Last night, I and some friends went out to Retro Bar (383 Lonsdale Street). We got there at around 11, and the line was enormous, but we got inside quickly enough. It had two levels; Niagara Hotel on the ground floor was brightly lit and the music was a little quieter. Wasn’t as crowded there, and it was a pub-type atmosphere (thought it still had a neat little dance floor and DJs). Upstairs was Retro bar, a clubbier atmosphere with louder music, colourful lighting and a little stage to get up and dance on. (Cover charge was $10, price of a lemonade is $3, and the only alcohol i had was bought for me, so i can’t say what that cost.)

As far as music goes, anything from the late 60s to the mid-90s is fair game, though the Saturday night DJs have a pretty regular set, so if you go one Saturday you’ll have a pretty strong idea of what they’ll play next week. I tend to head downstairs when “Sugar pie, Honey pie” comes on, but until then it’s all pretty dance-able, and it’s fun jumping up on the stage.

Last night there was an 18th birthday party group (of girls) that apparently started a fight with another bunch of girls, which is pretty pathetic. I did not witness it (as it happened shortly after “Suger pie, Honey pie…”), but it apparently had to do with one girl stepping on another ones foot. I don’t know what pissed me off more (based on what my friends told me) – that a bunch of them apparently ran to try and get the boys that were with them to fight on their behalf (PATHETIC!), or that they must all have been around 18 to be at an 18th b’day – so basically, they’ve only just started (legally) going out, and the first thing they decide to do is pick a fight. Like they think thats somehow the acceptable thing. As someone who LOVES a good night out, i take it as a personal insult (hell, it’s practically a threat). What a pack of total losers!

But the club itself was great fun. The atmosphere was great, i met some fun people, and danced for a couple of hours straight.

One of the best things was that, as the title of this post indicates, this was my first clubbing night out since the new laws banning smoking in enclosed pubs and clubs were introduced. It made things so much better. Apparently, there was smoking going on in the girls toilets (my first reaction was, wow, how can anyone possibly deny that its an addiction! But then informed sources tell me that the girls toilets are seen as a bit of a social place… hence the massive lines… so it may not seem as festy to them as to a guy…), but the club itself was clear.

I used to think I started coughing at clubs and getting a tickley throat just because of the dehydration from all the dancing, but i danced like crazy last night, and had to fill up on water, and never had the slightest urge to cough. It must have been the smoke!

And coming home without smelling like nicotine, waking up in the morning without that icky menthol stench on the pillow… not needing to washing my hair with shampoo twice in a row… I am definitely going to be going out much more from now on!

Two thumbs up, and a good time was had by all.