drinks like $3 PBR pitchers, shoot stick at the pool table, listen to hipster DJs spinning jukebox-worthy music mixes, or converse with bartending mainstay Wesley.
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The Blooze Bar
12014 N. 32nd St.
Phoenix, AZ 85028
602-788-4574
http://www.thebloozebar.com In case you couldnt tell by the racing posters on the wall, cars are kinda king at this north Phoenix neighborhood bar. Badass NASCAR fans gather here to cheer on their favorite drivers whenever the sport is in season, and theres a popular Rockabilly Night every Thursday, with music from local bands like the Hardways and the Rhythm Dragons. Hepcat greasers and members of local car clubs like the Invaders usually bring along their vintage dragsters and cherry rides to the night, creating an impromptu road show in the parking lot.
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Bobby C's Restaurant
1140 E. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
602-252-2273
Bobby Cs has a full menu (the fried chicken is a highlight), and décor that gives the L-shaped space an upscale vibe. The clientele, mostly African-American business men and women winding down with a cocktail, is often swaying to the smooth beats of live jazz or a DJ playing R&B hits from every decade. Downtown holds so many undiscovered treasures, and BCs is definitely one.