I think my biggest surprise was that for a city of it's size, the LA area
has very few clubs in comparison to Phoenix and Tucson. Phoenix alone has
an entire local magazine devoted almost soley to the advertisement of these
clubs called "Arizona Playtime". Tucson is a relatively small community of
about 800,000 people with the economy revolving mainly around the University
of Arizona and Davis Monthan Air Force Base yet Tucson alone has five topless
clubs and 2-3 nude peepshows. Apparently, Los Angeles is a much more conservative
area than I had imagined.
Marc and I had gone to Bob's Classy
Lady on a previous night and caught the tail end (no pun intended) of
an amateur night contest. If it wasn't for the mild interest generated by
the contest, it would have been dead in the club. I ended up chatting with
a guy selling costumes near the DJ booth. The girls weren't doing so great
money-wise according to him (his wife worked at Bob's). Do to the lack of
business, price of dances, and tip out to the club, they weren't making much
more dancing nude than we were in Tucson during our slow summer season dancing
topless.
I also chatted with some dancers in the ladies restroom at
Bare. After listening absently
to some choice words they had for some obnoxious customers out on the floor,
they told me pretty much the same thing that the costume guy had said at
Bob's. I didn't get the name of one of the dancers I talked to but she was
a tall (but at my height, everyone looks tall to me), very pretty brunette
with long, loopy curls; she looks a bit like Madeleine Stowe to me.
I do agree with Z Bone that the Bare Elegance is a very nice club as far
as decor and the quality of the dancers. Desiree is a gorgeous woman and
very nice to talk to.
Sam's was very cool. I has
the feeling of a very cozy pub but with a stage in the middle of the room.
The center of the stage is sunken in about a foot with the surrounding outside
parquet flooring edge serving as dance/drink surface. Apparently very slippery
but with the overhead monkey bars and ring, who the hell needs to touch the
floor?
I think the aspect of LA clubs that struck me most is the fact that dancers
aren't in as much hurry to hustle a dance as here in Arizona. Maybe because
at $20 a pop, it's easier to make your money compared to $5 here in AZ. However,
the house takes so much of that away (half the $20 dance and an enormous
tip out) it makes me wonder what they truly net.
By the end of the night Marc and I were looking rather wilted. We had spent
the entire day at Disneyland thinking
of various ways to pervert the Magic Kingdom in to an ass-cer's heaven while
waiting in line for the rides. I still think Pirates of the Carribean has
great potential. Saxbeat's day had been equally as full so I do appreciate
him coming out to meet us. Z Bone, thanks for making it a memorable trip
:)
Jasmine Tea (e-mail)
