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Looking for something to do this week? “Night Owl” is a quick guide to special nights at bars and clubs around town. We’ll give you a few hints re: cover, dress code, music and atmosphere. Thursday nights mark Blunt Club at Yucca Tap Room in Tempe.
Blunt Club (our 2010 pick for Best Hip Hop Night) is a weekly presented by Dumperfoo, Doug “The Professional,” DJ Element, and Pickster One, and has been going on for more than seven years.
The night’s moved four times throughout the years and since its move from Club Red, Blunt Club has found a new home at Yucca Tap Room. The bar hosts live shows and karaoke nights, but Blunt is definitely a local favorite.
The Place: 29 W. Southern Ave., Tempe.
The Time: The bar gets busy around 11 p.m.
The Cover: Free.
The Music: Blunt Club has attracted a slew of local DJs to play hip-hop, funk, dubstep, glitch, reggae and more throughout the night. The MC chats up the crowd between songs, trying to get patrons to sign up for the midnight freestyle battle to win a cash prize. As the night progressed, dancers were breaking to popular hip hop from the late ’80s and early ’90s.
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The Bar: The original Yucca Tap Room has a full bar with TVs, some seating, a dance floor and a stage. Yucca has another bar on the side through a doorway across from the stage. It’s a full bar that serves food and has pool tables and arcade games. Patrons hang out at high-tops, booths, and lean along the bar top.
The People: The crowds at Blunt Club were like a Benneton Ad with streed cred. There are patrons off all kinds from hip-hop-loving hipsters to b-boys and girls, artists to office workers. The crowd’s age ranged from people in their twenties and thirties. People turn up to drink, dance and battle. B-Boys and Girls show up to battle on the dance floor with sounds of sneakers squeaking above the heavy bass. The club has been known to bring in some national big name DJs and local groups such as the Drunken Immortals and Furious Styles Crew.
The Art: Yucca has artists live painting in the bar as well as local art on the walls. Right now, multi-colored images of Jesus holding a gun by Jared Aubel line the wall of the additional bar along with warped images of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.
The Fashion: Street wear is abundant at Yucca. The bar is laid-back, so wear whatever’s comfortable.
What We Loved: There is always something to check out at Blunt Club. Whether it was the live painting, the breakers, the MC battles, or just watching the crowds, there wasn’t a dull moment.
What We Didn’t Love: The main entrance to the bar is right by the stage, which can get pretty crowded, so it’s best to use the back entrance to come and go.
Would we go back? Yes. Check out Blunt Club this Thursday, where they will be hosting “Bluntsgiving.”
