Every city with even a moderately successful bar scene has at least a few great dance clubs. While some say that this is the Madison scene’s biggest downfall, there are nonetheless a couple of places worth checking out if you ever get the urge to take a break from the ordinary and shake your booty.
First up is the closest option to campus, the Cardinal Bar (418 E. Wilson St.). Located a healthy walk (or $4 cab ride) from campus, the Cardinal is four blocks from the Capitol, just before the Essen Haus. If it’s a variety of music, themes and crowd you’re looking for, the Cardinal is probably your best bet.
Open Tuesday through Sunday every week, the Cardinal features a good mix of genre. Each night has a theme — Tuesday has a rotating theme; Wednesday is Domestic Underground (with local and “foreign” DJs); Thursday is Latin Dance night; Friday is ’80s Throwback; Saturday is “Shakedown” with local legends Nick Nice and Mike Carlson; and Sunday features two sets, beginning at 9:30, with Madison favorite the Tony Castaneda Latin Jazz Sextet.
The Cardinal’s nightly drink specials are nothing to scoff at, either. The clear winner is Tuesday nights, with $1 pints/$3 pitchers of PBR from 8-11 p.m. There’s usually a cover charge at the door (expect about $5 on a normal night), but most nights offer a discount if you flash a student I.D.
The standout feature of the Cardinal, and what it’s best known for, is its monthly Fetish Night. The last Tuesday of the month, the club opens its doors to all those who like to spice it up a bit — the music reflects this theme, and the great majority of the crowd on Fetish Night comes in full fetish gear. It’s quite the experience if you’ve never been, and if you’re looking for something that shows the true uniqueness of Madison, you should definitely check it out.
Speaking of uniqueness, many Fetish Night clients also enjoy the atmosphere at the Inferno, located a good distance from campus at 1718 Commercial Ave. Like the Cardinal, the Inferno offers its own “fetish night” on the first Saturday of each month — only there, it’s called “Leather + Lace.”
The Inferno gets extra points for really catering to a clientele that doesn’t get much attention in mainstream drinking culture. In past years, it has offered invitation-only private parties, for which patrons had to both have an invitation and be dressed in fetish gear to even get in the door. Leather + Lace used to feature a “torture garden” run by one of Madison’s largest BDSM groups, but unfortunately had to shut it down for a variety of reasons.
Even if you’re not into the fetish or BDSM scenes, the Inferno still offers great music and drink specials every night of the week. Check it out Thursday nights for “Dancehall Takeover,” which features reggae, dancehall and dub music and $1.50 rails and select pints. It’s also host to Madison’s hottest Halloween party this Saturday night, where there will be a free champagne toast at 1 a.m. and costume contests throughout the night — not to mention the “Den of Iniquity,” hosted by Madison Dungeon.
If you’re looking for something a bit more … cheerful, truck it over to the other side of town to Club 5 (5 Applegate Ct.). Just past the West Beltline, Club 5 is Madison’s premiere gay nightclub for a reason — it rocks! Step in there any night of the week and you’re greeted with a great atmosphere, plenty of dancing space, and DJs who will play songs you actually know, rather than a bunch of techno you’ve never heard before.
“But don’t you have to be gay to go dancing at a gay club?” No, and you don’t have to be straight to go dancing at a “straight” club. You just have to not mind being around people whose preferences and/or lifestyles are different than yours. Besides, Club 5 is so fun it’s hard to find any reason not to check it out some weekend.
There are two bar areas in Club 5 — the Barracks, which is geared toward men, and the Foxhole, geared toward women. Anyone is welcome in either bar, of course, and you should definitely take advantage of the great drink specials — especially Monday night’s specials, which include half-price drinks up to $4, and $1 off any drinks more than $4. If you’re a guy, you can also score half-price drinks Friday and Saturday nights by showing up in leather or a uniform or remaining shirtless all night (at the bartender’s discretion, the website emphasizes). See, I told you it was fun!
These three are, of course, not the only dancing options in Madison — Club Majestic and the Bluefin are also great choices. In the end, this is just a shout-out to let you know that there is a club scene in Madison, and it is alive and well!
Questions, comments or suggestions? Talk to me at [email protected].
